Today we were in Nanaimo and feeling hungry. After a busy morning of sightseeing we found our way outside of downtown Nanaimo for a meal at Horang. Described as a Korean inspired restaurant they were busy at 2pm on a Sunday, and staff and customers alike were very lively.
The staff were immediately friendly and hospitable. It was easy to hail them and they often checked in. We also felt comfortable to tell them the truth when the food didn’t taste expected, like with the dozen fresh BC Pacific Oysters we started with.
These were Royal Miyagi, which are typically one of British Columbia’s most celebrated varieties, grown primarily off Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. I know them to be mildly briny, and distinctly sweet, with a creamy texture. However these today had a gamey funk to them. A musky essence that came through even with a generous drizzle of the included gochujang, ponzu, and grated wasabi. I ate three of the smallest oysters and confirmed the consistency of the above before alerting the staff. They immediate removed it from the table to investigate and the manager himself came over to apologize and offer more to replace them. We declined as we had enough food. He removed them from the bill and offered up complimentary desserts instead. This was a very nice gesture and it really showed the care they give to their customers. The whole exchange felt normal, acceptable, and a regular one. I would say that this is the preferred outcome: instead of hating your food, not saying anything then complaining about it to others or online, it is better to give the staff the opportunity to remedy things.
For drinks we shared a Makegeolli Flight. For those unfamiliar this is a traditional milky and lightly sparkling Korean rice wine. It has a cloudy appearance and a lower ABV. There is a company in Vancouver making their own, which is what is proudly offered here, presented on the restaurant’s own custom flight board. This gives you the ability to try all three flavours they carry and the fourth is topped with a large chunk of honey comb to add sweetness and an interactive component to the board. Original, honeycomb with original, chestnut; and strawberry. With its fruit flavour and creamy consistency this felt more like a dessert than alcoholic drink, coupled with the tang of Greek yogurt.
The Tuna Ceviche was a stunning plate that included albacore tuna, lime, ponzu, Cho gochujang, avocado, tomato, herb, oil, cilantro, pickled red onion, twigim crumbles, and pineapple. With all this freshness and sweet fruit it ate more like a salsa, especially when served with their bugak chips of rice puff and seaweed. They were my favourite part of the dish for their fragrant crunch and a necessary base to carry all the flavour above. There was a lot going on in the ceviche and the tuna was lost. I also found it a little on the mushy side with all the heavy oils and juices it soaked up. This made the bites juicier than expected with the pineapple demanding centre stage.
The Tiger Prawn Twigim is Korean style tempura where jumbo tiger prawns are breaded and fried, the served with their own house tartar. Juicy prawn under a thin coating of crispy batter. The flavour came from the zippy dip. Tasty, but could have used more herbal dill for my liking.
However, out of everything, if you can only choose one dish, let it be one of Horang’s signature Galbi-Jjim. This is one of their soy braised beef short ribs sets. Each comes seasoned the same in garlic, ginger, and onions; as a part of a meal with rice and a salty miso soup with seaweed, tofu, and cabbage. Where they differ is in their add-ons.
The one we got was the Cheese Galbi-Jjim, listed as a “must try” on the menu. This was a collection of short ribs, pear, sesame oil, pineapple, Korean dates, carrots, yellow potato, and rice cakes. Served on a sizzling cast iron hot plate and topped generously with plenty of melted mozzarella. The dish stayed melty and the cheese remained stringy. Overall this was a generous serving of all of the above and a great one to share.
For something less saucy and not cheesy look to their Flaming So Galbi. This was another wonderful grill set that was fantastically presented and came with plenty of sides to make it a full meal for two, especially if you get the large. This included two bowls of rice, two miso soups, and two pickled sides; plus plenty of freshly washed green leaves to make your meat keto as a lettuce wrap. The meat was incredibly tender and utterly satisfying, I would order this one again in service of my mouth.
And despite being as full as we were, we mustered some room for their dessert. The crème burlee cheesecake was more like a basque cheesecake with its smokey bake. There was a thin layer of torched caramelized sugar, but if you didn’t know to look for it, you wouldn’t be able to tell that was intended to make it crème burlee-like. As is it was still a tasty cheese cake.
Between the two, we preferred the matcha tart. The consistency of the creamy matcha topping was the best part. This was silky, whipped like pudding, liquid-like over a buttery crust. Overall too sweet, and elegantly delicious for those who like a more richer matcha flavour.
In short, I was not expecting the presentation, food quality, showmanship, and service of any restaurant in Nanaimo, let alone a Korean fusion one in this strip all. This is a restaurant I would imagine dining at in downtown Vancouver. A fun spot and one I would recommend to visit for a good time, and to impress your guest with.
Horang Korean inspired restaurant & bar
6367 Hammond Bay Rd, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5Y1
(250) 824-2770
horang.ca
