Welcome to My Home
Oseyo’s cocktails fuse Asian flavors with a Texas tang.
Words & Photo By Gabby Frasier
Oseyo boasts a food menu loaded with traditional Korean home cooking; however, their beverage menu is anything but traditional.
The Seoul of Oaxaca—pronounced “soul of wah-HOCK-ah”—starts with a generous pour of smoky Xicaru mezcal infused with pink peppercorn. A splash of Cynar, a bitter artichoke-based liqueur in the amari family, is added for extra bite, then an expertly-sweetened Asian pear and pink peppercorn syrup is mixed in to round out the peppered, smoky flavors. Finally, the cocktail’s highball glass is grounded with a dusting of earthy seaweed salt.
Lead bartender Jonathan Escalona “elevated the drink with a syrup infusion,” assistant general manager Morgan Patchell credits. “The pink peppercorn and Asian pear syrup in the Seoul of Oaxaca combines two things: Texas and the Korean foundation of the restaurant itself.”
The Seoul of Oaxaca is part of an eclectic cocktail menu combining traditional Mexican cocktail elements with Asian flavors, such as Korean miso paste, gochujang chili powder, and Japanese whiskey. In contrast, Oseyo’s food menu focuses on Korean basics, such as kimchi jigae (spicy kimchi stew), bibimbap (vegetable-focused mixed rice), jjin mandu (dumplings with pork, beef, and kimchi), and bossam (slow-roasted pork belly).
“The food here is very traditional Korean home cooking, but when [owner] Lynn Miller designed the concept, she realized that nobody who’s doing Korean food, or nobody that she knew of, also had an elevated beverage program that included Asian ingredients,” Morgan notes. “We challenged Jonathan and his crew to come up with twists on drinks that would bring in those ingredients.”
While Oseyo’s food and beverage selections emphasize seasonal ingredients and plan on rotating within the coming months, the positive reception surrounding the Seoul of Oaxaca has secured the cocktail a permanent spot on the menu.
“We have every intention of updating our cocktail menu seasonally,” Morgan admits. “But based on popularity, Seoul of Oaxaca will stick around.”
A Welcoming Space:
When translated to English, the Korean word “
Contact:
oseyoaustin.com
1628 E. Cesar Chavez St.
@oseyoaustin
