This is Jeong Dam Restaurant, a Korean restaurant in Eastwood.
The selection of banchan included:
-
Top row: pickled onions and chillies (tangy and sweet without the usual sharpness of raw onions); cabbage kimchi (crisp with a balanced savoury-tangy flavour, neither overly salty nor acidic as with commercial varieties); bean sprouts and carrot (a savoury, lightly seasoned contrast to the pickled items).
-
Bottom row: seaweed and radish (lightly tangy with rice vinegar); pasta and apple salad (balanced and not overly dressed with mayonnaise); dried beancurd (savoury with a hint of sweetness and a pleasing bite).
Seafood and Green Onion Pancake ($25.00)
Good ratio of seafood and spring onion to batter, featuring prawns, mussels, and squid. However, the pancake was soggy in the centre and held together poorly, with crispness only at the edges. While the spring onion provided a pleasant sweetness, the lack of texture made it not worth revisiting.
Cold Buckwheat Noodles with Beef Tartare ($25.00)
The gochujang paste overpowered both the texture and flavour of the beef tartare, reducing the dish to a single-note sweetness. The noodles contributed mainly chewiness, while cucumber was the only discernible fresh element.
Spicy Stir-fried Squid Rice ($23.00)
The sauce carried a good smokiness from caramelisation and a well-balanced spicy-savoury profile. However, the squid had an unappealing spongy, rubbery texture that detracted from the overall enjoyment.
Overall, while the banchan were enjoyable and the decor pleasant, the main dishes were inconsistent and the restaurant’s noise level detracted from the dining experience.
Jeong Dam Restaurant is located at 122 Rowe St, Eastwood NSW 2122.