We waited 5 weeks for our reservation at Yakitori Torisho (燒鳥 鳥匠) but this one took more than 3 months. In fact, I've all but forgotten about the booking until they rang me up last week to confirm our table.
Of course, I'm talking about Hansik Goo, a modern Korean restaurant by ZS Hospitality Group in collaboration with acclaimed Korean chef Mingoo Kang (of two Michelin starred Mingles in Seoul). Without a question, it's one of the toughest table to book in Hong Kong right now but I've heard some great things about their waiting list. My friend with spoiled taste buds, Agent-I who was on their waiting list, was informed this week that they could offer her a table. And the funny thing was, she was sitting right next to us tonight!
Hansik Goo is the first collaboration for Chef Kang outside of Korea so I didn't know what to expect. Should I expect something along the line of what was served at Mingles? Let's find out...
Dinner started off with a basket of Bugak, an assortment of seasonal Korean chips made from fish skin, pepper, seaweed and perilla leaf.
It does taste like the Chinese style deep-fried fish skin. Pretty tasty with some mild spiciness.
Following the Korean chips was the second course of the tasting menu, a small salad with home pickled tomato, purple onion, pepper and octopus (and mandarin?).
This was served with a tangy, sweet and spicy Korean sauce, Chogochujang.
Next up was Korean-style beef tartare with Australian Wagyu, quail egg, Jerusalem artichoke chips and Korean pear. Not bad (but I was expecting more, perhaps a modern twist).
I didn't feel like having raw beef tonight so after informing my server with my preference, they have replaced the beef tartare with a vegetarian dish for me - Korean acorn with cucumber and pear. I have always enjoyed the different jangs (sauce/paste) from the Korean cuisine and this sweet one with some mild spicy kick was a nice one to go with the vegetables. Nice way to whet my appetite.
The fourth dish was Samgye Risotto, Chef Kang's modern take on the traditional ginseng chicken rice.
The fried chicken roulade, served on a bed of Korean glutinous rice was finished off beautifully with a soothing chicken consommé. Without a doubt in my mind, the best dish of the night.
The 2-year kimchi which was supposed to be eaten together with the chicken roulade.
Jeon, the chef's choice of seasonal fritters was next.
There was the deep-fried sea bream with the thin egg batter, and homemade meatballs with diced vegetables.
The meatball worked well with the extra kick from the Korean chili paste.
Jelloman has been looking forward to her soft-boiled pork belly since we sat down.
Very soft and tender.
The accompanying seaweed noodles, served cold with chunks of cucumber hidden underneath.
This was pretty yummy. Just love the powdery texture of the seaweed.
But not sure if the two really meshed well together.
For dessert, I decided to go for Garu, a Korean grain ice cream served with crispy puffed rice cracker on the side.
The grain ice-cream didn't taste grainy at all. In fact, I thought it tasted a bit like white sesame.
Jelloman had the cinnamon punch granita with pear sorbet and her favorite Korean persimmon instead. Not bad she said.
The dishes tonight were all well cooked with some of the finest ingredients from the market. Service, I thought, was also top-notch and they needed to be, considering they have so much explaining to do with so many ingredients involved in each and every dish. But having said that, there was a part of me that was somewhat disappointed with the dining experience. I have been looking forward to some wows all night, well they never came (well, maybe except for the ginseng chicken dish.).
Later I got the chance to talk to Agent-I about this meal and I think she was right to remind me that this was more about honest cooking and seeing/experiencing the Korean food culture through Chef Kang's eyes. Maybe she's right. Perhaps I should have set my expectation differently.
Food Rating: 6/10
Price: $$$$
Address: 2/F 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central / Hong Kong Station
Tel: +852 2798-8768
Website: www.hansikgoo.hk
Opening Hours: 6:00pm - 10:pm (Mon - Sat)
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