Hongdae is not known to be an area with high class tastes. But, Storm grabbed my attention with its unique windows which have water constantly running through them in order to provide a storm like atmosphere. With this observation alone, I decided to give Storm a few rounds to prove itself.
As I walked through the rustic midwest style door into the bar, I immediately recognized that the clientele were not the average Hongdae patrons. Mostly dressed in sport coats and suits, each table seemed to range from about 27 – 35 in age. The atmosphere was quiet enough to have a good conversation but not so quiet as to have awkward silence. The theme of “Storm” was repeated well throughout the bar and provided for a very relaxed American feel.
Excited about the atmosphere, I decided to get straight to the point… the drinks!
When I ordered my Martini, I noticed that most of the other drinks on the menu seemed to be somewhat plush. The Martini and the B52 were the only 2 drinks which piqued my interest. My martini came out with a standard Martini glass and one olive. During my first 2 sips, I began to realize that something was very odd about this martini. It was very sweet with very little gin. Although it was below par, I understand that one drink alone can not judge a bar. I ordered a Tequila Sunrise and a Long Island Ice Tea. The Long Island was sour without alcohol. I asked for coke to be added which significantly improved the taste. Although I was told by the bartender that the Tequila Sunrise has orange and strawberry juice in it, it was obvious that they had put grenadine at the bottom of the glass and filled the rest with orange juice. This drink was also less than average and seemed to contain almost no alcohol.
The snacks on the menu were few and far between. After looking over the menu, ordering 3 drinks, and relaxing, something soon became very obvious: This bar was mainly for ordering bottles after work with your coworkers. Realizing this, things soon began to seem a lot better. Storm has a unique, quiet, and friendly feel so that you can connect with friends and associates over a bottle of whiskey. After a hard days work, sometimes it’s good to be able to wind down the day and share a drink instead of just buying one by yourself. The mixed drinks were on the menu to provide patrons with low tolerance an alternative to hard liquor.
As I looked at bill and got ready to head out, there were too main questions about Storm that I realized were the most important:
Is Storm a great place to grab a few quick drinks? Definitely not.
Is Storm a great place to have a bottle of Jack with your coworkers? Definitely.
The Good
- Caters to a more refined crowd
- Good variety of American music
- Atmosphere is rustic and calming
- Large-group friendly
The Bad
- Limited side dish selection
- The cocktails are a little on the weak side
- Because this bar is mainly for bottles, you must come with friends
Directions : Come out of Exit 5 in Hondae Station and take an immediate left. You will come to a three way intersection of main foot traffic. Turn right. You will walk for about 100m until you hit a street. Cross the street and continue for around 8 minutes until you hit a main street. Cross that street. Storm will be on your right about 1 minute away.
Phone Number: 02-322-7603
Mixed Drink and Beer Price: Around 8,000 Won
