So, someone asked, where were you last week? Does that mean you lost your ongoing blogging challenge with Andrea? Nope. We've agreed to go biweekly... though nothing stops us over posting. Both of us are a little busier with other projects... and I'm eating out a little less as I tighten the belt as I start up my own business.
Though the belt seems to be plenty tight enough at the moment, which is another story entirely.
Dak is another venue run by the people who brought you Picnic and Picnic Too. I believe the owner, John Perkins, has some interest in the Northern Quarter too. Dak means Chicken in Korean. So they specialize in Chicken served Korean style. Rotisserie chicken, served warm on rice. Or on a bun. Or in salad.
They do other dishes without chicken. Spicy pork is one option, as is roasted mushrooms. Andrea's met me for lunch. She goes for a Mushroom Bop Bowl. I go for the Chicken Bop Bowl. It's under $10 for lunch. That's a bargain. Even more so when you see the fully loaded bowl of sticky rice, meat and piles of vegetable matter on top.
There's a big helping of spicy kimchi. The ferment cabbage isn't to everyone's taste, sure, but this is spicy, crunchy and sharp, without being overpoweringly 'savoury'. There's a splodge of green onion pesto, which with the chicken combines into a very tasty mouthful. The meat. The slight bite of the onion, coupled with the pine nuts. So, so good.
There's some sprouts and greens too, and some sesame seeds sprinkled on top. The rice is super sticky, chunk easily eaten with the chopsticks, soaking up the juices from the chicken, and the squirt of soy sauce I added into the bowl. I felt almost as healthy and refreshed as I do when eating at Be Love. That clean feel from a well balanced meal.
The venue is super basic. A couple of plain wood with high stools along, sitting almost bar style. But one of those tables faces out on to the street, so you can watch the world go by. And wave at random friends heading else where. And you can have a super intense conversations about new jobs and spiritual rebirth with Andrea.
The menu is concise - nine options for lunch, four for breakfast. And you have to like Congee for the breakfast. I like small menus at times. You get on with the ordering without the problem of reading -all- the choices. At it means the kitchen will be on point to make everything spot on. They don't have to deal with twenty seven options, fourteen of which only get ordered once a week. The kitchen is tiny, unless it's a Tardis. There seemed to be at least two people back there, with one popping out to serve customers while the other one kept on prepping dishes. Food was out in a matter of minutes after ordering.
So it's a fast dinner, at a great price, with lots of good stuff in the dinner. What's not to love? The fact it's an extra two blocks walk past Picnic Too, and that often captures me with the Breakfast Sandwich for a fast lunch.
One down side... the toilets in the space Dak shares with a bunch of tech start ups and incubators are camp chic. They aren't dirty, or nasty. Just basic plywood on the walls and some how feel... unwelcoming. That's not Dak's fault.
Showing posts with label korean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label korean. Show all posts
March 20, 2016
August 17, 2014
Sura Korean, Downtown Victoria
Almost five years ago, I wrote about Sura. Eventually, I guess, you have to repeat yourself... I can't always be going to new, interesting or terrible places just to write reviews. And in this case, I was invited along to a small gathering of my best friend's friends and family for her birthday.
After visiting there before and ordering the BBQ meal for two, and almost dying from meat ingestion, our party of eight wisely choose to share the five person meal with a little extra, including the seafood pancake, and some beef glass noodles.
We had a great spot at the back of the restaurant, in a quiet booth. A lot of the space is open dining tables and there's not much privacy. Which is not a real problem, this isn't intimate hot date dining, but a place for friends and family to eat, chat and be happy. Some tables have an inbuilt for the BBQ, or they use portable grills. These can be run by the diners, or the servers will run past and keep an eye on things to make sure your beef ribs aren't charred. And to keep things moving along.
I don't recall we were asked for a drink order at all, which was mildly annoying. As was not being checked on for water... we got through the first two jugs they had left on the table relatively fast. On the flip side the servers were busy, and the restaurant was full. Fuller than normal for a Tuesday night, as my friends who go regularly told me.
Food... it was a conveyor belt of goodies piling up around us. Little plates of pickles and kimchi led into fresh cooked vegetable tempura and pots of steaming sticky rice, and tiny bowls of dumpling soup - one dumpling and a lot of clear broth. With the glass noodles and the seafood pancake, we were warmed up. The pancake is fantastic, full of all sorts of crustaceans and bivalves. I'd probably be happy with just one of those and some rice. The noodles were fresh, but nothing overly exciting. The kimchi was spicy and flavourful, but not rocket grade hot.
The meat started to come of the grill. First up, some beef ribs. Followed by strips of beef steak. The nice fatty marbling gave these a good, meaty flavour, especially from the grilling. The chicken was okay, nothing special in the teriyaki sauce. The pulled beef was the point some of my friends started to meat fade. To me, it was the best flavour on the grill. Savoury, juicy and great with the sticky rice. The mouth feel and the umami taste all combined into a simple dish.
We then got some mushrooms, some pork and the remains of the yams from the grill. I don't recall much about this 'course'. I was wanting more water to wash down the overload of salt I felt like I was consuming in all this meat. The finale, the seafood was happily accepted by the non-beef eater. The green lipped mussels were good, but the rest did little for me, and the clams were tough and slighty sour to me. I was happily stuffed though, and the rest of the table were all full to the gunnels.
We split the meal, and at $22 with the tip and taxes, that's a good price for a meal out with great friends.
After visiting there before and ordering the BBQ meal for two, and almost dying from meat ingestion, our party of eight wisely choose to share the five person meal with a little extra, including the seafood pancake, and some beef glass noodles.
We had a great spot at the back of the restaurant, in a quiet booth. A lot of the space is open dining tables and there's not much privacy. Which is not a real problem, this isn't intimate hot date dining, but a place for friends and family to eat, chat and be happy. Some tables have an inbuilt for the BBQ, or they use portable grills. These can be run by the diners, or the servers will run past and keep an eye on things to make sure your beef ribs aren't charred. And to keep things moving along.
I don't recall we were asked for a drink order at all, which was mildly annoying. As was not being checked on for water... we got through the first two jugs they had left on the table relatively fast. On the flip side the servers were busy, and the restaurant was full. Fuller than normal for a Tuesday night, as my friends who go regularly told me.
Food... it was a conveyor belt of goodies piling up around us. Little plates of pickles and kimchi led into fresh cooked vegetable tempura and pots of steaming sticky rice, and tiny bowls of dumpling soup - one dumpling and a lot of clear broth. With the glass noodles and the seafood pancake, we were warmed up. The pancake is fantastic, full of all sorts of crustaceans and bivalves. I'd probably be happy with just one of those and some rice. The noodles were fresh, but nothing overly exciting. The kimchi was spicy and flavourful, but not rocket grade hot.
The meat started to come of the grill. First up, some beef ribs. Followed by strips of beef steak. The nice fatty marbling gave these a good, meaty flavour, especially from the grilling. The chicken was okay, nothing special in the teriyaki sauce. The pulled beef was the point some of my friends started to meat fade. To me, it was the best flavour on the grill. Savoury, juicy and great with the sticky rice. The mouth feel and the umami taste all combined into a simple dish.
We then got some mushrooms, some pork and the remains of the yams from the grill. I don't recall much about this 'course'. I was wanting more water to wash down the overload of salt I felt like I was consuming in all this meat. The finale, the seafood was happily accepted by the non-beef eater. The green lipped mussels were good, but the rest did little for me, and the clams were tough and slighty sour to me. I was happily stuffed though, and the rest of the table were all full to the gunnels.
We split the meal, and at $22 with the tip and taxes, that's a good price for a meal out with great friends.
March 30, 2014
Jojo Jajangmyeon, Mount Tolmie, Victoria
In the variety of shops near my house is a parade of store fronts that used to house the Fired Up paint your own ceramics centre. I never visited it, because I felt no need to paint my own plates. The stripey ones I got from Zellers do me just fine. And cost me much less, even if they do appear in many different kitchens around Canada and the rest of the world. I have now visited its replacement. The K-Pub "Jojo Jajangmyeon".
Note first that the Urbanspoon entry has a spelling error in it. Jajangmyeon is, according to my research, a dish of thick wheat noodles in a soy bean paste sauce. I am not sure who JoJo is, but they obviously are proud of this dish. So they named their restaurant after it. And myself and the Brunette of my Acquaintance headed there one quiet and raining Saturday night.
Inside, this is a lovely-looking place. Aesthetically, its got clean modern lines, in the big tables, high backed chairs, the thin dividers and lots of perpendicular lines. There's subtle lights around the bar area pikcing it out as the central focal point, though this is ruined by the flat panel TV above it. Korean (I assume) music plays in the background, not loud enough to interrupt your conversation, but enough to stop you hearing your neighbours talk.
The style is similar to many of the Asian-fusion eateries in town, but it feels like it came from the iPad generation. Though, that might be the iPads on every table. On which one orders. There are two or three sliding doors on one wall which lead to more intimate rooms for groups, and the two front of house staff are left to prep drinks and bring out food from the kitchen.
The menu was limited as they had just re-opened (*). But there was enough on their to choose a feast from. Plus I love playing with technology, though I am sure the Brunette would have preferred me to engage in polite conversation. And the downside of a menu on an ipad... no-ome comes around that you can ask awkward question about the contents of their dishes (everything seems to contain ground pork, by the way).
But we did get the helpful lady over to tell us about the food, and ordered up... no Jajangmyeon, but a seafood Pajeon, white kimchi, rice, and a soft tofu hot pot. The Pajeon is a large pancake made from egg, wheat flour and rice flour, mixed in with green onions and in this case all sorts of fishy goodness. Shrimp, calamari, possibly octopus and other shellfish. It was rich dish, that filled me up a little too far by the end of the meal. But very moreish. Easily shared amongst 3-4 less hungry individuals.
The soft tofu hot pot was great. A spicy, sauce with tofu that had the consistency of a soft poached egg white. And little bits of ground pork. So don't be thinking this is a vegetarian dish. Really warming on a wet day. And the white kimchi accompanied it well. This is pickled cabbage that's not been smothered in a chilli sauce, so it has the damp, acidic crunch but with none of the heat.
It being a Korean-style pub, we ordered beer and sake to go with it. I got a Black Crown Bud. Mostly as I had not seen it served anywhere (though that has a lot to do with me only looking at the craft beer normally, and not playing with an iPad to look at every option). It didn't blow my socks off, but a cold beer with more colour and malt than standard Budweiser, it went very well with this meal. The Brunette got some warm sake, which was much enjoyed. I sipped it, and think I prefer my sake cold. Not that either way is 'traditional', as some foodies will tell you in the more snobby moments. Drink it how you like it.
Other things on the menu were piles and piles of chicken pieces that were available in massive party platters (several of which disappeared into one of the side rooms). There was a couple of noodle dishes and a Bibimbap. And that was pretty much it. Prices were good (we had more than enough food and a drink each for $44). I'd heard quotes of 25-30 dollar dishes, but none of those were on this menu.
I may well go back, even though I can go to Pho-Ever as well for Korean-style food. I like the ambience, I liked the food, and really should try the signature dish sometime.
(*) The one worrying part about them just re-opening comes from their facebook page. A Mr Adams of the CRD Environmental Health board wanted to know when the 'clean out' had taken place from their last inspection. The day before we visited it appears. I could read a lot into this, but right now the place is still open, so hopefully this all past them.
Note first that the Urbanspoon entry has a spelling error in it. Jajangmyeon is, according to my research, a dish of thick wheat noodles in a soy bean paste sauce. I am not sure who JoJo is, but they obviously are proud of this dish. So they named their restaurant after it. And myself and the Brunette of my Acquaintance headed there one quiet and raining Saturday night.
Inside, this is a lovely-looking place. Aesthetically, its got clean modern lines, in the big tables, high backed chairs, the thin dividers and lots of perpendicular lines. There's subtle lights around the bar area pikcing it out as the central focal point, though this is ruined by the flat panel TV above it. Korean (I assume) music plays in the background, not loud enough to interrupt your conversation, but enough to stop you hearing your neighbours talk.
The style is similar to many of the Asian-fusion eateries in town, but it feels like it came from the iPad generation. Though, that might be the iPads on every table. On which one orders. There are two or three sliding doors on one wall which lead to more intimate rooms for groups, and the two front of house staff are left to prep drinks and bring out food from the kitchen.
The menu was limited as they had just re-opened (*). But there was enough on their to choose a feast from. Plus I love playing with technology, though I am sure the Brunette would have preferred me to engage in polite conversation. And the downside of a menu on an ipad... no-ome comes around that you can ask awkward question about the contents of their dishes (everything seems to contain ground pork, by the way).
But we did get the helpful lady over to tell us about the food, and ordered up... no Jajangmyeon, but a seafood Pajeon, white kimchi, rice, and a soft tofu hot pot. The Pajeon is a large pancake made from egg, wheat flour and rice flour, mixed in with green onions and in this case all sorts of fishy goodness. Shrimp, calamari, possibly octopus and other shellfish. It was rich dish, that filled me up a little too far by the end of the meal. But very moreish. Easily shared amongst 3-4 less hungry individuals.
The soft tofu hot pot was great. A spicy, sauce with tofu that had the consistency of a soft poached egg white. And little bits of ground pork. So don't be thinking this is a vegetarian dish. Really warming on a wet day. And the white kimchi accompanied it well. This is pickled cabbage that's not been smothered in a chilli sauce, so it has the damp, acidic crunch but with none of the heat.
It being a Korean-style pub, we ordered beer and sake to go with it. I got a Black Crown Bud. Mostly as I had not seen it served anywhere (though that has a lot to do with me only looking at the craft beer normally, and not playing with an iPad to look at every option). It didn't blow my socks off, but a cold beer with more colour and malt than standard Budweiser, it went very well with this meal. The Brunette got some warm sake, which was much enjoyed. I sipped it, and think I prefer my sake cold. Not that either way is 'traditional', as some foodies will tell you in the more snobby moments. Drink it how you like it.
Other things on the menu were piles and piles of chicken pieces that were available in massive party platters (several of which disappeared into one of the side rooms). There was a couple of noodle dishes and a Bibimbap. And that was pretty much it. Prices were good (we had more than enough food and a drink each for $44). I'd heard quotes of 25-30 dollar dishes, but none of those were on this menu.
I may well go back, even though I can go to Pho-Ever as well for Korean-style food. I like the ambience, I liked the food, and really should try the signature dish sometime.
(*) The one worrying part about them just re-opening comes from their facebook page. A Mr Adams of the CRD Environmental Health board wanted to know when the 'clean out' had taken place from their last inspection. The day before we visited it appears. I could read a lot into this, but right now the place is still open, so hopefully this all past them.
July 26, 2012
Pho-ever, Mount Tolmie, Victoria
More adventures in local dining, this time with the parents. Having got in from a hard days work (honest) and hard cycle home (actually a very pleasant ride along the Lochside trail), I didn't want to cook. The parents didn't want to go too far. Pho-ever is close by, and a regular stand by for me.
Pho-ever has Pho in the title, but the menu extends beyond bowls of beef and noodle soup, and has an extensive Korean range of meals, plus a nod to the Japanese Bento box. And a wide selection of bubble tea. The Korean food is the best I've had in town, but I'm not an expert on Korean cuisine itself, so it might be catering for this Brit's tastes. The Chicken Ggan Pong Gi (S-6) blends a good spicy heat, crispy meat and a pile of sweet/sour veggies. I have to remember to try other things when I go in, but it's a favourite.
This time though, I did want something less spicy and simpler. Plus I'd been thinking about Pho all day, so a big bowl of Pho was ordered for myself (P8 - with Brisket, Flank and Rare Steak slices) and my father (P9 - same as mine with added meatballs). Mum decided to try the Chick Duphab with BBQ sauce, craving something unspiced (on their previous visit the heat had been a bit more than they expected).
But to kick off, two orders of Spring Roll and a Kiwi Bubble tea was ordered. Mum had wanted to know what Bubble tea was, and my vague description of "iced fruit tea with tapioca" wasn't really doing it justice. A bright green glass with black frog spawn lurking at the bottom arrived, and I fully expected to have a Bubble Tea to finish off with my Jasmine Tea. Nope. While not being a taste revelation, I think it was at least an interesting diversion. But she'll not be demanding more trips to the Bubble tea Emporiums of BC.
The spring rolls were hot, a little greasy, but packed with a nice mix of meat and veg. Crisp and kicked things of nicely. Then the Pho arrived. For those who don't know pho, it seems to be pronounced by Anglophones like 'faux', which leads to all sorts of puns (also nearby is Pho-nomenal). However, I'm not sure that the original Vietnamese is pronounced that way, and it's meant to be said more like "fuh".
However it's pronounced, it's a big bowl of rice noodles, covered with cooked (or partially cooked) meat, and then covered with a light spiced beef broth. The heat of the broth finishes the cooking process of. You then add bean sprouts, coriander, chilli and lime to your liking, give it a quick stir and eat.
The meat can be your straight forward beef flank/brisket/steak slices. Or sliced tendon, tripe, ox tail. Or in other cases chicken, fish or vegetables. Pho-ever used to advertise in the Vegeterian section "veggie pho" which was made with beef broth. Hmm. That's come out of the menu now, and is in the meat eaters section.
I like their pho. The broth has a very slight gingery sweetness, and the meat is all well prepared and neither tough or over soft and soggy. The rare meat slices are red, and cook of perfectly in the heat of the broth, and the noodles are just slick enough to carry the broth. I like Pho in general. It's hearty, it's not complicated and I'm sure it has good hydration properties before a night on the drinks, or after a hard work out.
I haven't quite mastered the art of a good noodle slurp without inhaling my food, but can manage the chop sticks well enough to feed. Dad had a little more trouble than me, but they provided a big serving spoon and a western fork if you request it. But it's fun sometimes to struggle a bit with your meal. Again, I don't think it was food revelation, but he enjoyed trying something a bit different and new. Mum was very happy with the rice and chicken dish, and we all left very happily content, fed and ready to face the weekend...
Final Bill
Bubble Tea - $3.95
Spring Roll (x2) - $3.95 each
Beef Pho (x2) - $8.45 each
Chicken Dupbabh - $8.95
Tsingtao Beer - $5.00
Total Bill, including Taxes and Tip : $55
Address : 1669 Pear St., Victoria, BC.
Phone : (250) 388-0028
Website : http://www.facebook.com/phoevervictoria
Pho-ever has Pho in the title, but the menu extends beyond bowls of beef and noodle soup, and has an extensive Korean range of meals, plus a nod to the Japanese Bento box. And a wide selection of bubble tea. The Korean food is the best I've had in town, but I'm not an expert on Korean cuisine itself, so it might be catering for this Brit's tastes. The Chicken Ggan Pong Gi (S-6) blends a good spicy heat, crispy meat and a pile of sweet/sour veggies. I have to remember to try other things when I go in, but it's a favourite.
This time though, I did want something less spicy and simpler. Plus I'd been thinking about Pho all day, so a big bowl of Pho was ordered for myself (P8 - with Brisket, Flank and Rare Steak slices) and my father (P9 - same as mine with added meatballs). Mum decided to try the Chick Duphab with BBQ sauce, craving something unspiced (on their previous visit the heat had been a bit more than they expected).
But to kick off, two orders of Spring Roll and a Kiwi Bubble tea was ordered. Mum had wanted to know what Bubble tea was, and my vague description of "iced fruit tea with tapioca" wasn't really doing it justice. A bright green glass with black frog spawn lurking at the bottom arrived, and I fully expected to have a Bubble Tea to finish off with my Jasmine Tea. Nope. While not being a taste revelation, I think it was at least an interesting diversion. But she'll not be demanding more trips to the Bubble tea Emporiums of BC.
The spring rolls were hot, a little greasy, but packed with a nice mix of meat and veg. Crisp and kicked things of nicely. Then the Pho arrived. For those who don't know pho, it seems to be pronounced by Anglophones like 'faux', which leads to all sorts of puns (also nearby is Pho-nomenal). However, I'm not sure that the original Vietnamese is pronounced that way, and it's meant to be said more like "fuh".
However it's pronounced, it's a big bowl of rice noodles, covered with cooked (or partially cooked) meat, and then covered with a light spiced beef broth. The heat of the broth finishes the cooking process of. You then add bean sprouts, coriander, chilli and lime to your liking, give it a quick stir and eat.
The meat can be your straight forward beef flank/brisket/steak slices. Or sliced tendon, tripe, ox tail. Or in other cases chicken, fish or vegetables. Pho-ever used to advertise in the Vegeterian section "veggie pho" which was made with beef broth. Hmm. That's come out of the menu now, and is in the meat eaters section.
I like their pho. The broth has a very slight gingery sweetness, and the meat is all well prepared and neither tough or over soft and soggy. The rare meat slices are red, and cook of perfectly in the heat of the broth, and the noodles are just slick enough to carry the broth. I like Pho in general. It's hearty, it's not complicated and I'm sure it has good hydration properties before a night on the drinks, or after a hard work out.
I haven't quite mastered the art of a good noodle slurp without inhaling my food, but can manage the chop sticks well enough to feed. Dad had a little more trouble than me, but they provided a big serving spoon and a western fork if you request it. But it's fun sometimes to struggle a bit with your meal. Again, I don't think it was food revelation, but he enjoyed trying something a bit different and new. Mum was very happy with the rice and chicken dish, and we all left very happily content, fed and ready to face the weekend...
Final Bill
Bubble Tea - $3.95
Spring Roll (x2) - $3.95 each
Beef Pho (x2) - $8.45 each
Chicken Dupbabh - $8.95
Tsingtao Beer - $5.00
Total Bill, including Taxes and Tip : $55
Address : 1669 Pear St., Victoria, BC.
Phone : (250) 388-0028
Website : http://www.facebook.com/phoevervictoria
December 06, 2009
Sura Korean
I've been to Sura twice. My friend asked me if it's possible to review a place after just visiting once. I think it is, especially as I'm trying to get a handle on the experience and the general quality of food and ambience, rather than to dissect the menu and food into the parts a professional foodie would. But I have been twice, so that's a good start. Serve me badly once, and I'm really not going to go back to find out if it was chance, a bad day or the general miasma of the place. Places only get one shot to make a first impression. Just like the old Head and Shoulders tagline used to say.
Ahem, Sura. Korean BBQ. The first time I went, we had the Korean BBQ for two, and the amount of meat was a generous two person serving. Pork, chicken and beef, marinated and ready to go on the grill. And if you don't know, Korean BBQ is where you cook your own meat on grill in the middle of the table. The kitchen just provides the meat, the tongs and the sides (salad, miso soup and kimchi in this case). Cooking without chargrilling everything or starting a small oil fire was a bit of a challenge, especially as you wanna keep talking and having a beer with your friend at the same time. Luckily the wait staff seem to keep an eye on you. The food was excellent, even if I cooked it myself.
The second time I went was just the other day. My friends had lived in Korean for a good period of time, and were used to Korean cuisine, and wanted to get the dishes and flavours they were used to as a reminder of that time. The ability to order off the menu with well pronouced Korean help endear them to the staff. As did the offer of dried squid treats from the local Korean supermarket.
Two of us went for the the Dolsot Seasac Bibimbop. This is a selection of vegetables and small slices of beef and sprouts, topped with an egg, served on rice in a baking hot stone dish. The amount of beef was minimal (I had to ask later if I'd ordered a vegeterian option), but the action of the hot dish crisped the rice on the bottom, and mixing in the vegetables made for a tasty, filling dish. The sprouts were alfalfa sprouts, not bean sprouts as I'd have expected. But that's just the difference between imagining what your going to get and actually getting it.
My other friend ordered a Tofu and Chicken Jijigae, a hearty stew, slightly spicy served in another baking hot stone dish. This came with a side of rice as well. I tasted a small amount and it wouldn't have been added to my wish list for future visits, but the other two liked it well enough.
We also shared a Seafood Jeon, which is a Korean style of pancake. This was baked with clams, various vegetables and shrimp, and was fantastic. Would be a great bar snack, or small plate appy with a good beer. We were also served a variety of pickles and kimchi. The kimchi isn't very spicy or garlicy, and I've been told the best in town is at Saigon Nights (a Vietnamese restaurant...). But these are nice to flavour up your food. We also got plenty of hot jasmine tea to wash it all down with. Would be nice to be left the pot behind.
The place was buzzing, and we had to wait a few minutes to get a table. A lot of the clintele are (I believe) foreign students, and judging by the waiter chatting to them, a lot from Korea. Normally a good sign. But then hundreds of people eat in MacDonalds, and it's not a good sign for a traditional North American burger, so I'd take that with a pinch of salt. What it does mean is that restaurnat has a great buzz about it, with chat, the sizzle of BBQ'd meat and the steam coming of the stews and soups running out of the kitchen.
No music to drown you out, or soak up the ambient sound. Seating is one of several booths or big long tables to really group together. The rest of the decor is pretty spartan (except for plenty of extraction hoods to get cooking smoke of the BBQ), but the focus here is the eating, the communal experience of BBQ-ing or sharing dishes.
Final Bill :
Dolsot Seasac Bibimbop - $11.95 (x2)
Ahem, Sura. Korean BBQ. The first time I went, we had the Korean BBQ for two, and the amount of meat was a generous two person serving. Pork, chicken and beef, marinated and ready to go on the grill. And if you don't know, Korean BBQ is where you cook your own meat on grill in the middle of the table. The kitchen just provides the meat, the tongs and the sides (salad, miso soup and kimchi in this case). Cooking without chargrilling everything or starting a small oil fire was a bit of a challenge, especially as you wanna keep talking and having a beer with your friend at the same time. Luckily the wait staff seem to keep an eye on you. The food was excellent, even if I cooked it myself.
The second time I went was just the other day. My friends had lived in Korean for a good period of time, and were used to Korean cuisine, and wanted to get the dishes and flavours they were used to as a reminder of that time. The ability to order off the menu with well pronouced Korean help endear them to the staff. As did the offer of dried squid treats from the local Korean supermarket.
Two of us went for the the Dolsot Seasac Bibimbop. This is a selection of vegetables and small slices of beef and sprouts, topped with an egg, served on rice in a baking hot stone dish. The amount of beef was minimal (I had to ask later if I'd ordered a vegeterian option), but the action of the hot dish crisped the rice on the bottom, and mixing in the vegetables made for a tasty, filling dish. The sprouts were alfalfa sprouts, not bean sprouts as I'd have expected. But that's just the difference between imagining what your going to get and actually getting it.
My other friend ordered a Tofu and Chicken Jijigae, a hearty stew, slightly spicy served in another baking hot stone dish. This came with a side of rice as well. I tasted a small amount and it wouldn't have been added to my wish list for future visits, but the other two liked it well enough.
We also shared a Seafood Jeon, which is a Korean style of pancake. This was baked with clams, various vegetables and shrimp, and was fantastic. Would be a great bar snack, or small plate appy with a good beer. We were also served a variety of pickles and kimchi. The kimchi isn't very spicy or garlicy, and I've been told the best in town is at Saigon Nights (a Vietnamese restaurant...). But these are nice to flavour up your food. We also got plenty of hot jasmine tea to wash it all down with. Would be nice to be left the pot behind.
The place was buzzing, and we had to wait a few minutes to get a table. A lot of the clintele are (I believe) foreign students, and judging by the waiter chatting to them, a lot from Korea. Normally a good sign. But then hundreds of people eat in MacDonalds, and it's not a good sign for a traditional North American burger, so I'd take that with a pinch of salt. What it does mean is that restaurnat has a great buzz about it, with chat, the sizzle of BBQ'd meat and the steam coming of the stews and soups running out of the kitchen.
No music to drown you out, or soak up the ambient sound. Seating is one of several booths or big long tables to really group together. The rest of the decor is pretty spartan (except for plenty of extraction hoods to get cooking smoke of the BBQ), but the focus here is the eating, the communal experience of BBQ-ing or sharing dishes.
Final Bill :
Dolsot Seasac Bibimbop - $11.95 (x2)
Seafood Jeon - $8.95
Chicken and Tofu Jijigae - $9.95.
Total ~ $45 including Tax.
Location : 1696 Douglas Street
Telephone : (250) 385-7872
Website : None
Telephone : (250) 385-7872
Website : None
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