arirang

arirang
fahad al salem street, kuwait city in the swiss belhotel plaza
tel: 2243 6686

what was consumed: korean food! bibimbab, bulgogi, nakji bokkeum

yes, there is a korean restaurant in kuwait. while i usually enjoy making my own korean food (also because i get all snobby about the dishes. yes, my mom makes the best korean food - haha), there's something about being able to go out and enjoy it as well.

friends and colleagues always ask about korean food options and i'm happy to report that arirang is a pretty solid option. they haven't local-ized the flavors and have kept as true to the standard korean taste as possible (and available). a few standard ban-chan (side dishes) come with the meal you order, though i wish they would offer a greater variety (and quantity. sometimes i just want bowls and bowls and bowls of kimchee. in all of its stinkiness. hehehe).

like many restaurants in kuwait, the dining area was completely empty when we went. that didn't mean the service was any better (per usual. sadly), but i guess we weren't too bothered. the decor of arirang is a sort of cross between middle eastern and korean. i guess that's expected, but still sort of weird. i went with c and r who said they were relatively new to the korean food world, so i made sure to order some of the usual favorites (sadly, no dwehji bulgogi as pork is haram. haram!) that included soy sauce marinades (in the bulgogi) as well as the spicy hot red bean paste marinades (in the nakji bokkeum).

in a pinch, and for those who are new to korean food (or who don't have me around - haha), i would totally recommend arirang for some korean staples. go! try! korean food is totally part of my safe place ^^