Kyma's feast of Korea in Hyderabad brings culinary delights to early winter

From their cocktails, we tried the Gochujang highball, a tequila-based drink with gochujang syrup, orange liqueur, and grapefruit soda. While the fruits felt like the focus of the drink, the gochujang added a slight heat and savouriness to the drink.

As we sipped our cocktail, two stovetops made their way to our table along with a platter of thinly sliced marinated meat and a pot with chicken dumplings, glass noodles, vegetables, and broth. We began with the Dak galbi bulgogi BBQ; in the quintessential Korean BBQ style, we were served freshly grilled meat right off the pan. Wrapped in lettuce, with a smear of ssamjang and topped with chilli, the ssam (meat wrap) was a flavour bomb. The sweet and spicy ssamjang complemented the earthiness of the lettuce, and the meat was simple, juicy, and delicious. 

Once the pot of chicken dumplings, broth, and veggies was done bubbling, a generous helping of ssamjang mixed in transformed it into Manduguk. An addition of fresh kimchi on top, we were ready to dive in. With the first slurp of the broth, we knew that this dish was going to be comfort in a bowl. The glass noodles were thick and chewy, the veggies had soaked in the spicy broth, and the dumpling, aromatic and earthy, had the perfect bite.

Next came the Dak dori tang, spicy Korean chicken with rice. The curry was packed with spices, which gave it a layered flavour profile; it was tangy, earthy, and everything you could want in a curry. The chicken was tender, and mixed in with the rice, it was a hearty and wholesome dish. While the other dishes leaned more towards subtle flavours, this one packed a punch.