A couple weeks ago we were invited to Goong Korean BBQ Restaurant at Ampang with the promise of a hearty traditional Korean meal.

The restaurant is located at the appropriately named “Little Korea” right across the road from Ampang Point, an area littered with many restaurants, with more than half of them serving Korean food.

Gong Korean restaurant at Little Korea in Ampang
Goong Korean restaurant at Little Korea in Ampang

The restaurant itself is located on the first floor, right on top of another restaurant that serves, you guessed it, Korean food.

The interior decoration is best described as minimalistic, or if you’re a little more direct, supremely bare. However, one does not eat tables, chairs, nor the pretty paintings on the wall, so if you’re looking for food instead of an ambiance worthy of that fine date you’re bringing, this arrangement would  suffice. It was clean and comfortable.

wide selection of banchan to go around
wide selection of banchan to go around

Our foods were pre-ordered by the lady boss, Laura (despite the name, she is Korean), who also doubled as the chef.

First to come were the multitude of banchan, or small dishes that always accompany pretty much any Korean meals. This includes kimchi, seaweed, broccoli, and various other types of vegetable with chili pepper seasoning. They were generally pretty good, I like the fact that the kimchi served was quite strong and well prepared.

grilled meat, the main stay of any Korean BBQ restaurant
grilled meat, the main stay of any Korean BBQ restaurant

Since the name of  the place includes the word “BBQ”, they do have classic Korean BBQ dishes in the menu.

We tried Dwaeji Galbi (grilled pork ribs, RM30) and Gochujang Samgyeopsal (Grilled Pork Loin with red hot pepper paste, RM22). The meat were well marinated and tasted pretty decent, but BBQ pork can only go so far, my favorite is still Galbi (marinated beef short ribs), but unfortunately we did not try the version from here.

The point to note is that so far as Korean BBQ pork dishes is concerned, these were more than reasonable.

hot & spicy pork and Mandu (dumpling)
hot & spicy pork and Mandu (dumpling)

The dish that intrigued us the most was the hot & spicy pork (RM 22) that, according to Laura, required tremendous patient and multitude of steps in preperation, and she also promised that it is a dish you can’t find anywhere within Klang Valley. This is as “traditional” as it gets.

True to her words, it was delicious, and doubly so if you love meat with strong flavor and good dosage of spiciness. I loved it and would not hesitate to order the same thing when I’m there again.

Mandu (dumpling, RM 20) is another home-made affair by the lady boss/chef. While homey and warm, I find the skin a tad too thick for my liking. As far as dumpling goes, I still prefer my siao long bao and sui kao.

Bulgogi jeongol (beef) and Bulgogi jeongol (ginseng chicken)
Bulgogi jeongol (beef) and Samgyetang (ginseng chicken)

Bulgogi jeongol (beef hot pot,RM 50) is just as what you’d expect from some of the better Korean restaurants. Sweet and flavorful, goes well with a bit of Korean steamed rice and some tea.

The Samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup, RM 30) is a good comfort food perfect for those rainy nights, and one that would probably help my runny nose right now as I’m writing this article. You can also ask for the version with rice stuffed in the chicken’s cavity. This dish was actually my first Korean experience, and I still like it as much after all these years.

bibimbap, Kimchi Jeon (pancake), Kimchi Jigae
bibimbap, Kimchi Jeon (pancake), Kimchi Jigae

If you come alone and prefer something ultra healthy, Goong does serve bibimbap. I was never a fan of one, but this version does taste okay to me.

the Kimchi Jeon (kimchi pancake, RM 25) is, if you would, Korean pizza that tastes like a cross between pancake and pizza but with a strong flavor of kimchi. I find it easy to eat, and would love to have one delivered to my house while watching those late night NFL games.

Last but not least, Haze gave her seal of approval to the most important dish of any Korean restaurant – Kimchi Jiggae (kimchi soup, RM 17). The version here is the first one that she actually liked after we started making our own kimchi soup at home.

This one is strong, spicy, sour, and everything that you’d expect in a top quality kimchi stew. If you like it strong and don’t want to have to cook it yourself, come here, it’s cheaper than the ingredients you’d need to make an equivalent tasting pot too.

owner, daughter, and an enthusiastic Korean customer
owner, daughter, and an enthusiastic Korean customer

We were also fortunate enough to be joined by one of Laura’s friend, a Korean lady who decided to teach us a Korean custom when it comes to drinking – when you empty your glass, place it over your head to indicate that you actually finished the glass.

We had a good time over the session, and Goong Korean BBQ restaurant, while not perfect, did deliver what it promised – a wholesome, hearty, traditional Korean meal. I think it is a place worth checking out for yourself.

map to Goong Korean Restaurant, Ampang

Address:
Goong Korean BBQ Restaurant
B 3-2, Jalan Ampang Utama 2/2,
Ampang 68000
Kuala Lumpur
GPS: 3.15553, 101.75202
Tel: 016-309 1160

KY eats – Goong Korean BBQ Restaurant, Little Korea, Ampang
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13 thoughts on “KY eats – Goong Korean BBQ Restaurant, Little Korea, Ampang

  • January 1, 2013 at 4:04 pm
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    the hot & spicy pork looks thick and mouthwatering, but i wonder if laura would marah me if i request kurang pedas, to make it easy for my timid taste buds, heheh 😀

    Reply
    • January 2, 2013 at 7:09 pm
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      Sean: time to upgrade your spicy scale!

      Reply
  • January 1, 2013 at 4:40 pm
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    I have never tried Korean food, but those look delicious. Happy New Year to you and Haze.

    Reply
    • January 2, 2013 at 7:09 pm
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      Kash: happy new year to you and your family too

      Reply
  • January 4, 2013 at 10:07 am
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    Wah this place looks nice. Actually with all those appetisers before the BBQ meats, i’ll be already full by then.

    Reply
    • January 8, 2013 at 8:55 am
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      eiling: then just have some souju and eat some more!

      Reply
    • January 16, 2013 at 8:43 am
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      missyblurkit: make it happen 😀

      Reply
  • Pingback:Ampang: From Citibank to Koreatown | Diary of a Mischievous Kid

  • March 23, 2013 at 1:33 am
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    Hi! Saw your blog and went there today. I posted my “Ampang adventure” in my blog and I linked it to your site, just a heads up.

    Reply

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