KEN HUNTS FOOD: K-Pot Korean Fusion Restaurant @ Prima Tanjung, Tanjung Bungah, Penang.

Friday, October 17, 2014

K-Pot Korean Fusion Restaurant @ Prima Tanjung, Tanjung Bungah, Penang.

An extended outlet of K-Pot is housed within the commercial building of Prima Tanjung; the branch here offers a slightly different menu (not a place for Barbecue). The humble Korean restaurant here dishes out home-cooked style Korean dishes, at relatively lower prices as compared to its sister restaurant. The setting is simple- nothing pretentious, no kitschy posters/ mural paints on the wall, no elegant furniture; but rather, a clean and spacious place to have a quick meal. The serving speed was fast and the server was very friendly. A place that I would love to drop by to sate my cravings for Korean food.

Toppoki/ Korean Rice Cake or Kimbap/ Korean Wrapped Rice Rolls? No worries. You can have both in one go by having their Toppoki + Kimbap Set (Rm 15). The Toppoki sauce was impressive, it was sweet with a mellow spicy kick. It was not monotonous, the sweetness was heightened by the generously added vegetables (Cabbage, Carrots, Onions and Spring Onions); while the Korean Rice Cake provides a chewy bite to the dish. Dip the Kimbap with the Toppoki sauce for a more dimensional flavor and texture. The Kimbap was firm and crunchy but nothing too spectacular on its own but it worked perfectly well with the sweet Toppoki sauce I reckon; a unique, sweet and satisfying bite that I could not put into words.

Adventurous eaters would probably love to try their Spicy Fried Ramen (Rm 12- ala carte; Rm 15- with Kimbap). The instant noodle-like Korean Ramen was given a quick stir fry and Gochujang/ Korean Hot Pepper Paste was heavily used in this dish. The flavors were precisely calibrated- delicately salted but it comes with a tongue-numbingly hot sensation. The server was worried if we could finish the dish. We did manage to wipe every single noodle off the plate but boy, that dish was sweat-inducing.

A safer yet more refreshing option will be Bibim Ramen (Rm 12- ala carte; Rm 15- with Kimbap); it has traces of Gochujang sauce, less-spicy of course. Julienned Cucumbers and a halved Hard Boiled Egg were topped on the noodles. The Cucumber provides a juicy crunch to the Ramen, introducing a more refreshing bite. Not too shabby though the portion was relatively smaller than the previous dish.

Sides were simple but pleasing; Kimchi was as good as what we had at its sister restaurant few months back; crunchy, spicy and appetizing. Equally delicious was the Omelette; fluffy, eggy and delicately salted; a perfect complement to the noodles. Blanched Broccoli with a dollop of Gochujang sauce was direct and straight-forward, nothing out of the ordinary but I am not complaining. All sides are complimentary and refillable.

Put a stop to the sultry heat by having their Bingsu (Rm 3.50-small, Rm 12- large), shaved ice drenched with Chocolate Syrup, served with Red Bean Paste and canned Fruits. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. I did not expect to see Chocolate Syrup and canned Fruits here; it should not be hard to imagine the taste- nothing overly exciting or worth to mention.