We love to try lesser-known places. So when we get wind of a Korean restaurant in town with some dynamite dishes, we simply have to go.
Manna Land is well placed in Al Mamoura, surrounded by plenty of offices; seeing many business types nip in for lunch or even stick around after work for dinner. We arrive to see many Koreans waiting outside for friends. Upon entering, the restaurant is filled – on a Tuesday night, no less – with many other nationalities. Surely that’s a good sign?
We start with soup: galbitang, beef short ribs for us and yukgaejang, spicy beef soup for our guest. And this is the start of our food envy. The yukgaejang is molten red in colour and powerful in taste. Our soup is more salty, with chewy beef and clear bland noodles. Both bowls are large and brimming, so we put the soup to one side to leave adaquete room for our main courses.
Once again, our food envy monster raises its head. We take the daksal bulogi: thinly sliced chicken marinated in a “special sauce”, with a side of cos lettuce, raw garlic cloves and sliced chillies. We’re told that we can have our food cooked at the table, but that doesn’t make us feel any better. It’s tasty, but opposite us is our guest’s maewoon galbijim: a spicy stew of beef short ribs. Packed with several types of vegetable, tender beef and an incredible depth of flavour and spice, this one is a triumph.
The bottom line Hit and miss. Stew is the way to go.
