A Modern Fine Dining Style with Korean Taste

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In its country of origin, South Korea, Samwon Garden claimed to be the largest top class restaurant which can accommodate 1,200 guests. The restaurant also designs the interior to bring the ambience of Korean traditional garden. However, the large garden is not presented in their branch in Jakarta.

In Samwon Garden, which is located in Lotte Shopping Avenue, South Jakarta, there is no hanok (Korean traditional house) or hanbok (Korean traditional outfit) displayed. The Samwon Garden in Jakarta tends to put image as a modern fine dining restaurant. It was reflected on the urban table sets designs and modern toaster instead of traditional charcoal that is used to roast the galbi (roasted ribs) and bulgogi (roasted beef).

The restaurant offers five kinds of Banchan (side dishes), which consist of Oiseon (cucumber pickles), Haemul Pajeon (egg and seafodd omelette), Sigeumchi Namul (seasoned spinach), Tangpyeongchae (sprouts, radish, and celery that are mixed with bean paste), and Bugeo Bopuragi (shredded radishes fried together with tiny sea fishes and peanuts). The Kimchi, which is usually served as a main course, was also served with the banchan.

First, we tried the restaurant's Samwon Galbi or the ribs which was immersed in pear juice and rice wine and then roasted. The ribs tasted sweet and savory at the same time and when it was eaten by rolling the beef with veggies, the taste was very delicious. The Samwon Galbi has succeeded in translating the delicacy of Korean ribs for Indonesian tongue enjoyment.

Park Dong Se, the Head Chef of the restaurant said that he used traditional seasonings which have been used for 30 years to immerse the ribs. Via an electronic mail, Park said that Samwon Jakarta handles the ribs traditionally starting from cutting the ribs until it was seasoned. However, Park didn't mention the detail of seasonings he was using.

Our second menu was soupy meals, the Shabu Bulgogi, which combines Japanese and Korean terms for its name. The food consisted of slices of beef that was half cooked which was then boiled together with veggetables and Korean vermicelli (japchaei). The vermicelli was not white as ordinary vermicelli because it was made of brown rice powder. Among the vegetables, you will find enoki, shitake mushrooms and radishes cut in long pieces.

Unlike our first menu, Shabu Bulgogi tasted very plain without any flavor of seasonings. The Bulgogi was not sweet as it usually tastes. The particularity of the dish was in the aroma of mushrooms when they plunged into the boiling broth. People in Korea usually eat the dish during the spring.

We had to break the traditional Korean rule to eat not more than two kinds of main course. But the small portions of the dishes forced our stomach to ask for more. So we ordered the third menu, the Dolsot Bimbibab, or mixed rice.

Just like other Korean restaurants, Samwon Garden serves the Bimbibab on the hot pot. The dish is made of rice, vegetables, half-cooked egg, olive oil, and red bean paste (gochujang). Once the smokey pot arrived on our table, the waiter showed off his skill in mixing the rice and vegetables with the half-cooked egg. The waiter also made rice crust sticking on the hot pot without burning the rice, which became our favorite part of the Dolsot Bimbibab.

CHETA NILAWATY