Soh, Newmarket

The LA Galbi short ribs, flavoured with apple and pear soy sauce.

Herald rating: * * * *

The hot promise of burning coals juxtaposed with clean architectural lines is the modern interpretation of a Korean dining room. Timber, metal and glass finishes and bold colour used with restraint keep the lines clean and recede into the background allowing the dining experience to become anything but ho-hum.

Korean proprietor Tim Lee takes on the front of house and "everything else" with an instantly affable presence. He looks like a lock forward but carries a beaming smile and distinct Hawaiian accent. His mother, Helen Kwon presides over the kitchen and has been in charge of the designing the traditional elements of the menu.
Tim has lived in Hawaii and managed restaurants there along with a two-year stint managing a bar in Seoul. He has also spent two years gaining cooking experience in France and trained at the Ferrandi Cookery School in Paris. Soh — "bull" in Korean — is therefore a culmination of the knowledge he has gained on a global journey sussing out the food scene and restaurant concepts.

To dine, first embrace the cuisine by ordering a tasting of Korean Bek Se Ju, an aromatic, earthy rice wine infused with 10 herbs including ginseng, ginger, licorice and cinnamon. A plate of Mandoo dumplings with fine and light wrappings filled with beef and vegetables with a soy vinaigrette for dipping and one of Tim's creations the peanut and almond crusted popcorn chicken. I tried the "cheese tofu" recently which is in fact a surprisingly good nibble to have with a crisp glass of wine. You just don't expect it to be, but trust me, the small cubes of cream cheese topped with spring onions, savoury bonito flakes and a hint of wasabi are a very workable appetiser. The mini crepes my buddy Angus tried are a dish traditionally reserved for Korean royalty. The dish is light and comprises nine ingredients that you wrap and dip.

One of my staples at Soh is Japchae — slippery vermicelli glass noodles stir-fried with thin strips of beef and fresh vegetables. It's moreish, textural and a good accompaniment to what you cook on the grill. Another favourite is a rice dish brought to your table in a sizzling stone pot. The rice, marinated veggies and beef are tossed in front of you and the result is rustic and delicious.

Soh has installed gas-fired charcoal barbecues in each of the tables and the attention to detail includes downdraft extraction to ensure you don't leave the restaurant with your clothes smelling as if you've been in the kitchen. A good move.

The goodies you can barbecue range from beef, pork, chicken, lamb and venison with either traditional Korean marinades or sweet soy, miso, pesto or garlic. We're rather fond of the Bul Go Ki beef marinated and the LA Galbi short ribs both flavoured with apple and pear soy sauce. If you like pork belly, then I'd recommend both the Jae Yook Gui with onion and spicey red bean paste or the version rubbed with powdered green tea. Wrap these grilled morsels in tender buttercrunch lettuce leaves with some grilled vegetables and kim chee (spicy Korean pickled cabbage) and throw back another Bek Se Ju.

Soh is the sort of place where you'll be happy with the decor and more than happy with taking the family for a unique dining experience that won't break the bank. If you are a dining duo, you may find you share one of the canteen-style tables with other couples, but we kind of like that, too. The wait staff are fluent in English and don't leave you to stuff up the carefully prepared food; they are involved in the experience without being obtrusive. I'm impressed that they also bother to exchange the mesh grill with another scrupulously clean one four times during the evening so that you are not eating burnt bits. I'm glad my job isn't to clean them.

WHERE: Soh, 3c/3d Short St, Newmarket. (09) 524 7040
OUR MEAL: $105.50 for 3; appetisers$8.50-16.50; barbecue $5.50-11; sides $2-5; rice/noodle dishes to share $8.50-12; dessert $8-13
OUR WINES: by the glass $7.50-9; by the bottle $32-56; Korean spirits $12-18.