Daorae Korean BBQ @ Kota Damansara

Daorae still tops my list after my numerous adventures with Korean BBQ Restaurants in town, probably because this non-Halal Korean eatery serves fresh delicious BBQ pork. 

#1 Complimentary Pan Tan 

I went with a large group of people, so they served more than 10 varieties of Korean side dishes, all were refillable. And the service here was prompt with very friendly faces. 

 

#2 Seaweed Soup (Complimentary)

Categorized as side dishes, I warmed my stomach with the seaweed soup before moving on to the main courses. Very light it was, but slightly richer than Japanese Miso Soup. 

#3 Cold Platter: Kimchi (Complimentary)

In every Korean restaurant I go, crisp kimchi is definitely a must. Well, here they had a localized version as it didn't smell or had strong pungent taste. Just lightly spicy and less garlicky, so it was just nice for my liking.

#4 Maeun Dweji Gal-bi (调味辣排骨肉) @ RM28 

My craving for hog was satiated with the specially hand fileted pork marinated in Korean spicy chilli sauce. Daorae had waiters barbecuing the meat for us, so all we did was to wait a few minutes before it is ready to serve.

#5 Daeji Gal-bi (调味猪排骨肉) @ RM28 

The spicy sauce can be a little overwhelming for the original taste of pork. So I prefer having this signature pork ribs marinated in the special sweet soy sauce, which appears milder in taste yet very tender in texture.

If you happen to be a spicy food lover among your friends who can't take spiciness, then you may always try a dollop of Kimchi Paste onto the pork, wrap them up with fresh vege for a better enjoyment. 

#6 Go-cho-jang Sam-kyub-sal (韩式辣酱五花肉) @ RM30

The best barbecued item I'd definitely go for is the pork belly meat! Thin slices of pork belly marinated in Korean traditional chilli sauce. The marinating helps the meat absorb all the smokiness and flavours of the sauce so it stays succulent and juicy upon plating.

#7 Dolsot-Bibim-bab (石锅拌饭) @ RM20

Next we had the traditional, steaming hot stone bowl mixed rice. The rich layering of seasoned vegetables, when mixed with raw egg and sweet Korean chilli paste was excellent, and I loved the crusty edges of the steamed rice too. 

#8 Kimchi-Jeon (煎泡菜饼) @ RM25

I think the color of the kimchijeon looks funny. Very orangy and lightly burnt with almost no toppings on it.. Well, my favourite thin-crust Korean pizza/pancake was pan-fried to aromatic buttery perfection. However, a heavier note of spiciness could have livened up the savoury pancake. 

#9 Kimchi-Jjigae (泡菜辣汤) @ RM18

Hot stone bowl kimchi soup was much heavier in taste than the pancake although the spiciness was toned down for our local taste. Nevertheless, the spicy combination of pork belly and tofu in a rich kimchi soup was just great, I enjoyed the thick consistency of the soup. 

#10 Jap-chae (韩式炒冬粉) @ RM30 FREE of Charge

Lastly, we had a little surprise at the end of the meal, because the owner served us a complimentary plate of  Pan-Fried Korean Glass Noodles, which was nicely done with crunchy slices of marinated pork and well-seasoned vegetables. The sesame oil sauce boosted the aroma of the dish. 

#11 Soju @ RM25 each

Apart from having sweet Barley Water with light gingery taste, I realised that Koreans don't normally have desserts after meal, but enjoying a light-bodied Korean Rice Wine with the meal was a great pleasure.

So much as I love Daorae, this is enough for me while at the meantime my next stop for Korean affairs will be Uncle Jang, Bon-Ga as well as Ko Hyang. Am really looking forward to that! 

Verdict:
1. Personally, I have no complaints in terms of taste, but the quality of service really depends on the number of headcounts. If you go in a large group, the waiters will definitely serve you better. 
2. Recommended: Pork Belly marinated in Korean Traditional Chilli Paste, Dolsot Bibimbap, and Kimchi Jjigae 
3. Daorae promises you a good value for money Korean fare, and generally suits Asian taste very well.


Daorae Korean BBQ Restaurant
No. 2-3A, Jalan PJU 5/9,
Dataran Sunway,
Kota Damansara,
47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Contact: 603-6140 7114

Business Hours: 
Lunch: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Dinner: 5:30pm – 11:00pm