A Korean dining experience in Sydney

 

The best way to enjoy Korean cuisine in a Korean restaurant is to let a Korean place the order. This adage rang true recently when a Korean friend placed the order for a very satisfactory and authentic Korean lunch we savoured together.

 

Korean lunch at Jeong Dam, Eastwood

As Malcolm had completed his higher education in Australia, some guys whom he met in university remained his firm friends to this day. Among these friends from uni was Charlie, a Korean, who was joining us for lunch that day at Eastwood.

 

On the way to Eastwood, Malcolm told me that this suburb was mainly Korean on one side of the railway tracks while the population other side was identified as mainly Mainland Chinese with a section for Hong Kong Chinese.

 

A sun-dappled walk together

This was evident from the businesses and services that catered to the respective communities who have settled in this suburb.

 

When we entered a home equipment shop because Yeen wanted to enquire about an item she was keen to buy, I instantly knew that we were in the Chinese side of the suburb. This was because this shop was blasting a familiar Chinese New Year tune for in-house entertainment!

 

To reach the other side of town – across the railway tracks – we walked through an underpass. We walked along a charming, sun-dappled path under a canopy of fronds that had grown into a shady arch of trees.

 

The sign that welcomed us to
Koreatown in Eastwood

The pathway to the underpass was bordered by greenery dotted with fragrant flowers and suddenly we were enveloped by the scent of Jasmine, an aroma which reminded us of our grandmother who used to wear Jasmine blooms, tucked within her hairnet.

 

En route, I spotted a low pillar signage with words that read as: City of Ryde – Welcome to Koreatown – Eastwood, along with Korean script below. So I knew that we were headed into what was identified as, Koreatown.

 

It is interesting that most cities have a Chinatown where Chinese entrepreneurs have established businesses that catered to the needs of the Chinese community. The main businesses would include grocers that stocked ingredients for Chinese cooking, medicine or herb shops, tailors and hairdressers.

 

Facade of Jeong Dam Korean restaurant

People are comfortable to speak their own language or dialect among their own community, keep their own traditions and enjoy their own cuisine, so over time, large communities organically developed within various settlements.

 

As Australia welcomes people to make this place their home, there are now not only Chinese towns for various dialect groups but also Vietnamese towns, Thai towns as well as suburbs that are predominantly Japanese, Italian, French, Spanish, German, Nepalese, Indian and Middle Eastern.

 

Over the decades, Australia has thus been enriched by the culture and cuisine that these communities had brought along and woven it into the fabric of the local community.

 

The banchan dishes served to our table

So there we were at Eastwood, renowned as a Korean town and Chinese town with a clear border between them – the railway line.

 

The Eastwood Hotel was the appointed rendezvous for Malcolm’s friends to meet us, the bar a comfortable watering hole particularly on such a hot and humid day.

 

Upon arrival, I was introduced to Dominic and his wife, Elizabeth, and Charlie, the Korean friend. After cooling down with drinks, we headed across the road to the Jeong Dam Korean Restaurant.

 

Sliced braised Pork Knuckle/Feet served
with two condiments and fresh lettuce

They have dined in this restaurant before and were keen to have another experience but when we sat down at the table, they realized that the management may have changed since their previous visit.

 

I learnt that this group of friends often dined together and when they chose Korean cuisine, the task to place their meal orders, fell upon the Korean among them.

 

So the menu was handed to Charlie who politely asked me if I had any food preferences or restrictions, before he placed the order with the waitress, speaking in their own language. He told us that if the order was not enough, he would add items later.

 

This is the way to assemble a bite of wrap!

When the tall and statuesque figure of the waitress left our table to return to the counter to place our order, our eyes followed her. This was because – we all agreed – that she looked unusually tall for a Korean woman!

 

In the tradition of serving Korean cuisine, small plates of banchan were first served to the table. One cover of a gas stove was opened in preparation for the serving of a dish that required being kept warm.

 

The first dish served was Pig’s Feet in the English translation printed in the menu but I figured that it could be Braised Pork Knuckle with the gelatinous layers of meat sliced and arranged neatly. This dish was served with two condiments and fresh lettuce leaves.

 

Korean Seafood Pancake with generous
chunks of seafood

I observed Charlie as he picked up one lettuce leaf and assembled small portions of the two condiments and topped them with a slice of the braised pork. He then folded the lettuce wrap before taking a bite. Then I followed his lead and did the same.

 

As the others also enjoyed their first taste of this dish, I heard their favourable comments about its taste, declaring that this tasted better than others which they have eaten.

 

While I cannot compare its taste with other Korean restaurants, I must admit that the braised pork slices tasted good, quite alike to pork braised in soya sauce.

 

The next dish of Seafood and Green Onion Pancake was a familiar favourite at Korean restaurants but I observed that this pancake was dotted by generous chunks of seafood.

 

A very agreeable dish of braised 
Spicy Beef Short Ribs

When the third and final dish was served, this platter was placed on the gas stove and the flame ignited to keep it warm. The waitress uncovered the lid to reveal the dish as Braised Spicy Beef Short Ribs in gochujang or Korean red pepper paste sauce.

 

The inviting aroma that arose from this dish promised a great taste. And I was right.

 

When I dished a portion of the tender beef ribs for myself, I discovered that there were pieces of potato, carrot and tteokbokki or chewy cylindrical rice cakes, swimming in the spicy gravy.

 

It was fun to be in the company of this group of friends who were exchanging friendly banter as we dined in a convivial manner, not standing-on-ceremony but with a decent familiarity with each other.

 

As we polished off the dishes one-by-one and felt comfortably full, we agreed that Charlie was right in his estimate when he placed the meal order. No, we did not want any additional items but was ready to move on to enjoy hot coffee and dessert.

 

Facade of the Korean cafe

The group moved in unison and headed down to the opposite end of the block of shops where a Korean-run café was doing brisk business. While the entrance was narrow, it opened out from a corridor to the wide seating area at the rear.

 

But before being seated, I took a closer look at the cakes and pastries in the showcase. And I spotted crème puffs in two choices of fillings: fresh cream and chocolate cream. It was not difficult for me to make a decision – one of each – please?

I heard Charlie speak to the merchant in Korean to place our coffee and pastries order. When the orders were served to our table, I saw that there was also a refreshing mountain of shaved ice – Mango Bingsu – for us to share.

 

Creme puffs and coffee!

“Where is Elizabeth?” Dominic asked when he realized that his wife was not seated at the table. Puzzled just as he was, we did not have any reply for him.

 

After a short wait, she turned up with something in her hands. Elizabeth had snuck off to buy packets of Korean matcha chewy snacks for us to sample with our coffee.

 

Thank you all, for your thoughtfulness in letting me experience authentic Korean hospitality at its best in Sydney, from lunch to coffee and dessert. “Gamsahabnida!”

 

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