We bumped into Phoebe and family in Taman Mount Austin, and they suggested to us to try Myeong Dong BBQ Buffet. Phoebe and family are veteran food hunters in JB and they know a lot of good family friendly places to eat.
Korean owned Myeong Dong is located on a second level shop lot at Jalan Austin Heights 8/7. There are several Korean themed restaurants on this street. Myeong Dong has been here for 4 years (since 2014) with an established following.
Simply furnished interior with tables well spaced out. Each table was equipped with two gas stoves - one for soup and the other for grilling meat. The space was small but neat and clean.
I read that Myeong Dong can get quite hot inside but it felt cool and comfortable today. Perhaps, it's because we were here on a cloudy drizzly day and during off peak hours. The air conditioners, fans and exhaust fans were in good working order. The Korean boss personally pulled down all the blinds down when the sun came out.
The buffet spread, tucked in a corner, was small and simple.
One side was the meat counter - just different cuts of pork and chicken in various marinations such as curry, spicy, garlic, wine, herb, garlic teriyaki, unmarinated and bulgogi etc.
Kimchi soup, instant noodles and boiled rice.
Lettuce, spicy bean sprout, kimchi, onion, chives, cut green chili, raw garlic and spicy bean paste sauce.
That's all folks - just a small all-you-can-eat buffet spread for RM24 per adult (RM26 2020 price). Drinks are extra - we got a litre bottle of chilled green tea (้้ฑผ tea bag type) for RM5.
You know right, even in more expensive buffets with much wider spread, I zero in only on the same few dishes and cuts of meat that I like. I am just lucky that I enjoy pork and chicken more for Korean BBQ, so Myeong Bong's small spread is OK for me ๐
Round 1. We were the first customers of the day. The grilling stove needed a while to reach optimal cooking temperature. Grilling was done on top of a piece of
All the meats (pork and chicken) were fresh and just lightly marinated. When done, the meats were tender and juicy. The light marinades complemented the natural sweetness of the fresh pork and chicken. (Fresh meat cannot be taken for granted in all-you-can-eat buffets.)
Second round. I love unmarinated bacon more ๐ The meats were cooked in their own grease with no added oil.
Third and final round. I love their chicken too as they were tender, succulent and sweet.
We had instant noodles cooked in kimchi soup to go with our grilled meats. The kimchi soup was very salty and sour for my taste buds.
The buffet includes one serving of ice cream per pax. A little icy sweet is good after all the meaty and spicy food.
๐ If you are hoping to impress your partner on your first date, please don't bring him or her here. The utensils and furniture are all well used and weathered (some chipped, had burnt marks etc). The food variety is limited.
But, if you are a family with growing kids or bunch of buddies with big appetites, you will really appreciate Myeong Dong BBQ Buffet. The spread may be small but everything is nice. The meats are fresh and marinations are mild, so we can enjoy the fresh meats' natural sweetness. The house made spicy bean paste sauce was very good too. It's the best cheap and good Korean BBQ that I know of in Singapore and Malaysia. At RM24 per pax (RM26 2020 price), I think it is hard to beat.
๐ Pro Tip: If you have time, come during off peak hours as the place can get hot when crowded. As there is limited staff, they may not be able to keep pace in restocking the buffet spread during peak hours.
Thanks to Phoebe for the recommendation. Read about Phoebe's blog on Myeong Dong ๐ click
JB is a haven for Korean food fans because of its authenticity (most are Korean run) and affordable pricing. Other Korean BBQ places you can try in Johor Bahru ๐ click
Restaurant name: Myeong Dong BBQ Buffet
Address: 58-01, Jalan Austin Height 8/7, Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°33'47.6"N 103°46'44.5"E ๐ 1.563215, 103.779020
Waze: Myeong Dong
Tel: +60 13-351 6748
Hours: 12:00 noon - 11:00pm (Sat & Sun) : 5:30pm - 11:00pm (Mon - Fri)
Non Halal
Date visited: 14 Oct 2018
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Nice and simple looking. Is that rice paper or parchment paper used for baking?
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing out. Yes, it should be parchment paper.
DeleteMY friends and i went there last week. Yummy. The bosses were quite nice, and the meat was fresh. Definitely worth the price (even tbough we spent an extra $10 on drinks). Will definitely come back (but not for some time though! Too much meat for the time being, body need to recover! :P )
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