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Specialty eats include jelly for your belly

A La Carte

April 15, 2018

Story By: Elima Pangorang | Photos by: ANTHONY CONSILLIO

Deul-kkae Kalgook Soo ($14.95, lunch; $16.95, dinner)

As all island residents know, Hawaii’s weather is a series of Mother Nature’s indecisive wet and dry conditions that change multiple times a day, even during summer. The day could start off hot and humid, then easily switch to cold and rainy.

Thankfully for New Shilawon Korean Restaurant deciding on a meal is not as rocky as Mother Nature’s mood swings. New Shilawon boasts an array of authentic Korean cuisine that provides cooling refreshment with its Acorn Jelly Soup ($14.95, lunch; $16.95, dinner), or soothing warmth with its Deul-kkae Kalgook Soo (Black Sesame Noodles), priced at $14.95 for lunch and $16.95 for dinner.

Fried tofu with soy sauce (part of banchan assortment)

The Acorn Jelly Soup, exclusive to New Shilawon, is a cold treat that comes packed with generous amounts of veggies, kimchee and, of course, cuts of house-made jelly.

“The jelly takes a really long time to make,” shares general manager Jandy Lee. “(My mom) is there every single day stirring the powder.” The New Shilawon team mentioned that making the jelly is a very precise process that includes cooking it all morning and stirring it diligently approximately every 45 minutes. What’s more, the acorn powder is shipped straight from Korea solidifying its genuine roots.

Acorn Jelly Soup ($14.95, lunch; $16.95, dinner)

Diners will surely appreciate the efforts as they intake delightful sips of the light yet savory cooling soup and invigorating vegetables. The strips of jelly are a pleasant mainstay that’s not too soft, but holds together just right. Lee compared it to the Japanese konnyaku jelly-like potato, but just a little more firm.

“The best thing about this dish is that it does not have much calories, yet is still filling,” mentions Lee. “Locals love (the jelly soup) because it is something different, and is also good in the summer.”

On the other end of the spectrum, give Deul-kkae Kalgook Soo a try. This black sesame noodle soup comes to the table hot and steamy with its broth a little more on the thick side. The sesame is finely grinded, giving the dish a bit of texture as well as a nutty flavor.

And of course, no trip to a Korean restaurant is complete without its plentiful selections of banchan that, at New Shilawon, is made fresh daily and comes with every entree order.

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