Korean Soups @ Kovan

We're back at Heartland Mall to have dinner at Kobayashi Restaurant. It's where JT and FT go to have their Korean fix. It's casual dining cafe where you place your order at the cashier before collecting your cutlery and drinks. Food is served to your table and service is prompt. Prices are reasonable (mainly between $6 - $10) and the dishes are pretty decent.

First the rice came.

JT and FT started tucking in immediately. "Aren't you going to wait for the soup?" I asked, but my question was met only with silence as the two of them concentrated on the rice.

Finally, the soups came, piping hot and served in cast iron mini-works.

I ordered the ginseng chicken soup (Sam Gye Tang) and mixed meat and seafood broth (Yosen Kinoko) for us to share.The ginseng chicken soup was fragrant and the chicken was tender. A rather large portion of breast meat and wing was served. For $7.80, the soup and rice combi was quite value for money. It's a decidedly potent soup with a strong medicinal aftertaste. It's also JT's favourite soup and he attacked it with gusto.

Next came the mix meat broth soup with pork ribs, prawns, chicken and squid. A good dish for those who can't decide what they want.

This broth had a much milder taste but was still rich in flavour. The pork ribs were expecially tender and the squid rings added a nice seafood tang to the broth. This was FT's preferred dish and she finished the soup, right to the very last drop.

For $7.80, the mixed broth came with rice and a side dish of battered mushrooms. The batter was light, crunchy and surprisingly tasty. Too bad there were only a couple of small mushrooms. I could have eaten a lot more.

All in all, quite a satisfying meal.