Kohima is now home to its first Korean fine dining

Morung Express news 
Kohima | November 24

The Korean wave may just be cliché if we limit the experience to entertainment and music, pop culture, fashion, millennial or the likes. Yet much of what is involved and consumed from the Hallyu’s phenomenon also hugely draw us to the fascination and curiosity from their food, food culture and food habits.

In recent times, food items tagged ‘Korean’ spicy noodles, seaweeds or common ingredients are found easily in market and served in food joints or have influenced conventional restaurants serving in hybrid or selection with other food items.

But authentic Korean cuisines can be more than just soups and noodles. With its plethora, it may be well defined by distinct taste, texture, color and authenticity- just so the concept of Korean fine dine in may be found wanting here.

Just having opened in September, one the newest food hall in the capital- The Secret Garden offers innovative Korean fine dine in with mouthwatering selection of stews and soups, barbeques and grills, seafood and meat, rice and noodles, vegetable and sides, desserts among others.

Set up in a semi-hidden yet heart of the capital town in Kohima, the Secret Garden here is inspired from the Huwon Secret Garden inside Changdeokgung Palace in South Korea in a laid back, yet bright and lush green garden interior with a traditional essence of Korean homes.

As the proprietor, who wish to remain anonymous takes us inside the Garden’s secret, one area of focus is to cater to the concept of accessible and authentic Korean fine dine in to balance the service delivery and customer experience- a concept quite new to our folks here.

With hygiene a co-priority, the best supplementary here can also be the method of ‘prepping.’ While a good deal of effort is put into importing most or all the ingredients and cooking items, “All dishes are carefully prepared with fresh ingredients,” the proprietor adds, meaning no dish is cooked or prepared in advance. So dishes are fresh to the table.

Another engaging factor at the quaint place can also point towards the way is menu is placed. As for the proprietor, a wholesome experience of the menu can be tried out by doing it the right way. 

For instance, the eating itinerary may start with the starters and move on to soups, then appetizers and main course and end with desserts. Also one can fire up the comfort cravings with a shot of the popular Soju.

The same itinerary can be found in a well placed, neat yet detailed menu. The host of it grouped under Guk, Jigae, Jjim and Tang or stews and soups, varieties of Korean barbeque, Haesanmul and Gogi (seafood and meat), Banchan (vegetable and sides), Myeon and Bap (rice and noodles), Jeongol (casserole and hot pots).

The engaging factor so saying can be atleast between two to three hours as the proprietor suggests nonetheless the experiment of traditional style of Korean dine is apparent. 

It is also suited to family style dine in where everyone at the table gets a chance to try a bit of each dish. And one of the popular items in the list may be the Jeongol hotpot or barbeque.