Recently we had a small family gathering. My relatives being rather old school traditionalists usually opt for restaurants that serve the proper Hong Kong style Chinese dinners, such as Landmark, Parklands, The Manor, Shangri la, or even 3 Bamboo. On a whim, an Aunt suggested that we try for something new and unique. We chose Madtongsan III at Warrigal Square.
At 6.30, the place was relatively busy, with us having to wait for around 10 minutes whilst a few guests left so that they could put a few tables together.
The first to arrive was the Seafood Pancake. It was a nice dish to start our meal, being quite mild for a Korean dish, it had a nice assortment of octopus, mussels and prawns.
The next thing that arrived was our Bu Dae Jeon Gol, a steam boat which contained pork sausages, pork belly, some vegetables and ramen in some kimchi soup. Whilst I tried another version in another Korean restaurant in the CBD, I found the soup to be a lot more flavoursome with the preserved veges, but a lot less spicy (thus a lot more edible on my part). It came with two bowls of rice, which we all shared. With regards to this dish, I found the ramen to be very yummy, especially because it didn't become soggy after the constant boiling (as other ramen tends to).
Next came the Banchan. I was surprised that it didn't come first, but anyway we had the usual servings of KimChi, sweet potatoes and pasta salad. While I'm not a huge fan of the KimChi and the sweet potato, I found the pasta salad quite a good and a nice palate cleanser after eating so many spicy things.
Next was our Ramen Man Du set. This involves a bowl of Korean spicy ramen, and is served with a side of deep fried dumplings. The dumplings were pretty interesting, although it was filled with some vegetables which I could not distinguish, and they were piping hot and freshly fried. However what I really enjoyed was the ramen, which was cooked to just the right consistency
How could I attend a Korean restaurant without ordering my usual Dduk Man Du Guk? The answer is I dont. So next came my Dumplings with Rice Cake. I found the portion size a bit small at Madtongsan III, and I also found it to be lacking in the usual egg in the soup, but the dumplings were nice, and the rice noodle was cooked to the right level of softness.
A signature Korean dish that we were sure to order was the Dol Sot Yook Hwe, which consisted of raw beef topped with egg, surrounded by a multitude of raw vegetables in a hot stone pot. So the idea with this is you stir it around after being served to you, whilst the stone pot is still hot, and you DIY cook the meal. I really enjoyed it, and found the freshness of the flavours mixed really nicely, with all the juices being locked into the dish.
Our last dish to arrive was the Cheese Chicken Cutlet Rice. My sister informed me that of all five stores in Brisbane, this was the only one to offer melted cheese on top of their chicken cutlets. I liked how the cheese was melty and stringy. That really sets it apart from the usual chicken cutlet rice.
After going to Madtongsan III, I will have been to every one of the 5 available stores. Out of all five stores, I definitely like the food at Madtongsan III better than the others. Overall I found the service was quick and efficient, but could have been more friendly though.
Price Range: $10 - $15 per person
Taste: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 6/10
Environment: 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment