Dae Jang Kum - Korean Restaurant

So nice I tried it twice ^o^!

The taste of Korean food is an interesting experience, one I’m glad I got to repeat recently with a few friends and family at a local Korean restaurant in Rivonia.

Taking the opportunity to drag along two newcomers to the brilliance of the spicy flavours of Korean cooking I had the chance to enjoy a good Korean BBQ along with some other dishes that blew our minds and no doubt will have us going back with more people, even if I have to bribe them with the possibility of karaoke in the back which I was surprised to discover was a feature at the place we were eating!

But back to the tasty stuff! First the amazing side dishes of the staple kimchi, which I have to admit I’m glad was slightly milder than my first experience of the stuff. The spicy cabbage was delicious all on its own so you can only imagine what it was like adding it to the other stuff. Definitely wouldn’t mind some more and I’m not one to like the hot stuff.

Then there was the grated potato, some mini omelettes, bean sprouts, a different kind of polony, Chinese cabbage and a grated sweet and spicy orangey something I don’t particularly know but would like to eat again. Needless to say there were a lot of little side dishes and it’s amazing what they could do to fill you up.

Our main mission of the evening was of course the Korean BBQ, so we headed straight for some pork belly that we could cook right there in the centre of the table, a feature I really like. Our other options were seafood themed as we chowed down on some spicy tempura prawns and another BBQ option that was unfortunately grilled elsewhere as our table grill couldn’t handle all the meats at once.

Though the octopus was not grilled to deliciousness before my eyes I still enjoyed its squishy meat to its full extent as did my companions who even went searching the empty plant for more long after the last squid had been consumed. That’s how good it was.

And then the Omurice~! I have waited a long time to try this and I blame all the Kdramas I have ever watched for this anticipation. The look was on point, which is a stupid thing to note, but there you go. Then there was the taste… omo* I finally understand why it’s in almost every Kdrama and why every human should try it at least once. It’s not the best, most world smashing dish you’ll ever find, but it’s homey and warm and worth a nibble or two.

Then there was the spicy ddukbokki, the Korean spicy rice cake. Now I have to emphasize how much I don’t like spicy foods, but for some reason I couldn’t stop taking a bite out of this. I think years of my dad’s [who is not Asian I might add] cooking has killed my taste buds or it was just simply that good, I don’t know. But whatever it is, the answer is that my tongue and whatever taste buds I have left now hate me. Either way, it was all totally worth it.

Dae Jang Kum, I will see you again [and again...] and hopefully I will be singing in that room where I heard some people enjoying themselves with the karaoke!


Note: I realised only after I wrote this that I already made a review on this place a while back, but it never hurts to have more than one, especially since this time round I got to enjoy more stuffs on the menu ^o^! If you want to read my first thoughts on this place, you can go here.

Location: Corner 9th Avenue & Rivonia Boulevard, Rivonia, Sandton


*omo – expression of surprise*