[sonia]

Daorae Korean BBQ Restaurant

Daorae Korean BBQ is a Korean BBQ restaurant and they have several branches located in both PJ and KL. In Korean restaurants, they usually start with “small side dishes”. In Dorae, they offer different kinds of banchan (side dishes or small dishes) and these are typically lettuce, thinly sliced radish, rolled rice cake, and cucumber topped with soy sauce, anchovies, kimchi and many more. Dorae Korean BBQ is famous for its Kimchi Bibimbap as well due to its authentic taste. The Kimchi Bibimbap contains cabbage and tofu sauteed in soy sauce and garlic, then mixed with rice cakes and cooked with sesame oil. Price-wise, about RM120 for 2 pax and they have a variety of meat to choose from. My experience was they will cook for you instead of you grilling the meat on your own. Their shop will have its own smoke tunnel for each table so you won’t feel too hot in their restaurant because the air is well ventilated.

[Vanessa Therese]

Han Woo Ri

When I heard the name “Han Woo Ri”, I immediately thought of a Korean BBQ restaurant. However, when mentioning the word “Korean,” some people’s minds wander to the world of spicy, deep-fried meats and pork bone soup. If you have ever been disgruntled by a dining experience where you were served only traditional Korean dishes with little variety in your order, then you may be interested in Han Woo Ri; a Korean BBQ restaurant that combines both cultural influences into their delicacies. Han Wo Ri has been serving authentic Korean cuisine since 2005 and has several outlets throughout KL and PJ as well.

The outlet that I visited is located right in front of Klook Mall, which makes it easy to find and also ensures its popularity among customers at Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). This eatery offers something for everyone by appealing primarily to the younger crowd of Malaysians. A variety of side dishes and beverages is offered to enhance the dining experience and paint a fuller picture of traditional Korean cuisine.

Besides the casual dining setting, I was impressed by an array of authentic Korean dishes that were on display to us from the entrance. We were served with a selection of kimchi (made from green cabbage) and banchan (side dishes), as well as two different types of noodle soups: soondubu and udon.

[Chunga Ailee]

Dae Jang Geum Korean Restaurant

The Dae Jang Geum Korean restaurant is located in section 14, Petaling Jaya. Not only does the restaurant offer the signature dishes of traditional Korean cuisine such as “Bulgogi” (beef soup), “GamJaTang” (which mean pork bone soup) and Kimchi, but it also provides a wide selection of side dishes that are comparable to those found in a Korean barbecue.

This makes Dae Jang Geum an ideal choice for lunch or dinner with friends or family members who share a common interest in culture and cuisine. Their food tastes very authentic as well. Not so sure how long this restaurant has been around but I know it’s quite old and established (on top of being well-known) for providing good and delicious food as well. Definitely a long-standing Korean restaurant. You also will get unlimited refills for their side dishes, like how Korean restaurants usually are.

If you’re stopping by during lunch, please try their Dosirak lunch set. It’s very cheap and affordable. Rm 15-20 for bento set and it comes with rice, 2 types of meat, 1 veggie and one deserts (which is usually fruits) and you still can request for side dishes if you want.

Gangnam88 BBQ Restaurant

Gangnam BBQ Restaurant is a chain business restaurant that specialises in Korean cuisine with a local twist. While retaining the authenticity of Korean food and taste, the owner aspires to cater to the locals taste as well; hence localising the taste to fit Malaysian’s standards. Gangnam88 BBQ Restaurant has been in Malaysia since 2012 and has stayed for 8 years till now. The restaurant’s promise is to serve fresh and quality Korean food. This first outlet of Gangnam88 BBQ Restaurant located in Solaris, Mont Kiara (which was opened back in 2012) before branching out to several places across KL/Selangor which includes Sunway Giza Mall, Bandar Puteri Puchong as well as Soho Ipoh, Perak.

Gangnam88 is good for family too. Their service is very quick as well and you do not have wait too long for your food. I like their galbi bbq pork. They serve alcohol drink, which goes well with the bbq meat.

p.s: both Korean restaurants is non-halal.

[Aleeya Asri]

(Halal Options)

SeoulNami Korean BBQ

SeoulNami Korean BBQ is located in the Gardens Shopping Mall KL. This Korean BBQ Restaurant is a halal restaurant, using halal ingredients and they do not serve alcohol here. So fret not! There’s a variety of food and signature to choose from. They also have another branch located in KL East Mall. My personal favourite is their honey chicken. You can order both cooked and uncooked meat where you have to grill by yourself. Their signature dish is Chuncheon Chicken. If you are a fan of hot pepper chicken, you should try the Chuncheon Chicken.

Swetree Ampang

Swetree is located at Ampang Putra, Taman Putra Sulaiman, Ampang also known as little Korean Town. The area is called little Korea Town due to the number of Korean shops in the area. Besides Korean restaurants, you can also find Korean mart where they sell mostly imported Korean groceries. Swetree is a halal korean restaurant and they have a halal certificate for their restaurant. Swetree offers a very cosy environment which is a great place to chill and dine in with your friends, date or even family. The food is superb! Love it so much. Tasty, flavourful and wide variety of choices. They also have local dishes like nasi goreng kampung or Italian food like spaghetti. For those who got dragged by their friend to eat Korean food but you don’t feel like having one, you can have other options as well besides Korean food. So you do not have to worry about it. One thing to note is the waiting time is quite long, longer than usual restaurants. We waited 45- 50 mins for our food and it was not packed at all as well during that time. So I guess the waiting time for food to arrive is that long :/ But the food is worth the wait I guess. Price-wise, it is quite affordable. RM 23 for bulgogi set with rice is pretty reasonable. There were 4 of us dining there and the total was RM180++ for 4 pax. It is quite reasonable I would say.

Do give Swetree a try if you’re in Ampang! You would not regret it.

[Chunga Ailee]

Seoul Garden

To add to the Halal options, Seoul Garden is one of the best Korean barbecue restaurants. Seoul Garden is everywhere all across Malaysia. Seoul Garden is also a halal-certified restaurant and was founded back in 1983 where the first headquarters is in Singapore. It is a well known and established restaurant globally I would say. They are known for their smokeless grill system. So when you’re grilling meat, you will notice that the smoke is less than the usual barbecue shop. The shop is fully air-conditioned as well; so it’s a very comfortable place to dine in too. In terms of the food, it’s more buffet style where you pay a price and you get to eat all you can. They have a wide selection of raw food to choose from. Certain outlets have a premium section as well where you can get premium meat such as wagyu. Do note that you need to pay extra to have access to the premium food section.

[Ng Chap Chae]

Little Korea Restaurant

There are many places you can go for Korean BBQ in Klang Valley (Selangor/KL). If you’re looking for one of the best locations to have a good quality meal, then try out the Little Korea Restaurant for some delicious Korean BBQ dishes. Be sure to check out their menu, which includes a variety of different dishes for you and your friends to enjoy

Little Korea Restaurant offers a range of Korean BBQ dishes, such as kimchi jjigae (spicy stewed pork and kimchi), Galbi tang (beef short ribs with savoury sauce) and Bulgogi bibimbap (Vietnamese-style stir-fried mixed rice). There are also appetizer options such as kimchi pajeon (steamed egg patties with kimchi), bibimbap, and chicken wings. If you prefer to have a more stocked meal at the table, then you should try their Korean BBQ set menu, which includes the same regular Korean BBQ dishes as well as a number of other dishes that you can enjoy together.

Korean pancake (Gimbap) – The Gimbap was invented in 1946 and is a delicious dish with both sweet and spicy flavours. They make a variety of different types but the most popular ones are Cheese Gimbap, Bacon Cheese Gimbap, Salsa Beef, and Sweet & Spicy Chicken. Their version is wide open for all to eat so you can get your hands on almost any type you like without getting bored.

The ambience of the restaurant is simple. It has a basic table and chairs set-up. The interior design is simple as well, with plain white walls and brown wooden doors and laminate tables for each table. It also has wooden tables for larger groups of people to eat together, and a small stage at the very back where there are round plastic tables with seating for 6-8 people per table.

Due to its popularity, Little Korea is usually quite crowded during weekends and especially during dinner time. If you do not mind waiting for a table or getting seated at one of the shared tables, then this should be an ideal place to visit when you’re looking for some traditional Korean street food.

[Angelina Kirai]

The Korean BBQ

The Korean BBQ House is a Korean restaurant that has several outlets across KL/Selangor such as Kota Damansara, Setapak, Viva Mall, Atria, and Damansara Jaya. It offers a wide range of Korean dishes from sizzling plates to seafood, noodles and rice. Some dishes you can find include BBQ pork, chicken (grilled or fried), seafood pancake and seaweed soup. The one that I visited recently was Korean BBQ House Kota Damansara outlet. The restaurant has a modern-looking interior with natural light coming in from its spacious window. The service is good too!

Their BBQ menu provides the BBQ enthusiast (like me) with different meats to choose from. Any of the meats can be served from chicken to pork. Yes, this korean BBQ is non halal. Not the best choice for those who’d prefer halal BBQ place.

If you’re tired of chicken, you can try some beef instead. If you’re looking for a different taste, try their pork belly BBQ. They also offer grilled chicken – sure to please even those who think they don’t like chicken!

The most feared thing about eating Korean barbecue is that it emits a strong smoky flavour from head to toe! But it’s definitely not going to have such troubles here! All the barbecues are baked in the kitchen and served on the table for the customers to enjoy, so it is very suitable for the elderly or children to eat. You don’t need to control yourself, it’s delicious and no trouble!

Besides the nice ambience, a fun fact about The Korean BBQ House is that they’re also one of the only places in Klang Valley where you can enjoy a well-cooked shabu shabu.

[Lily McCarthur]

Seol Pocha

Seoul Pocha is a Korean barbecue restaurant located Jalan SS15, Subang Jaya. If you are looking for a place to chill with your friends, this is an ideal place. It offers Korean food such as dumplings and rice cake soup, curry noodles, bibimbap and more. For those who have a sweet tooth, there are special desserts such as vegan ice cream and soybean milk desserts to choose from.

You have the option to grill the meat yourself or you can ask the staff to grill it for you. I would head over to Seoul Pocha on Friday night just to chill and drinks with my friend. The atmosphere is just nice as a ‘lepak’ place on Friday night. It’s almost like a bar place to me I would say. Do come early or book a table as it gets quite busy and crowded over the weekend. The main customers here are usually youngsters and uni students since INTI, Sunway and Monash are located very near to SS15. Hence, it is a hub for students to chill. Besides food, they also have Korean alcohol which is Maekgoli and Soju. They offer various flavours from the original to fruity options for alcoholic beverages. Do keep an eye out for their monthly specials which are usually on the last Saturday of the month!

[Ariana Lane]

Shinmapo Korean BBQ

There’s no shortage of Korean BBQ restaurants in the Klang Valley. Whether you’re after something budget-friendly, or looking to splurge, there’s a vast options that cater for the different needs.

For those who value quality over quantity, Shinmapo Korean BBQ is the place for you. Aside from their Signature BBQ Set which comes with different types of meat and side dishes, you can also pick from a selection of meat cuts, which includes pork, chicken, seafood, beef, and others.

The staff will do all the cooking right in front of you and you don’t even need to lift a finger.

Shinmapo’s signature meat cut is the Galmaegisal (pork skirt meat) that’s only found on the underside of the pig between the ribs and belly. Usually weighing around 250gm, pork skirt meat is more tender and juicy than other parts of meats. It’s a unique cut that can’t be found in most restaurants or markets. Each BBQ set comes with a mix grilled platter, refillable side dishes, and Shinmapo’s signature kimchi egg crust. Without a doubt, the Pork Skirt Meat is the most delicious of all. Incredibly tender in the middle and crispy around the edges, the pork skirt meat almost tasted like a combination of steak and bacon. Dipping sauces are given to further enhance the grilled meats. However, we felt the Pork Skirt was delicious enough on its own.

According to the staff, the oil one is for the non-marinated, while the red hot spicy one is for the marinated one. While the Pork Belly and Pork Collar were not as flavour-packed as Pork Skirt, both were still pretty decent. But since they all are the same price, I suggest should just go with Pork Skirt.

For those who can’t live without rice, you can try their popular Volcano Fried Rice. Inspired by a real volcano in Jeju Island, the idea of this dish is that the fried rice will be turned into a “volcano”, and whisked eggs will be poured on top of the rice which represent the “lava”.