The banchan (side dishes) are kept generously topped up. Photo: Susan Jung
Source:
https://scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3051159/restaurant-review-jeju-bulgogi-north-point-meaty-korean Food & Drink
Restaurant review: Jeju Bulgogi in North Point, for a meaty Korean barbecue experience in Hong Kong
- Booths at this restaurant are comfy and roomy, and staff are helpful and keep the kimchi and side dishes topped up
- Grill the hanwoo lifter meat for a little longer than you normally would, but the hanwoo sirloin a little shorter than you normally would
The hanwoo lifter meat tastes better when cooked for longer on the tabletop grill. Photo: Susan Jung
Cuisine: Korean, specialising in barbecue.
Price: about HK$360 per person without drinks or the service charge.
Ambience: quiet on a cool evening, with just a few other tables occupied. The booths are quite comfortable and spacious.
Pros: they are not stingy with the kimchi and banchan (side dishes), topping up the bowls generously when we asked for more.
Cons: the restaurant specialises in barbecue, so if you want a broader range of dishes, you’ll need to go someplace else.
Recommended dishes: hanwoo (a breed of Korean cattle) beef is still relatively rare in Hong Kong, so that’s what we ordered. The hanwoo lifter meat (HK$220) was as marbled as any Japanese beef we have tasted.
The hanwoo lifter meat tastes better when cooked for longer on the tabletop grill. Photo: Susan Jung
While we usually eat barbecued meat medium-rare, this tasted better when we cooked the thin slices longer on the tabletop grill, so the fat crisped up. It went deliciously with the kimchi, which balanced the fattiness.
On the other hand, the thicker slices of hanwoo sirloin (HK$260) should be cooked only briefly, otherwise they get tough.
Our waitress saw us overcooking the meat and she took over the grilling duties, and the pieces she made were succulent and tender.
The hanwoo sirloin should be cooked only briefly, otherwise it gets tough. Photo: Susan Jung
Of the pork selections, we had marinated skirt meat (HK$128). The marinade was mild, with a gentle sweetness so it didn’t cover up the taste of the pork.
Kimchi and pork pancake (HK$88) was large, moist and not too oily. We placed some of the pieces on the grill, to heat them up.
To end the meal, we had the beef bone soup (HK$128). It came with slices of tough beef, which we didn’t eat, and a large beef bone with plenty of meat and cartilage, which we did. The broth – intense and beefy – was the real attraction, though.
The beef bone soup is intense and beefy. Photo: Susan Jung
What else? They offer some non-barbecue dishes, such as fried chicken and soups. There’s a well-priced hanwoo premium beef set at HK$298, which lets you taste several cuts.
Jeju Bulgogi, Shop 210, 2/F Harbour North Phase 2, 123 Java Road, North Point, tel: 2257 9121