Korean cuisine is the traditional food of Korea and for millions of Koreans overseas. From the complex rituals of the Korean royal court cuisine to the food of the inland cities like Seoul and the port cities of Incheon and Busan, the cuisine is varied, fascinating, and becoming internationally popular.

Korean cuisine is exotic; it derives its flavours and tastes from various combinations of sesame oil, soybean paste, soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger and, most importantly, chili pepper, which gives its distinctive spicy taste. In fact, Korea is the largest consumer of garlic, beating out Italy. The types of food vary seasonally and relies much on pickled vegetables which are preserved throughout the year.

Typical Korean meals are names for the number of side dishes (banchan) that accompany the ubiquitous rice, soup and kimchi (fermented vegetable). Banchan dishes are intended to be finished at each meal, so it is small in propotion and replenished as they are consumed. The types and number of banchans may vary by restaurants but the servings are always ample.

The prominent feature of a Korean table setting is that all dishes are served at the same time and table arrangements can vary depending on the main dish served. All meals are normally eaten with a set of chopsticks and a spoon. The presentation of a Korean meal is almost as important as the taste.

A typical table setting consists of:

• A personal bowl of rice, placed in either stainless steel or clay, usually with a cover to keep the rice hot.
• A small, personal bowl of hot soup (depending on the meal).
• A personal set of chopsticks for eating the side dishes (banchan).
• A spoon for rice and soup.
• Various small bowls of shared bite-sized side dishes.>
• A main dish (meat/stew/seafood based).

Zen Korean BBQ Ampang Menu

It has been a while since I have eaten in a Korean restaurant. After searching the net, my friends and I decided to try out Zen Korean Restaurant located at Ampang. We ordered Bibimbap and Kimchi Jjigae set (RM 30), SunDuBu Jjigae (RM 18 with rice), Doenjang Jjigae (RM 18 with rice), Galbi (pork ribs) and samgyeopsal (pork belly) for barbecue. I liked the restaurant’s chic decor – white brick walls, wood dining benches, and potted plants. I enjoyed the atmosphere as well as the food. Zen Korean BBQ has some of the best Korean food that we have ever had. They served 10 types of side dishes for us – Kimchi, egg rolls, bean sprouts, sweet anchovies, vegetables, etc.

Try the BBQ. The barbecue was supposed to be cooked n front of us on an open frame table charcoal grill but the staff did it using an electrical grill on another table. We were quite surprised seeing that. The pork was then cut into bite-sized pieces and sprinkled with sesame seeds and served on a hot plate. Though the pork was not cooked on a charcoal grill, the meat was still very juicy, flavoring and tender. Patbingsu was served as dessert after meal.

Zen Korean BBQ Ampang Map

Zen Korean BBQ Restaurant is probably one of the best Korean Restaurants in Ampang. The restaurant is just above a Korean Supermarket, Shin Shun Mi. The map showed the route from Ampang Point Shopping Centre to Zen.

Zen Korean BBQ Ampang
Opening Hours:
Monday 6pm to 10.30pm
Tuesday to Sunday 12.30pm to 2.30pm (lunch)
Tuesday to Sunday 6.00pm to 10:30pm (dinner)
Tel : 03-42562007
Address: No. 14-L2, Ampang Putra Residensi, Jalan Ampang Putra, 68000 Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.