Restaurant review: Jinjuu serves modern Korean in the heart of Lan Kwai Fong

Jinjuu is one of the better modern Korean restaurants we’ve tried recently.

That’s not to say it’s without fault – some of the dishes were underseasoned – just a little more salt would have been helpful. And the pricing of the dishes is erratic: some are reasonable, but a whole fried chicken for HK$680? Two tiny wagyu beef sliders for HK$140?

We didn’t try the whole fried chicken but instead had the smaller portion of the “Jinjuu signature Korean fried chicken” (HK$125). Not fans of the breasts, we ordered the thighs – four pieces that were moist with a thin, crisp batter and served with two tiny squeeze-bottles of sauces that proved unnecessary.

And the burgers? The quality of the coarsely ground beef was good, and it was juicy without being fatty, but we couldn’t taste any “Korean spices”.

By comparison, the Iberico pork belly tacos (two for HK$130) seemed a much better deal. It would have been nice if the flour tortillas had been warmed on the griddle, but the filling was generous and flavourful: thick slices of meat, and a topping of apple kimchi and Korean slaw.

Korean steak tartare (HK$135) was also reasonably priced. The quality and texture of the meat was very good, and although it also could have used a little more salt, the seasonings (sesame oil, garlic and pear), plus the prawn crackers served alongside, made it a winning dish.