[Review] Create Your Own Combinations at a Five-Star Hotel Buffet... Seoul Dragon City Food Exchange

My Own Perfect Buffet Combinations:
Targeting Modisumers
'DIY Plating Contest' Also Underway

Although hotel buffets have recently raised their prices to nearly 200,000 won per person, consumer interest remains high. This is due to the growing trend of seeking gourmet experiences that go beyond a simple meal. Recently, more people have been sharing their own "buffet best combinations" tailored to their tastes and preferences on social networking services (SNS). This is a way to find new enjoyment by creating unique menu combinations.

Seoul Dragon City’s "Food Exchange" in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, which I recently visited, was also operating under a concept that allows "modisumers" (Modify+Consumer) to create their own customized plates. Even on a weekday evening, the 180-seat restaurant was filled with a diverse range of customers, from solo foreign visitors to families of six, spanning various age groups.

On the 25th of last month, I visited Seoul Dragon City Food Exchange. I placed a grilled sirloin steak and a lobster tail on the plate, then topped it with grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes to create my own steak plate.

Located in Novotel, Food Exchange recently revamped its menu to allow customers to combine buffet items and create their own dishes. As the spectrum of gourmet experiences broadens and the standards of fine dining in Korea rise, the restaurant has made bold changes to meet evolving consumer demands.

Whenever I visit a hotel buffet, I usually enjoy four plates in order: salad, cold dishes, hot dishes, and then desserts and fruit, but always end up feeling limited. This time, however, I found it interesting that I could use the buffet menu to create my own dishes, which allowed me to enjoy the buffet in a completely different way.

Seoul Dragon City Food Exchange. Seoul Dragon City

As usual, I started with a variety of salads, but from the second plate onward, I focused on finding creative combinations and beautiful plating. To create a Japanese-style menu, I made a bowl of "Hoe Deopbap" by topping Chirashi Sushi rice with tuna, flatfish, sea bream, and red shrimp. At the grill station, I chose a thickly grilled sirloin steak, added a lobster tail, then topped it with grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes to create my own steak plate.

To refresh my palate, I turned to Jjamppong. At Food Exchange, chefs prepare Jajangmyeon and Jjamppong on the spot with your choice of ingredients. I asked the chef to add my preferred vegetables to the Jjamppong, then topped it with plenty of grilled shrimp, snow crab, and lobster meat to enjoy a "premium seafood Jjamppong." I also made a "sirloin Jajangmyeon" by adding sirloin steak to the Jajangmyeon.

At Food Exchange, chefs prepare Jajangmyeon and Jjamppong on the spot using the ingredients you choose.

With the recent upgrades to the grill and salad sections and the addition of 23 new menu items, there were plenty of choices. For the summer season, new health-boosting dishes such as eel soup, Nakjitangtangi (octopus tartare), and Chogye salad were introduced, making it a good option to prepare a nourishing meal for elders as well.

You can also enjoy signature dishes from the hotel’s popular restaurants. During my visit, authentic Chinese dishes such as Peking Duck, beef broccolini in yu xiang sauce, and Ilnyeongam Hongyu Myeongha were available through a collaboration with FEI, the Chinese restaurant at Dragon City. In particular, Peking Duck is usually a dish that requires a long wait and a high price at a Chinese restaurant, but at Food Exchange, you can enjoy as much as you want in real time, which was especially appealing.

The bakery also offers items from "A La Maison Deli" on the first floor of the hotel in slice or mini sizes, targeting today’s consumers who prefer a variety of experiences.

You can enjoy Peking Duck at Food Exchange through a collaboration with FEI, the Chinese restaurant at Seoul Dragon City.

Customer participation events are also being held. From July 4 to August 31, Seoul Dragon City will host a "DIY Plating Contest" on its official Instagram to strengthen communication with customers. Participants can upload photos of their own plating, either recreating the chef’s recommended combinations or showcasing their own creativity, to their public personal accounts.

A Seoul Dragon City representative explained, "Since it’s impossible to try every menu item at a buffet, we wanted to add unique elements to make the experience more distinctive, rather than just running a typical buffet," adding, "We also plan to increase touchpoints with consumers through events that have not been held at five-star buffets before."

Meanwhile, Food Exchange at Seoul Dragon City raised its prices by an average of 4.6% starting May 1. As of the publication date, weekday lunch and dinner buffets are priced at 120,000 won and 140,000 won per adult, respectively, while weekend lunch and dinner are both 159,000 won per adult.