Chez Kimchi Civic, Canberra. April 2021

Korean Side Dishes

As promised in a previous post, we have now had a chance to review Chez Kimchi.

As you may guess from the name of the restaurant, it is Korean and offers vegetable pancakes, Bi Bi Bap, Bulgolgi etc. It is located in the shop where Sammy’s was originally located.

The hungry group included Harper, Lindsay, Jamie and a guest.

Having read the menu, Harper decided to order Bibimbap with spicy pork in a hot stone bowl ($21.00). Anyone who is familiar with the dish is aware it is not something that can be easily shared.

The rest of us decided to share. The following were the items chosen. For a starter: Deep fried dumplings with veggies ($9.50), then Kimchi pancake ($17.00), Bulgolgi ($20.50) and Tender Long Chicken ($20.00). The menu chosen might indicate hunger, greed or both.

Before the meal was served we were provided with Kimchi and other Korean tastes (love the potato). Very nice and welcoming.

• 

• 

Jamie
Unfortunately for my table companions, they were disappointed by the dumplings…

because they only received one each and I ate the rest. They were small, crispy in a good way and delicious. There was some mention of ordering more but I was quickly told that there was more than enough food arriving and if I was still hungry after that I could order more. (Why did I agree?)

• 

• 

Four were served but I was hungry.

I pointedly ignored the Kimchi pancake. It ignored me in return, but was greeted with delight by other people.
Shortly after the Bulgolgi and Long Chicken arrived, looking delectable. Hesitating meant others reached the food first but that was fair after my behavior with the dumplings. Heaping my plate with the chicken, some rice and meat, it was hard to decide which to try first. My chopsticks reached for the chicken without any thought, which I dipped into the accompanying sauce. Quickly conveying it to my mouth I bit to find a crunchy coating, tender chicken in a lovely sauce. The chicken was wonderful without the sauce but it added an extra tang.

I ate another piece but noticed the Bulgolgi was looking a little disheartened. How could I treat it in this way? I quickly ate some and enjoyed the flavor I remembered so well. It reminded me of the first time I’d tried the meal in South Korea and how much I’d enjoyed it. The addition of pear works so well in the marinade.

I kept eating, enjoying the meal and conversation but sadly became full so could not order more dumplings. Sadness. But also happiness at how much I’d enjoyed the food.

I didn’t clean my plate, but my attempt was not half hearted.

Score: 4.9/5

Harper

I like BiBimbap and food in a hot stone bowl. I’d never added spicy pork to it until now, but felt like a change.
Jamie grudgingly gave me a veggie dumpling and watched me consume it, possibly waiting for it to be passed back. I didn’t because I enjoyed it.

The bowl was hot. The pork: spicy. Mixing it around, I added a little Kimchi and tasted. Spicy, hot, fresh flavours all mixed with the paste and egg. Very tasty. I ate contentedly and then tried the Kimchi pancake. It was tasty but a little too oily. Not the worst I’ve had and if it had a little less oil, I would have enjoyed it more.

I cleaned my plate and thoroughly enjoyed the Bibimbap.

Score: 4.8

Both Lindsay and the guest enjoyed the meal but have not yet provided their input due to other commitments. As we attended this restaurant in April, rather than wait any longer, a decision was made to post the review.

Overall
Chez Kimchi provided good quality and tasty Korean food with many options and side dishes. The food was served promptly and the staff were efficient. We will return.

Overall Score: 4.8
If Lindsay has time to contribute the review will be updated.

Random Recipe: “Fresh Lemon Loaf” from The Australian Women’s Weekly Original Cookbook by Ellen Sinclair

This book was first published in 1970 but my copy is more recent.  Even so, the book shows many signs of use and even includes a recipe for Brawn: a food memory that still makes me feel ill.  However, despite its age, it has simple and easy to follow recipes, if you can still obtain some of the ingredients. It also describes cuts of meats, various vegetables and conversion of Imperial measures to metric which can be very useful.

The book was never under any threat of being removed from the cookbook shelf as it is still used often for some old favourites.  A recipe review was due and the more exotic ingredients were running low.  In addition, the eggs were reaching their expiry date.  Lemons were in the fruit bowl, walnuts in the nut, bean and dried fruit cupboard and the other ingredients were available.

As anyone who has read this blog knows I have a fondness for lemon flavoured desserts and a hatred of my Kitchen Aid mixer.  The crumb of the cakes it produces is coarse and adding flour when mixing often results in extensive cleaning.  Very soon I plan to purchase an Australian made hand mixer which will take up less room and, hopefully, produce a better result.

Enough unimportant information.  Onto the cake.

The Recipe

• 

• 

As it is now winter, the butter required a little attention from the microwave so it could cream.  The sugar was added and then the eggs.  Removing the mix from the mixer, the flour was added and beaten by hand (holding a wooden spoon) alternately with the milk.  After adding the walnuts and lemon rind as directed it was placed in a loaf tin and then the oven.  Instead of only finely grated lemon rind, I included some less finely grated to intensify the lemon flavour.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Wandering away, I contemplated why my search for the lemon cake of my childhood continued to elude me.  When in a supermarket, I search shelves of cake mix for a lemon cake, but it appears it is no longer popular.  Who want a red velvet (pah!) cake when the heart longs for a Lemon Pudding Cake?

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

When the cake appeared cooked, it was removed from the oven and icing prepared. 

Icing applied; the cake was not permitted to cool before it was tested.  Again, the crumb was too coarse but the flavour of lemon and walnuts was appealing. 

• 

• 

As anticipated, TAWWC (The Australian Women’s Weekly Cookbook will remain on the shelf.

(Since cooking the above recipe, I made Cream Scones from the same cookbook and was very impressed at how quick they were to make and resulted in light and tasty scones. The recipe is included below.)

Apologies for how short this review is but the recipe is extremely simple and for the delayed review of Chez Kimchi. Some contributors are very busy at present.