Kimbaek, Return to a Favourite

Wanting to revisit some of my favourites, I could not let an opportunity pass to dine at Kimbaek again, the best Korean, in my opinion, in town. For veterans of the blog, they would know that Korean is my go to for cold and damp wintry days when a bowl of refreshing and soothing broth is called for. Therefore I quickly grabbed a trusty resident friend and went for a stroll to Kimbaek.

Located on Isabel literally a few minutes from the hospital, Kimbaek is tucked away in a small stripmall with a few other businesses. The outside is fairly non-exciting and the interiors are a simple row of chairs and tables with pictures of popular Korean pop stars adorning the walls. Homey and comfortable but not extraordinarily presented.

The menu has been blogged about previously but the small two pager has a decent assortment of authentic Korean dishes. There is nothing here untoward, novel or unique; but rather the chefs try to offer their best approximation of traditional Korean using the ingredients we have available here. Soups, noodles, stir fries and appetizers are all available to fill ones' tummy.

My third time eating this Haimool Pajun was the best out of them all. The base of this Korean savoury pancake is a soft rich doughy batter that is filled with zucchini, cabbage and a battery of shellfish including shrimp, squid and scallops. The batter nice and thin to not overwhelm the other ingredients but thick enough to bind everything together. Crispy but not over fried, the cake goes well with the light soy dipping sauce on the side. Delectable.

My dining companion loves the Soontofu Chigae and rightfully so, as Kimbaek offers a nice hearty portion of succulent seafood broth filled with root vegetables and seafood and topped with a half boiled egg. The spicy and luxurious broth is what makes this dish fly, while the pieces of seafood, a bit lacking in size, gave a nice meaty bite to the dish.

My marker of Korean cuisine, Kimbaek's Gamjatang did not disappoint. Meaty, hearty and rich, the Korean gochujang based broth gives a warm spicy kick to the dish. But really it is the layers of fat and flavour infused into the soup from the pork bones that makes the dish fly. On top of that, the meat is tender and truly falling off the bone and the mix of potatoes and bean sprouts a nice accompaniment to the dish.

As typical of Kimbaek, the unlimited Banchans include Kimchi, Spicy Seaweed, Bean Sprouts and Spicy Boiled Potatoes. As with the previous visits they offer a nice spicy and crunchy side to the rice and rich broth based dishes.

Kimbaek remains my go to for Korean food in Winnipeg. Combining traditional flavours, sizable portions and affordable prices, there should be no hesitation to visit Kimbaek.