Koreana Korean Restaurant, Soi 1 North Pattaya

[Bruce Mangosteen 538]

Last night Lady Mangosteen and I made the trek up to Soi 1 to the Koreana Korean Restaurant. It is certainly worth a visit, and we enjoyed our meal.

 

The facility itself, while rather small, is clean and brightly lit. The furnishings are basic as Korean restaurants tend to be. BTW, sorry about the quality of the photos, I took them with my phone.

 

 

 

BTW, the place is deserted in the pics because it closed just as we were leaving and I snapped those pics on the way out. When we got there, several parties of Koreans were scattered throughout the place.

 

The menu is not elaborate. Lady Mangosteen had never had Korean food before, so I took care of ordering. We had bulgogi, kimchee soup, and a mixed seafood soup.

 

Of course, the first thing to come out are the small side-dishes the Koreans are so famous for, called banchan. In this case they were delicious as they always are, and featured sliced marinated garlic, a particular favorite of mine.

 

 

The item in the center of the picture is the lettuce, garlic, peppers and ssamjang (Korean pepper paste) you eat the bulgogi with.

 

Of course, of particular interest in a Korean restaurant is the kimchee. Kimchee, which is various sorts of vegetables marinated and fermented in spices and brine, is very individual, and I have never had kimchee in any place that tastes like that of any other place. In the Koreana, the kimchee is not spicy or salty, two things which I like, and that shifted the flavor slightly toward sour. I prefer the flavor a bit more balanced personally, but I was pleased with it overall.

 

The bulgogi was, as always, cooked at the table. Koreans cook it themselves, but us non-Koreans were supplied a waitress to cook the bulgogi and tell us when it was ready. This restaurant, typical of smaller Korean places, cooked the bulgogi on a gas-fired skillet. I much prefer the barbecued type, but it isn't easy to come by outside Korea.

 

 

When cooked, the waitress turns the heat down and it's time to eat. You grab a lettuce leaf, put some meat on it, add a garlic clove, a piece of green pepper and some ssamjang, roll it up and pop the while thing in your mouth. Delicious.

 

A closer look at the fixins:

 

...and a prepared mouthful:

 

I'll spare you a picture of me stuffing it into my gob.

 

The kimchee soup was lovely, the spicy taste nicely offset with the slightly sour flavor of the kimchee. It included slices of pork, and what to me was excellent tofu. Tofu is soy bean curd which is pressed and cut into cubes. For those familiar with Thai tofu, Korean tofu is much thicker in consistancy, to the point where it is easily picked up with chopsticks even after it has been boiled, and has a lovely grainy/organic flavor that Thai tofu lacks. In general I MUCH prefer Korean tofu to any other I have tasted; the tofu here was marvelous.

 

 

 

The mixed seafood soup was good, although I would have preferred a touch more salt. It featured lots of crab legs and other parts, small clams, vegetables and more of that lovely tofu.

 

 

I ordered the seafood soup specifically for Lady Mangosteen, and she was quite pleased with it.

 

 

The drinks menu is short. Heineken and Singha beers, and soft drinks. I believe I saw bottles of soju in the fridge case, but I didn't indulge. Soju is a clear, slightly sweet wine made from rice, and it is a VERY traditional and typical tipple for Koreans. I happen to love soju (it is one of the only sorts of alcohol other than beer that I have drunk in any kind of quantity), especially when miced 50-50 with baeksaju, another rice wine which is flavored with herbs.

 

The meal, including two large bottles of Singha (which complemented the food well I might add), cost me 1,130 baht, and I threw in a 100 baht tip for the excellent, prompt service. The service here deserves a mention. It was polite and VERY fast. Lady M's questions were answered in a courteous manner, and the staff waied us respectfully when we left.

 

BTW, in case you didn't notice, Koreans use stainless steel chopsticks. If you are not VERY proficient with chopsticks these can be like picking up your food with two icecicles. If you need, I am sure they can supply wooden chopsticks which are much easier to use, or even a fork for the infidels.

 

Koreana Restaurant, Soi 1 Pattaya. (038)429-635. Closes 8:00PM. No reservations necessary. It is about 2/3 of the way down Soi 1 on the right as you walk toward the beach. Recommended for its good food and excellent service.

[glynbuk 29]

Excellent report and pics, thanks for sharing that experience

 

Never tried korean but that seafood soup looks worth a try on it own.

 

Thankyou

[Bruce Mangosteen 538]

Excellent report and pics, thanks for sharing that experience

Never tried korean but that seafood soup looks worth a try on it own.

Thankyou

Thanks for your kind words. I love Korean food and recommend it to anybody looking for a very satisfying food experience. I have discovered the existence of another Korean place right near the Samurai Sushi restaurant; I'll certainly report on that place when I try it.

[kimchikid 0]

it looks pretty good i live and work in korea and i am sure it doesn't live up to what i get over here but when me and my little korean wife take our holiday this summer to pattaya i am sure we will give it a try great write up and pics

thanks for the info

[Rick1079 0]

Great report and pics, I love Korean food especially Kimchee. I was married to a Korean girl for many years and she always made her own with plenty of garlic and chilli powder. Stunk the house out everytime she made it or opened the fridge but it was delicious as I have found all Korean food.

[Swami 0]

Looks excellent, decent price for the serving sizes. How spicy was the Kimchi soup? I prefer it to be hot as hell!

[moby69 6]

Thanks for the report

 

I have only ever had Korean in Japan with the barbie and loved it

 

But then again the wife picked out the food

 

Be nice

 

Moby69

[cebual 31]

when I am in Pattaya...I will try out this restaurant next trip.......do you recommend

any Steakhouse in Pattaya?.......Cheers!

[shaolindude 2]

Korean food is good and the women are HOTT! I live in Korea, too.

Edited February 7, 2009 by shaolindude

[jacko 8,815]

Korean food is good and the women are HOTT! I live in Korea, too.

You need to eat the food to get near to the women. Otherwise they would turn your stomach!

[bigbadbaz 69]

Looks good to me,

 

I had my first Korean meal in Bkk at Xmas in 'Koreatown' on Shuk just below Soi Cowboy, its on even number Sois about Soi 16 ish near skytrain station (one above Nana)

 

There is a small area with about 8 restaurants, the one we went to is the 1st one on the right side in the soi not the one on Suk. It was 7pm and the place was full (both upstairs and downstairs) and we had to wait 1/2 hr for a table, other places were open but my girl said this is the place and like with Thai places I work on the theory if its full of locals it should be ok, and this place was full of Koreans.

 

My girl knows I do not mind how much food she orders as long as everything is eaten, the one thing I cant stand is people wasting food (something to do with my poor Yorkshire upbringing) A ordered 2 lots of meat along with other stuff and promised me no problem.

 

As with the report didnt expect loads of side dishes but the food was superb, everything went and even ordered more meat, she ate as much as me which was a def first as she is only 43kg. We were there over an hour and the bill was 1500bht which to me was good VFM (and Im happy eating noodle and chicken off a street cart for 40bht)

 

Next time in Patts I am changing my hotel from the Mercure to one on Soi 1 so I will be popping in.

[BigDUSA 71]

Thank you for the great write up. Do they offer Slo Joe (s) what I call Korean turpentine?

[mykl 72]

Thank you for the great write up. Do they offer Slo Joe (s) what I call Korean turpentine?

 

Pray elucidate. Never heard of it.

[munibung 0]

I will be there for sure,the food looks so tasty.

[Bruce Mangosteen 538]

Hey, thanks for reading guys!

 

...How spicy was the Kimchi soup? I prefer it to be hot as hell!

It was not as spicy as I prefer it, but still tasted quite nice.

 

 

...do you recommend

any Steakhouse in Pattaya?.......Cheers!

Actually, when I want steak I go to Patrick's Belgian Restaurant, which is in the plaza next to Kiss Food (opposize size of Second Rd. from Mike's Shopping Mall). I will probably give this place a full write-up in the future, but suffice it to say that the steak is excellent, as is the rest of the food, and the place itself is great.

 

 

...Do they offer Slo Joe (s) what I call Korean turpentine?

Got me there, mate. Do you know it by another name?

[kimchikid 0]

"You need to eat the food to get near to the women. Otherwise they would turn your stomach!"FROM POST #10

and you know this because.......

I have lived and worked here for years, and the ladies are very nice. (if you like light skinned asian girls that is)

I think big d is talking about to soju? Yes, it does taste like all rice wines do, best to drink while you have a nice sit down dinner of the local cuisine, as for kimchi soup, well lets just say i have had more than a bowl or 2

[jacko 8,815]

"You need to eat the food to get near to the women. Otherwise they would turn your stomach!"FROM POST #10

and you know this because.......

I have been to Korea, have worked in Korea, have eaten in Korea and had sex in Korea... since you asked.

[samfreeland 64]

I have been to Korea, have worked in Korea, have eaten in Korea and had sex in Korea... since you asked.

some sense at last .