Therese in Taiwan: Flavors of Korea 韓國口味

Since I live with my relatives here in Taipei, I don't really have the opportunity to eat at the restaurants around my school because my aunt feeds me. However, because of the recent move, the house is still in disarray so much so that we always have to eat out.

When my girl friends (a Korean and a German) and I were planning on having lunch together, our teacher suggested that my Korean friend take us to this Korean restaurant outside National Chengchi University (the university I'm currently attending).

From the main gate, you turn right and then you'll see Watson's across the street. Keep walking until you see this electronics store (if I remember correctly), and the Korean restaurant will be beside it (on the 2nd floor). Cross the street to get to the restaurant.

They have 2 areas - the main "outer" area and the secondary "inner" area. The former has more or less 9 tables. The latter only has 2 tables, and you get to sit on the floor (on top of pillows of course!) This area is only used when the former is full.



Each person gets an appetizer and unlimited soup for each meal ordered. You could choose from a variety of side dishes. My friends went for the sweet potato and I went for the bean sprouts.

We didn't have to wait long before our orders arrived. My Korean friend and I both got the 소고기 덮밥 (sogogi deopbab), which is a beef rice meal, and my German friend got the vegetarian version of the 돌솥비빔밥 (dolsot bibimbap). Bibimbap is rice topped with vegetables, egg, and beef. This one came without the beef.

소고기 덮밥 (sogogi deopbab) | PhP 180

돌솥비빔밥 (dolsot bibimbap) | PhP 150

I don't know if this is how it's done in other Korean restaurants, but in this one, you add the chili pepper paste yourself. I guess it's so that people who don't like spicy food can regulate the amount of the paste.

We also had the 해물 부침개 (haemul buchimgae), or otherwise known as seafood pancake. We liked how crispy and thin the pancake was, and how big the seafood was.

해물 부침개 (haemul buchimgae) | PhP 180

The second time we went there, my German friend and I ordered the same thing we ordered before, but our Korean friend went for 신라면 (sinlamyeon) because she was craving for noodles. She said that in Korea, this dish is typically served spicy, but that because most Taiwanese aren't accustomed to really spicy food, the level in this dish has been brought down.

신라면 (sinlamyeon) | PhP 135

We like this restaurant so much that we're going back there soon. If you ever get the chance to visit Taipei, or find yourself around the vicinity of National Chengchi University, be sure to try this place out!