No time is a better time than now to prepare for this season’s camping trips, rooftop parties and grill-outs, and finding the perfect meat should be the first thing on your to-do list.
And while Korea is famed for its beef, it’s not always easy to find affordable, high-quality cuts of meat. That is, unless you know about France Gourmet.
France Gourmet specializes in the handmade production of traditional French delicatessen and butchery. They’ve got everything you need for your spring and summer grilling get-togethers, from beef patties and tenderloin to lamb chops and fresh sausages.
All of the products are produced by French butchers in a workshop near Seoul. Particular care is given to raw products—only fresh Korean meat and natural casing are used for producing the company’s specialties. As such, France Gourmet is the go-to supplier for many of the city’s prestigious hotels, restaurants and well-known wine and craft beer bars.
And best yet, they deliver all of their tasty goods directly to your doorstep in a matter of days.
Recently, I tried out some of France Gourmet’s products for myself. When my order arrived at my door nicely packaged in a styrofoam icebox with plenty of ice packs to keep the contents cool, I felt a bit like a kid on Christmas.
I didn’t hesitate to start eating and immediately ripped open the Jambon de Paris, inhaling half of it with a bit of Parmesan on crackers. I tossed the remainder into a nice tomato-based pasta dish. It turned out to be the best deli ham I’ve purchased in Korea.
The Rillettes, which is similar to pate, made another tasty appetizer that disappeared seconds after I served it at a dinner party. Fortunately, I had set some of it aside to make paninis the following day. It was especially tasty with a few pieces of France Gourmet’s Tomme cheese.
Despite it being a Korean cheese (don’t knock it ‘til you try it!), the Tomme had a nice flavor, similar to a mild Asiago. The cheese was just as nice by itself with a glass of red.
Yet, my favorite item so far has been the Lamb Chops. These babies were tender, juicy and incredibly flavorful despite only using a little salt, pepper, olive oil and rosemary for seasoning. And, for just under 5,000 won per chop, these were a steal! No more going to overpriced restaurants for meals I can now cook on my own!
Although I improvised and used my own recipes, France Gourmet’s website boasts serving suggestions and recipes completely in English so you can enjoy their products to the fullest.
I plan to reorder in the very near future to stock up for summer, but until then, I still have a 1 kilogram T-Bone steak (yes, you read that right!), a tenderloin steak and a pack of chipolatas I plan to put to good use on my camping trip this weekend. In fact, I’m quite certain the thought of consuming them is the only thing that will get me through the next couple days.
See France Gourmet’s full range of meat and cheese delicacies at their online shop.
More Information: France Gourmet
Website: Click here
E-mail: francegourmetkr@gmail.com
Phone: 031-719-2809
Words and photos by Mimsie Ladner of Seoul Searching. Content may not be reproduced unless authorized.
