Apgujeong Tent Bar

1/F Koon Fook Centre, 9 Knutsford Terrace, TST
Visited 10th January 2010 Knutsford Terrace is a great spot for a happy hour ale, but never inspires me as a dinning destination as it always seems over-priced and dominated by chains. Looking up seems the way to go as there's a few more interesting options tucked away on the floors above including the Korean restaurant Apgujeong Tent Bar. Look for the big glowing Korean writing and head up to a room that's authentically decorated with wood panelling, traditional floor seating and a TV playing Rain DVDs.

When I visited Korea last year I got the impression that while the food was tasty there were only about thirty different dishes in the whole country (stonepot rice, chicken and ginseng soup, barbecued meat, rice cakes). Strangely the menu at Apgujeong Tent Bar has at least thirty-five dishes. We ordered samgyeopsal-gui and japchae. First came the mandatory banchan or side dishes. These were of top quality and the range of tasting treats included clams, broccoli, garlic, mushrooms, beansprouts, salad and of course kimchi. Next was the japchae; the big serve of sticky cellophane noodles came with beef and mushrooms and went down a treat. Cooking at the table is always fun and the samgyeopsal-gui or barbecued pork belly was great. The strips of chunky pork came with plenty of lettuce for wrapping and a tasty, spicy sauce. To drink I thought I better order a Korean Cass Beer, while Joey had a can of something Korean and mango based. I enjoyed the authentic and tasty Korean food at Apgujeong Tent Bar. The staff were efficient and cheerful, but that could have been because there was so many of them working for a relatively small place. I thought the prices were pretty fair; the beef was $128 and the noodles $88. If you’re on Knutsford Terrace and after more than a beer Apgujeong Tent Bar is definitely worth a look.