This restaurant proves that if you want truly authentic international cuisine, you have to pay the price. Duo Le Fang serves up great Korean fare that’s a refreshing departure from the hum-drum Korean barbecue and bibimbap options in the city, but the trade-off is you might be pulling your hair out by the end of the meal trying to decipher the menu and communicating with the non-English-speaking (and not particularly helpful) staff. Our advice? Relax and take it slow.

The good news is that there are really only two dishes here so you can’t go wrong even if you’re just pointing blindly at the menu. The first is an oxtail bone soup (RMB180 for large, RMB150 for medium and RMB120 for small) suffused with pickled vegetables, enokitake mushrooms and large chunks of potato. The rich, peppery broth is absolutely delicious and if you’re craving more (the large serves three or four), add-ons include udon noodles (RMB10), vegetables (RMB15) and extra oxtail meat (RMB50). The other entrée is a saucy kimchee and chicken dish (large enough for three) that’s fried on a giant cast-iron grill pan. Be sure to order a side or two of fried rice (RMB10) and ask the staff to prepare it for you at your table—the oil-drenched pan crisps up the rice, chicken and kimchee to pull the spectacular dish together.

For a respite from the fried stuff, try the egg omelette (RMB40)—a light and fluffy Korean-style pancake mixed with green onions and topped with a drizzle of ketchup. Another quirk of this restaurant is free bottled water but no tea, so wash it all down with a cold Korean beer instead (RMB40). Be sure to come with a group of people—there are no individual-sized portions here, and you may need the extra help deciphering the menu

DETAILS

What: Korean | Duo Le Fang 多乐房

Where: 2/F, No.1, Lane 1051 Hongquan Lu 虹泉路1051弄1号2楼

Tel: 6053-5057