If I had to sum up Hangover in one word, it would be “K-Pop”. It serves Korean cuisine; it is hip, like K-Pop stars; and is undeniably Korean without being traditionally Korean. And while it doesn’t exactly play K-Pop music—it mostly plays electronic dance music and remixes—and has no Korean design in any shape or form, it essentially is a funky bar that serves Korean food. See? K-Pop. Anyway, here’s my dining experience at Hangover Kelapa Gading.

THE NITTY GRITTY DETAILS

I actually feel quite embarrassed for showing up at exactly five in the evening, which is the exact opening time. The placate still says “Closed”, and the staffs are having their daily meeting.

As I walk inside Hangover, the first thing I notice is the smell of cigarettes that lingers in the air. Not that they can help it, because it’s indeed a bar slash club kind of venue. Hangover has two floors: the first floor is the bar and the dancing floor—with sparse tables here and there—while the second floor is all tables. The design is similar to that of a loft, and you can watch the dancing floor easily from the second floor.

The table is… somewhat weird. I’m not really sure why; maybe it feels too bulky, or the placement is a bit awkward. Hey, maybe it’s only me. Each table is equipped with a metal bowl in the size of a soju bottle; it is meant to be filled with ice to keep your soju icy cold.

The second floor is very pretty at this time of the day. The last sunlight of the day passes through the big window and creates gorgeous shadows upon the room. Love it!

On the downside, I should probably note that the sofa where I sit on has holes in it. I know, I’m such a nitpick. And there’s this one fly that keeps on buzzing near my ears… I try to unleash my inner ahjumma and kill it with the menu book, but fail miserably.

THE FOOD. AND SOJU.

Since I’m not a huge fan of Korean food, I enlist the help of my friend Monic—Korean food enthusiast and all-around awesome human being—to tell me her opinion of the food.

Strawberry Yoghurt Soju (IDR 125k/bottle)

As a great Korean bar, one of Hangover’s specialities is soju. Soju is available by the bottle in numerous flavours: regular, yoghurt, aloe vera, lychee, soursop, mango, peach, grape, blackcurrant, melon, strawberry, green apple, guava, and beer slushy—plenty of options for everyone! While I admittedly am not an alcohol expert, the strawberry yoghurt soju is indeed a nice introduction to soju. It tastes fruity, refreshing, bitter, and slightly acidic—with a little bit of kick. Alcohol content: 5%.

Japchae (IDR 85k)

According to Monic, the portion of this Japchae is quite small; for the price tag, it should’ve been bigger. The sweet brown noodles are served with carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, sesame seed, and chicken. This too, is a little bit strange, as Japchae is usually served with beef. It’s also slightly too soggy compared to other Japchae(s). But overall, it is an okay dish; Monic says she has definitely eaten worse.

Gangnam Fries (IDR 35k)

Gangnam fries are fries with caramelised onion, melted cheddar cheese, and kimchi mayo. We’re not really sure how “Korean” this appetiser is, except the part where they put kimchi in the mayo. The mayo actually feels very garlicky instead of kimchi-y—the taste could definitely be improved. Having said that, what could go extremely wrong when fries and cheese are involved, really?

Hangover Kelapa Gading

Address: Jl. Boulevard Raya Blok PA1 No.5-6

Opening Hours: 05:00 PM - 02:00 AM

Phone: 082111111896

Other branch(es): PIK