Korean BBQ is one of those cuisines that has made it's way West and that we used to enjoy in NY when we wanted something super ethnic, completely out of the ordinary and an interactive dining experience. Needless to say, I've only had Korean BBQ twice in my life; one time at an over-priced, too-cool-for-school establishment in Soho (complete with male models as waiters) and the second at a slightly more authentic place in the heart of Koreatown. Here in Seoul, bbq restaurants are as abundant as McDonald's are at home.
For those of you reading from Texas, Korean bbq resembles nothing of our state's signature dish. It's completely different, absolutely delicious and a meat lover's ideal meal. I consider myself a true meat lover and have always claimed steak as my all-time favorite food. I could probably eat it every day if I didn't know the health effects of eating too much red meat. Needless to say I was extremely excited about going out for Korean bbq.
What is Korean bbq?
Korean bbq, or gogi gui, refers to the Korean method of grilling beef, pork, chicken, or other types of meat. Such dishes are often prepared at the diner's table on gas or charcoal grills that are built into the center of the table itself. The most typical form of Korean bbq is galbi made from marinated beef short ribs. Korean bbq also includes many other kinds of marinated and non-marinated meat dishes, and "sides" such as bean sprouts and salad.
This particular bbq joint was about a 10 minute walk from our apartment, on a busy little side street, somewhat resembling the streets of the East Village back in NY. Sort of. The Korean dining culture and the culture in general is very social and group oriented. You never really see individuals dining alone so the atmosphere is full of long tables to accommodate for this very social activity. The diversity of the crowd was fantastic! Elderly women, couples, large groups of 20-something's, expats, all enjoying this fun and delicious cuisine. We might be here once a week.
Interior is somewhat similar to some Texas bbq joints with casual benches and simple wood tables.
The alien-like, retractable nozzles above the tables are for the suction of the smoke from the bbq.
You pull them down while cooking and push them up out of the way when done.
Very thoughtful, so you don't leave smelling TOO much like smoke.
RCP has been here one other time and smartly logged what he had into his Blackberry.
So we just showed the phone to our waiter to order.
We have fire....
...beer and a grill. Just like Texas.
The raw meat and all the fixin's.
Sliced onion, bean sprouts, salad and dipping sauce.
The sauce is a soy sauce/vinegar like mixture that you dip the cooked meat in.
In Texas, bean sprouts wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near a plate of bbq.
No Texan would consume them together either.
Perhaps they should, as it might help counteract the effects of too much bbq
that some of us fall victim too.
Pork. Love pork.
After we had neatly placed the desired amount we wanted to grill, our waiter
came over and proceeded to lump them all together and grilled them the way
you saute, continuously moving them around with the tongs.
Beef. Love beef more than pork.
These were outrageously tender cuts of beef.
Koreans grill everything from cheap cuts to filet.
I prefer not to sweat and smell like smoke when enjoying a nice filet.
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