Eat with Sharon

Another blog post, another Korean restaurant. What can I say? I’m really enjoying Korean food lately.

My latest trips have been to Daore – where there has been a recent change in ownership. I can’t comment on what Daore was like before the change but I’ve had a good experience on my latest trips there! The service is particularly great; I love how friendly and sweet the staff are. Alongside the wonderful service, the food is also good and the space itself is large and open.

The menu is pretty big and they offer many dishes. I usually try to order something different each time but despite all the variety, I’ve found two dishes that I always end up ordering.

Soft Tofu Stew ($14) or Soondubu Jjigae has been a new favourite for me ever since I tried it at Dookbaeki. It is a spicy stew made with soft tofu (as the name suggests…) and it’s just so good! You can get the stew with beef or seafood.

On my first visits, I asked for the soup to be mild (just in case!) but found it to be not spicy enough. The regular spice level ended up being good for me and I really enjoy it as it is. Although, I think my tolerance for spice is pretty weak so this may not be hot enough for those of you that love the heat. At $14 a bowl, I also find the portion to be reasonable and haven’t had any issues sharing my stew. It’s the best thing to have during those unreasonably cold days.

I also always end up ordering the Spicy Pork Bulgogi ($16) as well. It’s a dish that I really like having with rice. This one definitely has some more spice to it. My lips feel like they are on fire sometimes LOL. Nonetheless, I still eat away at it cause it’s so delicious.

With some veggies included in there, I feel less bad about indulging in all that pork. The pork itself is very tender and the flavours all mixed together make this one of my favourite go-to dishes at Daore. They also offer a lunch portion at $13, which is honestly just as filling as the regular portion.

On other occasions, I have also tried the Fried Soy Sauce Chicken (half order: $16, full order: $28). I tried the half order and it’s noticeably quite a bit of food! The chicken pieces are large so this is a good dish for sharing. My boyfriend and I usually go for sauce on the side so that we can try two flavours without ordering two portions. This way, we got to try plain and soy. The chicken by itself is well cooked and crispy. There’s no doubt that it’s made fresh to order!

However, I thought that the chicken tasted a little plain without any sauce so I personally preferred having the soy sauce paired with it. Knowing this, I probably wouldn’t get the sauce on the side next time.

The Stir Fried Rice Cake with Cheese ($15), otherwise known as Tteokbokki, is also offered at Daore. Rice cakes, sausage, fish cakes and a lot of cheese make up this tasty looking dish.

In terms of flavour, the sauce was a bit too sweet for my liking but I did enjoy the dish otherwise. The rice cakes were cooked well – soft and chewy – and the cheese was perfectly melted and broiled, mhm! I thought that this dish was a bit on the heavier side so be wary if you are ordering other dishes.

After you’re done with your meal, you can also try “dessert”. Daore offers complementary Sik Hye, a Korean rice beverage. It’s very refreshing and a perfect palette cleanser after eating all that spicy food!

Daore has definitely been satisfying my cravings for Korean food lately. The food is delicious, the staff and service are great and the space feels clean and open – how can you go wrong? If you went prior to the change in management, it wouldn’t hurt to go again and see what they have to offer now. If you haven’t yet been, it’s definitely a place you should consider for your Korean fix.

Admittedly, it is easy to jump around the Korean restaurants since they’re all clustered along 34 Ave towards 99 St (and surrounding area). But, Daore is really growing on me. I hope they stick around for a while because I will surely be back!

Daore
9332 34 Ave, Edmonton