finally another food post after a while! last week my friends recommended me mujigae, a casual korean restaurant located at kemang village. according to them this place got a pretty good range of decent korean dishes with a very affordable price. well, since ive been constantly craving for korean food lately so i decided to give it a shot.
living up to the 'casual' theme, the restaurant gives off a friendly vibe with vibrant colors and fun atmosphere. its way different from most korean restaurants that tend to implement a more conventional approach by emphasizing traditional ornaments. its also obvious that mujigae's target audience falls into the younger spectrum since it really values digital approach in their system. upon entering the place, i was greeted by giant LCD screens that are hanging on the walls. they either showed photos of the customers there (yes, we can take a photo at our table and it will be shown on the screens!) or popular korean variety shows such as running man. not only that, they also provide an ipad on each table where we could order directly through it and even request our favorite kpop songs. how cool is that?!
after browsing through the menus, i decided to order some of their specialties that caught my eyes. the first one is budae jigae (47k). this famous korean army stew has an appetizing look with boiling, reddish soup that i assume comes from the classic gochujang and kimchi. it consists of ramen noodle, luncheon meat, macaroni, beef sausage, tofu, and vegetables. the taste was okay, though personally i think it would be better if the soup had a heavier 'kick'. the flavor falls kinda flat in my mouth, but the variety of ingredients made up for it.
the next menu is the must-try topokki. i tried beef sausage topokki (40k) that comes with generous toppings and sauce. the mixture of sweet and savory flavors from the topokki sauce tastes exceptionally delicious with a hint of spicy aftertaste. the dish is also topped with crunchy crackers for a fun, modified experience in enjoying this famous korean dish.
considering the dining session wont be complete without rice, i ordered kimchi bokumbap (29k) and cheese bibimbap (39k). to be honest, i always prefer fried rice with a drier texture, so this kimchi bokumbap is right up my alley! the seasonings also seeped through it just fine, allowing me to enjoy it with other menus as well without overpowering the flavors. same goes with the cheese bibimbap. although the gochujang comes in a sauce package, it blends wonderfully with the rice, eggs, meat, and vegetables. the flavors played together well, with a light smoky taste in every bite. yum!
mujigae also serves korean fried chicken, which is one of their best selling menus. there are 3 flavors available: original, soy garlic, and honey butter. i tried the original korean fried chicken (25k) and gotta admit its pretty good! its coated with a lovely amount of sauce and the texture is crunchy and juicy at the same time. no wonder its everyone's favorite here.
to top it off, a chocolate banana milk with nutella pudding (21k) is a must! it works both as a beverage and dessert because its refreshing and silky sweet. the pudding has a very smooth texture that allows you to gulp it within a slurp. mujigae has other signature drinks such as banana milk & matcha pudding and matcha milk tea & asuka bean that look tempting as well. considering banana milk is a popular drink in korea, its such a nice move for them to mix it with other toppings as a variation.
overall my experience in mujigae has been pleasantly fun. its a nice place to visit for a casual hang out or even to enjoy some quality korean food with a friendly price. i wouldnt compare it to other korean restaurants out there because as i previously mentioned, mujigae has its own audience category that sets it apart from the rest. i will surely visit it some time again though and hopefully they expand the menu range by then so i can try many other lovely dishes!
Mujigae
Lippo Mall Kemang Village 3rd Floor
Phone: (021) 29528391
Opening hours: 10AM - 10PM
