Most TOAD reviews don’t start with a ride in a golf buggy, but for our trip to Korean restaurant Han Kang it turned out to be more vital than our chopsticks.
They’ve recently relocated to the Abu Dhabi City Golf Club and unfortunately, neither we nor our cabbie had a clue where this eaterie was in the grounds, meaning we had to hitch a lift from the course’s helpful staff on a cart to hunt it down. The buggy wasn’t exactly spacious, meaning one of us had to sit facing the driver while literally hanging for dear life onto the edge of the bonnet. So if you visit, remember one thing: turn left as soon as you go through the club’s gates.
Han Kang is an understated affair. There’s no sign on the outside of the building and if you’re looking for a classy setting to enjoy a romantic meal, this really isn’t the place for you.
The layout is basic but clean. There are only about half a dozen tables, although there is a similar sized room out the back for smokers, along with some seating outside where you can eat while watching golfers smack balls at the driving range. The walls are green (apt, since we’re at a golf club) and a couple of tasteful partitions separate diners from a reception desk which doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the restaurant. Two TVs were on during our visit and the clashing volumes did grate by the end of the meal, although the number of Korean people eating and watching telly is a good sign.
The food is good, the welcome warm and the staff helpful. Most of Han Kang’s menu is based on just having one dish, but we’re greedy guts here at TOAD, so we ordered up some doo bu jeon (fried tofu) to start, along with the haemul pa jeon (seafood pancake). Three large chunks of tofu served on a sizzling plate were elegantly cooked but upstaged by the pancake. Stuffed full of prawns and octopus and literally buried under a pile of spring onions, it went down a treat, especially with a bit of chilli and garlic soy sauce dripped on top.
For our mains we tucked into the dolsot bibimbop (steamed rice with veg and an egg in a hot stone pot) and ojing o deopbop (steamed rice with squid in a chilli sauce). The squid was tender and the sauce rich without being too spicy, with plenty of carrot, onion and cabbage, too. The big stone pot provides a hearty, if slightly bland meal although the meat options of this dish offer more of a thrill for the tastebuds.
Our order came with plenty of extras, including a spinach soup, various plates of pickles such as kimchi and a cold cinnamon and ginger tea to wash it all down with.
The food’s tasty, the service is decent and the prices are wallet friendly. We just think such a hidden location doesn’t do it justice.
The bill (for two)
Doo bu jeon Dhs30
Haemul pa jeon Dhs70
Ojing O deopbop Dhs60
Dolsot bibimbop Dhs60
Total (excluding service) Dhs220
