Jang Won
212/8,-9-10 ชั้นที่ 1 Suk Chai Alley, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110
Jang Won is worth the stop in Korean Town for its longevity and its banchan program: over ten complimentary side dishes that can be refilled as many times as you like, prepared in a style that longtime customers say reads differently from the other kitchens in the complex. Order the Yang Nyeom Galbi, marinated bone-in beef ribs at THB 690, and the Kimchijeon, a crispy kimchi pancake at THB 350. Staff grill the meat tableside, so you arrive and eat.
You enter Sukhumvit Plaza at the mouth of Sukhumvit Soi 12, the complex that Bangkok now calls Korean Town, and Jang Won is positioned at the front of the ground floor, exactly where it has been since the restaurant opened in 1992. That makes it the first Korean restaurant in the building, predating the neighborhood's current identity by years. The dining room runs across two air-conditioned rooms with a second floor, and the primary seating configuration is four-person tables centered on built-in grills, because Korean BBQ is the main event. The Butcher Station sits at the front of the restaurant displaying the cuts available that day, an unusual feature for a restaurant of this age that signals where the kitchen's priorities sit. The banchan program is one of the things that distinguishes Jang Won from its Korean Town neighbors. More than ten complimentary side dishes come to the table and can be refilled throughout the meal at no additional charge. The kimchi at Jang Won leans mildly salty rather than sharply sour, a characteristic that regulars note as specific to this kitchen. The Saeng Galbi, fresh bone-in beef short ribs (THB 720), and the Yang Nyeom Galbi, marinated bone-in ribs in a sweet-savory sauce (THB 690), are the core BBQ orders. The marinated version is the more tender and accessible of the two. Staff grill all meat at the table, removing that task entirely from the guest. The Nakji Bokkeum, spicy stir-fried octopus (THB 450), arrives with a thick, full-flavored sauce. The Kimchijeon, crispy kimchi pancake (THB 350), portions enough for three to four people to share. The Ttukbaegi Bulgogi Jeongsik, Korean hot-pot bulgogi set (THB 350), includes a pot of broth and steamed rice. The restaurant opens at 9:00am and runs through to 11:30pm daily, a longer service window than most of the surrounding competition in Korean Town.