Seoul Ria
I feel like I’m right at the heart of Seoul. There's a lot of clatter as staff follow the ringing of table bells. It’s such a lively room. Hungry people join the queue every couple of minutes. I scan the restaurant, and large majorities of the crowd appear to be Korean. Ah, perfect... it's going to be the real deal. Families, students, large groups and working couples all looked content with their meals. Food really does soothe the soul.
Without a reservation, we lined up for over 30 minutes. That was a long 30 minutes of eyeing everything that came out of the kitchen. So as soon as we were seated, the three of us girls knew what we wanted. A big and warm bubbling hot pot with some kim-chi pancake, please!
Within a couple of minutes, our supply of side dishes arrived:
Then the pot of goodness was served. Mmm... I didn't take a photo after the beef was cooked, so apologies for the raw meat! The hot pot was full of hearty warmth.
Starchy foods are great in Winter too. The Kimchi Pancake was thick and fluffy, and the outside was crisp... it was absolutely divine.
Seoul Ria is the place to be on a cold Winter night!
Seoul Ria
Cnr, George Street & Goulburn Street Sydney City
Tel: +61 (02) 9269 0222
May 12, 2007
Ceci Korean Restaurant, Strathfield
I might as well try break the record and update this site with an astounding 4 posts in 1 day! So what if 2 of them have nothing to do with food?
You may recall, that a couple of weeks back, I went through an obsession with Korean food. Kimchi, soups, fatty pork rashers, BBQ marinated beef, salads of sweetened mash potato, bean sprouts and shallots are some of things I had craved.
CeCi is a small authentic Korean restaurant on The Boulevarde in Strathfield. The interior is adorningly cute with pink walls, floral wallpaper in shades of purple, blue and green and framed cartoon prints.
The pork and kimchi soup was deliciously spicy. Tofu, kimchi and slices of fatty pork floated in a vibrant red soup.
The seafood soup was the exact opposite. It was filled with delicate flavours of blue swimmer crab, red dates, pipis, water chestnut, tofu, prawns and mushroom. The broth was so light and cleansing. Yummo!
CeCi Korean Restaurant
37 The Boulevarde Strathfield
(02) 9746 7710
April 17, 2007
Spicy hot pot... ready for Winter
In welcoming the first couple of cold days, I constantly craved soup... or at least something spicy. It is no wonder there is such a high chilli consumption rate in Asia!
Strathfield is where I go when I want something local, quick and fast. There are Korean restaurants across every main street. Today, we decided to revisit Hyang Won, which is popular for the hot pots or barbeques. I love the spicy octopus, marinated beef, tofu and vegetable hot pot. Priced at $35, it is more than enough to feed 2 people. It is served piping hot with typical Korean condiments (kimchi, fish cakes, seaweed salad and caramelised potatoes).
Hyang Won Korean Restaurant
31 The Boulevarde, Strathfield NSW 2135
Ph. (02) 9746 5750
August 10, 2006
Se Jong (Korean Restaurant), Campsie
This is ultimately my favourite Korean restaurant! The service is excellent (I love how they cook the food for you), the staff are super friendly and they really care about their customers. I walked in on a Sunday afternoon after the lunch operating hours and they were more than happy to re-open for just a table of two!
Try the traditional floor seating, or the western tables & chairs at this homestyle restaurant.
Se Jong
68 - 72 Evaline St, Campsie
Phone: (02) 9718-4039
August 07, 2006
Stra Pocha (Korean BBQ), Strathfield
It is hard to miss Stra Pocha- a smokey red building opposite the Strathfield railway station (on the quieter side). At 6.30pm, this Korean BBQ restaurant was packed with locals. When we ordered the 'special hot sauce BBQ chicken' the waitress whom had limited-english, warned us that it was very hot and we weren't allowed to make a complaint if it was unedible. This was enticing enough for us to order without hesitation. I love my food fiery hot.
The hotness of this stunned us. Our mouths were on fire and our tongues were stung with numbness. It was perfect!
Stra Pocha
Everton Road, Strathfield (opposite Strathfield Station)
July 12, 2006
Hanabi, Lidcombe
