Ko Hyang Korean Country Delights, The Gardens

A large crowd at a restaurant usually indicates good food. One day after shopping at Cold Storage, we noticed a crowd forming around Ko Hyang, patiently waiting to be seated and served. Since I am a huge fan of Korean food, I made it a point to try the food at this outlet on my next visit to The Gardens Mall.

Ko Hyang Korean Country Delights is more of a food outlet than a restaurant, there are no walls dividing this outlet from passing shoppers. It was first established in Malaysia in 2006. Ko Hyang simply means "hometown" in Korean. The menu consists of traditional country style home-cooked food with no MSG seasoning used in the preparation; it is easy to choose as there are brief descriptions and each dish is illustrated in the menu.

The outlet can only seat about 30 people, so during lunch hour, it may sometimes be difficult to find a seat. Bearing that in mind, we always come early. Service here is very quick, you get served almost as soon as you sit down.

Our usual table

We usually order Sik Hye (RM3.80), a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage, almost like the Chinese barley drink but nicer. I prefer mine cold (the ice dilutes it a little), as I feel that the hot version is much too sweet for my liking.

We did not have to wait long for our food to arrive (usually 10 minutes max wait), but while waiting we were served some complimentary ban chan (side dishes). Three types of side dishes are served, kimchi (pickled cabbage) is always served while the other two side dishes might vary. The kimchi here is just as I like it, not too sour. The kimchi can be refilled for unlimited rounds, so don't be shy to ask if you fancy some more.

Kimchi, anchovies & miyeok muchim (seaweed)



On our first visit, we decided to try the Bi Bim Kuk Su, a sweet and spicy cold noodle dish. This noodle dish is very popular in Korea during the summer months, so it is well suited to the Malaysian weather. The thin wheat flour noodles are served with julienned carrots, cucumbers, lettuce and pear, topped with a fried egg. Mix it with the sauce which has a slightly spicy, sweet and sour taste (made with gochujang, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and red pepper powder) and you have got yourself an appetizing bowl of noodles!

Bi Bim Kuk Su (RM12.50)

Slurpppp!!

One of my favorite Korean dishes is Jap Chae, glass noodles stir fried with a choice of beef/chicken, carrots, chives, onions, and topped with shredded egg. An immensely satisfying and delicious dish!

Japchae served with a bowl of sprout soup (RM14.90)

The teok buk ki here is also very good. This is a popular Korean street snack, rice cakes served with a spicy sauce, fish cakes and hard boiled egg. The rice cakes are slightly chewy with a nice bite to it but be warned that the sauce is quite spicy and may leave your tongue with a tingling sensation!

Teok Buk Ki (RM13.90)

On a separate visit, we ordered the Kimchi Chigae (RM14.90), a spicy and sour Korean stew made with mature kimchi, scallions, onions and tofu. The mature kimchi gives the stew a much stronger and sourish taste, making this a very appetizing and flavoursome dish. To keep up with the outlet's healthy eating theme, brown rice is served with the kimchi chigae.

Ban chan - Kimchi, anchovies and sausages

I had the Jap Chae again - I just can't get enough of it! Served with a bowl of seaweed soup this time.

Verdict: I wouldn't hesitate coming back here. Service is very quick, the food is delicious and the price reasonable -it's easy to see why it's always packed! Great value for money.

Price: Reasonable. We usually pay RM40 for 2 persons. Cash only.

Location: Ko Hyang Korean Country Delights, LG-K05, The Gardens, Mid Valley City, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (directly opposite Cold Storage)