Come for the Korean BBQ, stay for the bountiful ‘banchan’ at Don Dwae Ji Sam Gyeob Sal in Sri Petaling

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Another workout successfully completed, my friend and I departed from the gym looking for some calories. Or, in his case, protein — and lots of it.

Somehow we ended up wandering around the food haven of Sri Petaling. After parking, we roamed the streets till our hunger and the darkening skies encouraged us to make a decision. We ended up at Don Dwae Ji Sam Gyeob Sal, a popular Korean BBQ buffet spot here.

I’m never a fan of smoky interiors (the bane of most Korean BBQ places) so we grab a table outside, albeit in a covered space. This proves to be a wise decision as it begins to pour almost as soon as we take our seats.

How refreshing! (And thankfully dry, thanks to the ample storefront awning.)

Everything arrives in rapid order: the platters of uncooked meat, the ya chea ba gu ni (vegetable basket) comprising green coral lettuce and onion, sliced raw garlic and chillies. The electric grill is switched on and heats up swiftly.

A bountiful array of ‘banchan’ or side dishes.

Our friendly server brings us a bountiful array of banchan or side dishes. Some are requisite staples; others are oftentimes delicate in both texture and flavour.

Easily the biggest draw is their homemade kimchi, which is slightly sweet and mildly spicy. Crunch on discs of their o-e mu chim or seasoned cucumber. Alternate between bites of so sae jibok eum (stir-fried sausages) and jul kong bok eum (stir-fried green beans).

For fans of radish banchan, there are two types available: the pearly translucent ssam moo (pickled radish) and the fiery-red moo saeng chae (seasoned radish). Both are delicious, but the ssam moo is clearly the more addictive of the two.

Less enthralling are the ddang kong mu chim (peanuts in sweet sauce) and yun doo boo (soft tofu in Korean style soy sauce); you’d find more exciting versions elsewhere.

What is truly outstanding, I reckon, is their gam ja bok eum or stir-fried potato. These aren’t crispy but taste almost like mashed potato in julienned form.

Grilling marinated pork requires heat-safe paper to avoid the drippings from burning.

There is a limited but decent number of meats available for ordering — "All you can eat within two hours,” as our server reminds us. These include sam gyeob sal (pork belly), mok sal (pork shoulder loin), dak galbi (spicy marinated chicken), curry marinated chicken and sausages.

We opted for several rounds of their yang nyeom dwae ji go gi (marinated pork) and mae woon dwae ji go gi (spicy marinated pork) given our protein-forward mission. Grilling both types of marinated pork requires heat-safe paper to avoid the drippings from burning.

Soon the aroma of cooked meat — the magic of the Maillard reaction where beautiful sugars make sweet love with muscle-building amino acids for the delectable browning we crave when we barbecue.

I need my carbohydrates too, of course, plus I can’t wait for the first round of grilling to be done. So, without further ado or much ceremony, I dig into a bowl of simple ramyeon, which is refillable, just like the meat and the banchan.

Even a simple bowl of ‘ramyeon’ can hit the spot on a cold, rainy afternoon.

Amazing how spicy instant noodles can hit the spot on a cold, rainy afternoon.

There are Korean beers available — Hite, Cass and Kloud — as well as the classic Korean liquor of soju (also available in "cocktail” flavours such as pomegranate, blueberry, peach, green apple and, oddly, pineapple). We pass on these, not wanting to compromise our efforts earlier at the gym.

The other tables have "pit-masters” who are restrained in their grilling approach. We are barbaric and beastly; our meat dances dangerously close to the edge of burnt.

But you do you, and we do us, yes? Cook to your preferred char — no one will judge you!

Given it is the namesake of the restaurant, we can’t resist finishing our feast with an order of sam gyeob sal (pork belly), with another of mok sal (pork shoulder loin) just for balance. The former cooks quickly so be attentive, unless you enjoy bacon-flavoured crisps as we do.

Cook to your preferred char - no one will judge you!

The thunderstorm dissipates as we call it a day, patting our bellies. Not a bad way to escape the elements on a rainy afternoon, eh?

Restoran Korean BBQ - Don Dwae Ji Sam Gyeob Sal

91, 77, Jalan Radin Tengah, Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, KL

Open Sun-Thu 3-11pm, Fri-Sat 1-11pm

Tel: 03-90562573

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