We returned to Sang by Mabasa recently to try their à la carte menu, just to see if it lived up to the hype of their greatly valued and delicious dinner set menus (LINK). On this day, our moods were soured by the pouring rain but alas, the food by Sang was enough to warm our souls and liven our spirits. We still prefer their set menus over their lunch à la carte.
Food
This moon-eo sookhwe intrigued us from the menu. It was a poached octopus, red radish, coriander, chilli and soy wasabi for $19. Unfortunately, it was a little disappointing. The octopus was a cold mouthfeel, with a very crunchy texture. The added condiments didn’t blend well with the protein so we could taste each component separately in our mouths. Some bites were too bland, others too salty or too chilli.
This was the best thing we ordered, the jae yuk 😍. This was a spicy BBQ pork belly with rice & sides for $19. There was so much flavour and intensity packed into the tender folds of the pork fat. It was balanced well by the refreshing crunches of the bok choy and bean sprouts. The portion of meats was also generous to the serving size. We used the pork pieces to add flavour to our next dish…
We got the special-of-the-week: doeji gukbap. This is a popular South Korean ‘poor mans’ soup made from pork, soy sauce, miso, sesame oil, rice wine and bone broth.
Our first thought was that it was very soothing and somewhat flavourful, but when compared to a Vietnamese pork broth, this soup was lacking in some dimensions. It needed that oomph to take it to the next level. This is often achieved with different cuts of pork or fish sauce in Vietnamese cooking.
We could see this soup fairing well as a ‘hangover cure’ because it had all the elements of soul and nutrition, without being too intense. The cuts of pork were tender, falling off the bone, but needed a bit of salt. Overall delicious, but nothing spectacular.
This was served with rice, spicy tofu, pickled onions and pickled beansprouts. These condiments added a fierce Korean taste to the bite. We also had the soup with chunks of the jae yuk.
Our first thought was that it was very soothing and somewhat flavourful, but when compared to a Vietnamese pork broth, this soup was lacking in some dimensions. It needed that oomph to take it to the next level. This is often achieved with different cuts of pork or fish sauce in Vietnamese cooking.
We could see this soup fairing well as a ‘hangover cure’ because it had all the elements of soul and nutrition, without being too intense. The cuts of pork were tender, falling off the bone, but needed a bit of salt. Overall delicious, but nothing spectacular.
This was served with rice, spicy tofu, pickled onions and pickled beansprouts. These condiments added a fierce Korean taste to the bite. We also had the soup with chunks of the jae yuk.
Service
It was the same little family running the kitchen, with Papa and Mama Sang cooking in the back, and their daughter-in-law and another server out front. Amazing service.
Review
We enjoyed the food. Their lunch menu confirmed for us that this was a cleaner, fancier Korean restaurant than most.
For a casual lunch, however, spending $68 for 3 dishes was a bit steep and we would have much rather gone to a restaurant in Strathfield for half the price 🤷🏻♀️ C’est la vie, we wouldn’t know until we go, right? 😅 If we return, it would only be for their dinner set menus.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating!
For a casual lunch, however, spending $68 for 3 dishes was a bit steep and we would have much rather gone to a restaurant in Strathfield for half the price 🤷🏻♀️ C’est la vie, we wouldn’t know until we go, right? 😅 If we return, it would only be for their dinner set menus.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating!
