If you ever wanted to reward yourself with a King’s meal in a traditional Korean style, Sura, the Korean Royal Cuisine Restaurant located on Robson Street is definitely worth a visit. Not only is “Sura” the Korean word for ‘the King’s Meal’, it is also an award-winning Korean restaurant for four consecutive years at the Vancouver Restaurant Awards. In fact, they are entering their fifth year of service.
Robson Street is home to numerous Korean restaurants in comparison to any other area in Vancouver. Although I am not so sure what the differences are in a meal fit for a King and for ordinary people, I’m sure the gap must be big. Mimicking the traditional style of cookery at the court of Joseon Dynasty (1392 to 1910), Sura brings to us the best Korean dishes that Robson Street has to offer given the competition, speaking from personal experience.
We made a reservation before we came to visit as we were told that the wait will be long otherwise. We were lucky enough to be seated in the middle of the restaurant where there is a hanging curtain to give you a sense of privacy. I think I’ve seen similar curtains in traditional Korean dramas. Their menu, which is made from wooden paper, calligraphy and Sura’s own chop, reminds me of those ancient books where each page is stitched up together by men! How adorable!
Up on the mirror is a recommendation of Sura’s Top Ten dishes that are ordered the most by customers. We found it extremely helpful as we really wanted to order dishes that this restaurant is good at and nothing says it better than a customer’s popular choice of order. Here’s the list in case you can’t see clearly from the picture: Galbi, Pancake, Bibim-bap, Bulgogi, Mackerel Combo, Bossam, Galbi-jjim, Soondubu jjigae, Samgye-tang, Rice cake.
For some reason they have this measurement cup as their candle holder, which some of us find hilarious. Don't you think it’s a bit incompatible to the elegant surroundings?
The first thing that comes to our table is always the free and refillable Banchan (side dishes) in Korean restaurants. They say Banchan should be your judge for a great Korean restaurant. This might not be entirely true but it definitely forms your first impression. It usually comes in a variety of three to four small dishes, and in Sura’s case, it comes in three: Kimchi, Seaweed, and Soy Bean. Kimchi is usually a must and seaweed is my favourite, and both of them are good. What comes to our attention, however, is the soy bean. We were wondering what it was at first because we've never seen one before! It’s unusual because most Korean restaurants don't offer soy bean as one of their side dishes. It’s sweet, salty and chewy. Because of its size, we felt like it takes forever to finish as we only picked one to eat at a time.
Seafood Pancake
It’s one of the better seafood pancakes we have had in such a long time! The crust is crispy and they’re generous on their fillings of shrimp, squid, mussels and scallions. I vividly remember chewing on the big fat shrimps for quite a couple times while enjoying the crispy goodness! I can hardly recall having the same “big fat shrimp” moment on any seafood pancake anywhere else.
Galbi
Every Korean restaurant has their own secret sauce to the ultimate Galbi, a type of grilled beef short ribs marinated in Korean barbecue sauce. Sura has their secret sauce too, and I have to say it’s indeed super delicious! No wonder Galbi is listed as a number one dish on the list! It is pretty pricey as it costs $24, but on the upper side, you don’t have to grill them yourself while a lot of other Korean restaurants would ask you to. It’s tender and juicy with a little crispy feel on the outside. The portion is pretty big and it’s perfectly grilled just the way it should be! Its goodness might have to do with the quality of the beef- Canadian Certified AAA beef. After all, a fresh, high-quality ingredient plays an essential role in the delivery of gourmet itself.
Mackerel Combo
We’ve decided to try out their Mackerel Combo, which includes grilled mackerel, a small size of Doenjang jjigae, and a bowl of steamed rice. On top of juicy meat and scorched skin, the grilled mackerel also consists of salty and sour-ish flavours that freshen up the otherwise intolerable oily dishes. Meanwhile, the Doenjang jjigae, a type of soup made with Korean soybean paste, spices things up a little. Just a little heads up for those who are not used to spiciness, you have to be extra careful with this hot and spicy stew as it might just numb your tongue any minute.
One thing about a Korean-style dining experience is that, king’s meal or not, all of these dishes will eat up every inch of your table space before you slowly eat them up. Various dishes will come in vibrant colors that will totally increase your appetite, but whether it’s tasty or not, that’s another story. Sura, however, is definitely one of those upscale Korean restaurants that seldom fail your discerning taste buds. Also, a little bird told me that they are expanding to Richmond in Aberdeen Centre soon. It’s closer to the Canada Line station and even easier to reach for those who don’t drive, like me!
Have something to celebrate for? Let’s go and have a king’s meal!
1518 Robson Street，
Vancouver BC
(604) 687-7872
Atmosphere：4
Food：4
Service：4
Value：4
Recommendation：4
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