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This hidden Paharganj gem is split into two restaurants and has a branch in McLeodganj. The restaurants are supposedly owned by a Korean hippie. Our Nepalese waiter hazarded a guess that the small terrace on the first floor, strung with lanterns and decorated with some fantastic relief-maps of Paharganj, represents North Korea and the covered-rooftop restaurant across in the next building represents South Korea. We sat at the empty terrace at first. Here, we downed glasses of typically Korean sweet-and-sour lemonade, filled with wheels of lemon (Rs 35) and started off with a plate of kimbab, large rolls of vegetarian sushi, cut Korean-style, with pleasingly uneven end-pieces (Rs 100). The jueoyook bulgogi and rice came heaped in a plate – enough lean, braised pork and vegetables to feed an army (Rs 180). This was part of a “set meal”, which included a side dish of a few cold salads – eggplant, radish, zucchini and lotus root. The kimchi hot pot (soup) came with rice and was tangy and warm and not too spicy (Rs 150, and the menu assured us that everything is cooked in mineral water). It was about this time that we realised that the loud bouts of laughter and chatter coming from the other restaurant were actually in Korean. We asked the waiter if we could get a drink there. He smiled and said “it’s possible”. So, crossing over and up two flights of stairs through a guesthouse, past plastic tubs of kimchi, we walked into the cheerier, bamboo-screened, cartoon-graffitied section. Here, a large table of drunk Koreans were toasting this and that – everyone from grandma to the little kids seemed to be having a good time. The owner seems to have a cartological streak – hand-drawn maps of India and Connaught Place cover the walls. Each of the restaurants also has a shelf of Korean books and comics.

This three-floor restaurant sprouts plastic flowers and is embellished with red walls, rice-paper partitioned cabins with floor-seating and a level of regular tables. Frequented mostly by groups of Korean businessmen, the establishment was set up by a gentleman from Seoul about a year ago (see Box). You’ll take off your shoes before stepping up into an elevated cabin, but you don’t have to sit cross-legged, as there’s a well under the table where you can dangle your feet. The menu is mostly in Korean, but there are explanatory pictures next to most items. Though the waitresses – dressed in traditional hanbok outfits – are helpful, you might want to get the manager or owner’s input when ordering. Portions are generous and the selection of kimchi a meal in itself. Adventurous types can try the Gung’s kimbab – there are the familiar raw fish varieties as well as the unique Korean take – rolled with raw meat, on request. The grills and stews are all cooked at the table. Our sogalbi (short ribs with mushrooms, Rs 1,200) arrived gleaming brown from its marinade and was deftly braised by our waitress, using chopsticks on a crystal plate on the fire next to our table. The kimchi stew (Rs 1,300) was enough to feed a small army camping at the DMZ. If you want to splash out, there’s a two-hour table d’hôte menu for dinner that includes everything from starters to dessert (about Rs 2,500 a head). If you call up beforehand, you can avail of Karoake in English, Korean and Hindi after 10pm.

One of our dinner companions who has travelled to Korea told us that the environment was straight-up Korean, from the industrial-grey concrete wall panelling to the businesslike atmosphere. Never having been there, we can only say that it’s red. Like a ’70s den, with a crimson lacquered bar that you’d expect a leggy 007 blonde to be draped across. There are two private karaoke rooms with large flat-screen TVs. First to arrive, traditional style, was a complimentary set of small plates, the best bits being the sweet-and-sour radish pickle and the chicken and egg fried in wheat flour. Next, the speciality ribeye, which is dipped in garlic sauce, wrapped in lettuce with strips of carrot and cucumber and slathered with a liberal dash of the delicious lentil-and-chilli paste before consumption. The excellent quality of the meat was apparent; the taste succulent. A bowl of chicken bokumbab (fried rice, Rs 280) was perfect – moist, almost sticky, laden with fresh veggies. Even though none of the hot plates for cooking at our table were available, even with the strains of karaoke that kept us company throughout, the one word everyone at the table agreed on was “sublime”.

This Ansal Plaza restaurant is good for a first attempt at Korean food – mostly because their dishes are described quite fully in English on the menu. The restaurant is a cute, warm room with tables and two screened-off rooms that have seating on the floor. Minimally decorated with screens, a few red accents and wooden tables, De Seoul is quiet, which makes it good for a relaxed slow meal. The stews and soups will be cooked at your table, but the rest of the food comes prepared from the small kitchen. You’ll get several bowls of various kimchi and pickles, including a sugar-coated peanut one that tastes like prashad. The lotus root kimchi is particularly yummy. We also like their fried side dishes section – the battered, fried pork is delicious. The meat and seafood stew we had (complete with octopus tentacles) was hearty – a huge portion.