Food Review // Dalgona Korean Kitchen

I visited Dalgona Korean Kitchen and took the family along. I’ve been meaning to visit sooner and I can safely say now I have, I’ll definitely be back again and again. The restaurant opened at the end of last year with a service counter and a few tables and chairs and since then their little restaurant has exploded in popularity and I can really see why, there is nothing else like it in the area. Now with the extended premises they’ve been able to build their own bar serving a variety of beers, wines and other alcoholic drinks as well as a fridge stocked with a huge variety of soft drinks, added seating and toilet facilities. The decor is absolutely beautiful and even more special knowing the owners did most of the work themselves. It’s a really interesting venue with plenty of quirky details and plants. It’s contemporary but cosy and the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, with low background music and the sound of the water feature trickling, it feels like you’ve been transported out of Ashby and landed in a stylish city eatery.

The staff make you feel like a friend, and to be honest by the time you leave you probably will be. It is not just about the tasty food, the staff and owners here make it just that cut above.

I will apologise now that I’ve not gone greatly into detail with every dish because there is just so much to cover…but I think the photos speak for themselves….

While you decide what you’re ordering from the main menu, you can snack on the bowl of spicy seaweed crisps.

To start, we tried the mozzarella corndog coated in golden batter and covered in fried diced potato, oozing with melted cheese and drizzled with sauce, and may I say it was huge. We also had a portion of Gimbap, similar to sushi but the filling and seasonings slightly vary and of course a tasty sweet soy dipping sauce, lastly some crispy seasoned chicken spring rolls that had a small hint of spice served with slaw and a sweet chilli dip. My teen doesn’t tend to like spring rolls but she loved these.

Onto the mains, we had a variety of dishes including the chicken Bento Box, which is a very impressive and Instagram worthy selection of tasty treats in a sleek tray, it gives you the opportunity to try every single item from the street food menu and more. Great for sharing with friends or between a couple.

The Bento Box comes with a choice of Korean Fried Chicken or Bulgogi Beef, we had the chicken served with soft steamed Jasmine rice, Mini Corndog, Prawn Tempura, Spring Roll, Prawn Mandu, Veg Mandu (a fried dumpling), Gimbap, Kimchi, Pickled Radish and Asian slaw. The pickled radishes were quite addictive with a subtle pickled taste and a beautiful crunch and a stunning bright yellow. You really struggle to pick a favourite because there’s so much variation in flavour and texture. A mix of sweet, sour & savoury, it really hits every part of your palate. The kimchi, slaw and cucumber add the fresh flavours to the box cutting through the fried elements.

The next dishes we shared between us was the K-BBQ Korean Fried Chicken served with Rice, the chicken is sweet, sticky and tender.

The Ramen came in a cute pot with a lid, which kept it warm but also led to an impressive and steamy reveal. It came topped with grilled New York beef strips. Slow simmered broth with chewy noodles, mushrooms and fresh cabbage leaves. This would easily work as a sharer. The beef strips were perfectly cooked with a good sear. It’s everything you want from a warming and hearty umami ramen bowl.

My family’s favourite main was the Beef Japchae, which is also the restaurants gluten free option, it’s very unique with it’s stir fried sweet potato glass noodles. The colour and flavours of the dish are vibrant, fresh and perfectly balanced with ganjang (soy) sesame glaze. It was packed with a selection of veggies including mushroom, peppers, spring onions and kimchi.

All the dishes were beautiful in presentation and flavour. I really like that it’s quite a small menu, it’s not overwhelming and every dish has earned it’s place on there. Even though the restaurant is relatively small, it feels spacious, it’s table placement is well thought out and you aren’t just packed in for the sake of fitting in more seats.

Now, you know we have to squeeze in a pudding and we are sure glad we did. We had the Dalgona Waffle with soft vanilla ice cream melting over the warm waffle with crisp and chewy honeycomb scattered over the top and a generous drizzle of toffee sauce. The contrasting textures worked well together.

The pudding star, striking Ube cake, made in house by the chef. Amazing to look at with it’s lavender colour from purple yams and ice cream. Your spoon effortlessly glides through the perfectly soft layers of yam cake and frosting with a light and smooth texture and the ice cream, wow, I’m not even sure how to describe it’s flavour but all I can say is I’d eat more of it! It was sweet and nutty, creamy and indulgent.

To summarise, I think you can tell I’m recommending that you try Dalgona Korean Kitchen, my teenage daughter said, I quote “Best place I’ve eaten” but she’d be happier if I didn’t make her wait while I take photos and videos before she can dig in. If you haven’t been, get yourself booked in. You can also order via phone and collect or via Scunthorpe Eats.

It’s so lovely to see how this small local business has grown over a small period of time.