Business Times - 16 Feb 2009
Not your usual Korean cuisine
NEW RESTAURANT
Sarang
#02-02 87 Science Park Drive,
Science Hub. Singapore Science Park 1
Tel: 6773-1322
CRYSTAL Jade's Korean restaurants had better keep an eye out for Sarang, which is trying to emulate what the Chinese restaurant group is doing.
That is, serving traditional Korean dishes, family-style, in a contemporary environment. The points of difference are that Sarang - for now, at least - isn't as accessible as other Korean restaurants located in town, and it doesn't have do-it-yourself barbecue pits at the table.
Other than that, Sarang, which means love in Korean, offers the Singapore market yet another take on traditional Korean cuisine - but with a few 'improvements' in the presentation.
For example, the usual assortment of small dishes or panchan are not placed right in front of you before the meal. As my Korean dining companion pointed out, panchan are actually meant to be eaten as side dishes, not all-you-can-eat appetisers that you fill yourself up on such that you spoil your appetite for the main dishes.
Sarang's panchan definitely impressed - perfectly braised brinjal, bites of deep-fried tau kua (beancurd) and freshly pickled vegetables. One only hopes this spread doesn't get tired and perfunctory after a while, as in many Korean restaurants.
The panchan arrived after we had our dwaejigogi bossam ($38) appetiser, a dish not usually available at Korean restaurants. Sarang serves the boiled belly pork in succulent slices arranged over a steaming pot of water, to keep it moist, presumably. You wrap the pork in lettuce, adding garnishes like raw garlic, bean paste and fresh kimchi. The pork didn't have a porky smell to it and the fresh kimchi was a mild pickled cabbage.
Our main courses for the night included sogalbi jjim ($48) - some good braised beef short ribs in a slightly-sweet broth, with root vegetables like carrots and radish. Then there was the ubiquitous ginseng chicken soup ($32), a dish by which Korean restaurants are judged on.
Here's where Crystal Jade Korean's version still reigns supreme. Sarang's ginseng chicken was more like a hearty chicken soup with no more than a whiff of ginseng. It was tasty, yes, with smooth tender chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, but it lacked the herbal oomph we looked forward to.
The menu has a variety of noodles and rice dishes, such as hot stone pot rice served with a hearty bean paste stew ($7). The selection includes rice, noodles and pancakes, with signature dishes bearing a 'must try' mark.
Overall, the dishes are well-prepared and of consistent quality. Sarang was opened by a Korean who became a Singaporean national seven years ago. Lee Seheon, who used to be in the IT industry, hired Korean chefs so he could showcase cuisine other than the ubiquitous grilled meat and extra spicy dishes that are synonymous with Korean food here.
Singaporeans living in the west will find Sarang a nice addition to the restaurant repertoire there, though the location at Science Park seems a tad remote for those living in other parts of the island.
But apparently there are plans to open other outlets, and if so, the modern restaurant setting will certainly make Korean family style dining quite accessible. Besides the a la carte menu, lunch sets are priced below $20, while dinner sets are $38++ per person.
Rating: 6.5/10
By Cheah Ui-Hoon
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