Friday 11 January 2019

Espresso & Matcha's Epicurean Quest - Sydney: 678 Haymarket



As an avid fan of KBBQ, after Queen V took me to 678 at Eastwood, I knew I was hooked. Having heard of their other store at Haymarket in the CBD, Iron Fist and I decided to go check it out. With a reputation like 678 (apparently even Kpop stars come here to get their bbq fix), I knew that I had to book online. Thank goodness I did, as the line up was insane. Being situated at level one of a commercial building made it difficult for us to spot on the street, but we managed to get there at our reservation time of 6.30pm.



The restaurant was huge and it was packed. Staff were super efficient and speedy.


I love how they display their meats almost like a mini butchery, always love to see food before it is prepared.


The menu was extensive, with a large amount of beef options, some pork options (notably no chicken), along with set meals and liquor. I really liked how you could see on the order form how many grams were in each portion, makes it easier for us to estimate how much we should order.


Putting our order through, side dishes came out in a flash. Portions and variations were far more than what we have in Brisbane, although I am unsure of the refill policy. I particularly liked the green salad, onion salad and kimchi.


Egg and rice were of course also provided. I love fluffy steamed egg with its porous texture almost like tofu.



Our tables were set up with a convenient guide on how to eat KBBQ. As veterans, we didn't really need it, but the drawings were so cute.



Immersing ourselves in Korean culture, Iron Fist had a red wine and also shared a peach shochu with me.



Within ten minutes of ordering, our table was full.


Hard to believe, but between the two of us, we polished off 1.2kg of meat in addition to our sides.


This was the premium wagyu beef short rib. Although not marinated, we were able to better appreciate the basic flavours of beef. It was tender and melted in our mouths, also went well with bbq dipping sauces. 


This was the marinated scotch fillet. The cut was wonderfully fresh and relatively lean. Soy marinade was sweet and fairly strong. I like that the meat wasn't overly chewy, wrapped in a lettuce leaf, it was a really tasty morsel.


We also had a Marinated beef short rib. Wrapped around a really thick bone, it made for slightly difficult cooking until we cut it up into pieces. This was one of the chewier cuts of the night.


Last of the beef dishes was the marinated inside skirt. It tasted fairly similar to the scotch fillet although it had a relatively higher fat content. 


Our only pick of the pork dishes that evening was the pork belly. We enjoyed the caramelized crispy skin so much that we ended up having two servings. Although fatty, it was really tasty even without marinade. Guess we'll just have to work harder at gym tomorrow.




Price Range: $80 - $100pp

Taste: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Environment: 8/10


678 Korean BBQ Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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