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2013-09-09
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Sometimes there is just no other alternative to a hearty Korean meal. Sorabol offers traditional Korean food in a convenient location, and on the day I went, the restaurant was full of families gathered around wooden tables barbecuing various kinds of meat.Upon ordering our dishes, we were served various plates of korean appetizer dishes, otheriwse known as banchan. Most of these dishes were served cold, I think the appetizers change depending on whats available at the time, but on the night I w
Upon ordering our dishes, we were served various plates of korean appetizer dishes, otheriwse known as banchan. Most of these dishes were served cold, I think the appetizers change depending on whats available at the time, but on the night I went we were served the following:-Kimchi- this dish was spicy, sour and very addictive.
-Geotjeori- freshly-made, non fermented kimchi- this tasted more crisp and sweet than its fermented counterpart, and wasn't sour at all.
-dotorimuk- seasoned acorn jelly. This particular dish had a soft texture and tasted slightly nutty.
-kongnamul- bean sprouts with sesame oil. This dish had a nice crunch to it and the sesame oil gave the otherwise plain-tasting sprouts an extra depth to its flavour.
-Sigeumchi namul- spinach dressed with sesame oil, garlic, and soy sauce. The slightly bitter taste of spinach was masked by the fragrant sesame oil and the sweet soy sauce.
-gaji namul- seasoned eggplant-this dish was slightly spicy and fared well with a sweet and spicy sauce placed on top of the soft eggplants.
-Hobak Namul- seasoned zucchini- probably with sesame oil. The zucchini had a nice crunch to it and was slightly sweet.
First up came the Gyejeul Namul Geotjeori, a mixed vegetable salad topped with sesame seeds and a sweet chilli sauce. The sauce complemented the crisp (and cold) pieces of lettuce, cucumber and carrots perfectly, and although it was just a plate of vegetables they were deliciously addictive and I could not stop eating them! This would be a great side dish for a main course as opposed to something less healthy such as fries.
Next up was the dwegji bulgogi- marinated pieces of pork with onions and mushrooms. Served raw on a plate, our server turned on the grill (which is located in the middle of each table) and grilled the meat for us until cooked. The result? Pieces of tender, juicy and sweet pork served with caramelised onions and soft mushrooms. This would be a great dish to serve with some plain white rice, to let those natural juices from the pork envelop each individual grain.
I didn't manage to get a photo of our bibimbap (mixed stone pot rice) before our server mixed it for us, but the result was a mixture of rice, egg bean sprouts, carrots, pork and various other ingredients cooked in a burning-hot stone pot. My favourite part? Scraping out the crispy overcooked bits of rice from the bottom of the pot at the end of the meal!
The kimchijeon (kimchi pancake) we ordered was crispy, flavourful and spicy, and was a nice departure from the rice we were eating. I enjoyed dipping the pancakes into a chilli, and scallion fish sauce for that extra kick and added dimension to the dish.
The spicy kimchee hotpot with dumplings and tofu was well-received by my family but I didn't like the overly soft dumplings which had been soaked in the soup for an excess amount of time- my best bet would be to eat them the moment they're served! The soup itself was not overly spicy and quite appetising and matched the plain-tasting tofu.
My favourite dish of the day was naengmyeon - cold noodles made from buckwheat and potato starch, served in a tangy broth, cucumber strips, Korean pear, half a boiled egg and slices of boiled beef. The noodles were delicate yet chewy and soaked up all of the lovely sweet and sour clear broth which I lapped up like it was water. The addition of the egg, beef, pear and cucumbers provided different textures to the dish and made it less bland.
All in all, Sorabol provided my family and I with a homely, filling and delicious meal.*Note: If I used the wrong terms for the Korean names of some dishes, apologies in advance for my poor googling skills
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