By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

We stopped by one of these modern Korean restaurants at Maru in North Vancouver located in the former Cheers Restaurant.

The Banchan consisted of daikon kimchi, spinach, burdock root and potato salad. Modest in size, but nicely plated, the Korean Fried Chicken was fabulous. Each piece was firmly crunchy but not heavy. Inside, the meat was succulent and juicy. The soy garlic flavour was not overly strong. The fried rice cake was a bit too chewy and hard. The coleslaw was tangy and creamy with a nice crunch.

Sizzling hot, the Bulgogi Dolsotwas full of soy beef, kimchi, pickles and a poached runny egg. When mixed together, there was a smoky sweet umaminess which was not overpowering. It was a pleasure to eat. The crust was crunchy and nutty. The Miso Glazed Grilled Pork Cheek Lettuce Wrap came with crispy shallots, rice, romaine and bean paste. Although the pork cheek was smoky, it had a propane-torch finish in taste. But, it was bouncy and tender while mildly sweet.  It was another decent dish.

We tried their Ddok Kalbi Burger with fries which ate very well. The charred burger patty was intensely flavoured with caramelized sweetness and plenty of savoury meatiness. The greens had a nice tangy dressing. The fries were lightly crispy. Lastly, we had the Seafood Tofu Soup which had the umaminess of briny and sweet seafood as well as mushroom and seaweed. In the end, we were pleasantly surprised and satisfied with our lunch at Maru. It was also very reasonably-priced. I suggest you go check it out.

Maru Korean Bistro

125 2nd Street East, North Vancouver, BC

The Good:

• Well-prepared eats

• Reasonable prices

• Friendly service

The Bad:

• Average portion size (but prices are not high)

• Service is not bad, but could be more attentive

Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.