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2013-02-18
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http://hungrykorean.com/en/menu.php <-- website.Had a sudden craving for korean food. I haven't really had any korean food since last summer when I visited Seoul. I craved bibimbap and gimbap in particular. But C was saving up for a month-long trip to Europe so she announced that we were to eat cheap. Ended up paying only $65 for a very filling and satisfying dinner. :} (why. is the tenant on the floor below blasting away on the saxophone at this hour of the day !?!?!?!?)Environment:SU
Had a sudden craving for korean food. I haven't really had any korean food since last summer when I visited Seoul. I craved bibimbap and gimbap in particular. But C was saving up for a month-long trip to Europe so she announced that we were to eat cheap. Ended up paying only $65 for a very filling and satisfying dinner. :} (why. is the tenant on the floor below blasting away on the saxophone at this hour of the day [0034]!?!?!?!?)
Environment:
SUPER packed. There is no privacy at all - please expect all conversations to be overheard. This place is after all, held out to be a fast food place.
Service:
The turnover rate is therefore, high. Don't expect to be able to sit around for a nice chat after the meal. You either eat extremely slowly (so that the staff don't whisk your bowls away) or...you order one item at a time or....you stuff your face by repeated and successive ordering.
The seat allocation mechanism is also a mystery. You've got to order and pay first before you get seated. No, you can't choose your own seat - someone will arrange it for you. There are numbers on the backs of each chair - makes it easier for the staff to communicate I guess wrt seat allocation...? Is this troublesome arrangement necessary? Yes, to ensure high turnover. To ensure that there are no idle 'sitters' at each table.
Food:
Beef gimbap $32
Tuna gimbap$32
I preferred beef over tuna, simply because it tastes more authentic (i.e. like what I had in Seoul). There was this restaurant near where we lived which sold substantial sushi rolls at around $20 HKD per roll, which could be sliced into 10 large rolls. That was amazing because a bit of sesame oil went into it. I ordered beef every time...not sure if they have another option so I stuck with the traditional flavours. It was delicious. The rice was plump, slightly sticky but well-defined and properly flavoured with a bit of sweet dressing. Original Beef noodle soup with rice $75
This was served steaming hot, was quite enjoyable and unexpectedly substantial. There was a mix of chinese glass noodle, booked BBQ beef, korean rice cake, chopped seu choy/chinese white cabbage, enoki mushrooms, well-cooked onion rings. The broth itself was on the sweet side - actually it was extremelysweet - too sweet for my liking. Would've wanted it to taste more beefy instead. The beef slices were tender and juicy. Everything else was normal. Note, it is served with a large bowl of boiled plain rice. Plump, delicious pearl grains. It will fill you up to the brim. Perfect for 2 girls.
Dduk Bok gi - Spicy korean rice cake $36
When I had this in Seoul, it was much milder. The red 'paste' was not really spicy. This one was spicy. The spice only stayed on the tongue though. It wasn't a choking spiciness. Texture-wise, it had a bit of bounce and was not sticky. A bit too soft for me. Could have been more al dente.Spicy ramen noodle soup with beef, luncheon meat, cheap sausage and rice $73
An extra order, per E's request. This thing was extremely substantial - there was lots of onion, luncheon meat, sausage, korean rice cake, ramen, beef...could easily have fed 2 girls. We didn't manage to finish. Not as spicy as the dduk bok gi. Was not impressed with the luncheon meat and sausage. The noodles were very soft. I would've preferred more bite! Iced sweet barley malt tea +$9
Good stuff. Cold and very refreshing, and mildly sweet but E said it tastes like chrysanthemum tea. ^^ Must admit that it was pleasant and unoffensive, like chrysanthemum tea.
Conclusion:
Super economical don't you think? We were completely stuffed.
This is a good place to pick up a decent, value-for-money gimbap. I would definitely return for a quick fix of korean fare. Won't really recommend the other items though - not very authentic. There's a pricey Korean BBQ next door if you're looking for a sit-down Korean dinner on that street. Each dish around $100.
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