Ayami Korean Chicken BBQ, 10 Boulevard

The deal: Korean dak galbi meal for 2 people for RM38

What we got:

Dak galbi for 2 (RM44) with an add-on of fried rice (RM7, not pictured)

  

Ah, our virgin taste of dak galbi. Having not had Korean food in a long while, it couldn't have come at a better time. 

The deal entitled us to two servings of dak galbi (chicken meat, cabbage, pumpkin, sweet potato and rice cake) with a choice of accompaniment and a choice of soup. We chose fried rice and sun dubu jigye, a Korean-style soup with beancurd, clams, prawns and vegetables. 

Sun dubu jigye (RM15)

While we have no prior dak galbi experience to compare the food with, we thought the dish tasted pretty good. The chicken was flavourful and not overcooked, and the vegetables and rice cakes provided crunch and variety to the dish. The fried rice, which was cooked after, was decent. My partner also enjoyed the soup (I couldn't taste it as distinctly as my tongue was overwhelmed by the stronger-tasting kimchi), although it wasn't spicy like what Wiki says it should be. 

Banchan

What I'd really like to rave about, however, goes beyond the food--it's the amazing service at Ayami. Despite arriving an hour to closing (which is not very much time considering dak galbi takes a while to cook), the staff did not turn us away. They made sure the food was cooked sufficiently and did not rush us when we ate. When asked if they could increase the spiciness, they obliged and the owner--so we suspect--came out to personally add the chilli paste, at no extra charge. One of the things that surprised us most was how they refilled our banchan without us having to ask for it, even when it was already ten minutes to closing and they have pretty much cleaned/packed up the rest of the restaurant. 

Throughout the meal, we were pretty awed at the level of service given. We have encountered horrible attitude before when dining with vouchers, with some establishments treating voucher users like second-class customers; cutting corners by serving minuscule portions of cold, crappy dishes and looking to add charges wherever they could. With good service such a rarity here in Malaysia, the fact that we were treated so hospitably despite using vouchers was a very pleasant surprise indeed. 

Great first impression,  Ayami; here's hoping you continue to thrive.

Tax: Service charge of 10% (included in the deal)

How much we paid: RM38