There are plenty of Korean restaurants in Burquitlam, hence why the city is also known as "Korea Town". Some of the better restaurants in the area would be Toe Dam Korean for gamjatang and barbecue, Wang Ga Ma that specializes in soup, and Chom Chom Fusion which serves jokbal, albap and fried chicken. Cheers Chicken and Noodle would also be on the list for serving one of the best fried chicken, but unfortunately the restaurant recently closed.
Hanok is located in Burquitlam as well and in the same plaza along with Yan's Garden. I have always tried to avoid Hanok in Burquitlam because the restaurant does not offer barbecue and also because I was not impressed with the location in Richmond. As for the interior, the restaurant is not that big but the seating arrangements are comfortable. Our waitress was also friendly which is rare at a Korean restaurant!
BANCHAN, KOREAN SIDE DISHES.
The selection of banchan includes kimchi, chives, and a side of sweet soy mixed with sesame oil and a touch of kimchi powder. The kimchi tastes fresh and has a mild pickled flavour, but does not taste spicy. As for the chives, there is a mix of soy bean paste and garlic.
SPICY PORK RIB SOUP WITH POTATOES ($11.99).
The gamjatang did not arrive boiling or steaming, but the soup is very hot. The broth has a nice thick consistency along with a rich settled spiciness, but there is not much flavour from the pork. There is a nice taste from the perilla seeds however, despite that we could not see any in the broth. As for the pork, the meat tastes very tender and juicy, definitely slow cooked. The gamjatang also includes a couple of potatoes which taste soft, not mushy.
OX TAIL SOUP ($13.99).
The oxtail soup has a very light broth (after adjusting the sodium level) and there is a fair amount of meat. The meat tastes very tender and was definitely slow cooked for more than four hours. The soup overall could taste more flavourful and is not rich however. Hanwoori and Wang Ga Ma still serve one of the best oxtail soup.
STEAMED PIG TROTTERS ($14.99).
The jokbal is the biggest disappointment of the meal. The meat is served cold, tastes very dry and bland, almost no different than purchasing one from H-Mart. It is disappointing because it is a Korean speciality too. If in the area, Chom Chom Fusions' is a lot better. Hanok does provide the typical accompaniments though which include ssamjang (spicy paste) and saeujeot. Saeujeot is a fermented shrimp sauce and the one at Hanok tastes fairly good.
TOTAL: $43.00 + TIP $6.00 = $49.00.
Hanok offers a variety of soup, pancake, bibimbap and a couple of speciality dishes such as a spicy cod or monkfish with soybean sprouts. The restaurant is also different for those who want to take a break from the generic table top barbecuing. However having said that, there are better Korean restaurants in the area,
POSITIVES
- Friendly waitress
- Food is not bland
NEGATIVES
- Jokbal should be better (1.5/5)
LITTLE THINGS
- No galbi on the menu
- Table top barbecuing is not available
Food: 2.5/5
Service: 2.5/5
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