Arirang is a speciality Korean cuisine restaurant, owned and run by Jin Yu Beom, an accomplished chef, and Park Young Ja. It differs from Kyung Bok Gong in Alwarpet (reviewed earlier in this column) in the fact that it offers only Korean food, but in a far wider variety, in a more polished ambience, and at slightly higher prices. As far as the standard of cooking goes, it would be hard to choose between the two, for both are excellent and enjoy regular patronage from Koreans and local inhabitants.

Unique to Arirang are the special barbecue tables, imported from Korea, that allow diners the pleasure of having their meat grilled to their preference right in front of them. The special barbecued meat dishes are Ros Go Ep (Australian beef), Sam Gyop Sal (Pork), Bul Go Gi (Beef) and Dak Gal Bi (Chicken) and cost from Rs.300 to Rs.400. They are very popular, especially with Europeans and Americans. There are also low barbecue tables, for diners who prefer to sit on the floor, arranged in two halls off the main restaurant where guests can enjoy a little karaoke in the evenings.

Korean food is served up as a visual feast; the starters are laid out on the table in little china bowls - as many as seven or eight! - and the food itself is rich and diverse in colour. The starters give an ample foretaste of the range and flavour of Korean cuisine; from seaweed marinated in sauce, to pumpkin pancakes, bean curd fried with egg, radish kimchi (radish pickled in vinegar, rice wine, salt, Korean chilli powder) and the ubiquitous cabbage kimchi, without which Koreans do not consider a meal complete.

The soups range from the simple Dean Jeang Jji Gea (bean paste soup) and Son Du Bujji Gea (uncurdled bean curd soup) to the exotic Bul Nak Sea (with octopus, shrimp, beef, onion and hand-drawn noodles) and Gal Bi Jun Gol (Pork soup with bean curd and mushroom). The simple soups serve one and cost upto Rs.200, and the exotic soups serve three or more and cost from Rs.400 to Rs.600.

Arirang's menu features photographs of each dish so the diner can see exactly what he is ordering. Korean food does not contain as much spice as Indian food does, but this does not mean that they spare the chilli! Korean chilli can give the unwary a nasty bite!
To wash everything down there are rice wine, Ginseng tea sweetened with honey, Sullok Green Tea and barley-flavoured water -- non-alcoholic! Korean food is cooked in a way that retains the natural goodness of the ingredients, and so makes digestion easy. Could that be the reason for the Koreans' trademark radiant smiles? Guests are treated warmly like family friends, and Jin and Park often join diners at table to enquire about the food and to chat for a while.

Arirang Korean Restaurant is at 9/1 Dr. Thirumurthy Nagar Main Road, Nungambakkam. Phone: 823-3739, 827-2855. It is open from noon till 3 pm, and from 6 pm till 11 pm.

Arun Masilamoni

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