Hi everyone! Sorry for the vanishing act. Soon after the previous post, I had a very painful case of tonsillitis, followed by high fever and a sore throat. For two weeks, it was a diet of plain porridge and light vegetables. Eating out was, well, out for me. Not that I would have been able to taste anything anyway.
After that, real life took over. Now, things are slowing down, and the tastebuds have returned (yay!). It’s good to be eating normally and blogging again. 
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Ricky and I accidentally stumbled upon this cosy-looking Korean restaurant while looking for a place to have dinner in Chinatown. Literally translated as “top scholar”, Jang Won, an 8-month-old joint, is a relatively new kid on the block of Korean restaurants that have been mushrooming on our sunny shores.
Spread of drool-inducing banchan (side dishes).
It’s no secret that I’m fanatical over Korean food. The part that I most look forward to when eating in a Korean restaurant is the banchan. Other than the standard Chinese cabbage kimchi, the other items are constantly rotated, so you get a different combination of dishes each time.
I was pleasantly surprised at the number of banchan given at Jang Won. Seven! That’s the most I’ve come across so far. They were all very delicious, too.
Cucumber kimchi.
Crunchy, spicy, and refreshing.
Stewed potato.
Cooked in sweet soy sauce, the potato cubes disintegrated easily. Very more-ish.
Spicy cockles.
Ricky, the I’ve-had-my-hepatitis-jab-so-i’m-safe cockle lover, declared this his favorite of the lot.
Wakame seaweed.
This was light and crunchy. Served to balance out the spiciness of the other items.
Pan-fried beancurd.
Each beancurd piece was daintily dotted with a chilli-garlic topping.
Eomuk (fishcake).
Slices of fishcake were tossed in a dressing of sauces for extra flavor.
Kimchi.
Your standard Chinese cabbage kimchi.
Today’s combination of banchan was a wonderful myriad of flavors and textures, all complementing one another excellently. I could just feast on them alone!
Grilled fish (S$13.00).
Grilled mackerel on a hotplate, drizzled with some sweetish sauce. Dip in bean paste (in left corner) for extra saltiness. The fish was nothing spectacular, but it was nice and juicy.
Chicken galbi (S$18.00).
I was so looking forward to the chicken galbi. Literally meaning “ribs”, galbi was originally grilled beef short ribs, from which pork galbi and chicken galbi have evolved.
However, while beef galbi is sweet-savoury, chicken galbi is spicy. To prepare the latter, macerate chicken pieces (usually boneless) in a spicy marinade. To cook, place cut cabbage, sweet potato slices, tteok (Korean rice cake) slices, and marinated chicken on a grill or pan. Let everything cook, then toss to mix evenly towards the end.
Chicken galbi, up close.
Having had high hopes for the chicken galbi, I was a little disappointed. It was alright, but I couldn’t help comparing it to the superior version I’ve tasted at the home of a Korean friend’s. The jang (sauce/marinade) for the chicken, so crucial to the overall taste of this dish, was somehow lacking. Also, the sweet potato was M.I.A., and I could count the number of tteok slices with just one hand.
Still, the food was undoubtedly authentic. One might even say that the rough-around-the-edges quality was part of the homely charm. Indeed, half the restaurant was filled with Korean natives. Proof that the taste here is close to the real deal?
The side dishes come at no extra charge with the main courses. We were each charged S$1.50 for plain rice, which I thought was too pricey. The total bill was S$37.40, inclusive of 10% service charge.
Jang Won Korean Restaurant
44 Mosque Street #01-01
Singapore 059522
Tel: 6532 6949
cheers!
Hear Julia on radio every Thursday at 11:10am & 12:10pm as she shares a Foodie Lunch Pick on 938LIVE's Lunch Box with hosts Howie Lim and Desmond Wong. 
hey Glad to have you back.! happen to stumble into ur webbie i’m Really enjoy reading ur blog so far.
Been Following ur recipes too! The Kimchi and the grilled fish loooks so Tempting la !! *drool*
hahaha! Cheers!!
welcome back! aren’t you glad you were on a porridge diet? It’s payback time,eh?
I’m glad to knw U’re feeling bttr. Was wondering wat happen to U. Thot U were out of town.
Thks for de review. I mux say the complimentary side dishes were more authentic than the norm. Great now there’s a new fd haunt to check it out when I’m in Chinatwn next. Esp since I’m not too familiar wif de area hence dunno wat to eat when I there.
P.S. I love it dat U not only provide the name, address & tel of rest but also the price.
Hi, glad you are back.
I thought you had went for a trip.
Hope you feel better.
how are you?! its been a longggg time yeah
glad that u are feeling better n ur taste bud is back 
get well soon ya.
porridge and vegetables for 2 weeks? wow. must be torture. anyway, glad you’re back!
Hi Bloo Monster,
Thanks, yes, tastebuds are back.
Thanks for checking back. Don’t drool too much over the keyboard, yeah?
Hi kongkay,
Yes, it’s payback time, but I’m still being cautious. ‘Cos I think the tonsillitis might have been induced by overly heaty food.
Hi Cin and Dawn,
Heh, I really do wish it was true I had gone out of town. Could do with the break.
Thanks for your concern. It’s good to be back.
Hi snowystars,
Nice to see a familiar face again.
Hi elle,
Honestly, when I was really sick, soft, watery porridge was all I hankered for. But now that my appetite is back, it would be torturous indeed to have that diet everyday!
chanced upon your site while searching for good Korean restaurants. Manna is good, and Mario Kitchen is not bad too. There is one near Bras Basah, just opposite Raffles Hotel, but i cannot remember the name of the restaurant. The banchan is yummy and the best thing is you get to have second helpings of whatever banchan you like
thanks for your information.I’ll check them out.
Hi Jacqueline,
Since you are a lover of Korean food, could you please advise me is there any Korean restaurant in Singapore that serves the sliced beef wrapped in cabbage type of dish?
My mum wants to try this as she has seen this dish in one of the Korean drama serial.
Thanks.
Rose