Today we were visiting the late night, Korean bbq, party spot Jjang in Richmond. They are known for their later hours and funky cocktails, coupled with fan favourite Korean cuisine. They offer do it yourself barbecues, boiling hot pots, and now cold dishes and sweet grilling fruits for summer. The latter of which was what we were here to try.
We would start by trying their 3 new summer feature drinks. First off, The Dream Iceland, which we did not like. It was heavy on the vodka, which I did not mind. It was the soapy chemical flavour that came with it, that I could not wrap my head around. The ingredient list went unlisted and I couldn’t come up with where the flavour may have come from. This I cannot recommend.
The Wizard of oz on the other hand I did like for cup alone. Served in what looks like a miniature glass tea cup that you can sip from. You do this by using its own spout, that functions like a straw. This was a light green apple cocktail that went down like juice. It is also the most complimentary to the meal to come, when comparing the three.
Similarly in juicy sweetness is the Bayberry da Vinci, which was more soda than fruit. It is centred around the tart to tangy bayberry fruit. An original idea, but I wish I got a deeper flavour from the berry itself.
Also new to their menus are lunch sets. With this you choose a main and it comes sides and a soup. Each lunch includes 3 appetizers and a bowl of rice or seaweed soup. For sides we had the popular sweet chilled potato, marinated soy bean sprouts, and kimchi.
I was not a fan of the seaweed soup. Thick and heavily gelatinous it ate like congee. This was not what I was expecting and what I wanted, as the seaweed seemed to melt due to it being overcooked. It left a slimey texture in my mouth when I wanted it thicker and harder (non-intentional pun).
We would order two different sets to share. First, we went with the Bulgogi bibimbap set as recommend by our server. The toppings and therefore the flavours were all familiar. However the dish did not come to the table still sizzling in a heated stone pot, so the rice did not continue to cook and get crispy. Instead, it was more like a mushy risotto, not bad, just not expected.
Similarly, the texture of the Tteokbokki with ramen set was off. The rice cakes were hard, whereas I wanted a gummy chew much like mochi. The rest of the dish was great with the instant noodle soaking up much of the spicy and tangy to sweet gochujang sauce.
We were also expecting a cheesy pull from the slice of American cheese atop, but it didn’t seem to melt down as intended.
However, if we were to compare, our group preferred the new Spicy cold noodle summer dish. This is a great option for the hotter weather, although the restaurant has AC so you have no problem dining in and eating your favourite spicy and hot dishes, when it is scorching outside.
It is advised that you tackle this one quick and have the staff mix and cut it down to individual servings for you. We waited too long talking the perfect photo, and as a result the noodles stuck and hardened into one mass. The trick to “fixing” it was to add more broth to remoisten things, and to churn the noodles so that they retain their desired chewy and slurp-able texture. The thicker, julienned vegetables were a nice change of texture and add a cooling note. If you can only order one item off of their new menu, let it be this one.
The second is their Pineapple boneless short ribs set that you grill yourself at your table. And as is the case for such experiences they marinate and plate the course, and it is your job to finish it.
So how it tastes depends on how you prepared it. Overcook it and it will be dry and hard, and that will be your fault. What I can say is that the meat itself is chewy and fatty, and having the grilled sweet pineapple to pair it with, helped to cut down some of that gristle. The pineapple was the highlight of this thanks to its tasty char. It offered a tropical experience that beckoned summer.
Also new to their summer menu is this Cream shrimp dish. It is similar to ebi mayo with its thick tempura-like coating. I liked how large the shrimp was, but you didn’t get to taste much of it past the breading and the yuzu drizzle overtop. It would have been nice to have said sauce on the side, so that you can pick your own dipping adventure, and to avoid the shell from getting soggy. I was not a big fan of the citrus cream sauce. I can see that the intention was to have something light and uplifting for summer. Although I found it too much and too heavy with the thick tempura coating. At least the batter retained much of its crispiness, despite sitting for so long by the time we got to it.
In summary some great ideas and a fun new menu for the season. Cold noodles, grilled pineapple, and a green apple cocktail served in a sippy cup get my vote.
JJang Korean BBQ and Social House
5668 Hollybridge Way #115, Richmond, BC V7C 4N3
(604) 370-5668
