 |
 |
Sikdorak, a closer look
 Yelper's on Sikdorak Honolulu! |
(Auto-translation of Sikdorak) |
Aloha!
2/17/11 - As stated recently, we've been careening semi-out of control through a number of Korean restaurants around town, places with names like Sikdorak, Orine Sarangchae, Ireh, Richo, Ginza Yen, and the Chinese but Korean-bred noodle house, Nihao. Not a single English name in sight! That's gotta say something good, unless we're talking about burgers 'n fries, that is. To local bruddahs like myself, who can sometimes think Korean foods are all about kim chee, bbq meats, and free spicy/pickled veggies, it's great to know that there's sooo much more to this particular cuisine than that! But before exploring the topic any further, how's this great catch from Chris, who we met in the parking lot of the Kahala Beach Park:
Besides this 25-30 lb. (just my guess) ulua, Chris and a friend also poked a huge 4-5 lb. pakuikui (like a palani) and a giant 10 lb. or so uku (grey snapper) that must've been unbelievable steamed, Chinese-style! He says he doesn't care if people out there know about his catch being at Kahala because, in his own words - "the ocean is for everyone - plus, nobody knows where our best holes are!" Well said.
Kumi and I had a much tamer day, having lunch at a new taco truck that's been getting raves from our Mexican friends, then walking it all off at Kahala Beach Park. Just for, I dunno, kicks, we walked out to a semi-broken wall only a few inches across and a good 50 yards out. Glad I didn't fall in, not for my sake, but for my camera's!
Aaaah, Kahala, playground of the rich and famous! Multi-million dollar beachfront homes are everywhere, and apartments at the nearby Kahala Beach Condos feature 2-bedroom units with maintenance prices at roughly $1,000 and lease rents for over $2,000 (yes, both per month, yikes!), not even including utilities, property taxes, and the cost of the units themselves! Had someone bequeathed it to me scott-free and paid for, I still wouldn't be able to afford it! How ridiculous is that!
Here's the actual condos from our precarious perch, along with world-famous Kahala Resort to the right:
That's not all we did that day, btw! Knowing that pool on Tuesdays at Hawaiian Bryan's is only $2 per hour, we spent several hours there over wings, rings, and Blue Moon pitchers for only $8 (Happy Hour), then ended-up with a few friends at Sushi Bistro Shun, an awesome place for a wide variety of sushi and izakaya grinds.
Our visit to Sikdorak a week or so earlier was for lunch, with Kumi and mom. And it's a great time of day to visit, too, as there are some crazy specials available then. Several types of naengmyun as well as pajeon are listed for a measly $3.50, while various other dishes like meat jun can be had for $5! If you're a large eater, though, perhaps the best steal for you is listed on a large sign right outside their door, a 10-meat-choice buffet for $19.95! Get outta here!
Sikdorak is located in the Sam Sung Plaza on Keeaumoku St., or should I say Koreamoku, site of many a new and exciting Korean venue. Unless arriving at extreme hours, make sure you pay the attendant sitting behind the podium, then validate your ticket if you want free parking.
This place isn't the biggest, and it does get really busy at times. Most likely, you'll be sitting within conversation's length of your neighbors! It ain't the fanciest either, but it's decently clean and comfortable, no complaints here. Only, please don't order grill-at-your-table meat options while I'm there, since, as you can see, there are no tubes snaking down to suck all that grilled air out! How long do you think it'll be before those white walls turn a pale grey?
One of the cool things about Sikdorak is seeing those giant kim chee containers, one filled with Chinese cabbage and the other with large chunks of daikon, sitting at your table. With so many new restaurants out these days, it just helps to have something, anything, different, no matter how small a degree. A container of natural salt, chili paste, hot mustard, and vinegar complete the set:
But that doesn't mean that's it for banchan, no sir-ee! All told, 3 more plates were presented for a total of 5 banchan items, which is about the median for Korean restaurants on the island. Top-left, there's dried daikon strips in chili; on the right, sprouts; and foreground, a delicious mix of spinach and tofu, both tossed in a sesame/salt dressing:
Anytime we go Korean, Mom can never get away from a bbq mixed plate. Brutish and unsophisticated as it is, however, with more cultured folks going for spicy gizzards, ginseng chicken soup, and black goat stews, who am I tryin' to fool? I love Korean bbq meats! And mom eats like a bird, so that always means plenty of leftover's for me!
Lemme tell you about bbq here at Sikdorak - killah'z!!!
I shoulda taken shots of each meat type individually, as there was one type of meat that was absolutely outstanding! Everything was actually great, but there was no denying their spicy pork - soft, tender, and grilled to perfection, the fatty strips combined with a spicy red sauce and that perfectly koge'd taste for an unbelievably delectable result! Next time, spicy pork alone, with a side of hot rice! Not to demean Mr. and Mrs. kalbi and chicken on the plate, though, as both were also fantastic.
Mom also demands an order of pajeon everywhere we go. At $3.50 during lunch, how can you go wrong? Just know that when this variety of savory Korean pancake hits your table, you'll see why it's so cheap:
Yeah, a bit small, but it's perfect as a cheap side dish, and hits most of the requisites for a decent pajeon - crispy crust, chewy (not mushy!) batter, lots of green onion and bits of seafood.
Their meat jun was great as well, coming with thin slices of beef that, thank goodness, wasn't overly sweetened nor shoyu'd by heavy marinades, which is oftentimes the case at localized Korean spots. The batter around it was on the heavy side, just how I like it, but was still light, fluffy, and full of eggy taste:
And speaking of favorites, Kumi also has a few needs, one of them being soondubu, or kim chee/tofu soup.
Sorry for the lack of diversity today, as it seems meats, pajeon, and soondubu are the norm for us, but things will definitely change in our next few Korean restaurant visits, promise!
Take care, and Aloha till next time!
Aku
Post a Comment or just say hello! Don't worry about leaving REAL names if you don't want to! No e-mails will be posted without consent, last names will be abbreviated, and if you don't want me to post all or any part of your correspondence, please state so! Hope to hear from you all!
