38 Restaurant Review
A Delicious Hankki
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2020
FOOD & DRINKS
Written by Seon Su-yeon, Yoo Su-yeon, and Han So-young
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Interior of Hankki-masissda.
hese days, Western food is becoming more universal in Korea. Unlike in the past, you can find Western restaurants everywhere and anytime. But when you go to a Western restaurant, the dishes are often oilier than you’d like, and there are no special differences distinguishing them from those of other Western restaurants. That’s why we went to a Korean-style Western restaurant called “Hankki-masissda” (한끼 맛있다), which serves fusion food combining Korean and Western cuisine. The “kki” (끼) in the name means “meal.” Because food culture has developed a lot in Korea, there are many expressions related to meals when meeting people. For example, Koreans often ask, “Have you had lunch/dinner?” (밥 먹었어?). Therefore, we figured this is why the restaurant also has such a name, which incidental translates loosely as “One Fine Meal.” This restaurant is in the center of downtown Gwangju. Located across from Chungjang Lotte Cinema, it was easy to find at its second-floor location. However, since there are many other restaurants nearby, it might be more convenient to do an internet search for the restaurant before you go. There were a lot of bright lights inside, so we felt very warm and cozy when we entered. Also, the many small plants made us feel refreshed, and because of the wide spaces, it was convenient to put our bags on a seat.
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We ordered a lunch combo that consisted of steak, your choice of rice or pasta, and a fruit drink (By the way, lunchtime is from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) We ordered the Leek Pork Belly Steak (부추 통삼겹 스테이크), the Rosé Pane Pasta (로제 빠네 파스타), and a green-grape drink. Still hungry for more, we ordered the Kimchi Pilaf (김치 필라프) as well. The waiting time was short, as it took only about ten minutes for the food to be served. The Rosé Pane Pasta came out first. So-young, one of us three at the table, prefers Korean food more than Western food because she doesn’t like oily foods. But this pasta was a bit spicy unlike normal rose sauce, so it seemed to be perfect in taste not only for her but also for Koreans in general who like spicy flavors. When we asked about the sauce to the waiter, he said that the spicy flavor is buldak (불닭, a popular spicy sauce in Korea) sauce, made using their own recipe. Also, the bread served on the side was crispy and moist, matching well with the sauce. The second dish to arrive was the Kimchi Pilaf. There were kimchi and meat inside, but it tasted like ordinary kimchi fried rice (김치 볶음밥). If you want to experience a more fusion-like dish, we recommend you try a different kind of rice. The last dish was the Leek Pork Belly Steak. As the signature dish of this restaurant, it was plated nicely and looked very tasty. It came with ricotta cheese salad, cloves of roasted garlic, pineapple, and rice, making the
4/24/2020 4:15:41 PM
