Sydney Madang - Sydney CBD, Sydney.

You have probably walked past this restaurant at least once as a Sydney-sider; and did not bother to take notice of it due to it's almost secretive and hidden location down a neglected alley, which would be ignored by the casual by-passer. Many agree that it's one of the better Korean restaurants in Sydney CBD; but I still can't make such a judgment call after visiting and comparing other eateries such as Zozo, BBQ City, Seoul-Ria, Full House and Milliore Korean Restaurant; which are all located in Sydney CBD within walking distance of each other. For me personally, I believe Milliore does not receive the bustling crowds and queue that it deserves: it is packed every night with patrons mainly of Korean background - this has to say something right? Anyway, I'll leave this for another time :)

Sydney Madang can be found at the end of this alley and is the restaurant on the left; the restaurant on the right is another Korean eatery called O Bal Tan, which I'm yet to try. Be expected to queue for a length periods on all days of the week if you arrive after 6:30; they don't take bookings for Friday or Saturday and only up to 7pm on other days. This phot was taken around 6:20 and the queue has already begun!

Pressing a button to call for service - a commonality amongst Korean eateries.

Cass (preferred by our group over Hite) and Soju.

Here Comes The Food

Pan-Chan (Complementary Sides): Boiled Broccoli, Kimchi, an assortment of salad and basket of lettuce (for wrapping rice, meat, garlic, chilli, etc). Many people don't realise they these can be refilled for free, so after they've finished with it, they discard and don't ask for more. But be warned, some restaurants may charge for refills - so ask first!

Haemul Pajun (S: $11; L: $19): A Seafood & Shallot Pancake, which is crispy on the outside and soft with ingredients on the inside. Shallots are a common ingredient in these types of pancakes as they give off a flagrant aroma that complements batter and frying process. The batter has been combined with diced prawns and minced octopus, which offers a subtle delight when complemented by the vinaigrette dipping sauce. Maybe a little lacking on the seafood side. A great starter for Korean meals if you're not quite sure what to order.

Fried Gyoza: Questionable as it could be from the frozen packs that you find in asian grocery stores, but there were certain signs that it could have also been prepared fresh: was not soggy and did not have any bland flavour. Overall, enjoyable as a side dish that gets you in the mood for some hot potting/bbqing :)

Beef Fillet: one of the points that I think Sydney Madang falls short of is that the portion of meat and marinate results in a serving of meat that is not as succulent and tender as it could be. Cost-cutting? I don't quite know, but I think that the prices charged are very dear compared to other places. However, the meat was still enjoyable and was not completely disappointing.

Pork Slices for the BBQ; Beef Slices for Hot Pot :)

Bursut Jungol ($40): A hot-pot with a combination of enoki mushrooms, beef, tofu and white cabbage. With a chilli rating of one out of three, it was fairly intense...I wouldn't say my chilli tolerance is high, but I wouldn't say it's low either. I'm just imaging what the rating of three chilli would be like...The broth has a mixture of fish stock and beef to it, which gives the ingredients inside a tangy and rich aroma when eaten. It's great for the cold night.

Dukbokki: Hot and Spicy Rice Cake with Cucumber, Carrots, Prawns, Mushrooms, Octopus with Melted Cheese. I'm a huge fan of dukbokki, it's chewy texture, the melted cheese on the outer layer, the floury taste, but disappointed by the limited number we find, as they are quickly snapped up. This is one of the dishes that I always order at Sydney Madang because it does it so well: the ingredients do not overpower each other, rather they blend into each other to produce a very euphoric sensation for my taste buds.


Sydney Madang
371A Pitt St
Sydney NSW 2008
Ph: (o2) 9264 7010
Fax: (02) 9264 7011

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