名家韩国料理 Myung-Ga Korean BBQ Restaurant @ Johor Bahru, revisited
Today is a mini special day as I have agreed to go out for a tiny celebration of a little milestone. 🙂 Had originally thought it will be a full day out but my date came only in the late evening due to traffic buildup because of a heavy rain.There was partial delay too as my Dad suddenly felt faint and I wanted to make sure he was alright before I left home. I had requested to cross the borders for food and some shopping so as to avoid the crowds which will buildup once the school holiday starts.
Both of us were starving by the time we got our money changed and crossed the borders. I suggested going to the Korea BBQ place he brought me the last time round as I really wanted to try the Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup which was not available then.
When we arrived, there were banners outside the restaurant advertising lunch promotion from 11am – 3pm whereby you get 20% off the BBQ meat. That is quite a lot given that a plate of meat can cos RM50. The restaurant was more crowded than when we visited the last time round. Most customers chose to sit at the platform area where children can run about and there is more room for movement. We chose to sit at the same place, near the entrance, where the table and chairs were.
As usual, we took a long while to decide what we wanted to eat. Should we order the set or order ala carte?? Getting the set is definitely cheaper than if you order ala carte as the meat can be quite costly but we wanted the Ginseng soup which is not included in any set. In the end, we ordered the Set A again when the boss himself came to take our orders but he agreed to change the Soya Bean Stew to the Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup that I had wanted. Yeah! (I guessed there was an additional charge after all as the bill reflected a RM15 item that I cannot recognise 😛 Decent additional charge I would say for the change from Soya Bean to Korean Ginseng.)
The tiny side dishes appeared very quickly and there were more dishes than when we first came. A close up of what was served:
#1: A Korean Staple and one of my favourite – Kim Chi.
#2: Pickled radish and carrot. Very refreshing.
#3: Fish cake.
#4: I call this the kimchi Broccoli but it is not spicy. 🙂
#5: Black Beans. They tasted sweet and is good for those who still want something to bite after the meal 😛
#6: Egg. The egg white was a tad chewy this time round. Perhaps it was left in the open for too long?
#7: I call this the Kimchi Cucumber. Though it looks spicy, it was not.
#8: Bamboo Shoots. I did not try this as I do not really like bamboo shoots due to the taste.
#9: Seaweed with sliced cucumber. You have to be a fan of seaweed to like this.
#10: Pumpkin. Cooked just right – not too mushy, not too hard. 🙂
#11: Another of my Favourite. I do not know the name of this vegetable in english but is it called Sng (in teochew). 😛 Love the texture, the sauce and the sesame.
#12: Blanched Big Head Bean Sprout. Nice..
#13: Dunno what this vegetable is. It seems to have been lightly stir-fried and was cut into easy to eat length.
#14: Celery with Fish Cake. I like this dish too as the oil is very fragrant, the celery very crunchy and it is a good dish to balance all the red meat that we BBQ-ed and ate!
Our mind boggling array of side dishes nicely framing the BBQ stove. A little disappointed that they do not have the ikan bilis that I like from the last round. 🙁
This is the vegetable that you used to wrap your BBQ Meat. Much fresher this time round.
Korean Fermented Bean Paste (Doenjang) that is used as a vegetable dip. I love it and it is known to have a lot of health benefits too! Tasted great when mixed in to the bibimbap as well. Just do not let the process of making this sauce scares you off.
Another dipping sauce which I still do not know what is it and do not really fancy.
The Beef Sirloin (RM50) Saengdeungsim, that my date ordered was put to grill while I was busy shooting the appetisers! That is how fast the service here is!
Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang) 人参鸡汤 – My chicken was cut up even before I had a decent look at it. This is a soup that Koreans love to have in summer as they believe that it will be able to replenish the nutrients that were lost through excessive sweating and exertion during the hot weather. During winter, they love to drink cold water as they believe that it will make your body less cold! Interesting theory and totally different from what we Chinese believe! The glutinous rice was actually stuffed in the chicken while cooking and was revealed when the chicken was cut up.
The chicken nicely cut up and ready to serve.
My Bowl of Ginseng Chicken Soup
Some of the ingredients in the Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup – red dates, chicken, ginseng glutinous rice, etc. We felt that the soup lacks the taste of Ginseng and was quite disappointed with it. It tasted more starchy than ginseng-y. As we have not been to Korea to taste the real stuff, this comment is solely based on our own expectation. We felt that more ginseng could be added or the broth could be boiled for a longer period to bring out the ginseng flavour.
Bibimbap – Another signature Korean dish. All mixed up before I got a picture when it looked pretty 😛
I happened to catch a TV program the other day. It said that bibimbap can be an expression of love too! When the bibimbap is served, the guy is supposed to mix the rice and then dish it out to the lady before serving himself. They will share the bibimbap and as the portion can be pretty big, the guy is supposed to finish up the remaining bibimbap as a expression of love for the lady. Interesting how finishing food can equate with LOVE.. 😉
The raw pork loin and pork rib waiting to be grilled.
The Pork Loin (Samgyeopsal) 五花肉being grilled while the grilled beef sirloin is nicely stacked at the side awaiting our consumption!
Close up of the raw pork loin
The grilled side.
Nicely grilled and cut into bit size portion for us to savour. I did not really like this dish today as the meat was not marinated and there was a faint porky taste when you bit into the fats.
Our Pork Ribs (Daeji Galbi) 烤猪拍 on grill. Though it is pork ribs, the bones have been removed for easy grilling and consumption.
The grilled side of the pork ribs – Nicely brown and looks so good! Cant wait to eat it!
As the helpers were a tad busy due to customers streaming in, we had a little charred bits on the pork which adds to the taste. 🙂 I like this dish better as the marinated pork tasted great and the meat was succulent. YUM! Definitely recommended.
We started creating our own crispy rice on the grill as we did not have enough from the bibimbap. This is the glutinous rice scooped out from the soup and grilled on the stove. The stove is really hot! See how nicely brown and crisp the rice is. We even tasted a hint of ginseng from the grilled rice! Guess the rice could have absorbed all the goodness of the ginseng and the flavour was only released when the water was removed by grilling?
Complimentary Watermelon.
My meal came up to RM167 and when converted to SGD (abt 68.20), I felt that it is still affordable. If I am earning ringgit, this would be a place for special treats/rewards. We do see quite a lot of Malaysians eating here too. If you want a different dining experience or to impress your date, this is one authentic Korean Food place that you can come to. 🙂
名家韩国料理 Myung-Ga Korean BBQ Restaurant
1, Jln Bestari 5/2, Taman Nusa Bestari,
81300 Skudai, Johor Bahru, Johor
Tel: +6072323039 / + 60108253585
Photos taken with Nikon D50
