DINING OUT:
SECRET GARDEN

2731 Erie Blvd. East
Syracuse
449-3333 • Fax 449-0600

See Map

by Nancy Roberts

If this restaurant were to remain a secret, it would be a shame for the diners of Syracuse. But judging from the pleasant Tuesday evening crowd the night we ate there, Secret Garden is no secret any longer, with either Asian or non-Asian local diners.
True, say owners John and Beatrice Han, the patron mix is about "Fifty-fifty. But our aim is to make it seventy to eighty percent non-Asian." Not that they don't want to keep their faithful Asian patrons. They just want to introduce more and more "American" eaters to the healthful delicacies of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese foods.

One of the restaurant's differentiators, says Beatrice, is the native Korean chef. And if you think "Korean" means Kimchi, you are in for a delightful surprise when you visit Secret Garden. While we typically order off the menu when we visit a local restaurant for Table Hopping, the Hans quickly moved us to the "family" table when we arrived, and took our dining experience in hand thereafter, from replacing our icy water (on a cold Syracuse night) with warm cups of mellow, fragrant tea, to presenting us with a literal parade of house favorite dishes to sample. I have read about diners being served a "parade" of delicacies. But this is the first time I have been so indulged, and I must say, the experience could easily become a habit!

As Beatrice and her daughter, Karen, told us the story of the restaurant, my dining companion and I consulted the extensive menu - seven pages, back and front, complete with photographs of many of the dishes - and made what we thought would be our entree choices.

In the meantime, we were served tempting h'ors d'oeuvres sized portions of kimchi, marinated Chinese cabbage, locally grown soy bean sprouts, cold, deep-fried sweet potatoes, and radishes pickled in lemon, ginger and a hint of sugar.
Kimchi is often the unfortunate limit of what Americans know about Korean cookery. Often cabbage-based, kimchi is a salted, fermented vegetable dish, seasoned with hot pepper, and served as a side dish in most Korean meals. I wasn't aware until Beatrice explained this to us, but there are many, many styles of kimchi (though most of us are likely to have tried the basic cabbage variety).
Kimchi is, like the sauerkraut to which it is kin, an acquired taste. Moreover, because it is a fermented dish (like sauerkraut), the smell as it is "cooking" can be quite overpowering. But kimchi is just the beginning of the many, varied, and absolutely delightful tastes of the Korean cornucopia.

We by-passed the drinks menu, though diners have a selection of American spirits, Asian beers, sake, wine and champagne. Instead, we concentrated on the bewildering array of dishes, ranging from barbeque (done at table), to casseroles for two, to sushi, to traditional Chinese and Japanese selections. Prices ranged from $12-$29 (for a casserole for 2) for entrees.

As we read, and re-read, all the tempting selections, Beatrice explained that she and John had been in Syracuse for eighteen years. Originally from Seoul, South Korea, where they met, they came to Syracuse from New York City (where they first settled) to visit cousins. The pace of life, and good educational opportunities for their daughter, convinced them to make the move. Experienced in food service, they opened an oriental foods grocery store (located right next to the restaurant) and later, Secret Garden.

I was zeroing in on an entree: Bul Go Ki ($14.95), a thinly sliced boneless rib eye steak, marinated in a special sauce and then grilled at your table. My companion was having a harder time - everything looked too good! - but eventually selected Han Chi Hwemo Chim ($26.95 for two), a traditional Korean casserole made of baby squid, Korean pear (more about this later!), lettuce, scallions and dressed with a hot pepper sauce.

To our surprise, the appetizers were soon complemented with a beautiful plate of sushi. Now, I am not a sushi eater, but even I could appreciate the beauty of the selections presented here. Among some more traditional varieties were some finished with an extremely light tempura batter. My dinner companion, a sushi lover, was more than satisfied and immediately pronounced, "I'll be back!"
As this was being consumed, yet another course - this time eggs steamed in a light shrimp stock - was presented. Almost mousse-like in texture, the eggs were airy, moist, and delicately flavored. Beatrice was proud to tell us that the restaurant, and the grocery store next door, complemented one another. The enterprise is very careful to select the freshest meat, fish, and produce, and to use only the most desirable seasonings in all their dishes. Insisting that Asian cookery was not nearly as difficult as I was sure it was, she said many shoppers at the store will bring in recipes they'd like to make, and she is glad to help them find the best ingredients for their meal.

All the tofu used in Secret Garden dishes is "home grown," as are the sprouts, and the Han’s stress the healthful benefits of Asian, particularly Korean, eating. Beatrice explained that many Americans discovered the joys of Asian foods as they looked for ways to eat more vegetables, alternate protein sources, and lower fat.

Shortly after the steamed eggs, a lovely seasoned tofu dish was presented. Home-grown tofu is marinated in a peppery soy sauce, complemented with soy, garlic, scallions and lettuce. Tofu is one of those foods that can be badly done. It can be rubbery, or mushy by turns. This tofu was, to my admittedly uneducated palate, "just right." Firm, smooth, mild, and perfectly seasoned, I had to go back to that dish for seconds! I probably shouldn't have, though, as the next dish to be served was my entree choice.
The sliced, marinated beef was fork-tender, with just a hint of spiciness. Beatrice said, while shifting the many - and soon to be more - dishes around the table that many American diners will order a single entree the first time they visit Secret Garden. Soon, they learn to come with a group, order plenty of dishes, and pass the plates. All the portions are extremely generous, and each flavor blends harmoniously with the next, making sharing the best way to go.

We were also served Beef Ribs Kalbi: spicy barbequed ribs, very tender, served hot with scallions, and a dish of traditional Korean sweet potato noodles - transparent, spaghetti-like noodles, in a lightly spiced sauce, complemented with crisp-cooked broccoli.
The restaurant has also become a highly popular spot for lunch. One reason, aside from the convenient location for east-side workers, is the "box" approach: miniature versions of our feast include a variety of selections "boxed" for the delectation of the lunch crowd.

I was almost too over-whelmed with the seemingly endless supply of new taste adventures to notice the pleasant, clean, comfortable surroundings, and the lovely painted crockery on which each dish was served. Blond wood, pale cream walls, and a black and white tile floor create a light and easy atmosphere for dinners. Service is pleasant and prompt, and the menu offers the name of each dish in the appropriate Asian characters, along with the American translation, and a convenient number if you're reluctant to take a stab at the pronunciation!

My dinner companion's selection was next to arrive, and our hostess tossed the seafood, lettuce, scallions and Korean pears in pepper sauce to taste. While they were busy with that dish, I found the rice-flour pancake (pa jon) with shrimp, broccoli, and onions even more to my liking. Dipped in scallion-flavored soy sauce, this was another dish that I had to try twice - just to be sure it was wonderful!

Chilled, sliced Korean pears were offered for desert, and though I was sure I could not eat one more bite, I am glad that I tried the pears. The fruit is large, crisp - rather like an apple, gently sweet and so juicy it is almost a surprise when you take a bite. I was so impressed with the pears that I was glad to find them on sale at the grocery store, where we stopped for a short post-prandial tour. The store contains anything and everything for the oriental cook: every style of kimchi imaginable, tempura ingredients, noodles of all kinds (even green tea noodles!), Asian beers.

And Beatrice showed us "the" kind of soy sauce to choose when making friend rice: oyster sauce. Fresh ingredients, frozen pre-prepared dinners, seasonings from the world over - whatever you need is likely to be in stock, and if not, Beatrice Han is likely to know how to get it! Shaking our heads at the depth of selection, we expressed amazement. "It's a different world," agreed Beatrice Han.

"A different small world in Syracuse." And we thank the Hans, most gratefully, for sharing it with us!

Back to top