Zen Korean BBQ (Ampang)

It was definitely another wonderful exploration into my all-time favourite cuisine, Korean Food! ^^ Though it was a wet day, we still brave through the rain and finally, we reached our destination without must hassle, thanks to the smart invention of GPS and of course, good driver too :D

                                        

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of KL city life, lies this humble eatery at Ampang Putra Residensi which goes by the name of Zen Korean BBQ. It is kind of hidden within the vicinity of Ampang, but still could be located easily.

                                          

We received a warm welcome the moment we arrived by its amiable staff. The environment of the restaurant was cozy and homey that exuded some kind of calming, warm ambience with its dim lighting. It made a good dining place for family members or even casual catch up with your buddies alike. Service rendered was pretty good and efficient, I would say. They even helped us with the grilled dishes, which definitely shed off the worry of your body being smelly with the smoke and you could indulge much better! ^^ 

            

We were served 10 side dishes of banchan. This is the traditional way of starting the main entrée of Korean cuisine. I especially loved the salad banchan. The dressing used was very refreshing and those garden greens were very fresh and crisp. If there were corns added as well, it would be much better! The pajori taste quite good too. It’s a green onion salad that invariably accompanies meat dishes at restaurant, which in this case is Gogigui(Korean Barbeque). It resembles scallion although it’s bit spicy but sweet. This fresh vegetable dish also at times come in a variety of pickled lettuce, cucumber and also peppers.

                                        

                                                                  Pajori

Soon the eagerly-awaited grilled poultry arrived. It smelled so good that the aroma that was just wafting in the air was enough to make you drooling :P

 

                          

La Galbi

It is a dish of barbeque ribs that are marinated with inhouse sauce. The meat was so tangy with some sweetness to wrap it up. I guess it must have caramelized earlier before putting them on the grill. It was not too fatty either as the excess oil had been drained off during the BBQ and the different layer of the meat gave it a heavenly texture.

  

As for Bulgogi, it is a pan-fried thinly sliced beef (but we replaced with pork) and vegetable seasoned with sweet soy sauce and pear juice. It was equally awesome and tantalizing! Japchae (Korean glass noodle) was also included while cooking this dish, which made it much smoother and chewy! A popular way of eating Korean barbecue is to wrap the meat with fresh lettuce, some garlics and add condiments such as - pajori (spicy scallion salad) and ssamjang (a spicy paste made of doenjang mixed with gochujang).

                                          

What’s a Korean meal without Soju?:P Here you go, Chum Churum Soju, the highlight of the day!

                                          

 

Chumchurum means "like the first time"(pure) in Korean. This brand is widely known as Lotte Soju in Korea which remains the most popular traditional Korean liquor among the general public. Compared to vodka, Soju is less potent as it is brewed from grains, which makes it more famous especially among women. The booze is subtle and smooth with some rice fragrance to tickle your taste bud. Although none of us are qualified as a good drinker, we are still up for challenges, otherwise, how do we live up to our tagline as an avid food explorer? :P  (Tap own shoulder) 

                                          

Overall, the dining experience was totally an engaging one with lots of ideas and values shared around the table. Everyone was fully satisfied and then we headed home with a sense of accomplishment! Ahem…… Hehe…

Gomawoyo!!