While Koreans celebrate Chuseok today (Sept 22), we Chinese Malaysians celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
해피 추석: Korean actress Hwang Jeong-eum shares some Korean
rice cakes with you :)
Chuseok is a major holiday in South Korea and is celebrated with a three-day national holiday. It also known as Korean Thanksgiving Day and Koreans thank their ancestors in memorial services called Charye for the year’s harvest, and share their abundance with family and friends.
Songpyeon (Korean rice cakes) are served at these ceremonies.
My Korean expat boss shared some
songpyeon with the employees today. I like the orange-coloured ones the best :).
SONGPYEON: I had my very first one today. Have you had yours? ;)
For the Mid-Autumn Festival, families supposedly gather to feast on mooncakes while taking in the beauty of the full moon. Children will also be carrying candle-lit -- but now mostly battery-operated -- lanterns around.
CANDLE-LIT LANTERN: I like these the best,
I get to play with fire
Happy Chuseok and Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone!
1st pic credit: Newsen
More Chuseok and the Mid-Autumn Festival entries:
K-popped! Trio celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival
Chuseok Holiday
Keep reading >>
Summary only...
The Street Café, one of the very few Korean halal eateries around town, is hiring. If you enjoy and appreciate Korean food and culture, this is the job for you.
The owners of the café are looking for both part time and full time staff. The outlets are in Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall and Subang Jaya SS15.
Andrew Kim, a partner of The Street Café, said in an e-mail: “We are looking for hall staff first and will eventually make one of them branch supervisor.”
For more information, Eddie's your man. Call him at the mobile number displayed above.
Related:
Halal Korean food at The Street Café
Keep reading >>
Summary only...
The Street Café (TSC), which is located in Asian Avenue at Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, serves delicious halal Korean fare. Our Muslim readers would probably be familiar with this joint as it is one of the very few Korean eateries in town that is halal.
(Note: Halal here means fit to eat according to Muslim religious practice.)
Halal Korean food in here: Asian Avenue at the Sunway Pyramid
Shopping Mall
Orchid and I met up with
Andrew Kim, one of TSC’s partners for a chat about the café, Kpop fans and yummilicious Korean food.
“This is the first The Street Café outlet. We opened on 08.08.08,” reveals Kim one busy Sunday afternoon. “Our second outlet is a double storey building in SS15 Subang Jaya.”
Chit chat: Andrew Kim shares with K-popped! about The Street Cafe
The SS15 outlet is reportedly packed during lunch hour thanks to the college crowd from the nearby university colleges. The outlet, which has a huge LCD screen playing the latest Korean music videos and wi-fi, is a hip place to be seen at.
A unique thing about the outlet is that it caters for private functions as well and many Kpop Fan Club gatherings have been held at the restaurant.
“I am impressed and surprised by how the locals are so into Kpop. They really appreciate Korean culture and food,” says Kim of the Hallyu craze in Malaysia.
“It’s amazing to see them write in Hangeul…some of the girls even have better handwriting than me!”
Affordable halal food
The idea behind TSC is to provide Malaysians with affordable and tasty Korean fare. Of course, special consideration is given to the Muslim community and TSC proudly bears the halal stamp.
This is how you do it: Just put a tick beside the items you want (left)
and give it to the friendly waiter
There is a difference in the eating habits of South Koreans and Malaysians. While the Koreans are very particular when it comes to healthy eating, Kim has discovered that Malaysians are more concerned with the price tag that comes with the food.
“Our items range from RM4.90 to about RM16.90. We want to make our food affordable to the public, something as easily available as a plate of nasi lemak or roti canai,” says Kim, who attended high school in Malaysia – and subsequently fell in love with the country.
For the young (and young at heart): The Street Cafe is for the hip
and trendy crowd
The entrepreneur is as familiar with Malaysian food as he is with Korean cuisine.
The young man, who has had his share of bak kut teh, nasi lemak and maggi mee goreng, believes that most Korean restaurants offer a family setting environment and TSC wants to break that mold with its more relaxed and easy-going atmosphere that is perfect for the younger crowd.
Food test
Orchid and I decided to try the Korean BBQ Chicken (RM4.90 per stick), On Fire Fried Chicken (RM4.90 per stick) and the Fried Chicken Raboki (RM13.90).
For drinks, we chose from a menu of Korean canned drinks (RM4.90 each). Orchid ordered a Korean pear (배) drink while I went for the sikhye (식혜) or sweet rice drink.
Glug, glug, glug: Canned drinks that were imported from South Korea
Both the Korean BBQ Chicken and On Fire Fried Chicken are meat-on-skewer dishes, or what we would like to call “satay”. The sweet and sticky teriyaki sauce made the meat delicious and tasty. However, be careful with the On Fire Fried Chicken as it is really spicy. We could feel beads of sweat forming on our head as we bit into the chicken marinated in the extra spicy sauce.
Burn, baby, burn: Be careful with this one - the On
Fire Fried Chicken
Less potent: The tasty Korean BBQ Chicken
The Fried Chicken Raboki is a combination of Korean rice cakes or ttoboki (또보기) and noodles in “sweet and spicy” chilli sauce. I enjoyed the ttoboki, but the noodles were like a sponge, soaking up all the sauce, which is a little on the sweet side.
Main dish: Fried Chicken Raboki is a little on the sweet side
All said, if you have been looking for a Korean restaurant that has great all-round Korean ambience (latest Kpop tracks, anyone?) and halal Korean food, make a beeline for The Street Café. You even have two outlets to choose from…and word has it that there may be a third outlet opening soon in 1 Utama.
Now isn’t that good news?
Getting there:
The Street Café, Sunway Pyramid
Lot 197 Asian Avenue, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall
Tel: 016-360 0712
The Street Café, SS15 Subang
No. 28 Jalan SS 15/8 Subang Jaya, 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: 03-5632 5328
Website: http://www.thestreetcafe.com.my/
Keep reading >>
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Alrighty folks, if you love Korean home cooking, we’ve got some great news for you!
Korean BBQ Han Sung Restaurant and K-popped! are giving you, our faithful readers, a 10% discount off dinner at the restaurant in Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur.
Welcome!: Dinner is (partly) on us at Han Sung :-)
The offer starts tomorrow (Nov 1) and ends on Dec 31. All you have to do is...
...click the image below and print out the voucher. Bring it along to the restaurant, tell the waiter that you’ll be using the voucher and voila, you’ll get 10% off your dinner bill!
Terms and conditions apply.
Discount: Print me and use me!
If you want to know what’s rockin’ at Han Sung, please read our reviews below:
(Note to our Muslim friends – Han Sung is a non-halal restaurant)
Han Sung's banchan at Cold Storage outlets
Soondae, Bossam & Jokbal promotion at Korean BBQ Han Sung Restaurant
Home cooked Korean fare at Korean BBQ Han Sung Restaurant
In search of authentic Korean Food in Malaysia
Blog: http://hansungrestaurant.blogspot.com/
Keep reading >>
Summary only...
Now you don’t have to slave in the kitchen to make Korean side dishes. All you need to do is pop into selected Cold Storage outlets and pick up a container - or two - of readily-made banchan!
Han Sung is selling their homemade kimchi and banchan at selected Cold Storage stores in the Klang Valley.
Choices, choices: Six banchan to choose from
“This weekend (Oct 17), we will be at the Cold Storage at IKANO Power Centre,” says Daisy Choi, public relations manager of Han Sung. “The following weekend, we will be at the Cold Storage outlet in Mid Valley.”
<-- Oct 17 update: Change of plans, folks. Han Sung will be at the Cold Storage in Mid Valley today. - Liz
Say 'kimchi': Choi (left) and her hubby Yu-han during
the Han Sung banchan promotion at Cold Storage, KLCC on Oct 10.
You can’t miss Choi and her crew as the ladies will be decked out in the traditional Hanbok. Apart from that, you can sample the banchan that are on sale.
Try me!: Sample some of the delights before buying
Here is the list of what’s on the shelves:
멸치 (myeol-chi) – Fried anchovies! There are two types of banchan made with anchovies – spicy and non-spicy.
마른 생선 (ma-reun saeng-seon) – Dried fish, which is a rather chewy side dish.
오징 오채 (o-jing o-chae) – Fried cuttlefish - rather chewy as well.
콩장 (kong-jang) – Seasoned black beans (my personal favourite!)
And last but definitely not the least, 김치 (kimchi), the cabbage kind, which is a must-have at every Korean meal.
The banchan are selling at RM9.90 each. Currently, if you buy 5 banchan, you’ll get 1 free. You can choose either the Seasoned Black Beans or Kimchi as your free gift.
Promotion: Buy 5, get 1 free!
Han Sung also has plans to offer their homemade banchan at Jusco and Isetan outlets in the Klang Valley. Stay tuned to K-popped! as we bring you more yummilicious news in the future.
Related:
Soondae, Bossam & Jokbal promotion at Korean BBQ Han Sung Restaurant
Home cooked Korean fare at Korean BBQ Han Sung Restaurant
In search of authentic Korean Food in Malaysia
Keep reading >>
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Excuse us Muslim friends, this is a very un-halal entry. 미안합니다 ;-).
Alrighty pork eaters, we have a “heaven-on-earth” dish for you. What would you say to a platter of porky delight?
If you say, “Yessss! Show me the piggy, Babe” you’re in for a fantastic treat at Korean BBQ Han Sung restaurant in Desa Sri Hartamas.
Autumn promotion: A variety of Korean pork cuisine
on one platter
The autumn promotion features a three-in-one pork platter that consists of
soondae (순대),
bossam (보쌈) and
jokbal (족발). Typically, the pork dishes are sold separately at Korean restaurants.
Pork platter: (Clockwise from the top) Jokbal, Soondae, Bossam
& Soondae
“We’ve decided to offer the three dishes in one platter,” says Daisy Choi, public relations manager of Han Sung. “The Bossam is actually good for women’s complexion,” she adds.
Liz fumbles with Korean: 'So it's spelled 돼-지-고-기 (dwaeji-gogi = pork)
right?'
So what’s exactly in each dish?
- Soondae – pig’s intestines stuffed with mixed vegetable and glass noodles. The blood sausages are then boiled and steamed.
- Bossam – slices of steamed pork that should be eaten wrapped in lettuce. It is accompanied by a condiment called ssamjang.
- Jokbal – pig’s knuckles cooked in soya sauce and spices.
The three-in-one platter costs RM80 and the special offer at Han Sung is only until the end of November 2009.
For the latest on Han Sung’s menu and promotions, go to: http://hansungrestaurant.blogspot.com/
Related:
Home cooked Korean fare at Korean BBQ Han Sung Restaurant
In search of authentic Korean Food in Malaysia
Keep reading >>
Summary only...
You know how we Malaysians wonder about the dish washer at Korean restaurants? There are always so many dishes to wash. The banchan (side dishes) spread alone takes up, like, half the dining table.
Did you know that if you dine as a party of two or more, you’ll be served 10 different banchan dishes? However, if you’re dining alone, you’ll be served 4 banchan dishes. Phew!
Plenty: Dolsot bibimbap (foreground) and banchan
dishes (background)
We aren’t sure about other restaurants, but this is the rule of thumb at
Korean BBQ Han Sung Restaurant at Desa Sri Hartamas in Kuala Lumpur.
Both Orchid and I were invited by Daisy Choi, the public relations manager of Han Sung Restaurant for a sumptuous home cooked meal one Saturday evening. The menu that you get at the restaurant is actually lovingly created by Daisy’s Mom herself.
All in the family: Daisy Choi (right) PR manager of Han Sung
with the restaurant's head chef, her Mom
“Mom is the chef here and she loves to experiment with new recipes. Our sun dae (순대) is the original. It’s a popular dish and other Korean restaurants try to imitate it,” Daisy reveals during dinner.
Sun dae is actually a sausage made of bean curd and green-bean sprouts stuffed in pig intestines. Err...yum?
The family restaurant provides a relaxing ambience with delicious food to boot. Orchid supped on a generous bowl of Dolsot Bibimbap (덜섯 비빔밥, RM12) while I stuffed my faced with the very satisfying Bulgogi Dopbap (불고기 덮밥, RM12).
Yummylicious: Try the bulgogi dopbap - the thin slices of
beef marinated in soy sauce is heaven
“My Mom and Dad have been in Malaysia for the past 20 years,” says Daisy. “Our restaurant was initially located at Jalan Imbi. We were there for 15 years before moving to Desa Sri Hartamas in 2007.”
Currently, Han Sung runs like clockwork. Chef Mom has 7 cooks to help her in the kitchen and the restaurant has a steady flow of regular patrons.
Fried Fish Set: You've gotta pre-order this special dish if you want it.
It's called 생선튀김세트(saeng seon dwigim seteu) or the Fried Fish Set
Apart from serving authentic home cooked Korean fare, Han Sung also sells kimchi – the must-have dish on every Korean dining table. A Korean meal would not be complete without the spicy dish. The ever-popular baekchu (cabbage) kimchi is sold at RM27 for 3kg.
At Han Sung Restaurant, you have an array of healthy Korean food. You can have the usual kimchi fried rice or bibimbap, but if you're feeling a little more adventurous, try the interesting seafood soup (해물탕) or even the sun dae (순대).
And if soju isn’t your cup of tea, try the very refreshing Korean pear juice (갈아만든 배) drink, which is a mildly sweet concoction that guarantees to quench your thirst.
Refreshing: A tall, cold glass of Korean pear juice...
you can get it for free! Keep reading to find out how.
Han Sung Restaurant is having a promotion from Aug 22 to Sept 22. Check out the fancy gifts you'll receive for FREE when you dine-in at the restaurant!
• RM60 and above: 2 glasses of Korean pear juice
• RM100 and above: 1 box of Korean Green Tea (25 sachets)
• RM200 and above: 1 set of Korean fridge magnet and keychain
• RM300 and above: 1 box of Korean Ginseng Tea (50 sachets)
• RM500 and above: 2 bottles of soju
Apart from that, if you drop by Han Sung Restaurant for lunch, don’t forget to try the sumptuous lunch set at RM12 nett!
안녕하세요!: A lovely lady in Hanbok invites
you to Han Sung
To our Muslim friends, we regret to inform you that Han Sung is a non-halal restaurant.
Get there:
No. 35 Jalan 23/70A
Desa Sri Hartamas 50480
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: +60362031065
Blog: http://hansungrestaurant.blogspot.com/
Related:
In search of authentic Korean Food in Malaysia
Halal Korean restaurants that we've reviewed:
Keep reading >>
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Drink up: 'Tea'Us makes the best coffee and
tea in town.'
Going to Seoul, Korea? Then make sure you mosey your way over to
Kwon Sang-woo’s newly-opened café called
Tea’Us in Myeongdong.
The Hallyu star, along with some of his friends, pooled their resources to open the café that serves coffee, tea, waffles and gelato. The establishment was opened to the public on May 16 at 3pm.
Perfect blend: 'How do I work this machine already?
Where's the "On" button?'
The 33-year-old actor was present at the launch of the café and spoke to the press about his new joint venture.
Why did he choose the name Tea’Us? Well, according to the actor, he became well known throughout Japan and the rest of Asia through the drama Stairway to Heaven.
Due to the drama, fans nicknamed him the Prince of Tears because of his character who cries at the drop of a hat. He wanted to remember that in a good way, thus he named the café Tea’Us, which sounds like "Tears".
Choices, choices: 'Go ahead, order anything you want...
on the menu that is.'
Enough about the origins of Tea'Us. Now that it's opened, will you be visiting the café for a cuppa soon? Who knows, maybe Mr. Kwon himself will be making your cup of coffee – whoo hoo!
Order: 'Yup, one hazelnut macchiato
coming right up!'
Something extra: 'Would you like that with or without the
Kwon Sang-woo personal touch?'
Coffee fix: 'Ahh, great cuppa (but dang it,
I forgot the sugar).'
Source: Newsen
All about Kwon Sang-woo here!
Keep reading >>
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Where do you find a decent bowl of Jajangmyeon in Seoul?
When we went to Seoul, we really wanted to taste Jajangmyeon.
Jajangmyeon or Jjajangmyeon (짜장면) is a dish made up of noodles cooked in black bean paste. It's unique to Korea and no other "black noodles" can substitute it. Although we do have noodles cooked in dark soya sauce here in Malaysia called "Hokkien mee" and you also have "konloh mee", it is simply not the same!
Jajangmyeon is a popular dish and is
often featured in Korean dramas.
In Coffee Prince, Yoon Eun-hye and the late Lee Eon
had a Jajangmyeon eating competition in the first episode.
However, Jajangmyeon is not served at Korean restaurants (it is also difficult to find it on the menu at Korean restaurants here). We remember our Korean language teacher telling us that Jajangmyeon is a popular dish at Korean - Chinese restaurants! So yeah, go to a Chinese restaurant when in Seoul for a taste of this dish.
We found this Chinese restaurant at Co-ex mall and the noodle is actually quite delicious. They provide a pair of scissors so you can cut the long strands for easier consumption. The black bean paste is called "chungjang".
It is also customary for singles to partake in Jajangmyeon on Black Day (April 14th).
Ye-won Chinese restaurant at Co-ex mall, Seoul
A bowl of Jajangmyeon cost 5,000 KRW (about USD5)
Ahh...finally Liz, Orchid and Rooster get a taste of Jajangmyeon
Mix it all up, cut noodles with scissors provided, and dig in!Keep reading >>
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Dining out: Looking for a nice Korean restaurant to bring friends
and family to? Try Nakwon.
First of all, the price was right – RM95 for a very satisfying meal for 5 people (we are small eaters, though). We received a RM8.40 discount while lunching at
Nakwon in Taman Danau Desa recently.
1st floor: Nakwon restaurant at Taman Danau Desa, Kuala Lumpur
We don’t really know the reason – the waiter just showed us the bill with the discount and when asked for further clarification…well, he couldn’t really communicate effectively in English. Heh, we did not complain.
To our Muslim readers,
Nakwon is non-halal. We had BBQ-ed pork.
The ambience was lovely and the group made a beeline for the low-table dining experience. Once we were comfortably seated on the floor, we placed our order.
Don't be shocked when you see the prices (for the meat) in the menu. They are stated as RMxx/pax but in actual fact, the price is for "per portion". Yes it means they will not charge each person in your group RMxx for the dish.
The restaurant is located on the first floor, right above the Sri Kota supermarket in Taman Danau Desa, so it has a lovely view that overlooks the main road and park.
Nakwon does not serve a free flow of green tea, but they do serve water. Top-ups are basically non-existent. Check out the yummy-licious food.
Boneless Chicken BBQ: Perfectly marinated and cooked over charcoal fire,
which gives the juicy meat a wonderful aroma. 닭고기 양념구이 costs RM28/portion.
Bean paste & Seafood Soup Served with Rice: Mmm hmm, the
bean paste smells and tastes heavenly in this dish. 해물 된장찌개 costs RM15.
Marinated Pork Rib BBQ: It's the charcoal fire, I tell ya...it gives the meat a
wonderful aroma. Another good choice for meat eaters out there. I personally
enjoyed the chicken more...we wanted to try beef, but I
didn't like the price. 돼지갈비 costs RM26/ portion.
Fried Glass Noodle: After so much protein we need some carbs,
right? We opted for the ever popular Japchae dish. 잡채 costs RM25.
Meat wrap: Juicy and tender chicken wrapped in
fresh lettuce leaf...ah, yummy.
Korean side dishes: Banchan galore! We counted, they served us
14 different types of banchan. Whoo hoo.
Steamed egg: A pleasant surprise when the dish came as part
of the banchan . Lots of sesame seeds sprinkled on top - lovely.
Cockles: Another restaurant that serves cockles as banchan.
Yay! It's minus the blood - I like. The other restaurant that
serves this is Han Sung in Mont Kiara.
Condiments: You can't be dating vampires if you love Korean
food. Look at the garlic here.
Dessert: Watermelon and some barley dessert.
Cooling and refreshing.
Demolished: We polished everything off (except for the sauces,
someone commented). Poor dishwasher.
Ta ta Nakwon: Leaving the restaurant
Taman Danau Desa, Kuala Lumpur
7-1-1, Jalan 3/109F,
Taman Danau Desa,
58100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03 79987 3004
Non-halal (you've been warned)
Reviews of halal Korean restaurants:Sam Sam (삼삼) - Korean Cuisine, Pavilion foodcourtHanChon in Sri HartamasKoryo-won Suria KLCCOther K-popped!'s culinary adventures
Keep reading >>
Summary only...
Digg this!
해피 추석: Korean actress Hwang Jeong-eum shares some Korean
SONGPYEON: I had my very first one today. Have you had yours? ;)
CANDLE-LIT LANTERN: I like these the best,
