All too often I’ve been out with a load of mates and shared dinner only to end up with a single mouthful of the particular dish I wanted to order. Also, people often end up skirting around the food out of politeness so you don’t get to eat anywhere near as much as you’d like.
In contrast, by only sharing with Mrs G, we know exactly what’s ours and we can divide it up between the two of us with no fuss.
However, I’ve clearly been doing it wrong all this time. Because last week when we visited Janet’s Korean and Chinese restaurant as a group of eight, we ordered so much food and doubled up on so many dishes that there was absolutely no risk of me being left hungry.
It’s been almost five years since we’ve visited Janet’s and in that time, they’ve been named champions at the British Street Food Awards in 2021 and transformed from a market stall into a cosy restaurant located in Pontypridd town centre.
Having grown up in the Yanbian region of China that borders North Korea, chef and owner Janet Wei’s menu primarily draws influences from both countries. But, there’s also Vietnamese noodle salad, Malaysian laksa and other South East Asian dishes that feature too.
It’s good to see local Welsh influences on the booze selection and I knocked back a couple of very good bitter-sweet Dabinett ciders (£5.50) from Gwynt y Ddraig, who are located just down the road in Llantwit Fardre.
With the menu divided into dim sum, mains and sides, we ordered around 14 small plates and 10 larger dishes between the eight of us. Despite it sounding like a heck of a lot of food, we still managed to clear the lot.
Dishes were brought out in a staggered approach as and when they were ready, so there was nice pace to the meal and we were able to pile in on the dishes when they were at their freshest.
I was most impressed by the dim sum and I’d gladly devour any of them again.
A plate of pork and kimchi gyoza (£8.90) had compellingly crisp skins that were filled with a juicy mix of minced pork with a delicate spice and funk of kimchi.
A vibrant cucumber salad (£5.90) combined crunchy pieces of cleansing cucumber bathed in a savoury and spicy gochujang and garlic-based dressing that was flecked with coriander and crunchy peanuts.
Prawn and pork sui mai (£8.90) saw a quintet of delicate steamed dumplings stuffed with a tender and slightly sweet mix of minced prawn and pork. They were accompanied by a fiery hot chilli oil dip.
A crisp edged scallion pancake (£8.90) was topped with soft omelette and a hit of allium and funk of kimchi. It was a lovely bit of moreish comfort food.
Kimbap (£8.90) was a clean and light dish that well balanced the fried stuff. The super fresh Korean rice rolls were filled with crunchy raw and pickled vegetables and omelette and drizzled with the delicate chilli kick of a gochujang dipping sauce.
Finally, soft and airy homemade steamed buns (£9.90) were filled with hot shreds of sticky hoisin duck and the crunch of peanut and spring onion.
Whilst the mains were delicious, I don’t think they quite hit the highs of the smaller plates.
Cumin lamb (£16.90) was one of the standouts. A generous portion of tender lamb pieces were bathed in an addictively earthy cumin-laden spice blend. It had more of a saucy vibe going on than the dry stir fry at Zi’s Café and I thought it made a nice change.
Cumin lamb (£16.90) was one of the standouts. A generous portion of tender lamb pieces were bathed in an addictively earthy cumin-laden spice blend. It had more of a saucy vibe going on than the dry stir fry at Zi’s Café and I thought it made a nice change.
Beef bibimbap (£16.90) combined a big pile of rice, stir fried beef, wafer thin batons of sauteed carrot, gochujang, and a runny-yolked fried egg. It all mixed together to create a lovely combination of flavours and textures. But the stone serving bowl lacked its advertised sizzle, so the dish didn’t have the crispy caramelisation which arises from the various components sticking to its edges.
Tender battered pieces of Korean honey chicken thigh (£14.90) were very tasty but were slightly over-sauced so that the meat lost some of its crispness and I thought the sweet and sticky sauce could have done with a bigger kick of chilli.
A volcano rice bowl (£16.90) combined a big pile of fried rice topped with sweet, marinated stir fried beef and cleansing kimchi sat in a thin cheese topped omelette. Much like the bibimbap, it was another comforting rice dish.
Finally, tender pieces of pork tenderloin (£14.90) were coated in a beautifully light batter and drizzled with a sticky sweet and sour sauce. It was very tasty but perhaps lacked the excitement of some of the other dishes.
We had a great evening at Janet’s sharing a massive spread of her comforting, spicy and fresh cooking. It’s a little bit different to anything in Cardiff and handily just a 30-minute hop away on the train.
Going forward, I’ve revised my approach to dinner out in a group to, “If in doubt, over order.” I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? I’ll just have a bunch of leftovers to take home and eat the next day. However, knowing my appetite, the chances of that happening are rather slim.
The Details:
Address - Janet's, 3 Church Street, Pontypridd CF37 2TH
Address - Janet's, 3 Church Street, Pontypridd CF37 2TH
Telephone - 07825 463685
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