South Korea gets a lot of things right. K-Pop, K-Dramas and delicious food. Chicken and beer is perhaps one of the staples of modern Korean eating and it was about time Wendy and I gave these chicken wings a try.
With the flood of burger restaurants popping up in Perth recently, Chimek is the only one I know of to offer a charcoal burger. Competition is fierce and the bar is set high. The only other charcoal burgers I have eaten were at The Burger Lab in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia - and they're pretty famous for them.
The burger was delicious, super soft and tasty. There is no denying that a bun is half the reason why a burger tastes as it does. The bun was soft, sweet and had a good density - it did not fall apart in our hands. It was also super easy to cut in half, which is always a plus when sharing burgers. Charcoal buns are a credit to the use of charcoal bamboo and in some cases, squid ink.
Beef patty is the star of any burger. Chimek's beef patty was juicy, medium rare and seasoned with salt and pepper. Balsamic onion jam complemented the sautéed onions and cheese, and the squid ink aoili provided creaminess to an otherwise strong mix of flavours. As a casual bite to eat, the burger lived up to its requirements.
Chimek serves up burgers (both charcoal and standard) in addition to six different types of chicken and a black sesame and green tea cheesecake. Situated in The Yard at Fremantle Markets, Chimek's focus is more on the food than the dining experience, as in the shared market area you're left to source yourself a seat at the tables.
The Korea Gochujang chicken (mild) came with a side of fries which were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Wonderfully simple. The dish was topped with crunchy and appetising daikon (radish). We were expecting a little more kick to the marinade but it was otherwise enjoyable and was more sweet than spicy. You also get given a pair of gloves by which to use to devour your wings. Trust me, these come in handy.
Green tea cheesecake is a darling of social media. We had been told that past a certain time it had a tendency to be sold out. It may have been an off day for the cheesecake when we went, as it did not live up to expectations. The outside was thick, dry, dense and not at all creamy. However, the middle was the complete opposite. Our spoon slid through the creamy and smooth centre with no problems.
The green tea taste was well balanced however the fact that the cheesecake had been slightly over baked contributed to its denseness on the outside. The biscuit base was particularly good, as was the layer of cream on top. If you are a fan of matcha, do give it a try anyway - as I am positive that it was purely an off day for the cheesecake that is constantly raved about on Instagram.
Chimek offers some interesting food and is definitely worth a visit if you're at Fremantle Markets. I guess we'll just have to wait for the owners to open up an eatery where they can also serve beer with their chicken.