Not familiar with Korean food? Well, me too! Actually, I’m not familiar with anything Korean-related. Not even K-pop or K-drama or whatever. I’ve been looking at my friends’ picture on Instagram, and many of them uploaded pictures of them eating Korean food. I was like : “what does it taste like? spicy? salty?” I have no idea.
Fred took me to Bo Shin Myeong Ga just when my curiosity grows even stronger. It’s an authentic Korean restaurant in South Jakarta.
Did I mention that the restaurant itself is packed with Korean customers? That’s probably because the food tasted just the same with the one back in Korea. Yes, it was owned and run by a lovely friendly Korean lady. She even walked to every table and made sure her customers are served well. If I were her, I would rather be lying on my bed watching movies.
Interior and Ambience
Anyway, the interior looks like a typical Korean Restaurant – dominated by wood. There are long tables and chairs, and also a low tables if you prefer to eat your foods while sitting on the floor, just like what Koreans do.
If you order some grilled foods, they will set up a grill on your table and then it’s time for you to cook your meat!
Side Dish (Free)
When I first came to this restaurant, I was somehow surprised looking at the number of side dishes (banchan) they give us. The best part is, it’s all….. free! I think we could have just ordered some steamed rice to eat with?
Kimchi (Free)
One of the most popular side dish is Kimchi. It’s a traditional fermented cabbage which was originally made to preserve the veggies for winter season. Well, I also heard in the traditional preparation of kimchi, it is normally fermented underground in jars for about several months.
Kimchi tasted kinda spicy, and sour, and salty and well, tangy.
Dwaeji Galbi (IDR 90k)
Dwaeji Galbi is a grilled pork marinated in ganjang sauce, it’s a Korean soy sauce. Some other kind of meat is cooked right at the customer’s tables on the grill set. But this one is prepared at the kitchen.
There are garlic, onion, and mushroom.
They also serve it with a basket of veggies : lettuce, garlic, cabbage. And the way you it eat, is by wrapping the meat, garlic onion and the mushroom with the veggies.
Definitely my favorite here!
Dolsot Bibimbap (IDR 75k)
Bibimbap (or literally ‘mixed rice’) is another famous Korean dish. The rice is served in a hot stone bowl (dolsot) and topped with sauteed vegetables and also raw egg. To eat this, we mix the chiili pepper paste (gochujang) with the rice until it is… well mixed.
The bowl is sooo hot that the rice sizzles when it touches the bowl – it makes mixing a lot more fun.
One bowl offers a large serving! So we just need to order one for two. We still have a lot amount of side dishes anyway.
Anyway, it tasted kinda sweet and sour with a tiny hint of spicy flavors. I can’t even describe it! But yes, it is addictive!
Doenjang Jjigae (Free)
This one is spicy tofu soup. I don’t know why we get this one for free, but I think it comes together with the bibimbap. The tofu tasted just good, as well as the veggies that comes with it. But the soup is too spicy for us – considering it’s really hot and and it makes ‘spicy’ flavor just a lil bit hurtful.
Impressed?
Well, what can I say? This restaurant has great authentic foods, great place, and great staffs, great ambiance. Bo Shin Myeong Ga nailed it! No wonder it’s always packed with Korean customers.
Anyway, I hope you guys find this review helpful and thinking of visiting Bo Shin Myeong Ga. Seriously, it is worth it. Fred and I will try to visit more Korean restaurants and order other kind of foods to compare.
Annyeong~!
TIPS
You don’t need to order some drink if you don’t want to since they will give you free ice tea, in a jar 😉 They also give us some sweet watermelons and a cold ginger-cinnamon-drink as a dessert.
Bo Shin Myeong Ga
Korean Restaurant
Jl. Taman Margasatwa 15, Jati Padang
Jakarta Selatan
021 – 7890220
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email : lohh.sharon@gmail.com
Sharon Loh 
I think Korean food is not for everyone because of it’s strong flavours. I certainly can’t take kimchi 😛 But I do like their grilled meats and having it wrapped with lettuce and the miso sauce. It’s great!
Yes you’re right! My dad also can’t take weird-taste food, Korean food included. He likes Indonesian food the best! 😛
Yum! That grill meats are the best part, right?
The food and ambiance so homy. We are also best Indian restaurant Melbourne provides the best food.
It is!
Your restaurant looks great! Will definitely come for dinner once I visit Australia 🙂
I am cooking a blog post that will sound like this. I mean, it’s going to be a sort review about a certain pie shop here in Riyadh. Then I came across this post. Seriously, you gave me an idea on how to do it the Sharon Lo way so to speak.
Thanks, really!
Go go go! Can’t wait to read your blog.
“Loh” (with the h)
Sorry for that.
LOL no worries 😉
My husband and I like Korean food too, especially Bulgogi and Kimchi shoup. Thanks for sharing !
Yum. Now I’m one of Korean foods’ fans. Thanks for reading, Ninik!
Nice review and recommendation, thanks. For those who cannot eat Samgyeopsal (grilled pork), another delicious specialty is Hunjae Ori (smoked duck), to be eaten with veggies’ wrap, raw garlic, samjang, and rice, along with banchan (side dishes).