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5F, Seoul Square,
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Busanjin-gu,
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Taste of europe
La Planque
March 2, 2023
La Planque, a restaurant serving authentic French cuisine, is located in a maze-like alley of Itaewon. This is considered a perfect hideout place where you can get away from the hectic city life and feel the relaxed French vibe. The ECCK met with Mr. Anton d’Esperel, owner of La Planque.
Tell us about yourself
I am Anton d’Esperel. With the aim of opening a restaurant in Korea, I arrived in the country in 2015. Some ask me why, out of all the locations across the globe, I chose Korea. I believe the main reason for that is because the Korean market suits me well in many respects and it is very interesting in that everything is moving so fast. It has been almost 10 years since I arrived, and I can tell so much has changed.
Additionally, handy administrative work would be another good reason, tax wise, labor cost wise, etc. Considering all this and compared to France, where I am from, it seemed a bit more competitive to open and carry out a business here in Korea. I saw a great opportunity here.
Anton d’Esperel, owner of a French restaurant located in Itaewon. Courtesy Anton d’Esperel
Tell us about the French food culture. Any special ingredients, cooking methods, etc.?
The ovens are an essential part of French cuisine. It is beloved by the French when cooking meals. That being said, I was a bit surprised to find out that there was no oven in my apartment. I was so used to always having an oven, so this came as a surprise.
To mention a few ingredients: butter and cream, which are the basics, and additionally, carrots and onions. French cuisine is well known for its use of vegetables. Korea seems to have a large variety of fish, shells, etc. Many seafood options are available here, so I find it very interesting.
Courtesy Anton d’Esperel
What would you say makes La Planque special?
La Planque means hideout, somewhere to hide. Seoul is a huge and extremely busy city. Everyone seems to be always doing something, working hard, trying to achieve their goals. To those busy modern Seoul citizens, I wanted to bring some kind of shelter where they can simply go, feel safe and take rest for a while, apart from their hectic daily lives.
I would have to say that it is a cozy, feel-like home restaurant located in Itaewon where you can relax and enjoy a nice French meal.
Inside of La Planque. It is beautifully decorated. Courtesy Anton d’Esperel
Where do you get your inspiration?
Inspired by the goal of exuding a French feel. As I mentioned before, 8 years have passed since I came to Korea from France. During that time, of course, there were times when I missed the French food, the atmosphere, and the feeling. Like I did, I hope that other French people living in Korea will visit La Planque to eat French food and feel at home.
In addition, I want to help Korean customers who are not yet familiar with French food to have a positive experience by introducing French culture and food. This mindset inspired La Planque to offer menus such as Boeuf Bourguignon, Rillette de Canard, etc. and create an atmosphere where visitors can experience themselves as if they were in France.
Courtesy Anton d’Esperel
Any messages to ECCK Connect readers?
It has been a joy running a restaurant in Korea for 8 years, my first ever business, and I am grateful that I was able to grow through many trials and errors. We are planning this year to be the last year of operation of La Planque, so we hope there will be an opportunity to serve delicious traditional French food to more people before the closing of the restaurant. Come and enjoy!
