Miga Korean Food

When craving some cheap Korean food, Henderson food court is the place to go! I have quite a few memories that take place in this 'shopping centre' (in quotations because it isn't much of a mall): my middle school friends and I braving through a plate of spicy rice cakes with no water, the never-ending bowl of cold noodles my mom had, and using all my allowance on stationary just to name a few rather insignificant details. Henderson was once a bustling mall full of stores and customers; it was like the Parker Place or Crystal Mall of Coquitlam. Then suddenly everything died, to the point where the Henderson supermarket also closed its doors. Now that the public library has opened right next to Henderson, it has attracted more customers or hungry tummies into the building. Hopefully bringing with them revival for this pitiful mall.

The lack of food in my house gave us an excuse to go out in search for lunch. While walking through the food court a few months ago, I noticed Miga had a new menu. I'm guessing the owners have changed for Miga because I don't see any ahjusshi at the cashier anymore. After peering at what others were eating, I have been eager to try some myself. 

When I arrived on a Friday a bit past noon, there were tons of people in the food court and a line up for Miga. That is a good thing, it means they must serve something good. But if your in a big hurry, eating here may not be the best idea. It took at least 10 minutes to get my order. I felt like it was a long time... My stomach was growling, okay? The reason for the slow service (even for a food court) is because there is only one lady cooking everything. 

Miga Korean Food Menu

The menu is pretty diverse and includes Korean snack foods, hot soups, hot and cold noodles, rice dishes, and even Japanese inspired items like bento and katsu. Almost all items are $6.25 plus tax. Really good deal since the portions of some can feed two mouths!

Kimchi Fried Rice, side dishes, and soup

My brother had the kimchi fried rice (김치 볶음밥). I know my Korean friends will be like "Why would you order that when you're eating out?". I guess it's like us ordering tomato & egg rice at a Chinese restaurant; it's a homemade thing. Unfortunately, we don't have kimchi in the house 24/7 so it's unlikely we will ever make it at home. The fried rice has tiny bits of pork in it, but essentially you can treat it as if it doesn't exist. I took a bite of the rice and found it was a bit too sour for my liking and not spicy enough. However, the perfectly fried egg is a nice addition to the dish, because anything with a runny yolk is better. 

Each order gets complimentary mini side dishes, a soup, and hot tea. (Meaning I got one set in total for the two items I ordered) I really like eating the yellow pickled radish between tasting different dishes as it kind of cleanses your palate, similar to what pickled ginger does at sushi restaurants. The soup is a light broth made from radishes or something very mild tasting, just something wet to sip on during your meal. The fact that they serve their tea in paper cups rather than foam cups gives them bonus marks from Coconut Crumpet and family.  

Jjolmyeon and all its delicious vegetables

I choose to have the jjolmyeon (쫄면) since I saw many people ordering it. It is the most massive serving dish I've ever received for one serving. In addition to the massive clump of elastic-y noodles, there are piles and piles of fresh vegetables. To my surprise, the noodles are served kind of cold, perfect for summer day! Besides the egg, this dish is completely free of meat. Which I enjoy to my mother's dismay. Eating a ton of vegetables makes you feel good and feel full! The most interesting part of this dish is the pear. I thought it was radish until I paid closer attention and found that it was sweet. Asian pear is a wonderful accompaniment to the spicy noodles. Contrasting flavours bring each other out~

Jjolmyeon with bottle of sauce

The flavouring for the noodles relies purely on this bottle of hot sauce. It's spicy and sweet just like ddukbokki. The entire bottle was given to me when I went to pick up my tray. Unfortunately the tip was plugged so I had to open the lid to pour the sauce out. It got a little messy... Don't be surprised at how much sauce is needed, there is just so much surface area to cover and make red! And be prepared for some major arm work trying to evenly mix this mass. No pain no gain right? Gotta work to get your food ;)

Just as a personal tip, I recommend bringing extra chopstick and a box to take home leftovers. Most of the food stalls charge extra money for additional cutlery and boxes. I packed home more than half of my noodles as it was just too much to eat in one sitting. Bring your own water bottle or drinks if you like drinking during your meal. The tea they give is a tiny little cup, barely enough to rinse your mouth at the end.

The food Miga makes is both good quality and good tasting. One can tell by the innumerable Korean customers purchasing from the food court. Korean people buying from Korean chefs means it is the real deal. I will definitely be back to try more of their menu in the future. No need to go as far as North Road to find some good Korean eats, there is plenty of it at the Henderson food court! 

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡