For those familiar with Burquitlam’s bustling Korea town, the name Nadri resonates. This is the Korean restaurant tucked away within a small food court, specializing in Korean style home cooking. Joyce of @monekyeatsworld had first introduced them to me, and I was an immediate fan. So learning that they have a new standalone location, in the same plaza as the city’s H-Mart, I was excited to check them out.
They have taken up shop in the old home of Kang’s Kitchen, keeping the name, decor, and only marking their takeover with a banner outside reading “under new management”. During the date of my visit, this was still a fairly recent transition and the staff were doing well with acclimating themselves to the new space. A pretty nondescript setting with black painted wooden tables and chairs, and dark booth separated by wooden dividers.
Just as well, as the food is why you come anyways. And the menu is so tantalizing with so many options, making it hard to choose.
We started with some drinks. They have locally produced Makguli, which is brewed with Korean rice. I find it a fusion blend of beer, wine, Yakult and kumbucha all rolled into one. A unique spirit that is easy going and can be sipped with or without food, for longer durations.
I liked that we got the full experience as the bottle was served on ice, accompanied by traditional drinking vessels. Although it humoursly reminded me of kittens drinking out of a saucer of milk.
In the future the new owners of Kang’s Kitchen hopes to introduce more liqueur to their menu and outfit the space in neon signs to give it a more trendy vibe, to match.
Our meal started with the tradition of complimentary and unlimited Korean sides. Today these were not overly fermented or too acidic kimchi, roasted soy beans that offered freshness and a textural crunch, and sweet starchy potatoes that are my favourite.
The following are the four dishes that our server helped us narrow down our order to. Not an easy task, as everything read as being delicious.
If memory serves, Nadri’s pork bone soup was some of the best I have had, so was sure to order Kang’s Kitchen’s Beef rib kalguksoo. This is a rich and flavourful beef bone soup with dried radish leaves imported from Korea. Out of all of their soups, this was said to be the richest and most comforting. The beef falls off the bone, the noodles are made in house, and the broth is so satisfying. Typically a soup served in summer, this is one that I would crave again more so in fall.
The Cheese Bul-Dak is cheesy stir-fried spicy chicken. They were not short on cheese, there were plenty of stringy strands to help balance out the bolder sweet and saucy flavours. This is then coupled with crisp veggies, tender dark meat chicken, and chewy rice cakes.
Another summer favourite is their cold arrowroot noodles. You can choose to have them with either their beef broth or their spicy sauce; or do what we did and combine both in the Spicy Naeng-Myun icy beef broth and sweet and spicy sauce dish. This way we got the best of both words, topped off with cucumber, radish, sliced fruit & egg. Very refreshing in both taste and temperature as cold soup can be on a nice summer day.
And we had to order the Egg roll with the add on of cheese, because the menu recommended it. Plus I have never seen such a dish on any other Korean menu. Although at the end of the day it is just a creamy and eggy omelet with a mayo and ketchup drizzle, bound together in a light airy texture. Fun, but if I were to do this again, I would order something a bit more complex, that only their kitchen can make.
In closing, a great option for home style Korean cuisine, when you are overwhelmed with all the other options. Can recommend!
Kang’s Kitchen 강철판 – by Nadri Restaurant
#240 – 329 North Rd, Coquitlam, BC V3K 3V8
(604) 492-3737
