Head To Heng Bok In Bandra For An Authentic Korean Barbeque Experience

In the mood for a culinary adventure and want to try something new apart from your regular go-to Chinese and Japanese restaurants? Head Bandra for the other Asian cuisine – Korean at Heng Bok.

Adding to Mumbai’s diverse cuisine, Heng Bok offers up Korean cuisine for the foodies out there looking to mix it up and discover something exciting. With a grill-it-yourself barbeque offered at the tables itself, we immediately knew Heng Bok is all about the Oriental experience.

Its interiors are simple, the staff is courteous and we knew we made the right choice by indulging ourselves with a Korean night. The place is often filled with people in suits, and to our consolation, Korean and Chinese tourists- a validation and assurance for us.

If you’re a vegetarian, this may not be the best place for you. However, if your inner carnivore is well and alive, we say welcome aboard the Korean barbeque train. Koreans love to grill their meat on charcoal grills or stove, and in that aspect, we found Heng to be a novel concept. At Heng Bok, they set up a grill at the table – so you can grill your pieces as and how you like it.

Starting off with spicy Samgyupsal Belgium pork belly {INR 1,000}, it had thin slices of pork belly which we set on the grill for a while, with big cloves and onions. Once done, we decided to dig in, and lived to tell the tale. The pork was grilled fine, juicy and its smokey charcoal flavour really warmed us up to Heng – a fine start to our evening. Thereon, we ordered Kimchi Jjigae {INR 650} which is a rice soup with veggies this time, prawns barbeque {INR 900} and for the sake of Korean authenticity, Dolsot Bibimbap – Korean fried rice {INR 700}.

Known for serving Asian beer and drinks, this is where we unleashed ourselves.Sake {Japanese rice wine} is served here, which we really enjoyed. We realised it went really well with our pork and prawns, though it burnt a hole of INR 1,000 in our pockets. If you’re up for Chinese beer, go for a pint of Tsingtao {INR 500}, or a classic pint of Kingfisher {INR 230} – or skip the it all and order a cocktail.

A casual diner but with its fine dining prices, it may not be for a person on a budget. However, if you do want to try out Korean food, we would recommend Heng for anyone starting out with this cuisine. It may not be as authentic as a Korean restaurant we have frequented in London and in Singapore, we do think Heng’s doing it right in Mumbai.

The menu is bilingual – written in English and Korean. If you’re still confused, make sure to ask your waiter about the dish you’re ordering. They’re friendly and may even recommend their favourite.