Location: 363A Pitt St, Sydney NSW

The search for the best beef in town may not be inside a burger: in an alleyway off Pitt Street, Myung Jang Korean Restaurant is put to the test.

Coming in with three different Korean BBQ experience levels, we bring to you three perspectives on our Myung Jang dining adventure from Eamon, the Novice, James, the Intermediate and Melissa, the Veteran.

Meat – $33 beef each, $19 pork belly

Eamon – 4.0/5

• The best way to sum up the meat would be “no complaints“. Well cooked by us (mostly Mel) and the lovely gent who served us that evening. The marbled beef was bursting with juice whereas the sirloin steak had a meaty richness which was sorely required since the other two (marbled beef and pork belly) were heavy on the fat. The pork belly was exactly how you would imagine; fatty and porky.
• A larger variety would have given a better indication of the quality of meat they were providing but the two main reasons why it did not score higher are:
  1. I’ve had better meat
  2. I do know that Korean BBQ is a bit on the pricier side of things but comparing what it was (160g serving of the marbled and a similar amount for the steak) to the price attached, seemed a bit much.
• I would recommend saucing up your meats if you think they need a flavour kick.

James – 4/5

• Meat quality was one of the best I’ve ever had for Korean BBQ and this rating could have easily been higher if we had ordered more and indulged in greater variety. The marbled beef was my favourite; it was tender and flavourful, served in thin, easy-to-eat strips. The steak was cooked perfectly (props to Melissa) and you can never go wrong with pork belly, which is personal favourite when eating KBBQ.  I’m definitely planning on paying another visit to this place and trying out the rest of their menu.

Melissa – 3.5/5

• Very, very good quality beef. Given it wasn’t wagyu beef, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. The strips of marbled beef had an even distribution of fat throughout, making it melt in your mouth. The sirloin was meatier, giving you a larger mouthful than the marbled beef strips. The pork belly was juicy and fatty but definitely needed some condiments or sauces to give it a bit more of a kick.
• All in all very good meat, but generally let down by the pork belly. I’ve had better meat at other KBBQ places at similar price points but we did sample only a small section of the meat they had to offer. No marinated meats were tried which may have added to the experience.

Sides – $15 lemon soju, $13 steamed egg

Eamon – 4.0/5

• “Hello soju, my old friend. I’ve come to drink with you again. And while I’m sitting softly sipping. Became a fan of what ’twas drinking. And the lemon, that was infused, in my glass. Was insane. Worth the visit is my guidance” – Simon & Garfunkel
• As for the steamy egg, it was both steamed and egg. I say this as I have never tried the dish before and was pleasantly surprised by the taste and simplicity. A delicious complement to any mouthful of meat and/or rice.
• The side dishes, a literal given at any Korean restaurant, had nothing to write home about but having the variety of eight different options was a welcome experience. My favourites would have to be those of neutral taste (broccoli, cabbage) to cleanse the palette between different meats and the pasta one could probably be served in an Italian restaurant no sweat.

James – 3.5/5

• Steamed egg was a winner; delicious and a good quantity size for its price point. The lemon soju tasted like lemonade, successfully masking the disgusting rawness of soju (yup, I’m not a fan of soju).
• It was a welcoming touch being served in a teapot. I’m not the biggest fan of kbbq side dishes in general, and wasn’t too impressed with the selection on offer however that didn’t harm my experience.

Melissa – 3.5/5

• Steamed egg – delicious, lemon soju – interesting. The lemon soju was house made, served in a tea pot with shot glasses. It could have been more chilled but the lemon flavour successfully masked the soju aftertaste.
• Side dishes were quite standard – my favourite was the eggplant, the bean sprouts and the kimchi. In all honesty, I like my kimchi with a fresh, sweeter taste. The one at Myung Jang felt a bit too fermented for my palette (if too fermented kimchi is a thing).
• Sauces were great, served in a tray of three. It was nice to have your own and be able to mix. I wasn’t too experimental and mostly stuck to the good old sesame oil and salt or sweet soy sauce.

Service & Atmosphere

Eamon –  4/5

• The gentleman who was serving us that evening was extremely attentive. Swtiching grills was a non-issue and he got for us whatever we needed immediately. It could get a bit hot at times despite us being right near the air conditioner but that was to be expected. The many tables are divided into small rooms which makes for a pleasant dining experience since everyone is not crammed into one area but the large appliance which is the barbecue (and this is probably similar to most places) takes up a lot of room underneath the table which can make it hard to sit at.

James – 4/5

• Service was friendly and quick to respond to our requests such as rice and grill changes and I particularly enjoyed the atmosphere. It felt quite relaxed and not the crazy hustle and bustle as I’ve experienced in other restaurants. Ventilation was great as we were under a aircon and the tables didn’t have the ventilation tube sitting above it, leaving adequate space for us to dine.

Melissa – 4/5

• Restaurant was inside a renovated, three-storey house. Seats and tables were quite close together but the large tables gave the illusion of space. The grill was gas operated which slightly disappointed me. My personal preference is charcoal for the smoky flavour it gives its meat.
• We sat underneath the air conditioning unit on the third floor and had plenty of ventilation in this area.
• The service was excellent. The friendly waiter helped us cook initially and eventually left us to our own devices when he saw we could cook on our own. He came in several times to check in with us, even coming up to us midway to encourage us to cook and consume the raw onion. The same waiter served us the entire time, it seemed as if he was responsible for the area we were sitting in – this was good as it helped build rapport with the waiter throughout the eating experience.

Overall

Eamon – 4/5

• It is, hands down, the best Korean BBQ I have had so I’m excited to try the ones that have been highly touted by my fellow nerds. If you’re looking for value, Korean BBQ is probably not the meal you will be wanting to have. It mostly just came down to the meat to which I say, try more of the menu. What we had was delicious, but not various. Grab ya pals, grab a platter, grab some of their lemon soju too and I am sure this place will not disappoint.

James – 4/5

• Myung Jang was a very enjoyable experience that I would definitely return to in the future. Just keep in mind its higher price point (especially compared to buffet style kbbq) but in my opinion, you get what you pay for. It is a good alternative to the highly touted 678  and so I recommend grabbing a bunch of mates (more the merrier; and cheaper) for a night in the city for deep conversation, a couple goofs and gaffs, and KBBQ at Myung Jang Obaltan.

Melissa – 3.5/5

• Korean BBQ is an extremely social eating experience. Ultimately it is about the socialisation and conversations you have rather than any meat that is placed in front of you. However, based on the above ratings and taking into consideration price and the ultimate ‘would I come back/recommend this place to my friends’ question, my overall rating is 3.5/5. Definitely up there in terms of meat quality and eating experience but not the be all and end all of KBBQ. The beef and service of the restaurant were excellent, while the side dishes and pork belly did disappoint slightly. Overall still a decently priced KBBQ place in Sydney.