Hankook

South Korean food near the bus station 9 Reviews

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It could be argued that, as far as dining is concerned, South Korea is the forgotten man of Asia. It certainly can’t be easy residing between Japan (probably the most fashionable fodder in the region) and China (the largest variety of cuisines). For the uninitiated among you, Korean cuisine is a rambunctious affair, as notable for its spicy treats as for its communal fun, and Hankook – a rare example in Abu Dhabi – is a great place to start.

At first, we thought we had arrived at the wrong establishment. With its painted glass doors and sensible interior, Hankook looked like the office of a Korean travel agent. But we were happy to remove our shoes and get filed away into a little dining compartment, as is traditional in Korean restaurants. We knew we were in for a fun night from the site of the gas stoves set into each table. Bulgogi – a popular meat dish – requires that you cook the raw meat yourself with long silver chopsticks.

First, though, came the kimchi, a spicy cabbage that is the staple dish at any Korean table. It gives off quite an odour, and Hankook’s tasty offering was no exception. Accompanying the complimentary finger bowls, we ordered a bowl of dukguk, a rice cake soup, which soothed the palate after the bitter cabbage, along with a bowl of bibim-guksu, which was probably the most underwhelming thing we sampled – cold noodles lose some of their ability to refresh when eaten in a small, air-conditioned room.

The kimchijeon (a kimchi pancake) was fairly harmless, with most of the fire extinguished in the batter. However, top marks went to the steaming bowls of bibimbap, which is to Korean cuisine what bangers ’n’ mash is to the UK – nothing out of the ordinary, yet glorious. Cooked in still-sizzling stone bowls, this hodge-podge of rice, mountain vegetables and mince tasted all the better when doused in the red sauce that hid at the side of our trays. We recommend you allow it to fry in front of you, and then dig in to one of the more surprising dishes you’re likely to find in Abu Dhabi. Thank goodness for well-kept secrets.

The bill (for two)
Dukguk Dhs80
Bibim-guksu Dhs35
Kimchijeon Dhs40
Bibimbap Dhs90
Orange juice Dhs10
Cola Dhs5
Total Dhs260

By Jon Wilks
Time Out Abu Dhabi, 29 July 2009

• Previous reviews
  • 01 November,2012- reviewed by Time Out staff
  • 11 January,2012- reviewed by Time Out Abu Dhabi staff
  • 11 August,2011- reviewed by Time Out Abu Dhabi staff
  • 22 December,2009- reviewed by Time Out Abu Dhabi staff

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Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.

User reviews:

Posted by: Eric on 27 Aug ' 12 at 13:47

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

We ordered samgyupsal...i was still looking for some side dishes but alll in all it was good. I love the kimchi...tolerably spicy..we ordered bulgogi the beef with sweet taste but they gave us another kind with the soup, it tasted good though... the ambience and the privacy is really nice...you can really recommend to all your friends...

Posted by: khyun on 01 Apr ' 12 at 05:22

• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

I called to inquire about there food,, and the guy told me to wait for a while,, 2nd time I called he hang up on me simply bec. they dont know how to explain their food,, what type of staffs.. they dont know how to treat their costumers good.

Posted by: Mata on 20 Jan ' 12 at 13:57

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

OMG!! Went there yesterday with my friend.. It was a shock.. I felt like I arrived to Korean itself.. the decor the people there!! it's my first time to meet real Korean people..It felt like I'm inside a Korean drama..
Well, we waited for 15 minutes till a table was emptied for us we sat and I felt like a foreigner because everybody was looking at us..
if you are comfortable with this it's ok for you to go there!
We've ordered La Gal Bi only.. The side dishes were amazing, but never try to eat that white thing that looked like Jelly xD

and in the end, Their prices were amaing :D :D

YOU HAVE TO TRY IT :D

Posted by: shin eun ri on 12 Jan ' 12 at 05:20

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

NOT BAD ^.^

Posted by: Rhea Morales on 08 Jan ' 11 at 11:43

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I don't eat other continental food but Hankook is one of the best... (",)

Posted by: lee on 03 Nov ' 10 at 16:32

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: D Lee on 31 Oct ' 10 at 12:32

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Hidden in a scruffy-like neighborhood near the bus station, the restaurant was what most people would classify as "a hole in the wall". We sat down with few patrons around and ordered LA galbi, soft tofu soup and mixed vegetable rice in a stone pot. Ban-chan was provided however after seeing a flying insect (same color as ban-chan) fall off a chop stick full of ban-chan and fall to the plate, we refrained from eating any more. The LA galbi, despite being more expensive than the bulgogi, was like chewing and pulling on raw cartilage. After one piece, I had enough. The tofu soup was fine. The mixed vegetable in a stone pot was not memorable nor did it have many quality ingredients. You can say I am spoiled by the US or Korea. Perhaps the best way to characterize this place is if you are really hungry and haven't had korean food in ages, you can venture here. Just stick with the basics though.

Posted by: Joe Public on 25 Jan ' 10 at 17:12

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Not Bad. They kind of skimped on the quality of the side dishes, especially the kim chi. There were a lot of side dishes though, which was nice. The pulgogi was good. The waitress made an effort to make us happy. Rice was free, which was nice, but they ran out. Can't complain, 'cause it was nice to go to a real Korean restaurant in Abu Dhabi.

Posted by: Henrietta on 30 Jul ' 09 at 00:34

It's an authentic Korean restaurant, food and service are excellent!