Dae Jang Kum Korean BBQ, Chinatown - Sydney

Again with the Korean.

Korean BBQ at Dae Jang Kum

I don't get it, what is wrong with me? These days I am experiencing huge craving for Korean food.

Dae Jang Kum is a Korean restaurant with bright signage on Goulburn St. Me and some girls from uni went there for a delicious meet-up, and it was a perfect weather for Korean kimchi soup and BBQ.

Dae Jang Kum, Chinatown

It makes me wonder why they put both Chinese and Korean characters on the signage; but who cares if the restaurant has great and comfortable vibe, it's like almost calling us to come and warm up. The wallpaper is so interesting, full of neat bars of Korean characters which I do not understand a bit.

The menu book is quite heavy yet elegant with black and gold combination. The menu varies from appetizers to plates of mixed raw proteins for BBQ.

Clockwise from top left: entry, interior, menu book

Free flow banchan or the side dishes are there to brighten our day. Few familiar plates appeared, such as kimchi, radish in kimchi sauce thingy, and the potato in soy-sauce based sauce. My fav is the potato one.

Free flow banchan (side dishes)

A way to call the waiters there is to press the buzzer, a way which reminds me of patients' nurses buzzer in hospital. We used that to ask them to get us a bottle of soju and rice wine each. You know, just out of curiosity.

Soju smells like distilled water, but stronger in terms of flavour. Way way much stronger. It's too bitter for me, I can't even down one shot. On the other hand, rice wine has more interesting flavour. It's bitter but still acceptable for my low-tolerance of alcohol, and it's has the subtlest tinge of sweetness as well.

Rice wine (top) ($15) and soju (bottom) ($15) in the fridge

Here's what we've been waiting for, the BBQ. The rule is that you have to order at least 2 plates of meat to do the BBQ. The waiter will turn the grill on, and we'll just eat away.

Beef brisket - $16

So we did the usual steps: grill the protein, cut into bite size, wrap them with the leaf after putting in some garlic and gochujang, and moan with pleasure.

It's pretty awesome actually. We had the beef brisket and pork belly. The pork belly is clearly the more favourited one, with perfect ribbons of fat, so tender and delicious. The beef brisket is thinly sliced; it is so tender and melts away in the mouth, but lacking some flavour that the pork belly has.

BBQ-ing with pork belly ($16) and beef brisket ($16)

Being greedy girls, we can't resist ordering tteokbokki (Korean rice cake dish). The slippery and chewy rice cakes are hidden among the abundance of the vegetables; cabbage, carrot, spring onion, and some more which I can't identify. The sauce packs some heat for sure, but it's flavorsome and the rice cakes are addictive. Nice one, we just hoped for more of the rice cakes.

Tteokbokki - $9

Kimchi soup with pork is as warming as a soup can be. It isn't spicy despite the bright appearance, and it contains heaps of napa cabbages, two big slices of tofu, and just a few slices of pork belly. It has good flavour and refreshing tang. This is included in main meal menu, so it comes with a bowl of perfectly cooked rice, which I can't get over. That bowl of rice is to die for. The soup is perfect paired with the awesome bowl of rice, but I wish for more pork slices quietly.

Kimchi soup with pork (comes with a bowl rice) - $12

That was a delicious and fun lunch, I left being full and few hours later I was craving for Korean BBQ yet again.

There isn't any dessert offered in Dae Jang Kum so we went across to World Square and rest our bloated tummies in Gloria Jeans. Their hot chocolate is really nice. And I was so tempted by the Mother's Crepe.

Gloria Jeans' classic hot chocolate

May have to go get Korean BBQ again pretty soon..

Currency: $1 = IDR 9,500


Rating: 3/5 (Worth the try)
Really nice Korean dishes, service is good although not 100% attentive, ambiance is great, price is reasonable.







Address:


DAE JANG KUM


35 Goulburn St.
Sydney, NSW 2000


Phone: (02) 9211 0890


Website: www.daejangkum.com.au