Restaurant Review: Relish Korean cuisine at Kyochon, Deira City Centre

Whether it’s jamming to K-pop music, hopping onto the K-beauty trends or devouring those K-dramas, Korean culture has amassed immense mainstream popularity in recent years. What also lies at the heart of this cultural phenomenon is the Korean cuisine — big on exquisite, barbequed flavours and culturally diverse preparations. Whether you’re an expert on all things Korean or just want to give it a try, dining at Kyochon, a renowned South Korean restaurant chain, is a great place to get started.

The culinary culture is certainly different from how we’re used to eating at western food joints. For one, there are no separate courses. So, you should plan your meals accordingly. Traditionally, Koreans like to be served all their meals at once. While the menu may give you a different impression with its starters section, the dishes will more or less be served together, in the order they’re prepared, unless stated otherwise. For starters, the menu has three options, including crispy vegetable spring rolls, camembert cheese bites and Salsal chicken strips.

For cheese lovers, the camembert cheese bites, wrapped in light and crispy breading, should be truly delightful. The Salsal chicken, of course, is a Korean delicacy of tender, crispy boneless breaded chicken, which comes with puffed rice crumbs, cooked to a golden crisp finish. The starters, served on traditional, rectangular plates, come with a choice of sweet chilli, jambalaya or honey mustard sauce, all three of which perfectly complement the distinct tastes of each starter. The winner for me, though, was the honey mustard sauce because I definitely didn’t anticipate it to taste like the perfect dip to go with all things fried. Let’s just say, if they had retail bottles of the sauce, I’d be replacing my refrigerated ketchup with some of Kyochon’s honey mustard dip.

As you work up your appetite for the mains, you’ll find a wide variety of classics with some surprise appearances from world cuisine. In case you’re looking to get initiated into the Korean food culture, you can ease your way in by balancing out the stronger flavours with food items your taste buds may already be familiar with, such as their green salad, soy salad, KyoCrunch sandwich and KyoVeggie sandwich. For mains — the real deal many of you Korean food lovers may actually make your way there for — try Korean chicken drumsticks and wings. Available in three portion sizes, Hana (3 pieces), Dul (6 pieces) and Net (12 pieces), if you’ve munched on enough starters, Dul may suffice for two people as it comes with two hearty portions of sides. If you can’t decide what to opt for, go with their best-selling house sampler, with a variety of options to choose from.

Do make sure you leave room for the sides. With Korean favourites like kimchi fried rice and garlic fried rice, your drumsticks will get just the right kick. And if you don’t fancy rice, then you have the good ol’ fries (or wedges) to fall back on. Pair it with their mouth-watering dips and you may just forget all about the mains. A word of caution, the kimchi fried rice is on the spicier side, so order keeping in mind your spice tolerance. Drumsticks and wings come in three flavours — soy garlic, red and honey, of which red is on the fiery side, while soy garlic is more apt for the faint-hearted (when it comes to spice tolerance). If you can’t decide on one flavour, then there’s also a half-and-half option for Dul and Net meals, with a mix of soy garlic and red. They even have boneless chicken options, if you’re not too big on drumsticks or wings.

Even if you’re feeling fully satisfied, you must make space for their delicious desserts. All the matcha lovers in the house, raise your hands. Their matcha cream cake is a soft matcha tea-flavoured cake, layered with melt-in-your-mouth cream, sweetened just the perfect amount, and paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you’re looking for something richer, then give their Korean cheesecake a try.

A special shoutout to their drinks menu for having a tantalising mix, something many places don’t get right often. With a mix of hot and cold drinks, my favourite has to be their Crème Brûlée bubble tea. If you’re a fan of bubble tea, then look no further. Else, they also have a variety of mojitos to choose from, if you wish to opt for something more refreshing. What’s more? During the holy month of Ramadan, be sure to avail their special offers on food, if you’re looking to dine out in large groups as part of your festive celebrations.

TASTE (4.5/5): Perfect way to switch (and spice up) your dining experience. If you’re in the mood to try new flavours or get acquainted with K-food culture, this is the place.

AMBIENCE (4/5): A relaxed dining space, Kyochon in DCC is the perfect spot to unwind after a busy work day or to conclude your tiresome shopping spree.

SERVICE (4.5/5): Friendly, warm and welcoming, the staff will make sure you have the most enjoyable dining journey at Kyochon.

PRESENTATION (4/5): Fuss-free aesthetics? I’m all for it. With so much clutter on our feeds (and mind), simple, to-the-point presentation is the way to go.

VALUE FOR MONEY (4.5/5): Bang for the buck. The meals are very reasonably priced for the quantity and quality that is served.

somya@khaleejtimes.com

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