Korea: Myeongdong Kyoja SEOUL

Myeongdong Kyoja was one the many places I found whilst randomly searching the neighbourhood for good and affordable bites on my last day in Seoul. With two branches located in Myeongdong, diners do not have to wander far to recharge from shopping around the area.

Seeing as I was travelling by myself, I chose to have a later lunch to avoid the lunch queue and albeit being very popular on the internet, I was surprised to know that small groups can be easily accommodated as their turn over rate is relatively quick.

For those interested, I was observing from a single diner table aka a communal table with a divider between patrons. Cutlery is kept in the drawers and sauces/condiments are placed on the table.

My order was taken as soon as I sat down, not sure if it was because they assumed, I was a local and hence, did not require a menu. Thankfully, I had a dish in mind that I have been craving for which was kalguksu aka knife cut noodles.

Served with four dumplings and a generous dollop of minced meat, I was immediately hooked on the dish after slurping a spoonful of handmade noodles. I would have loved to order a plate of mandoo (dumplings) but was concerned the portion might be a tad overwhelming. Broth was flavourful, dumplings were well seasoned and noodles had a good bite to it.

Having read ravings about their house made kimchi, I do agree it was tastier compared to the others but also verging on the spicier side of the scale. As per norm, kimchi refills are available upon request.

Overall? Thumbs up to this place, worth a visit for those in the vicinity and are looking for a quick bite!

Miss Korea Kitchen, Camberwell MELB

As the weather becomes colder during the night, I am slowly craving for hearty meals that may or may not agree with my current physical fitness goals. Whilst I try to emphasise more on fibre in my diet, I am still undoubtedly reaching out for the less healthy options.

WL and I visited Miss Korea Kitchen last night and my mind instantly reminded me to have at least one plate of fibre to which, WL funnily hesitated but obliged nonetheless. We had no trouble finding parking in Camberwell and as it was past 6pm, parking tickets are not required.

Miss Korea Kitchen has two outlets, one in Camberwell and the other in Nunawading. The Camberwell branch housed more ala carte dishes whilst the Nunawading branch was for buffet goers. I would certainly choose the latter option if I have to organize a catch up outing with friends as buffets usually offer something for everyone be it vegetarians or the voracious individual like myself.

The Camberwell outlet can comfortably house around 40 diners although I would highly recommend making bookings to avoid disappointment. As the outlet is not enormous, staff members' are quick to respond whenever diners call out to them.

Menu wise, there is certainly a lot to choose from and we had to kindly ask the waiting staff for recommendations as every item on the menu sounded very tempting.

Calamari salad - deep fried calamari with lemon chilli dressing. As I have not had a proper lunch prior to dinner, I craved for freshly prepared veggies and yes, the chef did deliver. Well dressed salad tinged with some acidity to kick start my palate. Bonus points for calamari that is deep fried to perfection.

Korean fried chicken - fried chicken is now a must have at any Korean restaurant and once again, kudos to having perfected cooked chicken that is not dripping in grease nor cooked in recycled oil.
I liked the soy garlic sauce version although I wouldn't mind the sweet and spicy version if I need to spice up my palate.

Served with a small side of salad and pickles, these accompaniments were perfect for toning down the dish's overall grease level.

Ox tongue - pan seared ox tongue with garlic, onion and Korean sesame oil. One of my favourite dishes for the night and one that I wished I had a bowl of rice to soak up all the lovely juices sitting at the base of the pan. Had the right ratio of meat to veggies, each ingredient separately prepared before being tossed together.

Chef's recommendation K Barbeque - this menu comprised of wagyu scotch fillet, wagyu chuck flap tail and wagyu cap slices, served with kimchi fried rice and vegetable ssam. I am horrible at barbecuing meat and hence, am extremely thankful that staff members did the cooking for us. Cooked over a hot plate and flamed torched, each piece of meat was well prepared and if you're in doubt whether the meat would be dry, fret not as wagyu meat has fat marbled around it, giving it that added bit of moisture.

The other half of our meat selection was flambeed for that added aroma of alcohol. Oh and did I mention that the broccoli, mushroom and onion pieces had nicely soaked up all the beef's juices as it was cooked on the same pan? Best way to soak up all the fluid. Traditionally, a piece of meat would be dotted with either chilli, soy or salt before being wrapped with lettuce prior to consumption.

Kimchi fried rice that's been left to warm up on the still hot plate. Love how this created a crisp texture at the bottom of it:)

Overall a very enjoyable meal that left us full to the brim and sadly, I did not have any space for dessert but I do endeavour to pop by again to try their soup dishes and bulgogi. P.s, our waiting staff recommended the soft tofu soup which wouldn't be a bad idea for those cold winter days.

Ohsso, Glen Waverley MELB

Finished gym on Friday and in need of food which led us to the closest available place to feed our hungry bodies - Kingsway. Have not had Korean food for a while and it was only fitting to dine at Ohsso, a Korean eatery that had opened up a few months ago.

Kimchi pancake - a little odd shaped and in need of more seafood bits that it's supposed to come with but still satisfying nonetheless.

Side dishes - a small selection of vegetarian appetizers.

Pork bimbimbap - overall not too bad although I would have liked a little more oomph coming from the vegetables which may have been just blanched with water.

Kimchi jjigae - Would have liked a little more flavour coming from the broth and probably a little more ingredients besides onions in it.

Hinoak Korean BBQ Menu, Glen Waverley MELB

Truth be told, this post is almost two months overdue. As I would not be in Melbourne to celebrate WL's birthday, I tricked him into coming out for dinner with my friends and although it backfired, I do give myself credit for trying.

WL is a big fan of meaty dishes and so, dinner at a Korean bbq made sense at that time. Well, that and because of the miserable cold weather we have in Melbourne.

Service is very attentive and much needed when barbecuing due to the different temperatures required to sear the meat. Diners can choose from set menus consisting of various cuts of meat or go ala carte.

Love how Koreans always have small portions of side dishes, mostly vegetarian in nature, but nevertheless, a good way to mix up an otherwise greasy meal.

Ox tongue - no marinade needed for this fella. Seared within a few seconds on the hot grill and consumed a few seconds after.

We ordered the "Fly me to Korea" set that comes with pork belly, Wagyu chuck tail flaps, Wagyu oyster blade and marinated beef ribs. Highlight for me was the wagyu chuck tail flaps as it was juicier and the meat was slightly softer compared to the rest.

Korean fried chicken - prepared using their secret spice mix recipe and served with sweet-spicy house and homemade aioli. WL and I both agreed that this would be better had the chicken bits been coated with the sauce mix. Messy, maybe.

Midnight craving - Hotteok filled with cinnamon and nuts, served with poached pear and vanilla ice cream.

Oriental Spoon, CBD MELB

Past couple of weeks saw me engulfed in work on a consistent basis and when I had time to spare, it was mostly used for sleeping/ recovery purposes. Committing to a 9.5 hour late shift for almost a week made me appreciate my days off all the more and I am glad to finally be back to a somewhat regular routine with no late shifts until further notice.

And that was me expressing my bittersweet month of May. Breezed through it and not long more to go until D-day! Am also very grateful for eat-out days that never fails to perk my curiosity on the various cuisines that us Melbournians are blessed with.

Having been here once with a friend,, both of us were not able to sample the entire menu and so, this time round, I am dining with a mob of people who, although are not big eaters, but at least I get to sample a broader variety of food.

Seafood pancake - I love Korean pancakes and found this delicious although could be better if it was slightly more crisp on the exterior and if there's a tad more seafood pieces in it.

Beef japchae - delicious and an excellent way to load your palate with veggies.

Soy sauce and original fried chicken - just about everyone has jumped on the Korean fried chicken bandwagon and it was no exception here. Chicken pieces were crunchy and still juicy in the centre. I do have a tendency for the saucier versions but still found this pretty darn good and would happily come back for more.

ChangGo, Melbourne CBD

Each season symbolizes a certain type of cuisine for me and without a doubt, Korean it is for the cooler season. Think hot pots and barbeques, both providing warmth to the surrounding diners patiently awaiting for it.

ChangGo is one of the many places I have read good reviews on but also one of the few that I hesitated due to their no booking policy which often leads to long waiting times. Service is quick although probably could improve on in terms of attentiveness during busy periods.

Maekgoli - doubt I have spelt this correctly but nothing makes me happier than a sip of alcohol to warm myself up from the inside, in anticipation of what's to come next.

Seafood hot pot - part of a set meal for 4, priced at $88. Overall not too bad but not something that you would bank on for a lot of protein.

Beef - wouldn't say it's the best quality piece out in the market but somehow the char-grilled aroma gave it a character upgrade. Tastes even better when paired with the side sauces, all wrapped in a lettuce leaf.

Seafood pancake - one of the best ones I have had in Melbourne. Crisp, fluffy and generous with its ingredients. Would happily come back to reorder this fella.

8 flavours of pork belly - priced at an additional $48, we ordered this separately after reading about its popularity. Wine, original, garlic, herbs, pepper, curry, soybean and gochujang flavoured, each dish weighed approximately the same. Favourite flavour would have to be the garlic and soybean version.

Overall, it is a good place to get your feed's worth although bear in mind that the queues can get insane during peak hours. On the plus side, staff don't hurry you to leave nor is there a time limit which often occurs at busy establishments.

Kimchi fried rice recipe

The first Korean dish I have learnt to prepare (aside from instant noodles) and one that uses any leftovers in the fridge too.

Ingredients:
Leftover fried rice
Kimchi, cut into bite sized pieces
Spam/ any leftover meat, cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, diced
Enoki mushroom (I had some leftovers in the fridge)
Eggs
Spring onions for decor

1. Saute kimchi with onion over medium heat for about 4 minutes before tossing in the meat and mushroom. Continue to saute for another 2 minutes or until mushrooms and meat appears to be cooked.
2. Add rice and stir well, ensuring that the rice has an even distribution of the other ingredients.
3. Prepare sunny side eggs and serve.

Guhng, CBD MELB

Alas, the seasonal period commences and Melbourne CBD has begun to see an influx of both tourists and locals flocking the streets despite Victoria's temperamental climate changes. Oh and not to mention the many sales thrown in, much to consumer's delight.

This year, I have resolved to upgrade my 10 year old laptop and am looking at newer 2 in 1 laptops that enables me to work on the go. Not that I do this often but who knows what is in place for me next year.

The sister and I watched a rather tempting video on grilled meats a few days ago and despite her being the more carnivorous one between us, I insisted on going somewhere to get our fix. Bookings are necessary here to avoid disappointment, especially on weekends.

One of the better Korean BBQ places as staff members are available to cook the meat for you (no more burning expensive meat) and the entire restaurant has good ventilation. Yes, I have been to a few places that unfortunately, have left an after-aroma on my clothing.

We have ordered the Angus set, composed of premier Angus cube rolls, premium Angus rib fillet, king gal-bi and a mixed veggie and mushroom platter - valued at $105, which can easily feed 2 people comfortably.

Seafood jeon - I liked how this was fluffy in texture and not dripping in oil. Cut into bite sized pieces and made with a fresh marinara mix.

We have also ordered a plate of marinated pork neck to share, assuming that we wouldn't be filled (but we were). Staff members took effort into ensuring that the hot plates used to cook the meat is regularly changed for different types of meat and once cooked, a different plate or bowl is used to serve the meat in.

Both of us agreed on the gal-bi being our favourite. The meat was a lot more tender, probably because it is a cut closer to the bones, and marinated to perfection. Both Angus cuts melted away with every bite and the pork neck was charred to perfection.

Overall, a faultless BBQ experience, priced reasonably,  and one that I would recommend to any skeptical BBQ goer or for first timers.

 

Darac Grill & Bar, CBD MELB

I have been so occupied with work lately that I hardly utilize my DSLR camera much when I go out to dine. A shame because iphone's camera does not do the food/scenery justice despite it being one of the better camera phones in the market. I must try to bring my old companion out again, just like good times.

Catching up with AY is like meeting a long lost friend and we were not short of topics to ramble upon despite being served food right in the middle of us. Having been here once before on a meh experience (soju shots are not for the faint hearted), I wanted to try this place out again as I knew food here was decent tasting an the environment is rather accommodating.

Lemon lime bitters - for the faint hearted like me.

Seafood army stew - copious amount and variety of ingredients neatly arranged around the pot that slowly bubbled away with the heat from the portable stove. Both of us can handle spicy food and found this to be spicy, more so after the broth thickens into a creamy, red consistency. A fun dish to share with your companions (who are, hopefully, not vegetarians)

Beef japchae - I liked how this came served with plenty of the meaty sauce that oozed out of the cooked beef, a sign that the noodles will soon enough absorb back all the delicious juices and stay plump, for my satisfaction:) Wouldn't mind having this again on my next visit.