Korean Food @ Kung Jung Restaurant, PNB Darby Park, Jalan Binjai, Kuala Lumpur

a riot of colours in the Dolsot Bibimbap

Backlogs - the bane of my life! I just realised I have stacks of photos to edit through and subsequently piece together in coherent form before I can blog about all the places I have dined at. Time to start clearing them especially since work has eased up a little this week that I reckon I can see a faint flicker of light at the end of that dark tunnel.

a liberal dose of gochujang (chili pepper paste) goes a long way before it is all mixed up

I'm a little of a Korean food addict...in fact come to think of it, I'm a Korean-anything addict, ever since I got hooked on those K-soapdramas that offer a voyeur's view of Korean society (still very old fashioned, as divorcees are looked down upon, older women go for younger men, they love their coffee, family dicates their life and etc.). While I have yet to book a flight to see what life is really like there, especially since Air Asia just launched their flights to South Korea, I usually quell my rumbling tummy with doses of spicy kimchi.

tummy warming and mouth burning kim chi gae soup

A few months back, I had the opportunity to work with people from the local Korean Tourism Organisation. Being the ever curious (especially on where Koreans love to eat locally), I asked where do they go for Korean food and the reply was Kung Jung, this not-too-new place well tucked within the office block area of PNB Darby Park. We ventured here one rainy evening and was suitably impressed with the food to return again for a recent second visit.

beef ribs kept warm over the charcoal, anchovies from the banchan selection

Most Korean restaurants practice high service standards as there's no need to lift a finger to do something as basic as grilling your own order of meats. Even though it is most likely a foreign worker from Myanmar, the Koreans seem to have gotten them well disciplined and trained that there is rarely a hiccup in service. In this vast spacious restaurant, the service element is pretty high as a waiter seems to hover around your table, literally at your beck and call. 

cabbage kimchi, golden brown pajeon and green vegetables to keep us healthy

For our first visit, we went for the grilled meats - beef ribs and lamb cutlets, that was lightly marinated, juicy and cooked perfectly to be sandwiched in lettuce leaves. The restaurant seems to have strange little policies (we discovered recently in our second visit) such as the grilling of meats is only done in front of you should you order a minimum of two different types of meat. If one order is placed, it is done in the central kitchen, thus there's no sense of a "dinner theater" - always a plus point for food bloggers when there is some action as it means the cameras will go into a kinda orgasmic high similar to paparazzis chasing after a picture of Paris Hilton together with our very own Malaysian, Low Taek Jho.

Meats are not the only star in this restaurant, the pan fried pajeon - an eggy spring onion laden pancake is also well cooked through with no doughy bits. Eat it while it is hot though as when it is cold, it metamorphs into a rubbery and slightly oily pancake you may not want to eat. On our second visit, we enjoyed more traditional Korean favourites like the perennial favourite Dolsot Bibimbap (RM22)served in a hot stone bowl. It is Splashie Boy's favourite Korean food item. I'm a big fan of kimchi especially the tummy-warming kim chi gae (RM22) - a fiery red soup with cabbage kimchi, chopped green chillies, thinly sliced beef and chewy rice cake slices. Even though the food is good, my only gripe is the side dishes (banchan) aren't too exciting except for a radish kimchi that went so well with grilled meats. No free icy cold dessert is also served at the end to cool down my tummy. Nevertheless, we do enjoy this place and wouldn't mind returning again for possibly a third and even more visits soon.

Restoran Kung Jung

Lot No. 3.1, Level 3

PNB Darby Park

Jalan Binjai

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2166 7181

(Pork free. Place is open for lunch and dinner. It is at the office area, on the side entrance of PNB Darby Park and not located at the service apartments area. More pictures can be found in my Flickr set)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.