KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 5 -- I might be showing my age, but I can't remember any other time when the Malaysian appetite for Korean cuisine has been quite so. big.

Sure, it's still largely concentrated in urban areas like the Klang Valley, but we've come a long way since the days of Girls' Generation, and it's been almost a decade since the major fried chicken franchises arrived.

Everybody wants a piece of the pie, whether it's large restaurant chains entering the market or small, independent owner-operated businesses looking to strike while the iron is hot.

As a result, the diversity of offerings has steadily increased, especially in and around the Korean enclave of Mont Kiara.

In the neighbouring area of Desa Sri Hartamas, barbecue is sti...