eatBANGKOK: A Foodie's Guide to Bangkok Street Food

From the hotdogs stands to Gryo Platters at Halal Bros. in NYC, the spicy Tteobokki in Seoul, and the Smelly Tofu & Curry Fish ball vendors in Hong Kong, street food is an interesting dining scene where spare change can make your buds tingle.  More importantly, street food plays a massive part in encouraging different cultures come together to create an identity of a nation.   In Bangkok though, its all about satisfying local hunger.   This post, I feasted on some of the tastiest street food at the local Wang Lang market, and at food street Soi 38 at Sukhumvit. 

Wang Lang Market

While I gave the floating markets a miss this trip,  I took the opportunity to travel on the Chao Praya river bus to Wang Lang market situated in Thonburi, a place where the population thrives on locals looking for a feast or fresh food to prepare one.

To get to Wang Lang market, take the BTS to Taksin before jumping on the ferry which costs 15 Baht.  The ferry is one of Bangkok’s main mode of transportation and its a breeze to ride with no traffic jams of course!  

I do not blame you if you start your street food trip a little fazed.  The selections are massive and if you have the mentality that the vendors up the front are for tourists, time to get that out.  At Wang Lang, start eating because your stomach needs the time in between to relax!  

Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fishcakes - 20 Baht for 4)

Need I explain this anymore?  This bite size delicacy comes in different odds and sods but its shape matters little when you get that massive spice punch serenading your buds.  To cool, the vendor pour a sweet chilli and cucumber relish.  Slurps~!

Moo Yang (Grilled pork - 40 Baht for 100 grams)

This makes the Texan folk away from home cry.  Surely not the same smoky goodness but who is able to resist the juicy, succulent pork grilled and tossed in that sticky sweet sauce!

The lady at the stall packing larger packets for other customers!


Tub Tim Grob (Rubies and Chestnuts in Coconut Milk - 15 Baht)

Its hot so you need to cool.  Bangkok’s sweltering heat is like that.  When coconut no longer excites you, settle for this icy alternative.  This royal loving vendor at Wang Lang market spares no expense in making this colourful dessert worth you buck.  He puts chestnuts in there like a boss.

Khao Na Bpet  (Roast duck on Rice - 50 Baht)

Ok this is not your typical street food in Bangkok. When all the locals dine there, who are you to question?  Keep calm, just eat.  Tender flavoursome  duck meat was lovely to eat but sauce a tad too sweet.  I prefer the Cantonese version better!

Khanom Buang Maprow/ Khanom Tuntag ( Thai crepes w/ grated coconut and coconut milk - 15 Baht)

Walking back does not mean I was finished.  A sweet ending is a compulsory one.   Crisp at the sides, and fluffy in the middle, this yummy dessert can make every day feel like a Sunday.  Its sweet coconut was lovely and the over all experience reminded me of Apom back home.

These are the ladies working their magic on the wonderful pastries.

Soi 38 Sukhumvit

If you just cannot get enough and need to feed your daily dose of Bangkok street food, another popular places to feast at is Soi 38 at Sukhumvit. This place offers around 30 stalls in the evening serving a mix of delicacies which might not be as impressive as the 100 over eateries scattered across Wang Lang market but there is something here which might just tickle your fancy.

To get here, get on the train to reach Thonglor BTS.  Once you get of the train, you should be able see Soi 38 from the crossover bridge!

Daniel Thaiger - Amazing Pork and Beef Burgers 140 Baht

Halal Boy to New York City is like Daniel Thaiger to Bangkok.  Cultural acceptance.  Just when you thought hordes of people would come to Soi 38 in Sukhumvit for local food, you will see a stream of people queueing up for the infamous Daniel Thaiger burgers.  That evening, we were the first in line and was served by Mrs Thaiger herself.In fluent English, she tells us that her American husband is the brains behind this mobile burger flipping idea.  Opening at 5.30pm, we made sure we came extra early to get ours first.  Surely enough, our safe plan came to fruition because at 5.30pm, there were already 8 orders in the make! 

The Classic Pork with Cheese

Mr Steve. Beef burger with Cheese and Bacon.

Whilst the kids in the region play tricks with bamboo coal buns, Daniel Thaiger decides that Kuro buns are too mainstream and pulls the classic back on track.  A quick wait for the early birds were rewarded with a burger that is worth the effort.  Put together like a piece of art, the composition is simple and it works.  Daniel Thaiger might be small, but it sure gives Shake Shack fans a run for their money!

Pad Krapow Moo (Pork Stir-fry with Holy Basil - 50 Baht)

A favourite back in Australia came less exciting than expected.  But for the unfamiliar, this might be a delicious bite graced with the flavour of the Basil leaf!

Khao Niaow Ma Muang w/ Tua Tong (Sliced mango with coconut stick rice topped with toasted Mung bean - 60 Baht)

Putting the name on the sentence above is like seeing Obama on TV with the close caption saying Obama.  If you need any introduction to this Thai sensation, you must live in a hole #neversaynever.  This was one of the best ones in town according to most.  It sure lives up to its expectation but best is still a claim too farfetched.

WenY

About eatBANGKOK

I am no expert in eating but I have no hesitation in claiming Bangkok is easily one of the top cities for eating. In this mini series called eatBANGKOK, I bring you what my homeboys Yobi, ZS and I ate through this bustling city.  Everyone boasts to present the cuisine in this Royal loving city best so the quality of food here can quite easily get diluted.  But are you really eating Bangkok’s best? This is WHAT, WHERE and HOW to eat Bangkok’s  popular and hidden eateries.  Keen on a Bangkok food itinerary?  Look no further.

Melbourne: Modern Thai @ Longrain, Little Bourke Street

While the highly rated Chin Chin seems to be all the rave in Melbourne, my trip to the modern Longrain on Little Bourke Street still shows that the top spot for Modern Asian is still up for grabs.  Modern Thai food has come a long way from the awkwardly sweet and deep fried things they were before, but was this a change good enough?  This was my first visit to Longrain in Melbourne and I loved its airy venue which paired high ceilings with its long tables that swept across the diner. On top were glasswares arranged neatly for the afternoon service. It all felt very "upmarket".  Its a nice feeling.  But remember, Longrain gets pretty busy so remember to make your booking via the telephone or the OpenTable website here.

To get the pace going, we order a couple of betel leafs! Mine was the betel leaf with pomelo, mint, green papaya, peanut and toasted coconut slices.  Som Tam on a leaf? Maybe!

Like how most Thai salads are, this one had a refreshing punch the moment you take it in whole.  There is something about the crisp vegetable crunching in your teeth whilst your palate is serenaded by the Thai dressing that simply awakens your senses.  Love that sweet-sour-salty combination! Not to mention that juicy pomelo and betel leaf that are sweet at first but carries a slightly bitter aftertaste.  This was an appetiser that leaves your mouth clean for the next.

Longrain’s signature dish of Eggnet, pork, prawns, sprouts, and peanuts served with a cucumber relish came next.

It is easy to see why the dish is so likeable.  Firstly, it is big.  Really bloody big.  But there is a little catch and it is that the dish is not filled entirely with meat and seafood but rather, massive amounts of juicy bean sprouts that compliments the herb and meat contents.  This to a certain extent felt like a noodle-less Pad Thai! It was yummy!  Its savoury, then a bit sweet but more importantly the dish was fragrant thanks to the little strips of kaffir lime, chill and lovely mint.  I really enjoyed this dish.  At the end though, I felt a little sad for the cucumber relish.  The balance in this dish was already optimal so I had no need to add anymore sweetness from the relish!

The next dish was the special of the day recommended to us by Longrain's waiter.  It was a whole fish filleted and deep fried served with a tangy tamarind sauce.

I love seeing my fish filleted with the whole lot deep fried to perfection.  Here the batter was thin so it only had a mild crisp from the deep frying.  What it lacked in crispy batter, it made up for by ensuring that the flesh was kept superbly moist.  Drizzle a little lime juice over the fish before dipping it into the Tamarind sauce and wow! It was an amazing meal!   This was one of my favourite dishes that day which I believe Hendra enjoyed too.  It aced both presentation and taste well.

The next dish to hit the table was the dish of pork hock.  Need I SAY. The dish looked good!!! At Longrain, the presentation is almost as important as the cooking.  

Before we started, the waiter explained to us that the dish has a lot of sugar.  To balance the sweetness, Longrain uses a chilli-vinegar concoction that brings a sense of balance to the dish.  True enough, I can imagine the dish being immensely sweet without the vinegar.  Whilst this dish was quite good, it can very quickly become overwhelming because of that deep fried fatty pork hock combination with a fairly sweet and sour sauce.  Definitely not a dish to be ordered for one, but its something to be shared around the table.  It is almost as if one piece is too little but two on the other hand is too much!

Last but not least was a dish of stir fried king prawns, and mussels in a turmeric x chilli sauce.

The dish looked meagre on the first sight.  All we had were 4 prawns and 3 mussels.  But fret not, each piece of seafood were still rather plump in size.  But Mei reckon that the garnish of fried kaffir lime leaf would already cost a fortune! She is most definitely right because Kaffir Lime leaves are  really expensive!   Putting prices aside, this dish is pretty damn tasty thanks to it sauce.  Also, the turmeric is really mild so do not worry if you dislike that herb.  In a nutshell, it was a rather tasty but a little expensive :P!

While I would have loved to order a dessert to end, my stomach thought otherwise.  I was very full!  With a bill the creeped close to $190, Longrain is by no means a cheap affair.  For 4 diners, we might have been overly ambitious and ordered too much but no regrets here for sure.  The service was decent, food was tasty, the ambience comfortable and more importantly, the company that afternoon was spot on.  My best comparison for modern Thai would be Nahm Thai which has now been branded to Nunam as well as Galangal Thai and Red Opium, all of which are in Perth.  Out of these four places (including Longrain), it is clear that Longrain is a winner for the many reason which includes better value, greater creativity and  more originality.  Nahm Thai dulls in comparison to the lot especially when most Perth people considers Nahm Thai to be Perth’s finest modern Thai restaurant.  In my opinion, only Galangal Thai’s Pad Prik King and Red Opiums incredible tapas selection comes close to challenging the delicious fish and egg net dish I had today at Longrain :)!  Oh do not forget, Galangal Thai is possible the cheapest contender of the lot albeit its small serving sizes!

WenY

Melbourne: Little Ramen Bar X Shanghai Street Dumpling @ Little Bourke St.

The traditional Ramen has strong following that prompted many brands and independents to open outside its place of origins.  Whilst famous brands have a strong backing due to their established names, the independents are not deterred from defining their own ramen.  Such is the story of the Little Ramen Bar who has been serving delicious bowls of ramen from its narrow spot on 5/346 Little Bourke St.

Classic dishin’with a round of Gyoza for the table.  Yes? No? Maybe?  Typical.

A page long ramen selection threw me into the usual dilemma.  But I came here twice so my problems were solved :)!  The first round I saw me order the Hokkaido Ramen.  A delicious miso broth combines mixed vegetables, minced pork, corn, butter and a slice of BBQ pork for a full Japanese Northern Island experience.  Its butter melts into an aromatic whiff making the tasty broth even richer and more flavourful.  But surprisingly though, my added egg was the killer of the lot.  The runny brilliant orange yolk was all the rave.

In the second round, I shared a classic ramen + chashu slices with AC.  EGG, PORK and RAMEN.  Is there a more delightful combination?   The porky - creamy goodness stems from what the place says is a result of 10 hours of cooking.  Sure seems legit to me!

Sharing seems a little strange as it is something I do very infrequently.  But worry not.  The Little Ramen Bar is a few door Shanghai Street Dumpling on 342 Little Bourke St.  Another popular place that serves quality dumplings for decent pennies.  After queueing for a bit and yes, you have to queue for both the Little Ramen Bar and the Shanghai Street Dumpling, we were seated outside.  At Shanghai Street Dumpling, you order before you are seated which seems like a legit way to increase a restaurants efficiency.

This was my second dumpling meal after an overkill of Xiao Long Bao at Hutong.  Still scared of dumplings, I decided to call a crab and pork Xiao Long Bao in anticipation that the sweetness of the crab flesh would mellow well with the pork broth.

Did it work?  Comparing the two Xiao Long Bao I had at Hutong and Shanghai Street Dumpling, the one at the latter was significantly less cloying.  Thanks to the addition of the crab, there was a subtle seafood flavour through the dumpling which made it more palatable.

Shanghai Street Dumpling’s Pan Fried Pork Buns.

This dish was a reminiscence of my trip to Taiwan where the road side vendor serves these little pan fried buns at the speed of light.  But remember, do not bite in so quickly!  The hot juices within can burn and it will.  Go slow and steady!

(Note: The Chili Oil Wantons at Hutong are heaps nicer than the ones at Shanghai Street Dumpling.)

Do you want lunch with variety?  Look no further.  The Little Ramen Bar and Shanghai Street Dumpling are within close proximity of each other on this strip of Little Bourke Street.  Mind blowingly good?  Perhaps they were not the best in the world as the ramen in NYC/KL carries more weight and even the street vendors of Taiwan makes kick ass dumpling for half the dime.  But for where we are, feast your buds with their creations and enjoy with little concerns for your wallet!  They were really quite good!

Check out my other Ramen posts:

Dosukoi Ramen @ Allendale Square, Perth

Kai Ramen @ Bull Creek, Perth

Oceans Ramen @ Northbridge, Perth

Nao Ramen @ Murray Street, Perth

Ramen Lab @ Mount Lawley, Perth

Genki SET Japanese @ Den Haag, Netherlands

The Little Ramen Bar @ Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Ippudo Ramen @ Hong Kong

Hide Chan Ramen @Midtown East, New York City

Totto Ramen @ Hell's Kitchen, New York City

WenY

Bites: Modern Dining @ St. Michael, Mount Lawley

Sitting in the place of Jacksons, WA’s legendary status degustation spot, St. Michaels is the new kid on the Beaufort Strip.  While I never knew the exact details of the owners, I did know that St. Michaels were the brainchild of the Red Cabbage establishment which hmmm did not provide me with much confident at all.  Do not get me wrong, Red Cabbage is a fine place but  I was not the keenest person after being scarred by the lacklustre of creativity from my first attempt there.  However, my sister was keen to give this place a chance and so I went anyway.  For those who are not aware, St. Michaels is now open for dinner which had just happened a couple weeks back ;)

However, because no one knew they were open for nights, we were one of the only two tables that night.  I loved being treated as if I had booked the whole place but really, it was just pure luck haha.  The dining style here is a choice of a la-carte tapas or degustation but we went for the degustation which was a no-brainer considering the $89 tag will be quickly surpassed if orders were done a la-carte.

After enjoying some crisp lavosh and bread with whipped vegemite butter, my attention turned to St Michael’s first course, the cold pickled vegetables and Bresola.

Highly acidic on the first bite, I quickly grew fond of this setup.  The musky beefy Bresola paired with the sour-sweet roots  made summer dining a bliss.  The taste was fresh and crisp.  A meal that left a very clean feel to the palate.

Australian seafood is a major highlight during the summer.  St. Michael brings the flavours of South America to plate in this dish of seared scallops.

The perfectly seared scallops were of a decent size but not massively huge. But where flavours were concerned, the dish was well-composed with the tasty salsa and sweet almost buttery charred corn complementing the fresh scallops.  Likeable at every aspect, there was a certain predictability about this setup that might have made the experience all a little too “common”.

The next dish was something a little more special with pumpkin puree, orecchiette and pecorino making their way to the table.

On the plate was pureed pumpkin with little pasta shells called orecchiette and roasted pumpkin, topped with fragrant pecorino cheese.  Sweet, a little cheesy with some pasta is how I would describe this one.  It was quite basic and could easily have been a really good dish.  However, there was an inconsistency across the plate with the doneness of the pasta.  Some were a little soft whilst a few were hard with a few sitting al dente in the middle.  I honestly did not mind it but sitting on the Jacksons’ spot where I had previously dined commands a lot of integrity :P!

The next dish of quail, carrot puree and deep fried crumbled ricotta was absolutely gold.

Cooked spot on, the quail was perfectly pink in the middle and superbly tender.  Then comes the silky gel-like carrot puree that was just sensationally seasoned.  Not too sweet, or salty, but just nicely ripe in the middle!  One its own or together, the crumbed ricotta is every kids dream snack.  Fluffy in the middle, crispy on the outside but more important, delicious. To finish was some popped buckwheat to give the dish a crunch.   Have all the elements at once and you would be thoroughly impressed.

After grazing through the appetisers, the plat de résistance arrived.  It was a dish of lamb. My first bite quickly reminded me of the lamb & scallops dish at Nine Fine Food in Highgate.  The lamb was slow cooked and pulled apart before being formed and temporarily pan fried to caramelise the outsides.  The fat contents were definitely pretty high with this one as it literally melted in my mouth!  Little bits of nifty tricks to break the norm like the mint jelly was quite a joy to have.  To sum it up, the lambs falls into the category which I call “same but different” and I like it.

After resting my buds for a bit, our maitre d introduced me to the pre-dessert course.  Described as being neither savoury or sweet, the dish consisted of a thin carrot cake slice topped with celeriac ganache, little mounds of blue cheese, pear sorbet and poached pear.

I do not know where to start because this was literally my "dish of the night".  Its description falls way short in explaining how delicious this combination was. The spongy carrot cake with a tart almost sweet blue cheese paired with the refreshing sorbet was simply genius.  Add the crunchy walnuts and juicy pears to the equation and it was even better.  This was an exemplary reinvention of the cheese course where one has blue cheese with pear, candied nuts and crackers.

Last but not least was a dessert course after an oatmeal palate cleanser.  Themed parsnip, and honey, this was an all vegetarian dessert.

Parsnip sponge, and parsnip sorbet on cornflakes with honey drizzled all over.  To end the night, it was quite right.  Refreshing, light and over all quite easy to eat without leaving one feeling as if he/she had just eating a block of  meat.  Now, if only it was a little less salty!  For some reason the sponge has salt in it, which I found to be unnecessary because the cornflakes itself already has some salt.  Not a major fault but something that could have been easily prevented for sure.

At the end of the night, I enjoyed the meal at St. Michael quite a fair bit.  Unlike its more established sibling Red Cabbage, I found myself more enticed to the creations at St. Michael.  Dishes like the scallops as well as the lamb were rather predictable in flavour but still, faultless in all ways.  The carrot slice with the walnuts, pear condiments and blue cheese were exemplary in reinventing the classic blue cheese plate.  In saying that, there were a few errors which displeased me especially with the last dessert being quite salty or the pasta dish being inconsistently prepared but otherwise it was good.  Nonetheless, this has got to be one of the better $89 dollars spent in 2014!

WenY

Melbourne: Perfect Steaks @ Rockpool Bar and Grill, Crown Melbourne

Rockpool Bar and Grill in Perth was my first massive steak crush.  Between its bolder flavoured grain-fed or the more mellow, lighter tasting grass-fed beef, there was always something for everyone.  As Australia’s first internationally acclaimed restaurant, I have always wondered how does Rockpool Bar and Grill in Melbourne compare to the one back home in Perth.  On a cool Sunday night, I decide to take a trip to Bovine Heaven.  Whilst I have no pictures of the entrance, the original Rockpool Bar and Grill in Melbourne sports the same long hallway graced by cuts of beef being dry-aged.  A true sight to behold!  Its interior was darker than the establishment in Perth but sets the mood for a good night out.

But food beyond anything else is key to my verdict of any restaurant.  Why should it not be after all?  Our starter was a Wagyu Bolognese.  A classic favourite since my first trip to Rockpool back in Perth!  Here, the waiter takes courtesy of plating a main size one into two appetiser sized ones to avoid the fuss of splitting.

With no questions, the mince melts in your mouth whilst the sauce was just perfect.  But the pasta was not as thin as the one in Perth!  

The grain-fed rib eye.

Its dark red middle is symbolic of why dry-aged beef is such a priceless commodity among foodies and beef lovers alike!  The flavour is just yums and the way Rockpool cooks the steak always elevates the joy of eating it.  At Rockpool, a perfectly charred steak that never fails to hit the sweet spot is a norm.  Tender, cooked to order and the temperature of frying the steak is just spot on!  For my condiments, I chose the Dijon Mustard and Harissa as both help bring the best out of the steak!  But if you are not a fan of mild mustard, the spice laden Harissa might just be your thing.

No meal at Rockpool is ever complete without its famed Mac n Cheese side.  And what can I say?  Fat on fat on fat?  Nobody got time for concerns!  It was yummy!  But for some reason though, the charm it first had on me 3 years ago had seemed to worn off.  It no longer felt all that special.. and I wonder why!

We also ordered a side of chopped salad which looked absolutely rubbish after being tossed in the dressing but here is a picture of the oven-roasted pumpkin and sweet potatoes topped with a roasted garlic yoghurt.  This was really nice! It was my second time having it at Rockpool and I still cannot get over the way the garlicky condiment harmonises with the sweet edible tuber!

A sweet ending of what I can only remember now as some sort of cheese cake with strawberries, meringue and what I believe instead of a biscuit base, was grated coconut?  Hahaha I really was so full at this point that sharing a dessert was all my stomach can afford.  

But I have to say, it was an impressive slice this one.  I was quite hesitant to follow XL’s choice of cake because cheesecakes had always been a fairly “heavy” dessert but this felt nothing like the conventional cheesecakes!  Instead it was rather refreshing and led the dinner to a good ending!

A meal at any Rockpool establishment comes with a tag that most find unjustifiable.  But coming here once a year for that once in a blue moon treat makes a lot of sense to me.  You get the prime service, absolutely delicious steaks and over all, an amazing meal.  The food here does not carry the cues of modern molecular gastronomy and lacks the necessary elements of surprise of fine dining but what Rockpool does is make the classic staples like steak & chips, absolutely spectacular.  I mean after all lets be honest to ourselves, how many times have you been served an absolutely rubbish $30 steak? 1 too many I’d say.

WenY

Melbourne: An Italian Affair @ Kaprica, Carlton

What does a graffiti-laden-facade 1 man kitchen bring to the student suburb Carlton? Authentic pizzas and minimalistic pastas!  Housed in a shop opposite the Lincoln Square skate park, Kaprica sits quietly in its spot only to be revealed by buzz of patrons buy pulling stringy mozzarella apart and twirling their pastas.  Needless to say, I was one of them.

That day we ordered a couple of pastas to go around the table and a pizza to share. To start was a serve of garlic and chill prawns topped with parsley.  Unlike most prawns that come out in a cream based sauce, these were panfried an topped with crispy bits of garlic and chilli that was a mix of salty fragrant goodness!

With the bread that came as a starter, I mopped up the tasty oil that has been infused with the flavours of garlic and chilli.  Quite a joy it was!

Next up was a pork sausage, with fennel and chilli pizza.  The pastry at Kaprica is thin, light and fluffy.  Every bite into the pizza was not greeted by a hard crust but a crisp one and when you tear it apart, you know it has been made just right.  Despite it being a fairly large pizza, I could have easily ate the whole thing by myself :P!

The toppings on the pizza was not over the top.  Instead it capitalised on quality produce like homemade sausages and fresh herbs.  Kaprica’s home made sausages were absolutely more-ish.  Have it paired with the little bits of pungent onions and chilli sprinkled on the top and the pizza experience became even better !!  Also, I do not know how Kaprica does its tomato base but it was highly commendable.  It struck the right balance between its acidity and sweetness.  

Next was a mushroom fettuccine in a cream based sauce XL’s friend’s choice.

Its approach was simple, slices of plump swiss mushrooms, silky pasta, lashings of cream and a generous grating of parmesan.  Despite looking rather heavy, the pasta as a whole was really yummy and light.  Even more so when shared amongst the table.  It was a bit of a surprise win this one!

Gnocchi Napolitana was XL’s order.  

Fluffy little pillows that were cooked just spot on.  Neither was it mushy on the outside or doughy on the inside.  I quite enjoyed the flavours on the plate but is not quite sure whether I could eat the whole plate by myself. Sure, the  over all flavours were quite traditional and basic but the tomato sauce-cheese combination just did not seem substantially interesting enough for me down it solo!

Fettuccini alle Vongole was Mei and Hendra’s choice for the table.

The briny flavours of the clam brings a whiff of the sea to plate.  Imagining the little pieces of fleshy clams paired with a sweet white wine sauce and freshly chopped parsley almost made this dish the winner of the night.  But twirling my fork through the noodles, I soon found a systematic error.  The food in Kaprica needed more salt.  Perhaps my taste buds have been polluted by the heavily flavoured food I have had in the last few days but a tad more salt would be very nice!

Simple, traditional and satisfying are three words I would use to describe the food at Kaprica. There is no try hard, sugar-coated dishes but instead, honest dishes that keeps the meal simple. But do not worry, the handwritten  menu at Kaprica changes depending on what’s in season so it remains simple but never boring :)!  Simply sublime.  This was another great introduction by XL’s friend KK. 

WenY

Melbourne: Palatial Wagyu @ Guhng, McKillop St.

Whilst my blog have promoted Melbourne for it phenomenal brunch fare, there is also another side to this global city.  During my trip, I had a very good Korean meal at Guhng, a Korean barbecue place hidden on the charming McKillop St. Walking in I was impressed by this multi-level establishment fitted with a Korean themed interior that was neither modern or traditional but rather, a combination  of both with a calm mood lighting through the venue. On every table, an adjustable vent is fitted to ensure their patrons do not walk out smelling like the barbecue they had.

But looks are only as good as its taste.  We scanned the menu and quickly found a few things we were really keen to try.  

First up was Andrew’s request for something “authentic” the seafood tteokbokki (rice cake).

Taste wise it was decent and the seafood content was generous.  Nonetheless, coming thousands of kilometres from home, I was not the most impressed by the “authentic” rice cake dish :P!  

Korean Barbecue tend to be quite generic.  You would usually have a few marinated choices, some pork belly slices, chicken tight and such.  The menu at Guhng was no different.  But we set our eyes on the Wagyu which was a handsome $39 for 200 grams.  We ordered one serve at first but ultimately ended with two.

The wagyu at Guhng had no marbling grade whatsoever but it melted in our mouths like butter.  No way this was healthy but the mental joy was absolute.  My Korean BBQ ways were groomed by my mom since I was younger.  It would be a large leafy lettuce, some garlic slices, chill bean paste and that lovely slab of meat.  The mild spiciness paired with the pungent garlic sure kicked ass when eaten together with this yummy beef. With 200 grams in each serve, it was nowhere near enough but with some lettuce leaf followed with another serve, it was a good really feed.

Trying to be a little fancier, we ordered scallops to be barbecued.  Sadly, it as an utter waste.

This was cooked a little over, its presentation was a little lacklustre but more disappointingly, Guhng lacked that special finish for the sea’s best protein.  Wasabi and soy was their best condiment but it did not complement the scallops at all!  Not recommended!  Got extra dough?  Definitely a 3rd round of Wagyu haha!   

Our last meat was the pork belly without any marinade.  It was a classic but rather typical to the extent that there was definitely nothing to shout about.  But nothing wrong either.  Looking back, the post from top to bottom might sound a little sad because the only dish I had portrayed to enjoy was the Wagyu.  But do not be fooled.  The meal here was tonight was nice. This is probably the best upmarket Korean I have been to to-date and deservingly so.   To add to the delight, Guhng also serves various rice wine concoctions that were absolutely sensational.  We ordered a jug of berry delight.  Each sip contains creamy yoghurt and bits of berries berries with the slightest hint of alcohol.  This was an easy beverage for non-drinkers like myself.  As a whole, Guhng was easily a place I will return for my Korean fare anytime but do not expect it to be that superb value for money place like Chick-In :P!

WenY