Sunday 05 / May / 2024
I’ve always been an admirer of East Asian cuisines — rich, distinctive aromas, colourful, unfamiliar plates, and new discoveries galore. But it isn’t always easy to find authentic Asian here in Muscat. So, when I happened upon Amazing Chicken, a hidden gem serving authentic Korean delicacies in Al Ghubra, I knew I’d hit the foodie jackpot.
It was 2pm when hunger struck. I needed to eat something, but none of my go-to places felt appealing. I wanted to try something new. I sat thinking about my options, trying to ignore the growling in my stomach. Then I remembered hearing about a place called ‘Amazing Chicken’, though I couldn’t remember what was supposed to be so amazing about the place.
I called the restaurant for directions, and after a few rounds in Ghubra, I parked in front of the Gulf Hotel Apartments and set off on foot to find the place. Luckily for me, the restaurant was tucked away just behind the hotel, its signboard obstructed by construction platforms.
I was in full experimentation mode as I approached the simple exterior, ready for anything. But when I entered the black-walled interior and heard the K-pop music playing in the background, my excitement peaked.
I grabbed a seat by the window and learned that Amazing Chicken opened in 2014, serving authentic dishes from South Korea along with a handful of other popular East Asian staples. Soy sauce, kimchi (fermented) seasoned vegetables, sesame seeds, and noodles filled the menu on which all the dishes were titled with their original Korean name transliterated into English text, making it possible for non-native speakers like me to sound-out the exotic, foreign names. I was too hungry to think straight. And what they say about your eyes becoming bigger than your stomach when you’re in this kind of state is also true. Fearful that I’d end up ordering enough food for a family of eight, I closed the menu and asked the waiter to surprise me with the four best main dishes on the menu (it’s all about moderation).
The friendly waiter disappeared, returning with a traditional teapot of Korean green tea, and by my second sip, tiny plates had started to fill my table. I looked at him with a bit of confusion, and he explained that Korean meals begin with complimentary little plates of tangy, fermented, pickled items, or condiments as they call them. I was delighted to taste the rainbow of strange dishes before me—crisp blanched broccoli dressed in a simple vinegar; a bite-sized omelette; diced sweet potato; and myulchi dried fish with peanuts and honey. The nibbles were just enough to silence my screaming hunger, and whet my appetite for the main event.
First up was the Japchae, thick, chewy, translucent stir-fried glass noodles made from sweet potatoes, served with chopped mixed vegetables. I was told this was a popular Korean dish, and after one bite, I could understand why; the combination of the potato noodles with fresh, vinegar-seasoned vegetables is to die for—from the vibrant flavours to the simple fact that they are beautiful to look at. Before I could totally devour the delicate noodles, my Bibim arrived. A piquant bowl of cold noodle tossed with special Korean chili paste and vegetables, topped with a boiled egg, Bibim is served alongside seashore-scented seaweed soup. This was an exciting dish to savour, as the sesame seeded noodles were tossed with ice cubes for a symphony of unusual textures, flavours, and temperatures, all in one dish. I washed down the delectable spicy dish with my green tea. Taking a slight pause to catch my breath before diving into a rich, amber-coloured bowl of Kimchi soup, which was a sour, spicy, tomato-based stew filled with fermented kimchi vegetables and tiny chunks of tuna.
My kindly waiter and culinary guide saved the best dish for last. Kimchi Joen, aromatic Korean-style savoury pancakes made with cornflour, seafood, and kimchi, were served with the restaurant’s signature sauce, a sweet-salty, almost barbecue-like concoction that was downright addictive. The pancakes themselves were soft, tasty, and perfectly bite sized.
I obviously returned, savouring and discovering other fantastic dishes, like Kimbab, a Korean-style sushi, and falling in love with Gogigui, Korean tabletop barbecue. The unmarinated, fresh beef is charred before your eyes and is served with ‘banchan’ side dishes, salads and pickles. The pieces of beef are eaten wrapped in lettuce and topped with any number of the spicy, tangy, funky condiments that I am still trying to learn
the names of.
This sense of true discovery, of tasting, smelling, and even eating in a new way is something as unusual as the foods themselves. It is this sense of culinary adventure that will keep me coming back to this tiny back alley of Ghubra. Well...that and the Kimchi Joen.
—[email protected]
What to Order
Kimchi Joen pancakes OMR3
Japchae glass noodles OMR3
Bibim cold noodle OMR3.5
Kimchi soup OMR4
Kimbab rolls OMR3
Gogigui barbecue OMR8
Amazing Chicken Korean Restaurant
Behind Gulf Hotel Apartments, Ghubra North. (Park infront of Gulf Hotel and walk to the backside of the attached residential building)
+968 2207 5558, +968 9710 0694
