H-Mart, Robson

wandering around downtown vancouver, you come across a mix of restaurants of various cuisines. at the corner of Robson and Seymour is H-Mart. On the second floor, a korean grocery occupies the flat except for the window aisle.

at the far side of the grocery store is a small food court. one of them is a korean stall. it sells exciting korean cuisine translated into a colorless english equivalent. the stall has no name...or just a generic "Korean Food" stall.

we got yuk gae jang. it's humdrum english equivalent: hot beef and vegetable soup. hmm...yuk gae jang sounds better. Beef broth is full bodied. getting a peek into the kitchen, a big pot of simmering broth is continuously brewing. I guess this contributes a lot to the flavor you get when they serve the soup. i only wish that they serve them in one of those hot stone pots to keep the broth hot up till the last morsel.

the meal comes with a siding of kimchi. i'm not sure though if they prepare their own kimchi. or maybe, they just go around the counter and get one from the grocery store. anywayz, their kimchi is great with yuk gae jang.

price is ok at $6.50.

H-mart

550 Robson Street and Seymour

Vancouver

korea quest: korea garden restaurant

on my hunny's birthday, we had dinner at a korean restaurant not far from where we work. we had a craving of korean food while watching tons of korea-novelas.

we walked around jupiter street, makati. this area is in full blast during night time. this is also the place where young pros go after a hectic day at work. restaurants, bars and even karaoke shops are within the area.

we stopped at korea garden restaurant. the restaurant was established in the 70s and it was only now that i entered the place. the restaurant's interiors has no interesting feature except for its cleanliness.

placed in the menu are their specialties with pictures beside it. a nice touch for people like me who doesn't really know all the korean food names.

we got a safe restaurant favorite. a generically named: korean dinner. for about a little over a thousand pesos, you would get about a dozen appetizers, a korean bbq on a hot grill, some glass noodles in sesame and soy based sauce, pan fried gyozas, seafood soup and different kinds of kimchis.

this is probably the best option when going in there for the first time. everything from kimchis, seafood, some pork stuff and a good serving of korean bbq is prepared.

size of the serving is good for 4. although the appetizers are not refillable, the quantity is good for hungry stomachs.

the restaurant's ambiance is very pleasant and you would see the korean owner wait for guests at the doorway. you now seldom see owners greet guests.

this is a nice place for good korean food and a quiet area to eat. ample parking space is available.



korea garden restaurant
jupiter street
bel aire
makati city

korean quest: dong won 2 - the grill

on the second time we visited the dong won restaurant, we tried their grill. the table setup is somewhat similar to shabu-shabu.

an open grill is molded at the center of the table. fire used is from burning charcoal. fans feed oxygen to the flame and suck up the smoke from the grill which prevents you from being suffocated by white smoke.

mich rosales, a pioneer of the restaurant who knows what she's doing, assisted us on the grilling.

when going there, ask for mich. she will introduce you to the good food they serve at a layman's language.

grill is in stainless steel. no oils were added. good quality pork is placed on the grill. grill is dome shaped. similar to the cast iron korean bbq grill. oil will drip at the edge making the pork a little less sinful.

fresh garlic and onions are placed beside the pork. big lettuce leaves are served together with scallion kimchi and a red pungent sauce.

preparation is similar to peking duck. with your bare hands, get a good, big lettuce leaf. place a piece of the grilled pork. smudge it with the red sauce. pick some of the scallion kimchi and place it on top of the pork. roll the lettuce leaf gently forming a bite size veggie pocket.

this dish comes with dong won's unending appetizers of kimchis, tofus, mussels and other veggies.

price is superb. it is just like getting two mcdonalds happy meals. but this one is incomparable to the fat saturated gleaming burgers of mcdonalds.

dong won restaurant and grill

jupiter street corner polaris street

bel aire

makati city

korean quest: dong won restaurant

one night, we craved for korean cuisine. we only see korean food in korea-novelas. the meals are very interesting as they usually show several appetizers in one regular meal.

near the office of my hunny, we crossed one korean restaurant. outside, you would only see a bungalow with an old and faded restaurant sign.
you need to have guts to check the place as it does not have all the glitters you expect in a restaurant.

but inside, cubicles are available for a real korean feast. low tables are available for added authenticity where in you sit on the floor to dine.

and best of all, the food is superb! we already went there several times trying all the out-of-the-ordinary dishes they offer.

the good thing is that koreans go there to eat. this sends a good signal that the restaurant is serving real korean taste.

the trick is to go there with a hungry stomach. get one dish...and enjoy the 10 appetizers they give you. different kimchis, tofu, eggs on a different way, veggies of a different kind. each day, new appetizers are introduced. there's a hint of excitement on every visit as you would be served something different each time. an added bonus is that these appetizers are refillable! with no extra cost!!!

and when you get the bill...price is very pinoy friendly!!!

now that your tummy is filled up and ready to go, the friendly receptionist will hand you a complimentary pack of kimchi for you take home. good way to end the night!!!!

ask for mich rosales when visiting the place. she serves well...a pioneer of the restaurant. she knows the food and attends to you alertly.


dong won restaurant
jupiter street corner polaris street
bel aire
makati city