Walking into to The Gung Palace and you find yourself in a traditional (or normal) Korean setting. The ambience is inviting and the private, low seating dining area gives you the feeling that you’re having dinner at a friend’s home in Seoul. The restaurant staff is dressed in traditional Korean attire which makes the entire “having a meal in Seoul” scenario (in my head), more believable. Of course the literal translation of the dishes from Korean to English as well as a few spelling mistakes on the menus at display and the option to try your hand at karaoke, added to the whole visual!
Once we were comfortably seated in our private dining area and admiring all the interesting knick-knacks decorating the room, we were presented with a little call bell, to get the server’s attention. Practical,thoughtful and convenient!
We began our meal with an array of side dishes including egg roll, mashed potato and the staple of every Korean meal, a personal favourite, kimchi. A traditional accompaniment (like our very own achaar), Kimchi is made from salted (sometimes spiced) fermented vegetables, usually with cabbage and radishes. Personally, I could eat kimchi with every meal and maybe even make a whole meal out of it! I thoroughly enjoyed the crunchy and well spiced kimchi at Gung. The Miso soup served with a dash of soybean chilli paste was light and flavourful.
For our main course we didn’t dilly-dally at all and went straight for the “Big Daddy” of the menu- the Prime Tenderloin Ribs. I don’t eat tenderloin but on the rather firm insistence of my dining partner I had no choice but to try. Once I had a bite, I understood why he was so persistent. This is probably some of the best tenderloin I have had in India. The tenderloin (Wagyu style, according to the menu)was brought raw to the table and cooked in front of us on a stone plate. The marbled meat (always a positive sign) once cooked was juicy, moist and tender – the melt in your mouth kind.From wondering if I should even have a bite, I soon kept a hawk-like gaze on the tenderloin just to ensure there was enough left for me!
We also tried the Tenderloin in soya sauce and the Steamed spicy pork ribs. I am no expert on Korean cuisine but I know what good food is and these dishes were perfection! We also tried the Spicy Stir Fried Chicken but after our rather sinful consumption of the former we couldn’t do the latter much justice, as tasty as it was. Makkoli, a slightly sweet Korean rice wine, was our beverage choice and went very well with dinner. For dessert we had a fruit platter consisting of fresh watermelon. Now if I haven’ tempted you enough, here’s a bit more to get you going – the starters, soup and dessert are all free and a part of your meal!
The tenderloin and pork are all imported and sourced with the utmost care by the Owner and CEO of The Gung Palace, Mr.Baekkyu Kim. His passion for feeding Indians (not just expats) authentic and high quality Korean fare is admirable. His vision is to make Korean delicacies as popular as Indian cuisine which is why they offer vegetarian fare as well. Going by what I experienced, it might not take long for his dream to become a reality!
Ratings (Out of 5)
Food: 5.0 | Ambience: 5.0 | Service: 5.0 | Overall: 5.0
Meal for Two: Rs3500 | Credit Card: Yes | Alcohol: Yes | Wheel Chair Accessible: No
Address: Plot No. 27-28, Sector-29, City Centre, Gurgaon (Behind Crowne Plaza Hotel/ infront of Bikanerwala) | Phone: 9811911925
