|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the past few months, I've been watching Melting Grill take place, as I frequent the Blue Oaks Town Center, located in Rocklin, CA, as it's within walking distance of my home, and I'm a good customer at a "big box" outdoor store located in the center. I confess that I'm a "newbie" when it comes to "Korean Fusion" cuisine, but since I'm a stone-cold "foodie," I'm enthusiastic about any and all cuisines. Melting Grill opened their door in March of this year, and it took me until early May to finally pay a visit to this restaurant, and enjoy their marvelous hospitality and amazing Korean cuisine. As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's just past the 11:00 in the morning opening time of Melting Grill on Wednesday, May 04, 2022, and I've arrived to enjoy my first-ever Korean lunch! I had been following the progress of this restaurant for the last several months, after the "coming soon" sign appeared. Today, it's time to enjoy!
Photo: The dining room is large, very spacious, with combinations booths/tables lining the walls, and small tables placed in the center. The floor is "faux wood" and the walls sport an interesting waistcoating, which I haven't seen in quite some time. The decor is simple, as the only "wall furnishings" are a few television monitors, which seemed to be highlighting Korean cuisine, and the menu the restaurant offers. The dining room is very modern, comfortable and spotlessly clean. The order counter and the menu are located at the rear of the spacious dining room and are the centerpiece of the restaurant!
Photo: Melting Grill operates on what I refer to as the "taqueria format," where you make your choice from the overhead posted menu, pay for it at the cash register, and receive a receipt with your name or a number. When your order is ready, it will be brought to your table by a friendly staff member. This "format," so to speak, is a fusion between fast food and sit down, and is very common in taquerias, and seems to be arriving to the "fast casual" genre of restaurants, such as Melting Grill.
Photo: My friendly hostess, Kimberly, who cheerfully took my order at the counter, fills a bottle of water, as I had requested ice water as my beverage of choice with my meal.
Photo: The menu is posted on two video monitors above the order counter. The first video monitor lists the food selection of the restaurant, which, at the time of this writing, is limited, as the restaurant has only been open for a couple months.
Photo: The second video monitor lists soft drinks and specialty drinks the restaurant offers. I must confess that nothing on the drink menu interested me, so I simply went with ice water. My sole complaint is... where's the beer?
Photo: Meet my amazingly friendly hostess, Kimberly, who took my order at the counter, and brought the main course of my lunch, "Galbitang," to me with a smile. I was surprised, as my order of this amazing Korean beef soup arrived about fifteen minutes after placing my order, no doubt to the talent of chef Chen, in the kitchen.
Photo: From the "Entree" section of the menu, I went with "Galbitang," - a Korean beef rib soup - as my main course for lunch. The menu describes this hearty soup as, "Beef rib, slices of beef, Ajitama, radish, glass noodle, garnished with green onion." Alright... I'll take the description. Today was the first time in my life that I'd enjoyed a bowl of "Galbitang," and this hearty Korean beef soup didn't disappoint me, as it was simply amazing, and nothing like I've ever enjoyed before. The showcase of this amazing bowl of soup was the beef rib, which was a "standout" and something that you couldn't miss, as it was the centerpiece of this delicious bowl of savory Korean soup. How about a semi-hard boiled egg alongside the beef rib for added flavor and attraction? I asked my hostess about "aitama" and found out it's a marinated and seasoned, hard-boiled egg, which turned out to be a delicious surprise, and a "first" for me. I loved the radishes and glass noodles. The soup was presented in a savory beef broth, that had depth, flavor, and everything else that goes into a great broth. Enjoying a bowl of "Galbitang" was a totally new experience for me, and totally enjoyable! The flavorful broth made for a great foundation of this hearty soup, and the beef rib, along with the radish, noodles, green onion, along with the Ajitama egg, didn't disappoint, as it all worked together to make for an amazing soup. The utensils include the typical "Asian style" spoon, which works wonders, but I found, in order to enjoy the last of the noodles, it was handy to have a fork, as I have never mastered the art of chopsticks. "Galbitang" is a delicious Korean soup, and Melting Grill serves an amazing bowl of soup!
Photo: Kimberly brings out my plate of "Yangnyum Chicken," about five minutes after my bowl of "Galbitang," arrived, and I was taking my first spoonful. Kimberly was friendly and efficient, and treated me like royalty.
Photo: From the "Appetizer" section of the menu, I went with an order of "Yangnyum Chicken," which comes in an order of four pieces. The menu describes this delicious selection as, "Deep fried chicken wings with Korean sweet chili sauce and shredded green onions." Korean chili sauce is reputed to be on the spicy side, but these wings were mild and flavorful. The four wings were deep fried to perfection, and coated with Korean sweet chili sauce and finely diced green onion. When I bit into my first wing, I was rewarded with the amazing "crunch" that deep fried batter offers... which for a moment gives you not a care in the world, as the taste sensation is sublime, and will put you into a "foodie" trance. After the "crunch," I tasted the Korean sweet chili sauce, which offered lots of ginger, and a sweet, with a slightly sour taste. By the way... I can't over emphasise "the crunch" of the deep fried batter, as it is a true taste sensation in every way. Oh yes... the chicken was moist, tender, and simply melted in my mouth. Oh my Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore! "Yangnyum Chicken" takes chicken wings to a higher level among lovers of Asian cuisine, as the chicken wings were juicy, tender and delicious. Coat the batter with the delicious batter, deep fry for a bit, coat with Korean chili sauce and combine it all together... Melting Grill has taken Rocklin by storm with these delicious chicken wings!
Photo: I'm a happy guy, as I'm ready enjoy an amazing lunch of "Galbitang" and "Yangnyum Chicken," at Melting Grill, in Rocklin, CA. Such a delicious Korean lunch!
Photo: My lunch of "Galbitang" along with an order of "Yangnyum Chicken" make for a delicious and hearty lunch for my late Wednesday morning. The soup and the chicken were so delicious that as I asked my friendly hostess for a "to-go" container to take the bones home, to use for soup at a later date. The lunch I enjoyed on this late Wednesday morning was simply amazing, and definitely was not the sort of cuisine you find on every street corner in western Placer County. The "Galbitang" and "Yangnyum Chicken" were simply amazing, the service was fast, personal and friendly, and the atmosphere was welcoming and inviting. You can take a trip to Korea, with a bit of California leftover by paying a visit to Melting Grill, located in Rocklin, CA. Amazing food served by friendly staff! Melting Grill Copyright(c) 2022 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
|
