Hankook Korean Restaurant

fter a year and a half eating at Hankook Restaurant, I guess it’s just apt that I write a review of its food, location, staff and service in general.

We started frequenting Hankook earlier last year through my future “sis-in-law’s” referral. Since I had visited a couple of Korean Restaurants in Dubai e.g. Seoul Garden in Karama & Shogun in Deira and had developed severe addiction to Bibimbap, I badly wanted to find a KR Resto in Abu Dhabi where I could enjoy authentic Korean cuisine whenever my palate cries for it.

Thus… Hankook Kwan.

Location: Perhaps the sole Korean Restaurant in Abu Dhabi, Hankook is located opposite the Main Bus & Taxi Terminal near Al Wahda Mall. The best landmark is behind the Golden Motor Shop along Defense Road (Old Passport). The location is very much convenient for us since it only takes approximately 5 minutes taxi ride from my workplace (Airport Rd.) and perhaps 10 minutes from our flat (Najda St.). However, new comers should pay extra attention when locating the area since it is not visible from the road and is in fact concealed behind buildings/ main thoroughfare.

Food: Real Koreans say it lacks the taste of a genuine Korean cuisine (probably because of the ingredients not being entirely imported from Korea) but since I am not a real Hanguk Saram and is just happy with anything Korean, the taste in effect satisfies me. In fact we have set our taste buds in appreciating simple cuisines like Dolsot Bibimbap, Kimbap, Bulgogi and Ojingeo Bok. So much so that the attending staff became so familiar with our orders (literally the exact same menu everytime^^) that it became unnecessary to list them down.

Staff: Most attendants are Filipinas (except for the cook and kitchen staff) so politeness and extra attention are always there (right Unni?). Even if I cannot practice my deteriorating Hangungmal, I'd still say two thumbs up!

Theme/ Settings: Like all traditional Korean restaurants, Hankook is divided into several private rooms (8, I suppose) with low tables and mats. At the rear part of the restaurants are regular dining tables which can be used by non-Korean/ non-traditional diners if they don’t feel comfortable seating the Korean way (which sometimes happens to me) or if the traditional rooms are fully occupied.

Price: In Seoul, I had the chance to compare prices between restaurants there (i.e. Yam Saem & Dae Bak Jib) and Hankook. Unfortunately, prices here are sky high more expensive than its counterpart in Korea. For example. a bowl of Dolsot Bibimbap will cost AED 45 or PHP 550 in Hankook where you can get the exact same meal for only KRW 6000 or PHP 250 in Korea. That’s PHP300 savings, almost like buy one - take one! But then, who will go to Korea just to save Php 300 for a bowl of bibimbap? Better learn the recipe online ;p

Hankook Korean Restaurant - PO Box 30915, Abu Dhabi
Tel: 02-6423399

Recommended Reads...

For the past couple of days, I’ve been reading and studying about China, its people and their experiences during the Cultural Revolution. The interest began when I read a book I grabbed for sale at Magrudy’s called “Wild Swans, Three daughters of China” by Jung Chang. The book tells of a harrowing experience of the author during Mao Zedong’s era and how she and her remaining family members survived the trauma and torments of their generation.

Before I read the book, I was pretty positive that I would not cry over it believing that I was not hypersensitive to cry about someone I don’t know of (unless the story talks about a pet which I admit I am more susceptible to tears^^). However, in the middle of the story, at the chapter where her parents were branded and condemned as capitalist-roaders/ counter-revolutionaries and torture were put into practice, my soft side for people gave in and tears began to flow endlessly.

Going back to my early college years, I used to dream of being a Chinese. To have a fair and smooth skin, straight black hair and chinkee little eyes. Then I remembered that dreaming of it meant dreaming that my parents were also Chinese. Suddenly, I started thanking God. Oh, how lucky I was to be born Filipino, my parents didn’t have to go through such a difficult and traumatic life.

Now, I am halfway through Chinese Lives, an oral history of contemporary China by Zhang Xinxin and Sang Ye which I also got on sale at a bookstore somewhere in Starmall, Las Pinas. (I’m actually a cheapster who frequents herself in booksale and other second-hand bookstores looking for hidden treasures^^). Contrary to Wild Swans which is a sole personal account of the author, this book is a compilation of stories by 60+ individuals but who just like Ms. Chang told their sufferings and agony in old-age China.

I’m glad I’m becoming more and more engrossed and interested in learning and studying Asia (particularly China & Korea’s History). I’m even thinking of getting membership at the local Culture & Heritage library so I can borrow and read as much books as I want.

But with all those interesting volumes available for check out, I wonder what to read next?

Seoul City Tour

Perhaps the most convenient way of getting around Seoul is by Seoul City Tour both in terms of convenience and cost. A one-day ticket costs only W10000 per passenger. Once you hop on the bus, the tour guide provides you with a brochure which indicates all destination/ tourist spots.

SCT goes to:

(Gwanghwamun - Deoksugung Palace – Namdaemun Market – Seoul Station – USO – Yongsan Station – National Museum of Korea – War Memorial of Korea – US Army Yongsan Base – Itaewon – Crown Hotel – Myeongdong – Namsangol Traditional Korean Village – Sofitel Ambassador Hotel – National Theater – N Seoul Tower – Hyatt Hotel – Shilla Hotel – Dongdaemun Market – Daehangno – Changgyeonggung Palace – Changdeokgung Palace – Insadong – Cheongwadae – National Folk Museum – Gyeongbokgung Palace – Gwanghwamun)

Unlike some tour programs, Seoul City Tour does not require you to make advance reservation. You can just wait at any tour stops (which are separate from the regular bus stops), pay as you get in and enjoy the many tourist attractions around the city.

The bus comes in every 20-30 minutes so you can just choose the spots you want to visit and stay there for as quick or as long as you want. If you wanted to go to your next destination, all you need to do is go back to where you got off and wait for the next one to come.

This tour is recommended for backpack as well as free & easy travelers (those not belonging to any tour groups). For one, you don’t have to follow your group (and your stubborn tour leader, lol^^) to where they drag you. You can customize your own trip (i.e. palaces, museums or traditional markets) and enjoy them as much as you want without feeling pressured of the time.

In our case, we took SCT twice during our sojourn. First on May 17 (focusing on Palaces, Museums, etc.) and on May 20 (Markets).

Entrance fee to these places varies. i.e. Markets are free^^ while Palaces charge W1000 per visitor, with no time limit. Tickets to some venues like the National museum of Korea are also free of charge (depends on the day of visit, we’re just bound to be lucky that day, kk^^)

So for anyone who is visiting Seoul, you might want to try it (highly recommended^^). Separate Night Tour and Palace Tour are also available at different rates. Please note that SCT runs from 9am to 7pm only and does not operate on Mondays.

The Full House Quest…

Just imagine how powerful Korean wave is. I didn’t have much interest in Korea until 2005 when I first had a taste of Hallyu. That time I was being exposed gradually to Korean pop culture with the birth of Save the last Dance, Stained Glass and Full House. I became deeply drawn to these Korean soaps that I eventually dragged myself (and my fiance) to its filming locations 4 years after.

It took us a whole load of sweat in the middle of spring season to reach the famous house. The place is in Si-do, an island located several kilometers from Incheon International Airport.

We left downtown Seoul around 10am on Tuesday. From Namyeong Station (which is a walk-distance from our Hotel), we took 3 connecting subways. First was to Singil station, then to Gimpo Airport station and lastly to Incheon International Airport station. From there we took a black cab to Sam Mok Port. It’s not that we wanted a luxurious ride but we didn’t have a choice. All regular taxis are bound only to Seoul proper. Also, the ajussi driver seemed to know Full House so we hopped in. We paid him a standard rate of W12000 for the entire journey. From Sam Mok, we saw several passengers waiting for the ferryboat, we thought all of them were going to the same destination, but unfortunately some were off to another Island and some to the Beach. Passengers and vehicles alike were taken onto the barge. It was rather scary to think that such as small ferry could hold tens of cars & trucks and remain afloat.

When we arrived in Si-do, we saw an office that looked like a terminal station so we asked the Ajumma sitting behind the counter if she could sell us tickets. (Really, my Korean became so poor I’d forgotten everything I learned from Uncle Sejong, kk^^). The Ajumma must have understood only the word Full House because she pointed us the bus parked outside while saying (in Korean): the bus is leaving, palli!

While in the bus, we enjoyed the sceneries. Most of them are eye-catching so we took dozens of pictures. In fact, one would feel the atmosphere of a province with its green fields, clear water and quite mood. After a 5-minute ride, the driver dropped us off and pointed us to another direction. He was to go further straight while our destination was to the right. We thought it was only a couple of paces away though I doubted for a while because many houses were evident in the vicinity. (Anyone who has seen the series would know it’s in a secluded area beside a beach).

So off we went…

We’re walking down the road when a Harabeoji spotted us and offered his rental bicycles for W5000 each. The sign indicated 1.3 km from where we stood, so without further hesitation we took the deal. It’s been decades since I last rode a 2-wheeler so the moment I pedaled, my wheels wiggled and made me laugh so hard I almost fell off the pond (lol^^).

It was already past 1pm when we reached the house… Tickets are sold at the gate for W5000.

The house looked a bit worn out from outside with some obvious stains and spots on the wall (It was constructed especially for the series). But the inside is still well maintained. I was too ecstatic to see the interior because it was so identical to the one on TV. Everything from the arrangement to the furniture down to the appliances was exactly the same! We checked both first and second floors as well as the garden and the beach. The house was converted almost into a museum with all those pictures, memorabilias and life-sized replicas of Rain and Hye Kyo on display.

We spent over an hour wandering around the house before we decided to leave. That same day we’re supposed to visit the 63 Observatory and Olympic Park but due to time constraint, we decided to postpone them for next day.

On our way back, we took the exact same course (via bike, bus, ferry etc.). However, since there was no available taxi from the port to Incheon Airport and we happened to see some locals waiting at the bus stop, we decided to go along (If you don’t know where to go, go with the flow….kk).

It took us another hour to reach nowhere. Unfortunately the bus was headed to Incheon proper and not to Incheon Airport where we’re supposed to take a cab back to Gimpo. In short, we’re lost! The moment we realized that we hopped off the bus and took the first taxi we spotted. It must have been our luck because (for the 2nd time) we’ve been charged a hefty amount (W30000) for such a short distance!

It’s already dark when we reached our hotel. The journey left no time for us to go beyond Yongsan. To end the tiring day, we just ate at a nearby restaurant and grabbed something from the grocery (including Soju) and some street foods. ;)

Commuting in Seoul

When we first set foot in Korea, the very first public transport that we used was taxi. I’ve been reading a lot of articles about how expensive it is to take the cab but since we didn’t know how to go about that moment, we took one nonetheless.

Similar to the Philippines where taxis normally haggle about the price (by not using the conventional meter), it is also a common practice within the airport zone. While we were still deciding on how to get to the hotel (by Airport Limousine / Bus, Arex or Taxi), about 3 ajussi drivers approached us. Each was charging not less than W60,000. Being new and innocent (kk^^) we opted to go the legal way. We walked towards the taxi queue and took one. It never occurred to us that it would cost more to use the meter, we ended up paying W85,000! From then on, we frantically vowed to use the subway.

Contrary to the subways in Manila which has 3 lines, Korail has 8 (including Arex) which travels around South Korea. They are convenient, quick and always on time. When we got our Visa from the embassy in Abu Dhabi, we’ve been provided with a tourist map which included the lines, connections and routing of all subways. I didn’t partake in map reading. My 깅깅 did all the analyzing on how to proceed from one point to another. All I did was follow and believe me, I was still confused^^

Depending on the destination, the fare ranges between W1100 to W3600, nearest to farthest point respectively.

But perhaps the most challenging part of our holiday was the trip to Sido-ri (an island outside Seoul) where we practically utilized all kinds of transport systems known in Korea! An article about that memorable journey will be posted… next.

Hi Seoul!

Prior to our landing at Incheon International Airport on Saturday, May 16, I could see the rain pouring down the city of Seoul. I expected the weather to be a little cold and chilly but it never occurred to me that it would rain, at least not on the day of our arrival.

We hailed a cab to take us to our Hotel in Yongsan-gu. I felt a twinge of disappointment as we drove along rainy and wet roads. Rainy day would mean a boring stay at the hotel. No tours and sightseeing…

After an hour arranging our stuff, we went to the restaurant downstairs. It was our first taste of real and exotic Korean cuisine (apart from the ones we normally have in Abu Dhabi)… spicy panbroiled pork and bibimbap. The entire meal cost us W13000 which is way cheaper compared to Hankook Restaurant in AUH.

Despite the rainshowers, we decided to go out and have a look of the place. We went further down the road towards Wonhyodaegyo but decided to go back after sometime since I was not carrying jacket and the 12c temperature was a little too cold to bear.

We decided to stay back to prevent ourselves from catching flu. Korea has some cases of H1N1 virus and this fact was enough to scare us. Sacrificing a day is better than sacrificing our health. I just prayed that the next day would be a better and sunny one.

At 8pm, we headed to I-Park Mall to buy a pair of jacket and pants just in case the weather gets worse. Fortunately, it was made usable only the morning of the next day, as the weather recovered and improved for the rest of the week.

Korean Couple Shirts

Watching Korean films and series introduced me to various Korean-couple stuffs i.e. Couple ring and couple mobile, but couple shirts??? This is something new…

I’ve first seen a Korean couple wearing matching shirts while touring Namsan Tower. They were really eye-catching as they were both wearing blue and pink striped shirts. I thought they were the only terno couple I’d see in my entire stay, but voila! I saw a dozen more in Lotte World!

So for one day in my life, I decided to be a paparazzi… lol^^