ASK A KOREAN living in Hong Kong to take you to the best Korean restaurant in town and chances are you will be led to Sorabol.
The restaurant, which has 30 outlets worldwide (including 13 on the mainland), has two branches in Hong Kong - one in Percival Street, Causeway Bay, and the other in Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.
There is a distinctive atmosphere in a Korean restaurant attended largely by Korean nationals, and Sorabol is no exception.
The buzz is unique, the barbecues have an extra-sharp sizzle and the pouring out of soju becomes increasingly generous as the evening progresses. (Soju is an alcoholic beverage made mostly from glutinous or regular rice, with other ingredients such as wheat, barley or sweet potatoes.)
My recent meal there began with pan-fried chives and squash (buchu hobakjun, $48), served as small pancakes accompanied by a dipping sauce of sesame, soy sauce and scallions.
The sauce was a good match and brought out the subtle sweetness in the chives and the squash.