Modern & Innovative Korean Cuisine
Pegged as one of the most anticipated and high profile openings last year during the height of the pandemic, Hansik Goo aims to deliver "home-cooked fare, royal inspired cuisine to innovative creations that Chef Mingoo Kang is loved for. The menu offers authentic Korean flavours with a creative flair."
We kicked off our lovely meal with some Makgeolli and Lemon Soju, after all it was a Friday! Makgeolli is a raw milky-white sparkling rice wine with a cloudy appearance, typically served in a small pottery bowl. It is considered one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in Korea, dating back to the Three Kingdoms era from the 1st century BCE.
Hansik Goo is only open during dinner and offers a tasting menu with additional a la carte add-ons like Korean Fried Chicken, Pajeon and Galbi Jjim.
Our first course was a Corn Juk, a rice porridge made with crab meat and asparagus. The texture of the porridge was much lighter than the traditional Cantonese style congee.
The next course was Hoe, a Yellowtail Sashimi served with a light coat of Doenjang sauce made of soybean paste. This dish was very refreshing to the palette.
The third dish Jeonbok Yukhoe was my absolute favourite, Abalone Beef Tartare. The abalone elevated both the mouthfeel and taste of the beef tartare, adding another layer of flavour and texture. The delicately chopped pieces of beef almost melted in your mouth and were balanced out by the crunchiness of the green onion and pine nuts. The crispy fried seaweed pieces on the side were the perfect accompaniment to scoop up all of this deliciousness. It was simply one of the best beef tartare dishes I have had in a long while.
The fourth dish Samgye Risotto, was one of most succulent pieces of chicken I have tasted, juicy on the inside with fried chicken skin wrapped around the outside to provide the crunchy texture. The risotto was slow cooked in a fragrant ginseng chicken broth.
The fifth dish was a Jorim. Hansik Goo's Jorim is a traditional dish featuring a slow cooked fish in Ganjang-based Korean chili broth with crispy braised radish. Jorim is known as one of the most popular ways to serve fish and vegetables in Korean home cooking.
The sixth course was the BBQ Pork & Janchi Guksu, a succulent Iberico pork chop that was so soft and tender it barely required any chewing. It has just the right amount of fattiness that it just oozed with flavour. Accompanying the pork was Janchi Guksu, an anchovy Soup Noodle with Namul. This was a perfect pairing to cut through the fattiness of the pork.
The tasting menu itself is quite filling though we still added a few more dishes as we could not resist the temptation to give them a try. These dishes can be more commonly found at other Korean restaurants. The Pajeon, a seafood pancake made with fried scallion, and Korean Fried Chicken. Hansik Goo is renowned for its Korean Fried Chicken. At one point this parcel of goodness was offered as takeaway during lockdown, which I sadly missed out on.
Hansik Goo is hands down one of my favourite Korean restaurants, with its creative interpretation of traditional Korean dishes.
On July 3, Hansik Goo wrapped up its final service at its former Lyndhurst Terrace location and has re-opened with a new design and menu inside The Wellington. We cannot wait to visit again and experience Chef Mingoo's new menu creations.
LOCATION (NEW)
Hansik Goo
1/F, The Wellington,
198 Wellington Street,
Central, Hong Kong
HOURS
Dinner 18:00-22:00
Monday to Saturday
Closed on Sunday
RESERVATIONS
Reservations required at least one to two months in advance. Reservations can be made by phone at +852 2798 8768 or by email at info@hansikgoo.hk
MOST RECENT VISIT
7 May 2021