The gang and I normally go to Pho 88 when wanting some cheap Asian eats, but it was so busy that we decided to check out the much lonelier Korean restaurant next door, Jeon Ju Hyang, instead.
Banchan: Spicy pickled cucumbers
Banchan: Kimchi
Banchan: Bean sprouts in sesame oil
Banchan: Seaweed salad
Steamed pork dumplings
Tteokbokki: Rice cakes with seafood cakes, vegetables, and hard-boiled egg in spicy sauce
Korean ramen: Beef soup with Korean noodles, egg, and vegetables
Okay, so Shawn and I decided to share a combo that featured a plate of tteokbokki, a bowl of Korean ramen, and two cans of pop — a pretty good deal at $10.99, right? Well, it would've been had the "Korean ramen" not been the exact same instant noodles I get at the supermarket for 50 cents a pack. Like, I get that they at least try to hide the fact that they're using instant noodles with a spicier broth and adding some vegetables and an egg, but seriously, they couldn't even get some legit Korean noodles? I'm not hating on instant noodles, but I expected at least Korean noodles!
On another note, it was my first time trying tteokbokki, and while they were plenty tasty, the whole instant noodle debacle made me doubt whether or not the tteokbokki was authentic or not. Oh, and let's not forget the dumplings. Now, I'm a huge fan of dumplings and I have them at home all the time which is how I know that the steamed dumplings we ordered were totally from frozen. Okay, if you're going to sell dumplings for $6.99 an order, at least have fresh ones! Tasty, but so not worth it. I'm not going to totally write this place off yet (I will go back to try the pork bone soup or the bibimbap first), but I can safely say that the combos and dumplings are not worth getting.
Jeon Ju Hyang
325 Bamburgh Circle
Scarborough, ON M1W 3Y1
(416) 499-0002
Sounds like you were better off eating at the grocery store a minute away!
ReplyDeleteI was at that plaza yesterday (McD's! $1 drinks! Unlimited refills!) and in the area until nearly midnight. Then again tonight and tomorrow night! I'm craving pho...but it's soooo freaking hot and that place is always so packed.
That kimchi looks pretty tasty though..!
Yeah, I seriously should've just gone to Foody Mart. But I've been reading reviews of the place, and apparently their other dishes are pretty decent, so I'm going to give it another try. I'm thinking maybe they just use instant/frozen things in their combo items so they can afford to price it cheaper?
DeleteLove Pho 88, seriously go there every week, lol. If you go on Fridays and Saturdays it's busy around midnight because of the post-drinking groups... But if you go on like, a Monday, it's not bad at all!
You've gotta check out the Korean restaurant near my house! SO GOOD.
DeleteWhich one? Where is it?
DeleteOh, some explaining to do here. Ramen to Koreans is exactly that: instant noodles. It's not Korean food to begin with but originates in Japan. So there is no such things as a real Korean ramen. Authentic Korean noodles are completely different and there are a lot of different kinds. Koreans fancy up ramen with vegetables and extras and don't find anything wrong with it so long as you're not paying too much.
ReplyDeleteAnd the tteokbokki is always real. :)
What you had is a good example of typical Korean fast food - the ramen and tteokbokki are both street food and they're not even served at actual restaurant restaurants. Many eateries in Korea have them, and here you might find them at more restaurant-style settings than back there simply due to their uniqueness in Canada. I would equate ramen and tteokbokki to something like hot dogs and fries. :s
Oh, wow, that explains so much, lol! I'm like, "WHAT IS THIS??? RIP OFF!!!" I guess I was just disappointed at ordering something that I could so easily make at home and for so much cheaper. I kind of wrote it off because it was under the "combos," so I was like, "Okay, they're just putting cheaper dishes together to make a deal out of it."
DeleteBut the dumplings we ordered are on their regular "starters" menu, and they charge $6.99 for 8 of them, so I figured they'd be fresh dumplings -- so disappointing when I saw that they were from frozen. :(
Thanks for clarifying everything, though! :)