A large Greek flag flutters outside of the front window of Nostimo in southern Seoul. Courtesy of Nostimo

The cuisine of Greece isn't well-known in Korea, nor are there many Greek restaurants here. The ones that do exist tend to either serve inauthentic, extra-sweetened versions of Mediterranean street food that appeal to Korean tastes, or they make every effort to be as authentic as possible with the ingredients available.

Nostimo, located in southern Seoul's Seocho District, around the corner from the French enclave of Seorae Village, stands firmly in the latter camp. This restaurant focuses on homestyle Greek food, just like your grandmother would cook — if she were Greek, and sources ingredients from within Korea. It's probably some of the best Greek food you will try in Korea.

The restaurant is co-owned by Todd Sample, an American resident of Korea for 30 years, and Sara Eunsun Park.

"Greek food is terribly underrepresented in Korea, and awareness of the country's dishes is still low," Sample said. "Sara Park and I are proud to be doing our small part to raise awareness of Greek cuisine through our restaurant."

A Greek salad sprinkled with feta cheese and olive oil at Nostimo, a Greek restaurant in southern Seoul / Courtesy of Nostimo

Nostimo produces its own tzatziki, a slightly tangy, garlicky sauce, feta cheese and bread in house, as well as desserts. All these ingredients are well-prepared, although the feta is made from cow's milk rather than goat's milk due to availability. Its mouthfeel is almost identical to authentic feta, although it lacks the sour yumminess that defines this famous cheese, instead possessing a slightly more salty and milky profile. But it tastes fine and may be easier to eat for customers feeling less adventurous.

Getting into Greek food certainly is an adventure, and Nostimo provides flavors that aren't easy to encounter elsewhere, with dishes like moussaka (a four-layered dish containing potato, eggplant, beef ragu and bechamel) and dolmadakia (grape leaves stuffed with lamb and cheese). Their Greek salad, a staple of Greek food, made with the housemade feta, is another must-try dish.

Moussaka at Nostimo, a Greek restaurant in southern Seoul / Courtesy of Nostimo

Some of their ingredients do come directly from Greece, particularly the olive oil and most of the wines and other beverages.

"In Korea, our four years of experience at Nostimo have shown us that although Greek dishes are relatively new to the Korean public, they perceive them as being healthy, fresh, and 'clean.' Greek olive oil certainly plays an important role in this perception," Sample said.

Sara Eunsun Park and Todd Sample pose at the counter of Nostimo in southern Seoul. Courtesy of Nostimo

Sample may not sound like a very Greek surname, but he explained that his mother's side of the family is from Greece.

He developed a firsthand interest in the country and culture while doing a semester abroad as an undergraduate art history major in 1992.

"From this time on, although my life course brought me to Korea, I never lost my affection for Greece and all things Greek," Sample said. "I also never lost touch with my Greek relatives, cousins and aunts and uncles whom I first met during my university time there."

In 1995, he moved to Korea, where he spent his first decade teaching English at the university level. Later he specialized in foreign direct investment, and has worked for government agencies such as the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO).

Meanwhile, Park, who doesn't have a drop of Greek blood in her, took a very different path to Greek cuisine. After graduating from Sungkyunkwan University with a degree in dairy food science, she ended up working as a flight attendant for Asiana Airlines, which gave her opportunities to expand her palate as she experienced diverse cultures.

"Eating food should not be something we do only to fill our stomachs but to enjoy the culture," she said. "So now I am a bridge between unfamiliar Greek food and those who are full of curiosity about Greek food and culture."

Homemade bread at Nostimo, a Greek restaurant in southern Seoul / Courtesy of Nostimo

In 2015, Park and Sample teamed up, building a large social media presence promoting awareness of international food and food culture. They founded the company Eathentic, through which they introduced authentic international restaurants in Korea on their online platform. Moreover, they contributed articles to many publications and published a book. They also curated and hosted social dining events. One of these was CineMat, an event held in partnership with CGV to introduce the cinema and cuisine of countries around the world. It ran every month for three years, until all these activities came to a halt at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was then that they decided to change direction and create a Greek restaurant. Nostimo opened its doors in August 2020, when the pandemic was just entering its second wave in Korea.

"We were so brave to open a restaurant in the middle of a pandemic and with a lack of budget," Park said. "We had to do all the interior work from scratch by hand and put in all our sweat for three months. We opened with only five tables and only offered dinner service."

"To be completely honest, although we did have some quiet days at the beginning, we were fortunate that our neighborhood welcomed us," Sample said. "We were also fortunate that Korea, unlike nearly the rest of the world, never enforced a full lockdown during the entire pandemic. We had restricted operating hours and had to deal with social distancing, masks and QR codes just like everybody else, but comparatively, COVID wasn't that bad for us."

Delicious Greek stuffed vegetables at Nostimo, a Greek restaurant in southern Seoul / Courtesy of Nostimo

He also added that Nostimo also became sought out by Koreans yearning for overseas vacations during the travel restrictions.

"A meal at our restaurant surrounded by the flavors and sounds of faraway Greece was an often sought-out alternative," he said.

Adding to the atmosphere are other Greek elements that help customers forget they're in Korea. Greek popular music plays on the sound system, and art inspired by Greece is displayed on the walls.

"We'd like our customers at Nostimo to feel Greece — not only with the palate but also with all other senses it should feel like Greece," Sample said. "Personally, if I'm choosing a place to eat, I'd hope the restaurant would offer something for all five of my senses, not solely my tastebuds. Since Greek food and culture are not as well known in Korea, we feel it is our duty to share not only the flavors, but also the sights and sounds of Greece. We also do our best to explain our dishes to customers, so that they know something about the dish in addition to the flavor. (We believe) that 'the more you know, the better it tastes.'"

Follow @nostimo_kr and @toddsample_eats on Instagram for more information.