As one of the only Korean restaurants open on the predominantly Italian Lygon Street, Hwatu does not have any direct competition, however they have to compete with the business of all the other restaurants on one of Melbourne's most famous culinary hotspots.
Hwatu
Assorted side dishes
Kimchi pancake $9.80
The appearance of the kimchi pancake left us quite disappointed as it appeared quite burnt on the outside. Luckily our expectations were proven wrong, as the charred appearance did not impart any unpleasant bitterness to the pancake. Apart from the small appearance issue though, this kimchi pancake was one of the best that I have tasted.
Budae hotpot $34.60
Budae jjigae, also known as the army base stew, is a stew first created using surplus ingredients from US army bases after the Korean War, such as spam, sausages and ham, which are then incorporated into a spicy soup base. Although the hotpot itself was very standard, something I found quite odd was that the addition of the cheese made the soup have a powdery texture which was not very pleasant.
Jap chae $16.20
Although a tasty dish overall, the flavours of the jap chae at Hwatu were a bit different from those that I have tried at other Korean diners. The heavier emphasis on soy sauce combined with the extra sweetness of the dish created a strong resemblance to the Cantonese dish, beef hor fun.
Although the food served at Hwatu was only average in comparison to the many Korean restaurants you can find around Melbourne, I would definitely come back if only for the big serving sizes and lovely service. We even managed to have a nice chat with a fun staff member as we were paying and leaving.
Food Rating 7/10
Overall Rating 8/10