‘SEOULFUL FLAVOURS’ AT HILTON COLOMBO BRINGS THE FLAVOURS OF SOUTH KOREA TO GRAZE KITCHEN

By Panchali Illankoon
Pictures by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Hilton Colombo continues its around-the-world culinary spotlight at Graze Kitchen with ‘Seoulful Flavours at Graze’, the latest promotion bringing the vibrant and much-loved flavours of South Korea to Colombo. Held in collaboration with Conrad Seoul, the 10-day festival running until 23rd May features a range of authentic Korean dishes curated by guest chefs,  Jeong Hun Han and Young Hun Hwang.

What we immediately liked about the buffet was the variety.  ‘Seoulful Flavours’  featured a spread of Korean dishes across much of the buffet, not just within its own cuisine corner but also throughout the starters, soups, action stations and desserts.

We began with the appetisers, where an assortment of banchan and cold dishes were laid out. The kimchi selection showed a variety of Korea’s iconic fermented staple ranging from spicy kimchi and spicy radish to baek kimchi, a milder fermented cabbage. Similar to the popular soy marinated crab, the soy marinated shrimp were juicy, cured in a delicious umami-packed soy marinade. They also had soy braised eggs, a chicken salad with mustard and sesame dressing, a spicy squid salad and the famous cucumber salad with gochugaru that was tangy with a light spice kick. 

The torrential rain outside on the day we went made the soup station a priority and it did not disappoint. Between the options of a soybean paste soup and miso seaweed soup, the miso seaweed soup was so comforting while the chicken rice porridge offered something more gently flavoured but heavier. 

The Korean BBQ live action counter saw all the heat with chicken, fish and beef, marinated in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil was grilled Korean-style.  The Korean noodle and rice stations also drew diners in with dishes prepared in small portions that was ideal for sampling. The Janchi Guksu, a comforting Korean noodle soup was enjoyable but our favourite was the mildly spicy and sweet bibimbap which would have been perfect and complete with a fried egg on top. 

The Korean corner showcased much of the cuisine that goes beyond the popular dishes. Japchae (stir fried glass noodles) with mushrooms and Pajeon both spring onion and seafood were some of our favourites. There was also a selection of kimbap with pork, prawn and beef fillings. The Korean fried chicken coated with a sweet and spicy sauce which was more sweet than spicy and plain korean fried chicken brought in crispy and crunchy textures to the table. A particular highlight was the braised beef short ribs which was fall-off-the-bone tender and deeply flavourful and the braised tofu and egg fried rice rounded out the meal. 

Dessert also featured a few Korean delicacies alongside Graze Kitchen’s wider dessert selection. The wildly popular Hwachae, a Korean fruit punch combining chopped fruit with a sweet, milky and fizzy base was cooling and refreshing. Trying out traditional treats like Hotteok (korean sweet pancakes) and Hangwa (fried rice sweets) was also a novel experience. 

All of these dishes are available alongside Graze Kitchen’s usual international buffet offerings including Western, Indian, Chinese and Sri Lankan selections. The buffet is inclusive of beverages such as iced tea and fruit juices. 

Overall, we thought that Seoulful Flavours at Graze Kitchen was easily one of Hilton Colombo’s strongest around-the-world culinary promotions to date. The variety, the curation and the flavours behind the spread gives diners an opportunity to indulge in familiar favourites and explore lesser-known, traditional specialities at the same time.