Hidden Gem : Ho Rang I
Cozy & lovely Restaurant in Novena
Cozy & lovely Restaurant in Novena
Today, my friends and I had dinner at Ho Rang I (meaning “tiger”), a Korean restaurant at Goldhill Centre. It is located a stone’s throw away from Novena MRT station. It isn’t a well-known Korean restaurant franchise, and there aren’t any other branches around Singapore, but it has been reviewed many times before by other food bloggers, as well as The Straits Times, Singapore’s biggest English newspaper.
Described as a “hidden gem”, “stylish” and a place offering “family-style” Korean food, it is strategically situated on the first floor of Goldhill Centre. There is a small lighted signboard above the entrance which gives its name. To enter the restaurant, you would need to go through a wooden door between two French windows which are behind wooden grilles. The window panes are shielded by translucent paper, I believe, to keep out the glare from the sun and let the diners enjoy their food in privacy and provide a constantly cosy ambience inside the restaurant. There is a “Welcome” sign hung on the door, and a lighted lantern in front of the entrance.
Described as a “hidden gem”, “stylish” and a place offering “family-style” Korean food, it is strategically situated on the first floor of Goldhill Centre. There is a small lighted signboard above the entrance which gives its name. To enter the restaurant, you would need to go through a wooden door between two French windows which are behind wooden grilles. The window panes are shielded by translucent paper, I believe, to keep out the glare from the sun and let the diners enjoy their food in privacy and provide a constantly cosy ambience inside the restaurant. There is a “Welcome” sign hung on the door, and a lighted lantern in front of the entrance.
The interior of the restaurant is pretty cosy. The roughly rectangular shaped dining area had two two-seater tables on one side, and around eight tables on the other. The chairs were quite comfortable to sit in, and the soft, yellow lighting in the restaurant provided a warm atmosphere.
The banchan (side dishes) consisted of sausage, kimchi, radish, bean sprouts, cucumber and bean curd. The taste of the kimchi was a mixture of spiciness and sweetness, which was really authentic for me. I rather enjoyed this unique mixture of tastes, as it didn’t overwhelm my taste buds. The radish cubes were fresh and the four of us found ourselves asking for it to be topped up several times.
The restaurant offered a lunch special, served with three side dishes and a soup of the day. The prices appear quite reasonable.
I could choose to share order some authentic Korean cuisine to share with my friends if I wanted to. The restaurant also sold several types of noodle dishes, bibimbap and stew.
There are also some meat dishes available. The restaurant sold some stews as well.
I could choose to share order some authentic Korean cuisine to share with my friends if I wanted to. The restaurant also sold several types of noodle dishes, bibimbap and stew.
There are also some meat dishes available. The restaurant sold some stews as well.
We ordered Korean army stew ($42), a whole fried chicken ($50) and a Signature Pork Rib Stew ($46). The Korean army stew consisted of various ingredients like enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, Korean rice cake, vegetables, some slices of sausages, lean meat and instant noodles. The price of the food was pretty reasonable.
When the staff poured red soup over the ingredients and boiled the entire pan, the distinct rich smell of kimchi filled the air, and even though I did not particularly enjoy spicy food, I found myself unable to resist getting a bowl of the stew when it had finished cooking.
The soup itself was spicy, as you might expect from a dish cooked with kimchi, but like the kimchi included in the side dish, it wasn’t overwhelming. I found myself having more of the soup than the other ingredients. The servings were just right for four people, and between us, we managed to finish all of the Korean army stew without feeling unfulfilled or bloated.
The whole fried chicken smelt fragrant. It was crispy on the outside, and the juices oozed out easily when I took a bite into the tender meat beneath the chicken skin. The considerate staff actually came to give us plastic disposable gloves, so that our hands wouldn’t get oily when we handled the chicken meat.
When the staff poured red soup over the ingredients and boiled the entire pan, the distinct rich smell of kimchi filled the air, and even though I did not particularly enjoy spicy food, I found myself unable to resist getting a bowl of the stew when it had finished cooking.
The soup itself was spicy, as you might expect from a dish cooked with kimchi, but like the kimchi included in the side dish, it wasn’t overwhelming. I found myself having more of the soup than the other ingredients. The servings were just right for four people, and between us, we managed to finish all of the Korean army stew without feeling unfulfilled or bloated.
The whole fried chicken smelt fragrant. It was crispy on the outside, and the juices oozed out easily when I took a bite into the tender meat beneath the chicken skin. The considerate staff actually came to give us plastic disposable gloves, so that our hands wouldn’t get oily when we handled the chicken meat.
Ho Rang I sold a few types of alcoholic drinks, but it also carried native Korean beverages, including its home-made makkeoli. Notice that buckwheat tea and Korean tea are marked “refillable”. I ordered buckwheat tea, and when I finished my cup, the staff would top up my cup with hot water upon my request if I finished drinking.
On the whole, eating at the restaurant was a comfortable experience. It was extremely cosy and conducive for people to hang out and speak to one another over drinks, especially when the buckwheat tea and Korean tea were refillable. Even after we had finished our food, we spent a good part of an hour in the restaurant after the meal, as the atmosphere made us lose track of the time.
Ho Rang I is a wonderful restaurant to hang out and enjoy good Korean cuisine with your friends if you want a cosy Korean restaurant to have lunch or dinner!
Ho Rang I
On the whole, eating at the restaurant was a comfortable experience. It was extremely cosy and conducive for people to hang out and speak to one another over drinks, especially when the buckwheat tea and Korean tea were refillable. Even after we had finished our food, we spent a good part of an hour in the restaurant after the meal, as the atmosphere made us lose track of the time.
Ho Rang I is a wonderful restaurant to hang out and enjoy good Korean cuisine with your friends if you want a cosy Korean restaurant to have lunch or dinner!
Ho Rang I
- Address: 165 Thomson Road, Goldhill Centre, Singapore 307618
- Opening hour : 10: 30am - 10:30pm (Break Time = 2:30pm - 5:30pm)
- Reservation : +65 6251 0123