(I hope you will be pleased that this does not contain a review of Eggs Beneditct.
In the last year a light rail has been finished which links Civic with Gungahlin. This is a wonderful introduction and there are plans to expand the light rail network throughout Canberra linking the main centres.
Deciding to use this new form of transport Harper and I agreed to catch the light rail from Civic (Northbourne Avenue) to Gunghalin Square (where the light rail terminates). One reason for this is parking in Gunghalin shopping area can be problematic at times and difficult at others.
The ride was quiet and during these COVID19 times we used the available hand sanitiser before and after we used the light rail.
On arriving we alighted the tram and decided we would like to eat lunch. Gunghalin has many restaurants which cater to many tastes. We’ve previously reviewed the Kokoro restaurant in this area.
It was interesting to look at the many options available, including Chinese, Indian, Thai, cafe’s etc. After looking at a few restaurants Harper expressed a desire for Korean food. We were standing outside Arirang and entered.
The restaurant was empty as it was approximately 11.30 am and we were seated quickly and presented with menus and water.
Jamie
After looking carefully I chose the Korean Leek Pancake ($15.00) after checking no seafood was added. (In the past there have been ‘vegetable or leek pancakes which have included octopus, so I am a little wary.) Our surroundings remained quiet and some kimchi and pickled carrots were brought. The pickled carrots were pleasant.
When the Leek Pancake arrived I was not very impressed. It was large enough and the outside looked good but it was apparent that the middle of the pancake was doughy and not fully cooked.
Carefully I cut and ate the outside of the pancake which was reasonable, if a little bland. Some of it was crunchy, which was pleasant but as soon as I delved into the middle I knew my earlier assumption was correct. The middle was very doughy. Knowing the consequences if I ate it, I decided to leave the rest.
After eating Leek pancakes in South Korea and various restaurants in Australia, these were not a good representation. On the plus side they contained no octopus but the middle was under cooked and the mixture sdull. As I did not finish more than half of the pancake due to these deficiencies it scored low. The wait staff did not notice any signals when we needed more water or even return to ask if everything was okay. This caused my estimation of the service to drop. All through our meal we were the only customers.
Overall I was not impressed with the service or the food.
I did not clean my plate.
Score: 2/5
Harper
It was easy for me to choose: the stone bowl Bibimbap (Dosot Bibimbap $17.00). As I waited the kimchi was a pleasant diversion as were the other side dishes. It is good not to have to worry about sharing the Kimchi, shame about the requirement to share the carrots. I wasn’t quite sure what the other side was but it tasted slightly fishy, which meant Jamie refused to touch it. All the more for me!
When my order arrived it was sizzling, looked and smelled good. The beef was okay but the fresh, crunchy vegetables and rice were better. It was pleasant to have a choice of sauces and I tried variations of them as I ate. One was very spicy which is good, but meant careful judgement when I added it. When I thought of it I added what was left of the sides which added another dimension.
As Jamie wouldn’t eat the rest of the pancake, I decided to try it. It was doughy and not cooked enough, but reasonably okay when enough sauce was added.
I didn’t enjoy the atmosphere and while the food was okay, it was lacking and the pancake was under-cooked which meant Jamie went hungry.
The service was noticeable for the lack of service.
I cleaned my plate.
Score: 2.5/5
Overall
Both Harper and I had different experiences with the food. I was underwhelmed by both the food and service and leaving half my meal indicated it did not appeal to me. Harper enjoyed his Bibimbap, but stated it was not up to the standard he expected. The meat was adequate and the sauces were good and while the price was reasonable, it was not impressive.
It is extremely unlikely we will dine in this restaurant again.
Overall Score: 2/5
Clean the Plate 