Coré The Korean Cuisine
A Taste of Korea Beyond BBQ
By Crystal Chong
Nestled within the Tropicana neighbourhood, Coré The Korean Cuisine is, as its name suggests, a Korean restaurant serving traditional, authentic dishes in a modern café-style setting adorned with wooden furniture, marble table tops and stylish gold cutlery.
Stepping through the doors leads you to a two-storey space with a counter displaying Gogi Wanja Jijimi (pan-fried pork with chives, carrots and onions) in place of the cakes and pastries at cafés. Also at the counter, in place of a barista making cups of coffee, you will find a chef in action, cooking up fresh jijimi (pan-fried dishes) for diners.
For lunch, we started with the Jijimi Modum – a tasting platter with crispy Haemul Pajeon (seafood
pancake), Kimchi Jijimi (kimchi pancake), Dongtae Jijimi (pollocks), Saewoo Jijimi (prawns), Dubu Jijimi (organic tofu), Gogi Wanja Jijimi, Nockdu Jijimi (mung beans with bean sprouts and pork) and Pyogo Gogi Wanja (shiitake mushroom with pork). We loved that we were able to try a bit of everything, quickly identifying our favourites for our next visit. For added flavour, the jijimi also comes with a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce with onions as a dipping sauce.
We then had the Maewoon Pork Galbi – tender pork ribs that fell right off the bone, braised in a spicy and sweet sauce before being pan-fried as a final touch. This is topped with crispy tteok-bokki (rice cakes) and sesame seeds, adding a different texture to the dish. For more protein, we had the Bul Dakgalbi, a pan of stir-fried chicken, carrots, cabbage, zucchini and onions topped with a thick layer of torched cheese to balance the spiciness from the gochujang-based sauce.
Lastly, for a dish we’re not too familiar with here in Kuala Lumpur, we tried the Bibim Guksu -cold buckwheat noodles served with a sweet-spicy sauce, grilled pork belly, half a hard-boiled egg, and fresh slices of cucumber, carrot and onion. Mix everything in the bowl up and dig in for a refreshing and filling meal perfect for a hot day.
Address: Coré The Korean Cuisine *Korean cuisine *Casual dining (non-halal)
Tropicana Avenue P-G-10, No.3, Persiaran Tropicana,
Tropicana, 47410 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: 03-7494 3801