There are several Korean restaurants in Kota Kemuning but so far, our favourite is Haechi. As the name suggests, this Korean restaurant serves BBQ and we have been going there many times for our favourite BBQs.
Haechi may not be very visible from the road as it is tucked away on the 1st floor of the shoplot they occupy. It is owned by a very pleasant and friendly Korean couple, known simply as Mr & Mrs Lee who have made Malaysia their home some years ago. The restaurant is bright and cheery, spotting a modern “bricks and wood” theme. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows are mounted at the front and light pinewood tables are arranged neatly without cramping the space.
Freshly made kimchi
One of our favourite salads
Haechi serves a minimum of 8 different types of banchan daily which are refilled for diners at no extra charge. Some of our favourite banchan here are kimchi (made fresh daily by Mrs Lee), saute’ed mixed mushrooms, fried anchovies, braised eggs and different types of salads and pickles.
Different selections of banchan are offered daily
For the BBQ, you can either order a la carte items or go for their sets. For pork, the belly (samgyeopsal), neck shoulder (moksal) and pork ribs are popular choices. Prices are RM30-RM32 per portion. If you go in a bigger group of 4-5 people, it makes sense to go for their sets as it’s slightly cheaper and you can get a combination of different cuts of meat. The pork sets start from RM92 (3 portions). Groups above 5 people can opt for the Family Sets starting at RM176 (4 portions).
For Beef BBQ, the beef brisket is priced at RM50 per portion, premium prime ribs at RM55, ribeye at RM65 and beef ribs at RM70. Again, dining in a group would work well with sets – their Beef Sets start at RM165 (3 portions).
The best thing about having BBQ in Haechi is that despite not having a single exhaust fan in the dining area, it’s smokeless and you won’t go home smelling like a kitchen stove. That’s because the meats are first half-grilled in the kitchen before being brought out to the dining tables where special electric grills are installed. These customized grills are very efficient in grilling the meats without emitting much smoke.
Besides BBQ, Haechi also serves a variety of authentic Korean dishes, all concocted with love by Mrs Lee. Most of the recipes are from her family and she has perfected them over time. We recently tried some of their other signature dishes – and what a revelation that was!
Mul Naengmyeon
We love the cold noodles served in Haechi. They are highly recommended for a light cool meal especially in our hot weather. The Mul Naengmyeon (RM18) – buckwheat noodles in chilled broth was absolutely delicious. The broth was refreshingly tangy and sweetish with blobs of shaved ice (frozen from the same broth) swimming in it. Strips of fresh cucumber, sliced pear and white radish add on an invigorating crunch to the bowl of noodles. The buckwheat noodles were smooth, with a delightful chewy bite to them. Half a boiled egg and toasted sesame seeds completed the whole delicious ensemble.
Bibim Naengmyeon
The Bibim Naengmyeon (RM18) – cold buckwheat noodles in red hot pepper paste looked more lethal than it actually was. The “red hot” pepper paste was not hot at all but it gave a lovely deep red color to the dish. A secret recipe by Mrs Lee, the paste was sweetish and sourish with a citrussy aroma. The same condiments of cucumber strips, pear and radish slices together with half a boiled egg were served with these noodles.
Colourful Japchae
We love their colourful Japchae and Deokbokki (RM18-small/RM32-big). The former is a typical Korean dish of sweet potato noodles stir-fried with a variety of colourful vegetables and flavoured with soy sauce. It’s usually on the sweet side but Haechi’s version is not overly so and that’s why we find it very easy on the palate. Deokbokki is a traditional Korean street food of soft rice cakes cooked with fish cake and tossed with “gochujang”, a slightly sweet soy and chilli paste. Mrs Lee has added some curly noodles and a hardboiled egg in this dish as well. The tubular rice cakes are smooth and chewy but I dived in for those tasty squiggly noodles which are really tasty!
Deokbokki – tantalising street food given a boost
For cold rainy nights, go for their Seafood Stew – Haemul Tang (RM80-small/RM130-big) or the Mountain Pork Bulgogi (RM70-small/RM133-big) – pork, vegetables, mushroom and glass noodles simmered in a hot pot. The Haemul Tang had a whole crab, mussels, clams, squids, prawns and vegetables boiled in a robust flavourful broth and served at tableside. The broth has been adjusted to taste a bit sweet due to local preference.
Seafood Stew – Haemul Tang
Pork Bulgogi
While waiting for the stew or bulgogi to boil, have a Gogi Pajeon (RM16-small/RM30-big) – pancake with meat which Haechi did splendidly. The pancake was light and fluffy, speckled with pork and vegetables. The outer layer was pan-fried to a light golden brown crisp and not oily at all.
We will definitely be returning to Haechi again and again. At lunch time, they serve some value-for-money sets, ranging from RM18-RM28.
Haechi Korean BBQ Restaurant
17-1 Jalan Anggerik Vanilla BF31/BF
Kota Kemuning
40460 Shah Alam
(one floor above Lan Je Steamed Fish)
Tel: 03-5131-1838
GPS: 2.9934816, 101.5390146
Business hours: 11.30am-2.30pm; 6.00pm-10.00pm
Closed on Wednesdays
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I can use some Galbi now! Those kimchi looks delicious too
Wow! A new place to try on my list! 🙂 Been trying to look for good food in the vicinity of KK.. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you like Haechi as much as we do 🙂
Is this restaurant still open its business in Kota Kemuning?