A Restaurant with Great Atmosphere in Apgujeong Rodeo, Cheongdam: Luka Kitchen

Although COVID-19 has not completely disappeared, with social distancing being eased, I thought it was finally time to meet the people I had not seen for a while. But because I’m a scaredy-cat, I was afraid to make plans right away. Enough time has passed now, so I wanted to meet some wonderful people I had been wanting to see and eat something delicious. I tried to make a reservation at the atmospheric Apgujeong Rodeo restaurant I visited late last year.

It looks like business ended on April 30, 2022. They say it will come back under a different brand after interior renovations.... I had planned to go to Luka Kitchen, but because it has closed, I could not visit, so I’m going to revisit my food memories with photos I took when I visited last year.

There were lots of people and the atmosphere was so nice, so why did they stop operating....

Even if you have not heard of Luka Kitchen, a Cheongdam-dong restaurant, you may have seen its jungle-like interior quite a lot. After passing through the entrance, which feels like entering a forest, you are greeted by an interior that feels completely different.

Would you call it the pinnacle of luxury!!

For reference, the forest-like entrance space was used as a terrace with tables, so when the weather gets warmer and it’s nice out, I thought I’d sit here when I visited.... But now it’s gone.....

After placing your order, an appetizer bread is served. Just by looking at it, I could see the shine and thought it would have a rich buttery flavor, and sure enough, it was incredibly soft. A little salt was added to that bread, so it was great to spread on salty butter!! I controlled my portions because I was worried that eating too much would ruin my appetite for the main dishes.

When I had eaten about two bites—just a tiny bird’s amount—as a little taste, the Citrus Salad I ordered came out.

As you know, citrus refers to citrus fruits. So when you say citrus salad, you can think of it as a salad that uses a tangy dressing. Because of that, it’s a salad with a sour, refreshing taste that some people may like or dislike, but I really enjoyed it.

Still, I wished there had been a little more cheese.

Finally, all the dishes that could make up a meal were served.

In the reviews, some people said all the ordered food came out at once, while others said there was too much time between dishes and it disrupted the flow, but for us, the timing seemed just right.

Lasagna!!

The portion was smaller than I expected. But the sauce was so good that I could forgive the small amount.

Since the sauce was so tasty, I found myself wanting to dip the appetizer bread in it. I didn’t dip the bread, but I scraped the plate clean and finished all the sauce.

Next is the pollock roe oil pasta.

To be honest, pollock roe oil pasta is the kind of pasta that tastes good basically anywhere you eat it. On top of that, there were some vegetables mixed in, which helped balance out the heaviness of the oil and the saltiness of the pollock roe.

The main dish at the atmospheric Apgujeong Rodeo Cheongdam restaurant Luka Kitchen: steak hot pot rice!!!

Steak hot pot rice is a menu item that everyone who visits Luka Kitchen seems to order, and it gives you the feeling of suddenly switching from an Italian restaurant to a Korean restaurant.

It’s not just the steak hot pot rice that comes out; various side dishes that go well with it are served too. So it’s great for people who think just eating Italian food feels a little lacking, and after the rich lasagna and oil pasta, it also leaves your mouth feeling refreshed.

I could understand why some people do not call Luka Kitchen an Italian restaurant but instead call it a Korean restaurant.

The steak hot pot rice is mixed right at the table. These days, social media is so developed that so many people take photos.

Maybe that’s why they don’t mix it right away after placing the hot pot rice on the table, but instead kindly give you time to take photos before mixing it! Since this place already has such atmospheric interiors and plating, it seems perfect for photo-worthy shots.

The meat was tender and delicious, but the rice itself was also pleasantly sticky and tasty.

The appetizer bread, salad, lasagna, and pasta we had earlier were all delicious, but with one bite of the steak hot pot rice, it became the most delicious dish at Luka Restaurant.

Atmospheric Apgujeong Rodeo Cheongdam restaurant Luka Kitchen!!

Now that it has closed, I think I miss the food I enjoyed there even more. If it opens under a new brand, I should visit right away.