Pork is the star at Korean restaurant In's Kitchen

• Name and Address: In’s Kitchen, #65 - 1 Templeton St.

• Food: Korean

• Prices: Lunch Boxes — $17 Dinner Sets — $22

• Diet: Modest vegetarian options, gluten free, Halal beef and chicken

• Wheelchair accessibility: Yes with washroom on ground floor

• Not Licensed

• Website: In’s Kitchen 

Early this year Suyeon In and her husband opened their bright and modern eatery In’s Kitchen in the heart of the University of Ottawa grounds.

Kingston's loss was our gain as it was one of her children who attended uOttawa, which convinced the parents to open a Korean restaurant here in Ottawa.

The space has a youthful energy to the design, painted in white with modern accents in both colour and materials. The mix of seating is especially playful.

Grab your seat and a server will bring your menu but ordering is done, along with payment, at the counter.

The menu is modest with a mix of options served either as lunch boxes (literally a cardboard takeaway) or as set dinners. They come served in cast iron ware with a number of classic sides such as kimchi, marinated vegetables and sweet soy potatoes.

Behind the counter, the open kitchen gives off the tantalizing sounds of a sizzling grill and the smile of Suyeon as she swings the spatula. There are no appetizers on the menu so the intoxicating aromas will have to do.

For a city our size, Ottawa is fortunate to have a proliferation of very good Korean options, including Food Mood: Korean Kitchen which I reviewed earlier this year. It's a cuisine that is simultaneously intense in flavour and healthy. I also cherish the consistently good and friendly service I've had at Korean eateries so when a friend suggested I try In's Kitchen, I was there the same day.

I admit a predilection for grilled pork and the Jeyuk pork here is a fine example of this Korean staple done well. Thinly sliced pork is seasoned with gochujang (spicy bean paste), ginger, garlic and a variety of onions all topped with sesame seeds. I'm not certain it made an appearance here, but this dish can also have grated apple added to the marinade to add a sweet and acidic component.

It's sizzled to tender perfection and comes served with rolls of cool, thinly sliced, pickled daikon radish in which you wrap the hot pork. A magnificent flavor and temperature contrast combination that had me salivating for the next bite.

On another visit I opted for the Suntofu with seafood. It is one of the few dishes here that can be had as a vegetarian option but you can also have it with beef.

The bowl arrived at the table bubbling like lava, a sight that commanded respect. I gave it a few moments before the approach and while the spice heat increased with every bite it never reached a point where the eating became unpleasant.

The seafood (squid tentacles and shrimp) remained tender and the supple silken tofu broke over my tongue like warm custard. The side of white and black (said to lower blood pressure) rice was a welcome counterpoint to the heat and is recommended as an addition to every spoon of soup. Deliciously satisfying and filling.

For those interested in cooking Korean, Suyeon has created three meal kits for purchase that you can prepare at home.

I'd like to thank my lifelong friend Ling for the recommendation because I can now share with all of you how Suyeon In and her team are bringing the best of Korean culinary tradition to Ottawa.

P.S. If you’d like to try the Jeyuk pork dish at home I found a very good recipe here. And if you need a supply of good Korean ingredients please visit Seoul Mart.