Koreana is having a moment in pop culture. Bangladesh is no different, from K-pop to Korean food, people are obsessed.
In our hunt for something different, we stumbled upon a new Korean fusion restaurant called Chois, offering delicious food like open-face bulgogi sandwiches and jjampong rose pasta.
HaEun Choi, the founder and chief of Chois, expressed her desire for something different, aiming to bring a touch of Korean fusion that adds a playful twist to the regular fare. "I want to go beyond the usual kimchi and barbecue, introducing people to a broader spectrum of Korean cuisine," she shared.
The restaurant is currently in their soft launch phase, Chois will officially open its doors on November 10th, offering a variety of Korean fusion delights.
Food
Their Bibimbap salad is a spin on the traditional Korean rice dish, with a white poached egg whose yolk running down into the rest of the salad when it's cut open, making for a hearty salad, and a beetroot salad dressing for a splash of purple that complements the dish's already vibrant hues.
"It looks like bibimbap, but it’s a salad, not the exact rice dish," chef HaEun Choi explains when asked to explain why his restaurant serves bibimbap without rice. We'd even go so far as to suggest that, even without the rice, it has a similar savoury flavour profile to bibimbap.
Next we had jjampong rose pasta, which is a spicy seafood pasta made with fettuccine. It is spicy and creamy all at once. Jjampong sauce is one of a kind because of its distinct umami flavour, creamy texture, and thick, spicy flavour. Bok choy and gochugaru are included in the stir-fried green onion, butter, and ginger sauce.
The pasta is loaded with shrimp, escargot, snails, and squid, and the sauce only enhances their flavours. If you want to try something with a hint of heat from Korean spices, you simply must order this dish. The fiery red sauce gives a hint that this dish is hot, but you have to sample it for yourself to fully appreciate the heat.
To cap off the meal, we had red bean bread, or Anpan in Japanese, which is a sweet Japanese pastry filled with red bean paste. It is a soft, sweet round bread that also contains sesame seeds, bread flour, and milk powder, and each bite captures the essence of the red bean, which is uniquely sweet with a soft, mashed texture, a luscious brownish red filling inside an ever soft bun, and is truly a treat to remember.
Chois's prices range from Tk450 to Tk2,800.
Ambience
Nestled in Gulshan 2, this large place radiates a warm and inviting ambience, instantly giving you the feeling of stepping into someone's home. The outdoor seating area is a breath of fresh air, adorned with chairs sporting a vibrant blue and yellow pattern.
Large windows flank the doors, complemented by wooden tables and chairs, marbled walls and ceilings, and a glass door entrance that seamlessly blurs the line between the interior and the outdoors.
Additionally, a dedicated section is set aside specifically for an array of delectable baked goods.
Challenges
The main problem for Chois has been getting people to try something new, as they don't just serve traditional Korean fare but rather a combination of Korean and European cuisine.
"It’s a very new style people don't really know much about, they get confused with what we're serving," HaEun added.
It has been difficult for this Korean fusion restaurant to import food and other supplies due to the current economic climate and limits on LC's (Letter of credit).
"We have to get most of our ingredients from Korea and that's been tough currently with the importing issues," she said. The coffee beans that we use are also from Korea.
Verdict
All three of the dishes we've tasted have been fantastic. The bibimbap salad, jjampong rose pasta, and red bean bread are all must-tries. The menu's greatest strength is the restaurant's innovative approach to reintroducing Korean cuisine to Dhaka.
Although it may cost a bit more than usual, a trip to Chois is well worth it. Finally, when you visit Chois, we highly recommend testing out a variety of their unique tastes and ordering a cup of their freshly brewed coffee with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
