Han Woo Ri, Korean BBQ @ PJ Uptown

The four Bs of Korean dining.. booze, bibimbap, barbecue, and banchan. Unfortunately only one of these is bottomless – ie. endlessly refillable. But it doesn’t matter, because the food here at Han Woo Ri is soooo good, you’ll have enough great dishes to keep you occupied for an entire afternoon.

Tons of delectable Side dishes, well fermented Kimchi, crispy scallion Pancakes, light, airy, fluffy Egg (think Korean chawan mushi) surprisingly good DIY barbecue meat are the order of the day here, but just as important is what the food is washed down with .. Soju, and plenty of it!

tongue cooked just right.. slightly pink, and not over done. Also the texture is soft and supple, not rubbery like how some restaurants do it, and get it all wrong! 

Oh, the super addictive Ox tongue… Wrapping it with a massive, succulent salad leave, a bit of Kimchi and the bean paste.. there’s nothing quite as addictive as this. Both me and DelectableSu, can easily eat several plates of tongue without fuss. This particular afternoon, we decided to be at Han Woo Ri in PJ Uptown. There’s also a branch in Taipan Subang which is an even bigger outlet, which we have yet to visit.

bloody addictive tongue..

the Kimchi here is strong and pungent.. just the way I like it. 

Of course the most popular Korean brand Jinro is as potent as it is sweet, but it goes down like a charm, and it is best to have it with the marinated Short Ribs. Apparently the custom is the knock back the first shot in one swift swig. Ah, well, it’s so good that you’ll be reaching for more of that Jinro, delivered to the table accompanied by chilled shot glasses, that go far in soothing the burn of the chili pork and sting of the kimchi.

free flow banchan

Child friendly, smoke free environment

The large ventilation hoods above each table bespeak the lusty flavors of Korean tabletop barbecue. The restaurant, keeps their live charcoal grills alive, and the resulting meats, such as kalbi, is defiantly flavorful and full of primordial smokiness. That said, you won’t need to send your clothes to the drycleaner afterwards, because the place is very well ventilated.

Insanely well seasoned short ribs.. marinated in a whole cocktail of that secret Korean concoction, of live fruits and fruit juices.. 

Perfect marbling and nicely medium rare.. If I told you it was Wagyu, you’d probably be none the wiser;)

The rendered fat is incredibly unctuous and melts in your mouth just like butter over a hot knife.. 

Korean Pancake .. flour heavy sort of Pancakes,  with vegetables, squid etc, a lot like the Hakka pancake 

Ah.. Chili Pork Belly, Jae Yok Bokeum… crazy tasty! Goes great with the Korean Umeishu..

And speaking of Korean Umeishu.. Kampai! 

more tongue..? I don’t mind if I do:P

This classic Korean noodle dish, Japchae, combines translucent sweet potato noodles with lots of stir-fried vegetables and a sweet-savory sauce which I find super addictive. Springy and al dente sweet potato noodles are tougher than glass noodles, with a great chewy bite.. with tons of sautéed mushrooms, strips of meat, carrots, onion, garlic, and spinach, noodles, top with scallions and toasted sesame seeds and serve with a Korean barbecue meal, I am totally addicted to this version of Japchae at Han Woo Ri!

a great afternoon out with Su, bubs and John (owner of Han Woo Ri)

Well this restaurant has got to be one of the best places for Korean in PJ. They have a branch in Taipan, and Ampang too. Definitely come here for them awesome BBQ meats and all the authentic Korean trimmings.. oh, and a bottle or two of Soju!