In a line: A new Korean restaurant with fuss-free interiors. top notch food and budgeted pricing.
Cuisine: Korean
Price for two: Rs. 2000(approx)
Location: One horizon, Gurgaon
Must haves: pork bossam, kimchi jeon, kimbap
Kimchi. The moment I hear this word, the first thing that comes to my mind is Korean food. The Koreans obsession with this crunchy fermented cabbage has always fascinated me with the punch of spice and tanginess that it adds to a bowl of simple steamed rice.
Korean food is hearty, wholesome and most importantly, healthy. Hence, irrespective of how much I eat, I never feel guilty of having piled on unnecessary calories, which makes Korean food one of my all time favourite.
Given the evolving palates, Korean food, which generally would require an acquired taste, is slowly coming in Delhi NCRs food radar, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
Hahn’s Kitchen, located in One Horizon in Gurgaon, is well equipped to take our taste buds across Korea with traditional Korean offerings at its disposal. The simplistic interiors give the place a contemporary aura and the PDR should be the way to go if you wish to experience the traditional seating at the tatami table.
A haven for meat lovers, the menu at Hahn’s Kitchen is extensive, and hence, you might just need some help to decide what to order. Taking its competition into consideration(Gung, my go-to place to Korean food), the prices that they’ve set for all the dishes, aren’t going to burn a hole in your pocket, and they’re not being a miser on the portion too.
I concluded this when the first dish arrived, the pork bossam. I quickly grabbed a lettuce leaf, topped it up with some pork, ssamjang and kimchi, and demolished it right away. The ssamjang and kimchi added a bit of spice and the lettuce leaf gave it a beautiful crunch, making it a well-balanced dish overall.
The kimchi jeon followed and was big enough for a couple of hungry souls. This saffron coloured pancake, infused with some flavorful kimchi and other vegetables, can be dipped in soy and enjoyed with a glass or two of rice wine!
If you’re looking for some small bites, then kansyo saewoo, deep fried and crunchy prawns tossed in a sweet and sour sauce, is the perfect dish for you, and if seafood is not what you appreciate, then kanpunggi, crispy morsels of chicken, tossed with chillies and onions, should be your pick.
I love my sushi and am not a very big fan of vegetarian sushis, but the veg kimbap i.e. the Korean sushi that I had at Hahn’s is what changed my mind. A little bigger than a regular sushi, this vegetarian sushi is a must have when visiting Hahn’s Kitchen.
Though my favourite has to be the flavoursome dduk bok gai, which basically consisted of a flavoursome soup which had puff-shaped glutinous rice cakes, topped with a slice of cheese and a hard boiled egg. The unusual texture of the rice cakes is what grew on me quickly, making it the piece de resistance of my visit.
The meal concluded with a plate of fresh fruits, which I avoided to eat, since I didn’t want to lose on to the flavours of the dduk bok gai, which beautifully mollified in my mouth.
Confession: Overall, my experience at Hahn’s kitchen turned out to be pretty good. Though the kimchi lacked the tangy kick that I was seeking, the food overall is certainly worth a visit. I look forward to trying the octopus and a few more dishes at Hahn’s, before concluding if it is bettet than Gung or not.
Rating:
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Value for money: 4/5
The Food Fanatic 