simple and comforting korean food – a good mix of banchan as well, and that pretty much seals the deal for me. it’s pretty nice to see actual koreans behind the counter, and it makes it all feel pretty much family-run – and with almost-full occupancy on a non-weekday, you know there’s a decent thing going.
my sister’s told me that I get extremely verbose and eloquent when I dislike a place, and rather taciturn when I do like it – so I figure it a good thing when I don’t nearly know where to start with this one.
we started with a great mix of banchan – all free-flow (which is great, as I get a little iffy at places that only insist on a single serving of these sides) – my favorites being the sesame-oiled green beans, spicy tofu (though a tad oily), and sauteed mushrooms.
our mains arrived in pretty quick succession – a bowl each of tofu and kimchi soup, both thick and cloudy with the good stuff, and immensely flavorful; some marinated beef short plates that arrived on a hot plate with loads of cabbage (and quite a bit of fat), slightly sweet and caramelized in the best of ways; as well as squid sauteed with carrots and greens in a spicy sauce.
everything was good, slightly-too-salty in a way that calls for lots of sticky korean rice in a metal bowl, and intensely flavored.
it’s a largeish restaurant with well-spaced wooden tables, so you get the buzz of a friendly restaurant without needing to hear about your neighbor’s day. good place for a bit of after-work relaxation, and a well-priced korean meal.
Jang Won Korean Restaurant
44 Mosque Street #01-01
Singapore 059522
tel +65 6532 6949
$$.5: averagely thirty
My secret hideout. :)