Gui Gui Korean Barbecue Chinatown KL
Words: Kitty Noble Photos: Monica Tindall
Many moons ago, my cousin came back from teaching English in South Korea and proclaimed that we HAD to find a Korean restaurant. When I was in Edinburgh, we ended up traipsing to the only Korean restaurant in the whole of Scotland.
Being quite the foodie, I was always happy to try something new. In this part of the world, I think it is pretty much taken for granted. However, in the West, these were very unique flavours. I immediately took to and thus became my love affair with the spicy, sour flavours of Korean cuisine.
The evolution of Korean food through epochs is fascinating. With influences from traders and later, Japan’s occupation and the neighbours of China, it still maintained its individuality and uniqueness. It’s well recognised for the preservation of vegetables, in the shape of kimchi. The use of ginger, doenjang paste and kimchi have also become highly valued for their vast ranging medicinal properties.
Gui Gui Korean Barbecue Petaling Street
I was delighted to be invited to Gui Gui Korean Barbecue in Petaling Street, KL. The menu is based on recipes from Daegu in the South-East of South-Korea. The area runs along the street behind which Kwi Chi Hong and its infamous murals reside. Having recently opened, the décor of Gui Gui Korean Barbecue is sympathetic to the location, where the outdoor murals are reflected inside, along with a wall of soju bottles and a brick bar.
The restaurant has an industrial feel to it. It features poured concrete floors, and barbecue tables with upcycled barrels sporting faux leather seats. Copper colour extractor fans hang from the ceiling to add to that industrial feeling. Tables spill out on to the walkway in front of the restaurant, giving diners the option to people watch, whilst surrounded by greenery.
Gui Gui Korean Barbecue Menu
We were welcomed with rice water – yes, you read that correctly. I did ask them to repeat themselves as. Naturally, I thought I had misheard, but no, water is flavoured with toasted rice and served from a lovely metal pot. Very refreshing it is too!
Banchan
To start, we were served with the normal accoutrements (banchan) of omelette, seaweed, kimchi, fishcake, onion, chilli and garlic and porridge punctuated by sesame oil. I’m no expert, but to my taste, the kimchi was perfectly balanced and fresh tasting. Traditionally in Korean cuisine, these bowls are arranged concentrically or linearly in colour order.
Beef Bulgogi
Probably the first Korean dish I ever tasted was Beef Bulgogi (RM 26.8). Here, wonderfully tender pieces of beef are wrapped in the tasty sauce. Surprisingly, Bulgogi is a relatively recent addition to Korean cuisine. Meat of this level and volume was only available sometime after the Korean War and Cold war. When farming techniques improved, meat consumption increased throughout the middle classes and led to bulgogi restaurants’ birth.
Korean Fried Chicken
We tried to taste various dishes, so had the Dakgangjeong Korean Fried Chicken (RM 32.80). It was absolutely delicious and clearly a sharing portion. The chicken wings were coated in a crunchy batter and smothered in a beautiful tangy sauce.
Pork Stew
Unlike many Korean restaurants in the city, this one is non-Halal, so we plumped for Kichi Dwae Ji Jjigae Kimchi Pork Stew (RM 18.80 or RM 21.80 with rice). It was full of flavour and sported a bit of a kick.
Bibimbap
After kimchi and bulgogi, the most recognisable Korean dish is bibimbap, so it would have been remiss not to try their Kimchi Bokkumbap (RM 17.80), served with a fried egg on top. The seaweed really comes through in this rice dish to give a lovely flavour and touch of salinity. Whilst we may think of rice as a staple in Korean dining, lower-class families would predominantly fill up on millet and barley during its Japanese occupation, with rice being an annual treat!
Gui Gui Korean Barbecue
We completed our meal with what we came for, which is the barbecue, of course! Given that we could, we opted for the Pork Belly (RM25.80 180g). We didn’t even have to get our hands dirty as our waiter kindly cooked it for us. Wrapped in the lettuce leaves, with some of the condiments, the subtle smokiness and the melt-in-the-mouth pork combined to make a delicious morsel.
Drinks
We paired the food with exactly what was called for in this situation: a bottle of Peach Soju (RM 24.80) and a couple of large Tsingtao Beers (RM 24.80).
Gui Gui Korean Barbecue Review
Gui Gui Korean Barbecue is in a really fashionable part of town with a cool vibe and well-executed Korean food. This is definitely the kind of place that you want to visit with friends, so you can all dive into a variety dishes as we did.
Reasons to visit: Relaxed and funky vibe; fun, group dining; traditional tastes of Korea; non-halal Korean barbecue; good, homely food at reasonable prices.
Gui Gui Korean Barbecue
143 Jalan Petaling
50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
guiguikoreanbbq.storehub.me
+011 3937 0503
Opening Hours
Under normal operating conditions: 12 pm -12 am
Do check with the restaurant directly over various movement restrictions as hours change to meet the prevailing SOPs.
Find more pork restaurants in KL here and stay up to date with the latest happenings around Malaysia here and here.
That’s a lovely place! No kim chi for me, thank you very much, but I do enjoy Korean barbecue. Unfortunately, no dining out for us here at this point in time.