Gangnam

Last week we had a rare week when we spent every evening together. It was lovely to spend our evenings cuddling up on the sofa, reading together and eating home cooked food. When I am normally working evenings I end up grabbing a ready meal or takeaways. The food is normally rubbish quality and pretty expensive. We really enjoyed cooking and talking over dinner this week. 

That being said, when it came to Friday evening we were ready for a treat. I first saw Gangnam as it was rated the number one restaurant in Stevenage on Tripadvisor. I never normally look at Tripadvisor but I signed up to it last week to vent my anger at the poor service we received when we went out for a Sunday Roast. Gangnam sells itself as the only Korean restaurant in Hertfordshire. We had a look online and the menu looked incredible and actually very healthy. The reviews spoke very highly of Gangnam and we were curious to give it a try.

We arrived about 7pm on Friday. The restaurant was busy with a large party but there were a few tables free. You can bring your own alcohol but we weren't in the mood for drinks so we decided to try a bubble tea. I had strawberry with mango boba and Rob had honeydew melon with strawberry boba. Both were very yummy. Bubble tea is hard to describe. Its kinda like a sweet, think milkshake with jelly bubbles. Strange but good.

It didnt take long for our starters to be served. We opted for the Kun Man Du (veggie dumplings) and Dack Kang Jung (fried chicken balls). Each starter was £4.50 which was fantastic value for ten dumplings and ten pieces of chicken. Although simple, the veggie dumplings were the best thing I tried. They were so fresh, not greasy at all and so well flavoured. The chicken was also fantastic and had a lovely kick to it. 

All the food was freshly cooked. It wasn't long until our main courses came. Rob had the Bulgoki + Bap (stir fried duck served with rice and kim chi). I had one of the most famous Korean dishes, Bi Bim Bap served with chicken. Both dishes were fantastic. The menu isn't particularly large but we have seen other dishes on the menu that we also want to try when we return. 

It must also be mentioned that the service was fantastic. The last two occasions we have eaten out at independent restaurants the service has been awful. Visiting Gangnam restored our faith in independent restaurants. Mrs Gangnam (most likely not the owners real name) chatted to us about the food and asked us where we had found the restaurant. She told us that she hadn't paid for any marketing and wanted the restaurant to be promoted through word of mouth. She said that the first year for the restaurant was difficult but they were doing much better now. Mrs Gangnam was so friendly and genuine. At the end of the meal she even bought out mikado sticks, a lovely gesture. 

We honestly cannot recommend Gangnam enough. We will be returning very soon.