Lina’s Sandwich at Gwanghwamun

On a somewhat breezy and cloudy Saturday afternoon, I met up with a very close friend of mine in Gwanghwamun. The area of Gwanghwamun showcases several ancient tourist sites, two being the statues of General Yi Sun Shin and King Sejong. Gwanghwamun is surrounded by the busy areas of City Hall, Kyeongbuk Palace, and Myeongdong, which allows you to access to an event-filled day. My friend and I decided to eat something light, yet filling. My friend, who is like a dictionary of delicious of restaurants, led me into the Kyobo Life building (Located between exits 3 and 4 of Gwanghwamun Station) and then entered through a large, automatic door.

I looked around and noticed the sophisticated looking logo of Paris Croissant, the higher branch of Paris Baguette. Initially, I thought we were going to quickly pick up something from there and leave, but we walked past and into a brightly lit sandwich shop called Lina’s. Lina’s is extremely spacious with clean, white tables and wooden chairs spread throughout the place. Straight above the cash register, in big, green letters, is the name of the sandwich shop.

Right behind the cash register, the menu is plastered beautifully on a clear, glass window pane with a light green color that accents the white writing with pictures here and there of different items. Immediately next to the cashier is the kitchen. It has an open kitchen layout, which allows customers to check out how delicately they make your order. This style is a common thing seen in the ritzy area of Manhattan, which Lina’s seemed to follow after.

While carefully looking at the menu, their Spicy Wasabi sandwich caught my attention. However, I stopped myself from making the order after I remembered that I could possibly suffer from the powerful kick of wasabi to the nose. So, I took a step back to scan the menu once more. Finally, I went ahead and selected their Grilled Chicken sandwich. Within a matter of minutes, I received my order. It was served on a rectangular plate with about three or four pieces of salad, lightly sprinkled with basalmic vinegar dressing (a personal favorite of mine) on the side.

The sandwich is a slightly toasted baguette with some melted butter and just a good amount of pesto sauce slathered on. It is then decorated with melted mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and grilled chicken. As I bit into it, I was greeted by the sweet juices from the tomatoes, which complimented the taste of the butter, cheese, and pesto sauce. The highlight of the sandwich was the grilled chicken. Neither was it dry nor soggy. The chicken was grilled just right. I was clearly impressed. Lastly, the bread was toasted correctly as well. I did not have to rip it apart like a piece of beef jerky. The remaining salad dressing served as a great substitute for dipping sauce.

Overall, my initial hesitation has been won over by the perfection of a well-made sandwich. Lina’s has a variety of delicious selections to choose from. For example, the BLT sandwich, other sandwiches, their salads, soups, coffee, and they even have freshly squeezed orange juice! Again, like I mentioned above, if you’re looking for something light, yet somewhat filling to get you through the day before or for dinner and happen to be in the Gwanghwamun area, I would highly recommend Lina’s. I was clearly impressed.

Price Range: 4,500 to 7,900 won.

Location : Seoul Jongrogu Saejongro 142-1

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