The best sticky chicken wings in Durban

Wandering Seoul

Where: Shop 78, Protea Mall, 191 Ridge Rd, Umhlanga Rocks

Open: Daily 11.30am to 9pm

Call: 076 328 7094

The Poet found it, and the name had me intrigued. Wandering Seoul inspired, a place where the lost or the seeking could find home or purpose or nourishment. 

The restaurant is where bamboo sushi used to be. It’s smart and comfortable and had a real makeover. This is not the usual Asian restaurant that is a glorified takeaway with a couple of plastic tables in the corner. No, we were served with beautiful metal chopsticks, to food coming out on artisan dishes. And it was packed. The Poet, her family and I found the last table at the back.

Korean Barbeque is the thing here with two large tables braaing an array of meats and vegetables at the table. Many were skilled hands at the process.

Because the poet had just been to a Korean barbeque in Singapore, she wanted to try their signature bibimbap, which one of the ladies in her aqua class had raved so much about.

We order two types of Korean sushi, the kimbap which is chicken sausage and rice wrapped in seaweed and the tuna tobika roll which is similar but includes fresh veg in the wrap. The latter we enjoyed, the former were on the bland side. I suppose chicken sausage is not the most exciting ingredient in the world.

Then we tried what was billed as a pancake but in reality was more an omelette stuffed with veg and cut into pieces which you dipped into a spicy soy based sauce. We enjoyed it.

Next up were the best sticky Asian chicken wings I've had in Durban. Beautiful succulent chicken with a lovely crisp coating not destroyed by the spicy sticky sauce. We all decided we could eat buckets of these.

The Poet and I shared the bibimbap with wagyu beef which came to the table in a little cooking pot topped with a fried egg, before our server poured over the spicy gochujang sauce and tossed it all together for us. I really enjoyed the good kick of that spicy sauce with the meat and rice and crispy veg. There was so much I had leftovers for lunch the next day.

Vivek opted for the Teriyaki wagyu with rice which was also enjoyable. 

Everyone had had more than enough food but somehow they offered us a chinese style creme caramel which I just had to try. It was a wonderfully eggy custard sitting in that burnt caramel syrup. It got the thumbs up

Having decided that next time we would try the Korean barbeque, the Poet booked for lunch two weeks later, inviting the entire bridge set along. Sadly on the coldest day of the winter I was at home with flu. They on the other hand had a ball. I will go back and try next time.

Food: 3 ½

Service: 4

Ambience: 3 ½