Authentic Korean fare in Fortune Centre? That’s right, The Asia 2019 Korean Food exists, and it’s run by an elderly couple in their sixties. Expect all the Korean staples like kimchi ramen and kimchi stew along with some other slightly less Korean dishes, like curry rice & udon. Their main calling seems to be grilled meat on a hotplate, and I got the Pork Belly Set ($15 nett).⠀
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A decent portion of thinly sliced pork belly is stir fried with thinly sliced onions & leeks, served on a sizzling hotplate with the sauce served separately. The banchan (side dishes) are pretty decent, encompassing kimchi, beansprouts, pickled ginger and a fluffy omelette roll, and the set is completed with a bowl of white rice & soup. The pork & onions are competently caramelised, but the sauce on the side was the one that provided most of the flavour.⠀
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The sauce was an interesting cross between black bean sauce and gochujang, resulting in a deeply savoury flavour, but had a touch of unpleasant bitterness. I can’t fathom why The Asia 2019 didn’t just stir fry the pork, leeks & onions in that superb sauce, as it would’ve resulted in much better flavour assimilation into the meat & veg, plus the bitter edge of the sauce would’ve been cooked out.⠀
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The banchan was pretty decent, with the omelette roll being notably airy & bouncy. Although I’m not entirely convinced that this Pork Belly Set was fully worth fifteen bucks, my belly & hunger were fully satisfied.