[REVIEW] Hwa Ga Pork Free | Authentic Korean Cuisine [Halal or Not?]

Hwa Ga Pork Free

Hey, guys! I think some of us might be curious when it comes to restaurants with pork-free titles, which occasionally makes you wonder whether if it's Halal or is there a reason behind why the restaurant can't be halal justified? To make things clear, i took the effort to drop by Hwa Ga Pork Free and the store manager was nice enough to let me know that the reason why they are not halal certified is because they serve alcohol on the menu (because 'soju' is a Korean thing, without soju, how can you call it a Korean restaurant?). Rest assured, I have been told and guaranteed that the ingredients used at Hwa Ga Pork Free are all halal just to cater to their Muslim friends as well.

The exterior of Hwa Ga Pork Free

Before I go into detail on their menu, I would like to clarify to you that under Hwa Ga, there are two kinds of stores, the non-halal ones and their latest branch which is the pork free one. It might create some conflict when you see some Hwa Ga stores which serve pork, but to differentiate the pork free and nonhalal stores, please make sure the one that you're heading to is at Hwa Ga Pork Free. As of today, I'm aware that there's only one pork free outlet (which uses entirely halal certified ingredients) which is located at Empire Damansara. So please keep that in mind.

Interior setting

Oh look, they even have easy call buttons too!

Upon arrival, I might have to emphasize that the outlook of the store really does remind me of the times when I was in Korea. So despite it not being in a Malaysian context, I can clearly say that it's a Korean-owned store. But if you're here to talk about the food, well, here are a few things to look out for. At Hwa Ga Pork Free, you should really check out the Open Promotion Chicken Unlimited, their Narunji Tong Dak, and their BanBan Chicken Set.

Open Promotion Chicken Unlimited Buffet 

Ongoing Lunch / Dinner Promotion *till 31st July 2017

Comes with sides too! 

And yep, I can confidently say that it's grilled to perfection

To be honest, I must say that the buffet offer is the highlight of the Hwa Ga Pork Free where they will serve unlimited chicken of your choice ( chicken breast, grilled chicken or spicy grilled chicken) with lettuce wrap and condiments as sides. Rice may be an additional charge, but I honestly enjoy eating the chicken with the lettuce wrap to maximize on the flavors of the chicken pieces. What I like about the idea is that they charge the buffet by head and its something that you can really enjoy with great company.

3 variety of flavors to choose from

Favorite dipping would be the cheese!

Cheesseeeee! #drools

The buffet for adults is priced at RM28/pax during lunch and RM30/pax during dinner while children are priced at RM18/pax. Only children aged from 4-10 and height below 120cm will be charged as children rate. Kids below 3 eat for free. Also, take note that the buffet is for a limited time of 2 hours. So eat up within 2 hours and you can fill up your tummy with your favorite chicken grill by Hwa Ga. Please take note that the buffet promotion will only be available until 31st July 2017.

Narunji Tong Dak (RM55) 

Have you heard of Nurungji Tongdak?

And that's one whole chicken for you!

If you haven't heard of Narunji Tong Dak, it actually refers to chicken with traditional Korean style of rice. Rice is cooked with Sticky Rice, Black Rice, Pumpkin Seed, Barley, Garlic Ginseng, Pine nut, Jujube, and Ginkgo nut which has been placed inside the chicken. Then it's placed in a fire oven for about 90 minutes and the chicken is cut in half which then is pressed for the rice to cook well on the grill pan. Once the rice becomes in a crispy texture, it is served to customers with sauces.

Here's a close-up shot of how well it has been cooked in the over

Found the rice bits! 

The one that I had was the Narunji Tong Dak in original which is basically grilled chicken with scorched rice. This is supposed to be the original flavor of the Nurunji Tong Dak, but personally speaking, I would have enjoyed the Nurunji Cheese Dak which is all covered in cheese. Mmhmm. there are other toppings to choose from, which I will try to come back to try a different Narunji Tong Dak. #hungers

BanBan Chicken Set (RM50) 2-3 pax

Ban Ban Chicken (Fried Chicken / Spicy Chicken)

And last but not least, I also gave a go on their Banban chicken set which is their fried and spicy chicken. Alternatively, you can also enjoy it individually depending if you like spicy or fried chicken. Being it my first time there, I decided to give myself a go by trying both of it. Since I'm a fan spicy food, I would say that I would come back again for their spicy chicken cause the batter and the sauce compliments each other really well. The chicken was also juicy and crispy and it's best to enjoy while it's still hot.

Korean Soda's anyone?

The Bong Bong Grape Juice

Ready for takeaway!

While you're there, you should really try their assorted Korean drinks too! I actually have a crush on their Bong Bong grape juice cause you'd be surprised that they have grape bits in the drink. Mmmhmm. Since there was a lot of food to eat, we actually had to pack some food back and I'd like to give credits that the food was well packed in a nice box which is super easy to bring back if you'd like to pack some food back home instead of eating out. Teehee.

With the PIC of Hwa Ga Pork Free

Some homemade condiments // Refillable

And there you have it! Be sure to drop by Hwa Ga if you're looking for some real flavors of Korea if you happen to be around Damansara Perdana. As an overall, I would definitely come back again for their buffet set the most cause I find it to be more value for money and the fact that it would really be an ideal location to go when you're feeling extremely hungry! hehe. If you have any other inquiries, do not hesitate to leave me a comment below and I'd love to get back to you. Also, be sure to check out Hwa Ga Pork Free's Facebook Page to get the latest updates or for more clarifications on their halal ingredients.

Hwa Ga Damansara Perdana (Pork Free)

Address: Lot F05 Empire Gallery Heritage Lane No2, Jalan PJU 8/8, Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Contact: +603- 7732 6151

Business Hours: 11am- 11pm