Thursday, October 20, 2011

@hanabi

Side dishes

In Korean restaurants it is custom that they give small side dishes free of charge! Goodie, so you are allowed to have an unlimited refill so some people abuse this system when they are financially incapable, by ordering cheap dishes and making a meal out of the small dishes =D.

These usually come out first, so if you're really hungry, they become the first targets before the mains come out. As you can see, we were all quite hungry and dove right into them, with our orders joining us soon after. Sometimes I go back to a restaurant because their sides were memorable, even more than their mains. That's how important their role is!

Saeng Makkoli; Korean traditional rice wine made with Champagne fermentation process 750ml $12

This is Korean rice wine pronounced “Makgoli”. People tend to mix it with lemonade which results in a sweet rice champagne like taste. It accompanies heavy dishes because it has that feeling of assistance with digestion. I guess it has been just tradition and more authentic to drink it out of a bowl rather than a cup.

Not a huge fan of alcohol in general, but this I can tolerate. Definitely need to add a looooot of lemonade though! Considering we were both avid "milkshake" drinkers (Baileys with 3/4's of the glass filled with milk lol), we've come a long way.

Marinated beef ribs in a whole sweet pumpkin bowl (nornal/spicy) $40

My favourite dish from HANABI, this pork is so soft that it just lubricates your mouth (apologies to the people disturbed by this description lol!). We ordered the spicy version which unfortunately clashed with the other spicy dish so if you plan to order this make sure the other dishes are not spicy…It is perfection on it’s own with a fine balance of sweetness and spice. The accompanying pumpkin encasing the meat adds a gentle luscious texture and taste. Despite the accumulating hotness it was heaven~

One word to describe this: DELICIOUS! I actually went and had this again because it was that good, but ordered the normal one second time around. Have to say what makes the dish as great as it is, is the spicyness. Definitely opt for the spicy one because that is what captures all the flavours and produces this fantastic dish of tasty goodness! That is if you can take a bit of spice, as I thought I was pretty good with chilli food, but by the end of this, I was drinking countless cups of water lol.

Traditional Korean Pot Stew with fermented kimchi, whole potato and pork back bones $40

This soup is perfect for complementing drinking alcohol which is heavily embedded in the Korean culture. The meat was tenderly absorbed in the tangy flavours of the soup. We were too impatient with the potato and did not leave it long enough to cook, as they say patience is a virtue! It also includes rice cake which was kidnapped by everyone pretty early on which offers something to chew on.

This was my favourite dish when I went to Korea, I think they really do make the food best there, but this particular one was nice too. For a lot of people meat + potato make a pretty good combo, so adding a delicious soup and vegetables on the side, only give extra brownie points to an already tasty dish.

Hanabi
122-124 Liverpool St
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9262 7288

15 comments:

SweetJessC said...

You have no idea how much I love the small side dishes!!!!!! Sooooo delicious!

Love,
Jess

http://sweetfashionsweet.blogspot.com

lapetiteblonde said...

umm..so hungry!!
kisses and have a nice day=)

welldressedmaker said...

oh gosh. i LOVE Korean food sooo much. I swear, I can eat so much of it, it's horrifying!
♥ laura
the blog of worldly delights
enter my Shabby Apple giveaway

ChiChi81 said...

Side dishes are what I look forward too whenever I dine at Korean Restaurants haha. I just love the different flavours and the presentation is just lovely, it's like having your own buffet at your table lol. I would sometimes eat too much that I hardly have enough room for the main. And yeah, a bottle of Soju is always present, it's not a fulfilling Korean cuisine indulgence if there's no alcohol lol.

The food looks great, you girls have definitely made me crave for Korean food at 12mn lol

Cheers,

Wi
A Single Girl's Musings

Diary of a Young Designer said...

My gosh everything here looks so amazing!!!

xoxo
style roulette

Unknown said...

nice pics!!!i'm following you!!!if you like mine, do the same!!

www.zagufashion.com

Marina JuliĆ  said...

Everything looks delicious. I would taste all! Kisses :)

Unknown said...

lovely pics! yuuuuuummm!

Style Spot said...

Yuuumm, this makes me soooo hungry! It all looks so incredibly good and tasty xoxo

Unknown said...

I love the Korean side dishes. My fav Korean place always changes up the free appetizer plates. Mmm, I need some kimchi in my life. ;)

xoxo
http://preponderance-of-fashion.blogspot.com/

Trendygemm said...

mmm love your post, it´s me hungry!!
kisses and happy weekend

Michelle Lee said...

yum :) makes me so hungry haha
and thanks a lot!

. said...

Nice post and blog!

Ren said...

Looks yummy!


I have a new post on my blog with pictures from a mini fall RTW collection I designed. If you have a minute, stop by and tell me what you think!

Stay Beautiful,
Ren,
http://rosesarerenfashion.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-first-runway-show_6626.html

la vie quotidienne said...

mm yummy yummy!!! Delicious food!!
Nice blog!
xoxo

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...