A review of Arisun Korean restaurant in Sydney
Arisun and Shine: A Korean Culinary Journey
Everything about Korea seems to pop with fun and vibrancy- its music, culture and most of all, food.
When I received the invite to visit Arisun restaurant in Koreatown (a few streets in Sydney’s Chinatown) I didn’t hesitate because I worked out I’d been to Korean restaurants twice in my life – once in Tokyo and once in Newtown.
It seemed inadequate in light of the explosion in the west of K-pop (don’t ask me to name a song … Gangham style?), the ubiquity of K-beauty (for anyone under 25 – my nieces schooled me), the incredible Oscar winning film Parasite and an increasing number of posts in my feed of people visiting Seoul in South Korea.
It all looked – fantastic. But I just hadn’t got to it. Until now.
Arisun is part outdoor
I headed to Arisun, which is a part-outdoor restaurant hemmed with giant screens playing K-pop videos on a loop and a perpetual bustle.
Tonight we are being schooled in the basics of authentic Korean cuisine in a Masterclass led by executive chef Joanne Lee.
Joanne Lee on Korean cuisine
Laid before us are labeled tubs for the traditional dishes we will be preparing with the expert tutelage from Joanne who talked over the restaurant din on her head set Mike, explaining the dishes and Korean cooking infused with jokes.
Our Masterclass involved cooking:
- Kimchi: while fermented cabbage probably doesn’t sound appetising it is staple side dish for all Korean meals and eaten at least once a day. Basically it’s napa (Chinese) cabbage brined with salt and water, favoured with garlic, red chilli paste and ginger. Not only is it delicious but is great for gut health being a probiotic. And the crunchy, slightly sour taste is moorish. We get almost elbow deep in massaging the cabbage with the ingredients before setting it aside to ferment (which can be anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight)
- Japchae: I was familiar with kimchi but I was a first timer with Japchae, and it quickly became my favourite. Like many Korean dishes, it is simple but packed with flavour. Central to Japchae is glass noodles made from sweet potato starch which are stir fried with whatever vegetables you have and meat, if you’re so inclined. We made them with onion, mushroom, capsicum and spring onion. But the secret is in the slightly sweet and sour sauce made from soy, garlic, sugar and sesame oil.
Korean treats to take home
And the best part? These were packaged up and labelled for us, with easy cooking instructions (for Japchae – a quick pan or wok fry), and placed in takeaway bags for us to cook up a Korean storm at home. For the next three days I ate the kimchi, japchae and bulgogi for lunch and dinner. Absolutely delicious.
We were then treated to dinner from the Arisun menu which is designed to be shared. The famous Korean fried chicken is a must as is a Bibimbap (a rice dish with vegetables, egg and meat or salmon) and if you’re a fan of hot pots, there’s plenty to choose from.
Korean alcoholic drinks
Last but definitely not least are Korean alcoholic drinks. These are excellent! Soju is known as Korean vodka but has a slightly sweeter taste and less alcohol content. It can be drunk neat or with a variety of flavours such as lemon, strawberry, peach and if you really want to push the probiotics even further … Yakult. If darker spirits are your thing, there’s Japanese Suntory whiskey high balls which are refreshing and pair well with the sour/sweet flavours of the food. And Korean beer is not to be underestimated – Cass and Terra are served in cans and can be added to a soju for extra fizz.
Located in Chinatown and open until midnight Monday-Thursday and 2am Friday and Saturday, Arisun is the perfect place to begin or end an evening on the town. Guaranteed, you’ll leave with a full (but healthy microbe) belly and maybe knowing a little more about K-pop!
