Grano (CLOSED)

This Italian restaurant, owned by Italian-Canadian Chef Santino Sortino, is located in the heart of the Itaewon. The building exterior with its charming blue tones, yellow stucco brought from Italy and big chimney oven is an unusual sight even in diverse Itaewon, whose building exteriors tend toward the flashy or drab. You may notice that they serve pickles alongside the meal, a hotly debated topic amongst local foodies, an issue we find negligible. Nonetheless, the cooking itself is firmly rooted in traditional sensbilities. Some Koreans tend to feel the flavors are bit salty but keep in mind this comes from natural sources and long reductions rather than artificial flavorings. Grano's cuisine is praised for integrating Korean ingredients like Maestro Kim Kwang-Ja's roe, Uiseong garlic and blue shrimp. When the weather is nice, an evening meal of pasta and wine on Grano's terrace is a relaxing way to end the day. Grano the Grill, which serves steak, operates on the basement level.