SOUTH KOREAN EATS: Korean BBQ
Dear Foodie Fam,
Korean barbecue in South Korea was… just as wonderful as we thought it would be.
We were coming to after being drunk off soju and somaek thanks to our new Korean friends (who we couldn’t say no to, due to South Korean culture). We needed some heavy meat! Thankfully, there’s lots of restaurants around Seoul that are open to early morning.
We walked up and down the aisles of Gwangjang market… I don’t quite remember how we got to the restaurant we ended up at. Maybe we followed the smell… maybe we asked for help?
The space was thickly warm thanks to the small space and the grills. It was also warm in a welcoming way: we were welcomed in by the usual loud greetings from an Emo (이모) and a few others helping at the back of the restaurant. They taught me how to stash my stuff in the hollow tin seats we sat on and showed us where our pitcher of water and our eating utensils were. These are all proper Korean dining etiquette which you can read about in one of my blog posts.
The Emo that tended to us made us feel so at home. I don’t quite remember how we got to order and how we got to pay the bill (this is done in advance to meals). I think it had something to do with my broken Hangul and a lot of pointing.
There were two other tables occupied in the warm, small space. One was a young couple- the young man did a great job taking care of his girlfriend who was sometimes crying and sometimes laughing with intoxication. The other party was a table of three business men still in their suits (minus their blazers) toasting boisterously! They offered us some more soju and I don’t remember how we got out of that…
The entire experience of watching the emo bring out more rows of banchan than I’d ever seen in person, stoke the charcoal grill, bring out cuts of meat thick and wide as my hand and use the ventilation skillfully was entrancing. It felt like the smell was hugging me!
The meat was juicy and fatty. It melted in my mouth.
The emo taught us how to put together and eat a ssam bomb.
This is an experience I wish everyone I know and love (who eat meat) would have. When they do, I want them to know the following!:
Korean Barbecue Cheat Sheet
TERMS:
Korean BBQ: grilling meat (like beef, pork and chicken) on a gas or charcoal grill build into a table. It’s popular in South Korea and in America.
Sutbul: (embers of charcoal) for barbecue
Bulgogi: Meat marinated in soysauce, sugar, sesame, oil, garlic, pepper
Banchan (side dishes): free with the meal and refillable. These can include Pajeori (Green onion salad), lettuce, cucumbers, and peppers.
MEATS:
BEEF BBQ:
Chadolbagi (차돌박이) • thinly sliced brisket point
Deungsim (등심) • sirloin
Kkot deungsim (꽃등심) • rib eye steak
Ansim (안심) • beef tenderloin
Salchisal (살치살) • chuck flap tail
Galbisal (갈비살) • rib meat
Chae kkeut (채끝) • strip loin
Buchaesal (부채살) • top blade
Anchangsal (안창살) • outside skirt steak
Chimasal yangji (치마살양지) • flank steak
PORK BBQ
Samgyeopsal (삼겹살) • pork belly
Daeji bulgogi • Spicy pork (marinated with sauces based on Korean chili powder)
CHICKEN
Dak gui (닭구이)
TIPS:
The below graphic is by Mina Oh at SweetAndTastyTV. Her youtube videos really taught me about Korean culture and basic Hangul.
Wait to be seated and say "Jalmukesumneda" to express how you are looking forward to eat!
Get attention by saying “Yogiyo! (요기요)," which means "over here!" Stuff like this isn't rude in Asian countries.
If your chair is metallic, it's probably hollow so you can put your jacket or purse in there. Someone cooks and flips the meat for you.
Someone operates the air vents for you and they are long and low hanging (that's what she said). I looked them up and they are called "telescopic bbq smoke extractors."
Flavors are stroooong!
Chopsticks are heavy and metallic.
Make sure chopsticks are laying flat and elevated somewhere clean.
Most locals eat KBBQ with an alcoholic drink. Read up on drinking etiquette on this blog post I wrote!
Grill more than meat!
You gotta make ssam bombs! Make them by layering meat and veggies on a piece of lettuce up to 3 inches in width. Make a wrap out of this and eat the wrap by hand in one bite!
Ask for that sesame oil.
Have the stew, broth or noodle dish after your epic meal.
Locals order up to 4 meats, only.
I loved all these illustrated Easy to Learn Korean sheets by Chad Meyer and Moonjung Kim. They helped me learn basic Korean culture and Hangul. Here’s two based on eating etiquette:
