Kong

Brother to Chin Chin's and Baby Pizza, Kong had been on the 'To Do' list for far too long.  Situated on Church Street, this Richmond establishment has a similar 'walk-in' dining policy to Chin Chin's: no bookings - just show up, put your name down and head to PA's for a drink while you wait (well, PA's isn't exactly a requirement, but its definitely worth the pre-dinner drink).

For a Saturday night, the wait for Kong was very reasonable.  Arriving at 7:00pm, it was only half an hour before Kong made the call to say our table was ready. 

Rather than navigate our way through the mouth watering menu filled with delicious Korean treats, we decided to opt for the "Feed Me" option. 

To start with, the six of us shared the wood fired edamame with chilli and sea salt, the wagyu beef and kimchi dumplings, the spicy pork belly buns with pickled cucumber and the Korean fried chicken wings with honey, garlic and sesame.

The pork belly bun was the  dish of the night - with its crispy crackling, offset by the creaminess of the pork, the freshness of the cucumber and the kick of the chilli, it was a taste sensation with every bite.

Korean fried chicken wings

Wagyu beef dumplings

We were then served the Kong Bossam BBQ Tray, which consisted of pulled chicken and pork, pork belly, beef brisket, lettuce, pickles and kimchi.  The meat was delicious and juicy, and paired beautifully with the crisp and fragrant condiments.  But with its limited meat portions, it was a very tricky dish to share between 6 (anyone want to go quarters in a small piece of brisket?) Luckily, our meat cravings were soon put to bay as we were served up Kalbi Short Beef ribs, with cabbage spicy slaw on the side.

BBQ Tray

 

Beef Ribs

At this point, the food had all been exceptional and it was just starting to hit the edges of our hungry stomachs - which is why we were surprised when we were told by the staff that that was it for the night.  Excuse me?? The "feed me" option is $66 a head, and at this point our dishes had only equated to $33 a head (calculated to include the desert which was soon to come) - quite the bargain for Kong and quite the rip off for diners! To the benefit of Kong, they were happy to provide us with a couple more dishes (BBQ corn and salmon), but it is disappointing that the $33 deal is what the usual diner would get. 

To finish with we had apple and walnut tart with miso butterscotch and Japanese whiskey ice cream, and black sesame ice cream  - both dishes were tasty, but not overly memorable. 

Nonetheless, with its exceptional food and friendly staff, Kong is without a doubt a noteworthy member of the Lucas Group.   

Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Décor: 3.5/5
Total: 11/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon