A couple of weeks ago a couple friends and I were in Mid Valley Gardens looking for a quick dinner. We stopped by Canton-i, Sushi Zanmai, and Fong Lye Taiwanese restaurant, they were all absolutely full inside, and with people waiting outside as well.
Time was of essence, so we stepped into this GoGung Korean Restaurant at third floor.
GoGung Korean Restaurant
Normally I love to have my grilled meat at Korean places, but since time is of the essence (Mell was waiting and it was the day before she’s was to fly off to Melbourne), we decided to forgo that luxury and go for something faster.
Unlike most other places, they serve no dinner sets, we ordered two Kimchi Jigge (kimchi soup) and a Kimchi Bo Kum Bab (kimchi fried rice) for RM 25 each, and 3 hot green tea. The food didn’t take too long to arrive, and to be frank, they taste ok. Not great, but not particularly bad either.
After hastily finished off our food, we asked for the bill. It came to RM 108.90. It kinda got me curious, I thought RM 75 plus whatever taxes and maybe a minimal amount for the tea bagged green tea we ordered shouldn’t amount to more than RM 100.
3 green tea for RM 24, what do you think?
Then, on closer inspection, I saw what they charged us for the drinks. RM 8 per tea bag of green tea (well you do get unlimited hot water refill!). Frankly speaking I find that very excessive for something most Japanese and some Korean restaurants serve for free.
I will never go back to this GoGung Korean restaurant again. If you plan to head there, I suggest you might want to check if plain water is free.
P/S: I’ve been questioned on why almost all food places written on this blog are good, the reason is that for those I usually don’t write about food I deem not worthy of recommendation (even if it was an invited review). But here is one of the few bad reviews, cheers! 
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- KY contests – Two Premier Tickets to The Dark Knight for you!
- KY eats – Fresh Prawn Noodle at Restaurant Green View, SS2
- KY eats – Korean BBQ at Kangsane Restaurant, Little Korea, Ampang
By ShaolinTiger on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
That’s insane, but yeah Korean restaurants for some reason usually have really expensive drinks. Water ftw!
By Precious Pea on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for highlighting this. RM8 per tea bag is really outrageous. OSK Green Tea actually cheap stuff. If not mistaken, less than 50 sen per tea bag and if they get in bulk, lagi cheap.
By Myhorng on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
not going back there ever again. shit. but the korean roti canai is good though.
By foodcrazee on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
MAYBE THATS y they are so quiet . . . .no biz as price is too expensive . .
By KY on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
ShaolinTiger,
Yah, but RM8 is still excessive!
Precious Pea,
Exactly!
Myhorng,
Hahaha you can tapao
foodcrazee,
Probably.
By hitomi on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
Ish…Really con people…
They are going to pay for the drop of sales
By Lyrical Lemongrass on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
It’s crazy, man. I once almost stepped into this restaurant, but after seeing the really high prices on the menu displayed outside, I changed my mind. Some of these prices just can’t be justified. Thanks for highlighting this.
By Robb on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
korean roti canai? lol
By Mellissa on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
RM8 for green tea is ridiculous! Especially if it’s just a tea bag too! Normally RM8 would be for like one whole tea pot or something with unlimited refills, terrible terrible.
By lotsofcravings on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
gila man..thats like how many thousand percent profit man..
can strike it out!
or BYO water?
By Binn on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
if you want green tea, Rakuzen SS15 subang jaya have unlimited supply, plus its made from real tea leaves, not tea bags!!! and trust me, their matcha(green tea) ice cream which costs rm6 only is a die for~ Cheers for Rakuzen!!!(Coz i was a waiter there)
By KY on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
hitomi,
Most probably hopefully. hehe
Lyrical Lemongrass,
Ah we didn’t have time to study, it was too late :S
Robb,
Yess. hehe
Mellissa,
Yah, way too ridiculous!
lotsofcravings,
BYO water? I prefer just to skip the whole place instead!
Binn,
Oh I love Rakuzen and goes there very often actually, I will see you there one of these days!
By Yatz on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
fwah..must be some god-like tea bag from the mountain wtf
By Yiling on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
/stamps a *REJECT* on the name… NEXT!
By super-umkong-striker on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
those Teh Jantan doesn’t even cost so much.. least drink those d… feel abit heaty.. n horng too ….
By Huai Bin on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
RM8 for green tea eh? A bit on the steep side (pun intended).
By JunJun-Riko on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
wa.. luckily i read ur post… im so never gonna go try out that place…!!!
By vialentino on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
WTF….Green tea drink for RM 8 …. RM 3 also I kao beh kao bull….
By julian on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
Unlimited refill on a tea bag isn’t so tempting either…
By YL on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
O_O $8 can buy 80 fishballs instead
By KY on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
Yatz,
Except it’s just some normal tea bag!
Yiling,
Yes!!
super-umkong-striker,
I know.. very sien.
Huai Bin,
Very!
JunJun-Riko,
Hahah don’t go there.
vialentino,
Yah, agreed!
julian,
Not a recommended practice actually.
YL,
Now I can only imagine why you’d want so many fishballs… lol
By 550ml jar of faith on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
OMG! I can’t believe the audacity of these folks! 8 bucks for a teabag? And 5 and 10 on top of that? OK staying far far away, thanks for the warning!
By janelgrace on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
i thought green tea usually served free at Korean or Japanese restaurants as compliments
By Bangsar-bAbE on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
That’s just daylight robbery!
By cindy khor on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
that is atrociously expensive to the max… i think i could buy 12 bags of green tea for rm3 in a supermarket and rm1 for unlimited water from my kitchen…
maybe their’s are premium tea…
By irvine on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
what’s sort of green tea is that! RM8 per person!? They converting from pounds is it. hahaha
By huiwen on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
frankly speaking..for me i will slap the table and ask the manager talk to me….
I complaint it kao kao….
By kclee2002 on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
that’s like the most common green tea brand around, and it definitely doesn’t cost RM8. Anyway I suppose they need to cover their rent since it is in fact in the Gardens(where everything is posh and expensive)
By sotong on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
I will never pay so much just for a bag of low grade tea… too expensive!!!
Unless it serve with a naked cute guys… HAHAHAHA…
By lina on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
always wondered why GoGung looks so quiet compared to the rest of the eateries at Gardens. Maybe that’s why!
By King Kong on Mar 7, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for your info, KY. I am thinking to go Mid Valley tomorrow, so I won’t go there for lunch.
By KY on Mar 7, 2009 | Reply
550ml jar of faith,
Yah, a bit too much!
janelgrace,
Usually, but not this one :S
Bangsar-bAbE,
Exactly!
cindy khor,
Hahaha true, these aren’t exactly premium either.
irvine,
Or Arab money. lol
huiwen,
Hahaha I was in too much of a hurry for that.
kclee2002,
I know, but u don’t cover your rent this way, the Japanese restaurant I went didn’t charge this kind of money for green tea.
sotong,
Hahah you’re crazy! lol
lina,
Yah, maybe!
King Kong,
You’re welcome. Good choice!
By Big Boys Oven on Mar 7, 2009 | Reply
hahahah Defintely not the place be. Already anned myself from entering this restaurant!
By eiling on Mar 7, 2009 | Reply
This is outrageous! I’ve drank a SGD10 chinese tea before but at least it’s premium tea leaves and served in a traditional way. I wouldn’t pay RM8 for a stupid tea bag!
By Jade Zheng on Mar 7, 2009 | Reply
Korean restaurants are quite pricey one. & they kinda serve the same kind of food…. @@
By KY on Mar 7, 2009 | Reply
Big Boys Oven,
Good choice
eiling,
Premium is ok looo
Jade Zheng,
Oh well.. what to do.
By breadpitt on Mar 8, 2009 | Reply
i avoid myself being slaughtered ………lol !thanks to this post;-)
By jen on Mar 8, 2009 | Reply
why didnt u check the menu first before ordering?
they definitely stated the price on it
By Foodpromotions on Mar 8, 2009 | Reply
Thats absolutely insane to be charge so expensive for a green tea. But usually korean restaurant will serve the korean rice tea instead of green tea.
By foongpc on Mar 8, 2009 | Reply
RM8 per teabag? They must be kidding me!
Btw, I think you should blog about bad restaurants too. Don’t just blog about the good ones. At least we know which restaurants to avoid! : )
By KY on Mar 8, 2009 | Reply
breadpitt,
Hahah you’re welcome.
jen,
Well we were in a hurry, and that’s kinda besides the point anyway.
Foodpromotions,
Yah, I agree.
foongpc,
Hahah noted!
By tom on Mar 9, 2009 | Reply
Save drinking the tea you can have another round of “KIM CHI BO KUM BAB”! Just add RM 1.
By Nadine on Mar 9, 2009 | Reply
…Oh my god.. 8 RM that means like $2.7 canadian dollars? dude you’re so cheap 2.7 dollars for a cup of tea is bloody cheap!!
what the hell? the whole bill was like $37 for three people? that’s amazing
JEEZ what’s wrong with you complaining so much ??
By Vivien on Mar 9, 2009 | Reply
wow, this is the most expensive green tea i have seen
By KY on Mar 9, 2009 | Reply
tom,
Hahhaha true
Nadine,
And the minimum wage here is like what? $1.3 dollar. So stop comparing it that way thank you very much
Vivien,
Yess! me too!
By fakyuol on Mar 9, 2009 | Reply
nadine ure a bitch. wat the fuck are you complaining in a malaysian blog and comparing prices in forex? different cities, different cost of living. do not ever come to malaysia or i will rape and kill you.
By Kuzco on Mar 10, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for highlighting this. RM8 is really excessive.
Dont think I will want to even try that place out.
By KY on Mar 10, 2009 | Reply
fakyuol,
Hahah chill, chill.
Kuzco,
By lina on Mar 11, 2009 | Reply
just want to add – a box of that OSK tea bag only cost RM19.90 (at the most) at Jusco/Carrefour.
By KY on Mar 13, 2009 | Reply
lina,
OUCH! lol
By rj on Mar 15, 2009 | Reply
hey, can’t show u are painful, its the price to pay for to impress chicks u can afford…..koreeeeeaaaannn… food
By KY on Mar 19, 2009 | Reply
rj,
Hahhaha, I don’t need to impress anyone by paying super expensive tea.
By Leo on May 6, 2009 | Reply
Of course expensive lar. . this is 5 star korea restaurant in kl… do u know that . . u want to cheap cheap u go ampang lar..hehehe
By KY on May 6, 2009 | Reply
Leo,
Hahah that’s where I usually go!