The Brady Bunch Invades Korea, in Delhi

It took all of us weeks to decide on the next eatery to explore in New Delhi. Until one of suggested Gung for sampling Korean fare. And I do recall seeing this place while walking down Green Park several times but I did not pay heed to the detailed sign board (maybe my Korean is not that good! :)). They also have a branch in Gurgaon, but I really do not get a hang of that area, so we decided to go to the Delhi one on a Tuesday, coinciding with every one 's availability and NK's birthday. And no, none of us are those "Aaj-mangalwaar- hai, aaj-toh-anda-bhi-nahi khayenge types" as it will be evident later on in the post. Warning for pure vegetarians ahead, you may see disturbing (food) pictures. Though as a general advice, Gung has lots to offer vegetarians who are okay with eggs or tofu.  

Our awareness about Korean food started and ended with kimchi (pickled, fermented vegetables often cabbage). That is before visiting Gung. Now we know a bit more. Also, Gung means a palace. 

Note the address in case you plan to visit em.

The interiors were done up like a typical Korean household, with apparently Korean staff (none of us could tell, the Orient is a mystery, I tell you). We climbed up two floors to arrive at our seating area which was very comfortable and rather private. We got one right next to the kitchen, which we mildly protested about since the kitchen was noisy and the smell of fish was prominent. But since we had made a reservation and it was that sort of place where others had too, we did not create a fuss to move to another seating area. I really liked the dolls and the lamps there. 

The photo appears wider, and the dolls seem plumper. Camera usually adds 5 kgs. Video camera would have added 10. 

Dig those hanging lotus lamps!

A Tiny Witch Hung in Gung

I like!

We were frank with the hostess about the ignorance about the cuisine or the culture. We were surprised to see metal chopsticks. It is usual for Koreans to have spoons and chopsticks, both made of stainless steel. 

I am equally bad at using spoons, forks and/or chopsticks. I would flunk those table manners classes. We all would if we pretended like walruses (walrusii raises an error in MS Word!). 

Only focus on the metal chopsticks and the custom table mats, ignore the tit-bits of food!

Now to the food!

We were greeted with Barley tea...which was well, Barely Tea. It did not have any aroma or color or distinctive taste. As we read the elaborate menu, we got confused and decided to ask our hostess about which appetizers she would suggest first timers. I thought Beef is usually main course. I did not know about any Beef appetizers except stuff like Empanadas which primary beef eaters like Argentines preferred.  

As we discovered, Beef is also important to Koreans. In my view, besides beef, Koreans are gung-ho about a few ingredients: grains (rice, barley, etc.), sesame, fish, pepper, radishes and ginger. We had all of this on our table in a few minutes. 

A cook came to our table and grilled the beef on a crystal dish. I never thought of a crystal dish. Well, mysteries of the Orient strike again. 

Crystal Grilled Beef

While she did that, we had plenty of Banchan on our tables. Banchan are side dishes.  I liked the spicy anchovies (myulchi bokkum). I did not risk tasting the radish and fish starter. The egg dish with pancakes and some khimchi tasted good too. Some of us found the kimchi too pungent for daily consumption (Opinions!). Funnily, they had pasta for the uninitiated and un-adventurous (read: boring). There was a bean and pepper sauce, which definitely had more than a dash of alcohol. What I figured that either food was too bland or too pungent or umami if tasted individually, so you had to mix and match from the smorgasbord to suit your palate. 

Banchan

We also ordered sea weed rolls or Gimbap, which were decent. I liked it with the pink ginger vinaigrette or Gari. Pink ginger is another of those very Asian ingredients, often used in sushi and such. 

Seaweed roll or Gimbap

Another one of those random things on the table (Iceberg lettuce, green peppers, cucumber and carrot) in-case any one wanted to shift to vegetarian fare before the main course arrived!

To be honest, I was too full for mains (Beef is mains, no? Holy cow!).  All of the others were Gung-ho about ordering main course. NK suggested crabs and I suggested prawns, we could not reach a solution so we ordered a Seafood casserole (it had a Korean name which I forgot). P&P were fine with the proposition since somehow it reminded them of their recent sojourn to Goa. We could choose what we wanted in a well, rather a sea of food. We expected a baked dish. We were surprised again. We had another stove on our table, this time with seafood broth simmering over fire. 

You can see octopus and crabs clearly

I am leaving with you some pictures of what happens next to this. I of course cannot playback all the funny conversations we had.

Did we ever mention table manners?

We were to full for desserts (did you know Stressed spelled backwards is Desserts?). The images of cake waiting for us back in the car were too tempting.

The wonderfully yummy cake by PC/Jules, shot like it's an electric one!

On a random note, in case you feel like having kimchi (and they sell it by the kilo) you know where to go in Delhi. 

We paid the bills and thanked the friendly, apparently Korean staff. I leave, full & proud, Delhi is slowly changing, into a more vibrant capital. If you are the kinds who wouldn't mind trying new flavors and enjoy cultural immersion (okay, you can have Chole Bhature too, later), Gung should be a box in your checklist. It is a palace to try!