Ho Rang I: A Taste of South Korean Home Cooking

PUBLISHED January 14th, 2017 06:00 am

If there’s one thing the Koreans are known for, it’s a fierce pride for their heritage and culture; be it the hanbok, Yut Nori, or their traditional cuisine – which is why the newly-rebranded Ho Rang I (pronounced hoe-rung-ee) at Novena manages to attract so many fellow countrymen to her dining tables. As far as authentic goes, the restaurant is ace, having made the list of Excellent Korean Restaurants by the Korean Food Foundation when it was still known as Your Woul.

It’s safe to say we were impressed even before stepping inside. The traditional wooden doors and a single cheongsachorong lantern easily catch the eye of peckish passerbys, presenting a welcome contrast to the otherwise cookie-cutter storefronts along Goldhill Centre. The interior, relatively simple with a modern touch, is typical of streetside family restaurants in Daegu, Busan, or any urbanised city in South Korea – cream walls, rectangle wood tables, and hanji screens for privacy.

Previously headed by the matriarch Madam Sul, her eldest son Edward Chia now holds the reins at Ho Rang I. Edward also co-owns the popular healthy Korean rice bowl brand DoSiRak, but you’ll find a stark difference in the style of cuisine here. The restaurant’s name translates to ‘tiger’, which is often used as a symbol of homecoming in Korean culture. In short, this is where you go to for humble and comforting homestyle meal that’s literally cooked by an eomma (mother) or halmeoni (grandmother). And let’s face it – whichever culture you hail from, no one puts their heart and soul into cooking the same way they do.

The menu at Ho Rang I isn’t large; but they’ve retained the same items that Your Woul perfected over the last ten years, offering a menu that primarily consists of traditional stews, premium grilled meats, and handmade noodles based on recipes passed down from Edward’s maternal grandparents.

For lunch, you’re presented with a fuss-free menu of tantalising rice dishes that all come with fresh housemade banchan (appetisers) and a simple soup of the day, as well as a variety of noodle items. The Gal Bi Sal Bibimbap ($16) is a classic – grilled beef short ribs mixed with vegetables and Ho Rang I’s very own gochujang chilli paste (this gave us a way better kick than any premixed versions we’ve tasted). The noodles are worth a try as well; though instant, the Gamja Ramyeon ($16) features the family’s signature stew along with tender-soft pork ribs.

Dinners at Ho Rang I are a more elaborate and intimate affair, even if the portions are made for sharing. Perfectly sized for two, go with the traditional Jap Chae ($18), sweet potato glass noodles with assorted vegetables – as simple as it looks, the produce are all painstakingly cut by hand. Another crowd favourite is the Haemul Pajeon ($22) or seafood pancake fried with scallions. Admittedly, we were expecting more than just squid, but the crispy exterior and soft insides made the dish’s simplicity more than worth it (the generous servings of calamari also helped).

A similar variant of the lunchtime bibimbap is available at dinner time. The only different? You eat it the ssam way. At $38, the Gal Bi Sal is laid out on seasonal leaves and then eaten as a wrap to combine the marinated flavour of the grilled beef, the spiciness of the accompanying gochujang, and crispiness of the fresh leaves all at once. The stews, especially the Haemul Tang ($62) are not to be missed. Perfect spiced and seasoned to savoury decadence, this rich soup is loaded with flower crab, mussels, Hokkaido Scallops, and clams that knock the wind out of you, in a good (albeit pricey) way of course.

As the night progresses, the restaurant takes on a more casual concept, popularly known in Korea as Hof – a place that serves alcoholic drinks with food. This time, beers and tongdak (fried chicken) take centre stage. Take up the Chicken Bang-E ($49), where the fried chicken – utilising a family-secret marination and frying technique – comes with spicy Topshell noodles that go great with liquor. Think soju, bekseju (glutinous rice-based), bokbunja (fruit wine), and even housemade creamy makkeoli, available in limited quantities.

As Ho Rang I, the longstanding restaurant seems set to further strengthen its ethos of quality homecooked Korean meals in a communal setting, along with more pseudo-private spaces. Now with three distinct menus that stand out on their own, this restaurant could well be one of the Korean community’s favourite watering holes.

Ho Rang I is located at 165 Thomson Rd, Singapore 307618, p. +65 6251 0123. Open daily 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 2.30am.