Gung! The name evokes memories of fun evenings spent with family and friends, amidst the warm sounds of friendly banter, accompanied by delicious food and drink in private and cosy surroundings. While memories are undoubtedly far superior to reality, Gung is one place where reality can be experienced just as vividly as my memories.
Why, you ask, do I wax eloquent for this restaurant, in a city that has thousands of them?
The reason is simple. Gung is a restaurant that’s managed by owner Jin Bum Kim, who ensures he’s present at all points in the restaurant’s functioning and leaves no stone unturned in making sure every guest feels like a VIP and dines like a king. While the name ‘Palace’ is overused in the context of most restaurants, I have little doubt it holds very true in the case of Gung. Gung in Green Park has been written about in the past and its new Gurgaon outlet surpasses its Green Park sibling. The quality of food and service remains the same – excellent.
Pawan and I visited Gung, Gurgaon a little while back and were awed by the scale of decadence Gung subscribes to. Twenty private dining rooms, each seating 6 people, bring in a level of privacy that no one else in the city has even started thinking about. A children’s play room, two karaoke rooms (seating 8 each) and normal table dining complete it’s ambiance. Did I mention each private dining table has an embedded grill that let you grill your own meat just the way you want it?
We’ve been there many times now, have tried most of their menu and immensely enjoyed each one. Barbecued chicken, barbecued spicy chicken, Kimchi Fried Rice (veg), beef ribs, beef steaks, quick cooked marbled beef, pork ribs, spicy octopus, the essential Korean dishes – Bulgogi and Bibimpap, seafood stew, beef and pork sausage with noodles and vegetables in a spicy soup broth served with rice… the list is endless. The menu at Gung, Gurgaon is skewed quite a bit towards meat eaters, though many dishes have vegetarian alternates too. Service as usual is impeccable. You really should visit Gung if you enjoy Korean food… and even if you don’t. Korean food is quite similar to Indian food in terms of its spicy nature, and is far more balanced than a meal in most restaurants, leaving you without that familiar, bloated, heavy feeling. The cost of each dish is high, however, the portions more than make up for what appears to be quite expensive.
This review however isn’t just about the food, service or ambiance. It’s about the experience called Gung, Gurgaon, one you would do well to try out at the earliest available opportunity.
