YG Republique - Samgeori Butcher Korean BBQ @ TREC KL

K-Seoul Food!

With so many Korean restaurants on our shore, Malaysians are indeed blessed with these additions to our melting pot of available cuisines. Adding to the list, YG Republique is one Korean restaurant not to be missed. Under the umbrella of YG Foods, K-food and lifestyle celebrity Noh Hee Young heads the establishment of YG Republique that integrates Korean cuisine and entertainment at its best.

Located at TREC KL, Korean enthusiasts are treated to a modern Korean experience at YG Republique with an option of dining at Samgeori Butcher’s 삼거리 푸주간 or K-Pub. Featuring the finest premium cuts of pork & beef, Samgeori Butcher’s satiates foodies with classic Korean barbeque completed with other classic dishes while K-Pub aim to please those who wishes to unwind at a watering hole with Korean pub grub food.

With Korean entertainment of K-Pop celebrities thrown in for good measure, YG Republique certainly elevates the whole dining experience with Korean culture and lifestyle. Samgeori Butcher’s dining room, designed with modern urban industrial ambiance, features traces of famous K-Pop celebrities and their entourage who have visited this pork charcuterie. Spacious and colorful, the restaurant is modern and pleasantly comfortable with good ventilation.

At Samgeori Butcher’s, one can even catch a glimpse of their meat aging room where all their premium cuts of Spanish Black Iberico pork are cured in Cypress pine boxes. Their menu offers classic Korean BBQ as well as other ala carte dishes like, Jjigaes, stews, rice and noodles. The K-Pub has its own bar food menu which features Korean Fried Chicken, Tteokbokki, Korean Pancakes and other Korean snacks to go with drinks. Diners can also order from either menu at both outlets.

While waiting for our orders to arrive, the obligatory Banchan makes its appearance. These side dishes vary in all Korean restaurants and often makes a pulling factor for Korean foodies.

Samgeori’s banchan is rather generous as we enjoyed about ten types of side dishes such as Kimchi, White Kimchi, Pickled Radish, Mu Saengchae, Ueong Jorim, Korean Lettuce Salad and more. The White Kimchi is unusual and deliciously refreshing and addictive.

If you’re as fickle as me or rather as adventurous, go for the Butcher’s Sampler (420g – for 2 pax at RM170 | 600gm – for 3 to 4 pax at RM210). We had the smaller portion since we wanted to try other dishes as well.

The Butcher’s Sampler comes wrapped and served on a board. Featuring Spanish Iberico Pork of all 3 cuts of pork neck, pork belly & jaw.

As the acoustic of sizzling comes to sound, the air is also filled with luscious aroma of the pork being barbequed at sight. The meat is grlled without any seasoning so one taste the natural flavours of the Iberico pig. There’s plenty of dishes with bold and robust flavours to accompany these tender and juicy pieces of pork. Samgeori also has its own special sauces, garlic mustard and chili in soy sauce with onions, to accentuate the flavours of the swine.

Besides the delectable Korean bbq, we tucked into YG Special – Budae Jjigae (RM60). Also known as Army Stew, it’s a hodgepodge of ingredients that may sound odd but is delicious and piquant. This Korean famous army stew comes with with pork, ham, sausage, kimchi, ramen, rice cakes, vegetables and cheese in a savory and spicy broth. Utter comfort food with humble ingredients perfect, especially on cool nights, for those who enjoy soupy food with a spicy kick.

As we waited for our Budae Jjigae to cooked on the portable stove, we tucked into Spicy Squid and Pork Belly Bulgogi (RM35). Power packed with moreish and piquant flavours, the squid, pork and cabbage combo goes so well with steamed rice.

Besides Samgeori Butcher’s menu, we also sampled a few dishes from K-Pub’s menu. ‘Chimaek’ seemed to be the wave now and K-Pub’s Garlic Sauce Fried Chicken RM52 (M size) is pretty lip-smacking yum. Crispy, juicy and nicely seasoned, the fried chicken is also topped with bits of chili and aromatics. Now hand me a beer please…

The Assorted Dried Snacks (RM60) is pretty interesting and had my curiosity peaked. It consisted of various snacks imported from Korea that makes great drink pairing. There’s some shredded Dried Squid, Smoked Fish and Dried Fish and Rice Cracker balls served with a side of what seemed to be mayo in soy sauce. The snacks are salty enough without the sauce. I can see why this dish would be great to be chase down with some cold beer, soju or makgeolli.

Reasons to visit YG Republique? Good classic Korean food with a hip ambiance and a watering hole to unwind… oh and who knows which famous K-Pop celebrity you might just see there…

YG REPUBLIQUE – SAMGEORI BUTCHER

HG-01 & HG-02 Hive, TREC,

438, Jalan Tun Razak,

Kuala Lumpur.

opening hours | Lunch 12pm – 3pm; dinner 6pm – 2am

Tel: 03-2110 4104

Website: www.ygrepublique.com.my

Facebook: www.facebook.com/YGREPUBLIQUEKL/

Business Hours:

SamGeori Butcher: 12 pm – 3 pm (Lunch)
 6 pm – 2 am (Dinner)

K-Pub: 6 pm – 3 am

Gangnam 88 Korean Restaurant @ Solaris Mont Kiara

Gangnam Value Set Menu!

There’s something addictive about Korean cuisine for me. I simply can’t get enough of the cuisine. Lots of pungent flavours of fermented kimchi, piping hot stews and soups, juicy barbeque meats, various banchans and more, there’s always satisfaction when it comes to Korean food, at least for me…

Gangnam 88 is not new to our culinary scene but the Korean restaurant is good enough to always warrant return visits. Having tried their outlet in Sunway Giza previously, this round I visited their popular original outlet in Solaris Mont Kiara.

Though not as big as the other outlet, this outlet has better ambiance with a comfortable vibe. Expect lots of the usual Korean stars plastered on the walls of the restaurant including the King of Gangnam, PSY!

We love how there are various small rooms sectioned off to offer more privacy as well as various mix and match furniture to echo an eclectic décor throughout the restaurant located on level one.

The menu is filled with lots of tempting photos of Korean dishes to make ordering easier. Gangnam 88 also offers set meals perfect for big or small parties that are value-for-money. Since there were 4 adults and 2 kids, we opted for the Gold Set (RM238). It’s sufficient for 5 to 6 person and they were certainly very generous with the portions and dishes, so much so we couldn’t even finish this set.

Cheese Rolled Omelet, a typical dish that appears daily in many Korean meals, is guaranteed to be a favorite with every one of all ages. Egg and cheese with bits of vegetables makes good accompaniment for rice and other dishes. Do let staff know if you don’t want chili in it as it comes with chili sauce which may not be favorable for kids.

Classic and one of my favorite Korean dish is Kimchi Soup. This version is made just right with a solid robust tang and heat with lots of pickled kimchi, tofu and other good stuff.

The Samgyetang or Ginseng Chicken Soup is known for nutritional values with Korean ginseng, jujube, chicken and rice. It’s a bowl of comforting flavours and great at any meal. Flavours are quite delicate with subtle hints of ginseng. The chicken is so tender that it literally falls apart from the slightest touch. We took this home and it was even better the next day with rice.

The 3 Types BBQ is superb. The best of Gangnam 88 trio of pork bbq, we had Pork Galbi BBQ, Pork Belly Samgyeop BBQ and Pork Shoulder Moksal BBQ. All three are different in flavours and texures but equally delicious. I kept going back for more of this BBQ and the best part is that it’s all cooked for us so we didn’t have to do the cooking. Must order!!

A monstrous stew appear in the form of Cheese Squid Rabbokgi. Crispy squid sat in a pool of fiery sauce filled with soft and chewy tteokbokki, fish cake, vegetable and plenty of cheese. Pungent in flavours with sweet, savory and some heat, I enjoyed the thick and cheesy sauce with the crispy squid. It’s beginning to be a popular dish here these days, especially among the younger generation of Korean fans.

Perhaps we were too full to fully enjoy the Honey Butter Fried Chicken. Nevertheless, the dish has no faults. Large boneless chicken thigh well-seasoned and fried before glazed in a sticky sweet and buttery sauce had all the markings of a good dish and we would have gladly polish this off if only we weren’t so full from everything else.

Banchan was nothing to shout about but with so much food, we really have not complaints. Kimchi was good though and so was the creamy salad. These are refillable too.

For drinks, we opted for their homemade Misugaru and Sikhye. Misugaru is a very healthy and nutritious beverage made from combinations of at least 7 grains. It’s milky with a nutty soy taste and is quite filling. I love the Sikhye a lot. The sweet Korean rice drink is refreshing and easy to enjoy with the rest of the Korean dishes.

The Gold Set is really value-for-money and easily feeds at least 6 adults. There are plenty of other smaller or bigger sets and even sets with drinking options if you enjoy beer, soju or makgeolli. We know why Gangnam 88 is still a popular hotspot for Korean food in Solaris. The ambiance and vibe is certainly pleasant and the food is scrumptious as well as affordable. That evening, the restaurant was packed but service was efficient despite the crowd. Definitely a good spot for Korean food!

GANGNAM 88

No 1-1, Jalan Solaris 3,

Solaris Mont Kiara Off Jalan Kira,

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +60 3-6206 5888

Website: www.gangnam88.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/gangnam88.net/

Business Hours:

Daily 11.30am to 1.00am

Mido Korean BBQ Restaurant @ SS2, Petaling Jaya

Korean BBQ in Style

Korean cuisine has taken our dining scene by storm. Many have sprouted all over our nation and now Korean cuisine is gearing up to be as popular as Japanese cuisine. The Koreans are indeed famous for their Kimchi. You’ll either love it or hate it. Glad to say, most Malaysians do love it as well as their other signatures like Korean BBQ and stews. Even my family admits to indulging Korean cuisine at least 3 times a month.

One of the latest Korean restaurant in Petaling Jaya is Mido, located at the bustling SS2 area. Mido is the brilliant brainchild of young Korean business owner Mr. Joseph Lee and his partners. After arriving in Malaysia, Joseph has decided to pursue his F&B interest to add on to his other businesses. The young entrepreneur opened Mido in July this year, serving up lots of Korean classics of BBQ, stews and even Korean Fried Chicken.

The restaurant’s front is designed to look just a like a Korean house with big heavy wooden doors. There are two windows on each side and unlike most restaurants, one cannot see the dining unless the windows are open. Walking into Mido, diners are immediately transported to warm and vibrant interior filled with lots of wood. We were told that Mido’s interior is actually designed and finished by Joseph and his team as well. Vibrant warm walls, sectioned panels giving diners privacy, Korean Hahoe masks, paper lanterns and more earthy elements summed up the gorgeous interior. Mido also has private rooms with seating on the floor.

Dining at Mido certainly feels like I was transported elsewhere, without any trace of the bustling SS2 traffic outside since the whole restaurant is closed up. Another plus point for Mido, they use the underground ventilation system which is better as it prevents the usual BBQ smoke from seeping into our clothes and hair.

Let’s eat! Korean meal is never without Banchan. These side dishes are always such a treat and most restaurants allow refills in moderate quantity. Mido serves less Banchan than other restaurants I know but they have more types of sauces and plenty of fresh lettuce, seasoned lettuce together with the fresh cut garlic and green chilies. Their Kimchi is really yummy and we kept having refills of this gladly. Mido serves four sauces – Sesame Oil with Salt, Ssamjang, Basil and Peanut sauce. Though classics are good, I really enjoyed the Basil and Peanut sauces as they really perked up the BBQ meats in flavours.

Mido’s menu has limited options of the various cuts of meat but I personally think the ones they have are sufficient for me. The Korean BBQ meats available are Chicken BBQ (RM28 for 200gm), Pork Collar (RM30 for 200gm) Marinated Pork (RM33 for 200gm), Chili Paste Pork (RM33 for 200gm) and Marinated Beef Rib (RM65 for 280gm).

The meats here are cut thicker than most other places I have had and I certainly didn’t mind this at all. The wait staff helps to grill the meat for you so you just need to enjoy them. Once grilled under the hot coals, these meat are deliciously tasty, moist and so irresistible with the sauces and lettuce. I was particularly fond of the Pork Collar and Marinated Pork because of their tasty flavours and tender texture.

While man cannot live alone on BBQ (or maybe they could!), we also had other goodies. 

A bowl of Pumpkin Soup came complimentary and this was a good bowl to settle our tummies. It had a good balance of sweetness and savory notes.

Besides the pumpkin soup, we had an order of Doenjang Soup (RM22). A Korean favorite, this bean paste soup has seafood and fresh tofu. It is quite nutty and pungent with a saltish edge but it goes really well with rice.

I love Korean pancakes. We had both of the Seafood Pancake (RM25) and Kimchi Pancake (RM25). Crispy edges, tender doughy inside filled with lots of seafood bits and spring onions, the Seafood Pancake was a big hit among us that evening. The Kimchi Pancake didn’t fall too far behind and had solid kimchi flavours. Look how lovely and crisp the Kimchi Pancake is…

Talk about having a secret weapon at Mido, they serve this wicked dish of Spicy Pork Skin (RM20). Pork skin has loads of collagen so enjoying these are bound to give one some lovely doses of beauty benefits. The gelatinous pork skin is cooked with a good hit of heat and is served with bean powder on the side. We attached this with so much gusto and had a reorder of the dish!

Ok so fried chicken wings are not seen at Korean BBQ places but Korean Fried Chicken are getting quite the attention these days. Mido has two styles of one non spicy and the other spicy. The Korean Fried Chicken Wings (RM25) were decent with a nice balance of savory sweetness while the Spicy Korean Fried Chicken Wings (RM25) had a spicy sweet heavy note.

It was unanimous that we all enjoyed the Tofu Kimchi Casserole (RM45). A big iron pot filled with lots of ingredients such as kimchi, vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, Korean vermicelli, rice cakes, sausages and more sat in a pool of kimchi based soup. As the stew boils, the soup intensify in flavours and the ingredient are gently cook to absorb the pungent and spicy kimchi flavours. It’s very comforting in many ways or maybe I just happen to be a big kimchi lover… yum!

We also had their Bulgogi Casserole (RM48). Bulgogi is a classic favorite dish in Korea. Here the beef is marinated in the classic sweet flavours of Bulgogi and is accompanied by lots of vegetables, mushrooms and Korean vermicelli noodles in a beefy sweet broth. It was slightly a tad too sweet for my preference but that’s how Bulgogi taste and so there’s really nothing to fault here but my own taste bud. Others didn’t seemed to mind and enjoy the beefy sweet stew happily.

Don’t forget to order Makkoli (RM28), a Korean rice wine that went so well with the BBQ meats, Spicy Pork Skin and Korean Fried Chicken Wings. I love how it was served in a big clay bowl to be ladled on smaller bowls to be sipped slowly.

Mido serves solid authentic Korean BBQ and stews. Their plus points are the gorgeous ambience to enjoy a hearty meal of Korean BBQ and stews. Highlights includes Spicy Pork Skin, Korean BBQ, Seafood Pancake and Tofu Kimchi Casserole. Oh… and don’t forget to order the Makkoli for extra happiness…

MIDO KOREAN BBQ RESTAURANT

11-G, Jalan SS2/64,

47300 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-7865-9779

Facebook: www.facebook.com/midokoreanbbq

Business Hours:

Mon to Fri – 11.30am to 3.00pm (Lunch) / 5.30pm to 11.00pm (Dinner)

Sat to Sun & Public Holidays – 11.30am to 11.00pm