Lately I keep finding reasons to head over to Seorae Village. Well, reasons to go to Polpo, more precisely. One weekend, partly to build myself up a bit, I went to Byeokje Galbi, which is close to home. There is Bongpiyang at Gangnam Station too, but the atmosphere there is a little hectic, so if it is beef, Byeokje Galbi it is.
Hanwoo ribeye
Hmm.. out comes a fatty piece of meat that is very bad for you. It is two portions, and the amount is decent. Not the kind of thing that leaves you hungry afterwards.
Side dishes
Neatly presented. Only to be expected, given the price of the meat.
On the grill
Actually I was a little surprised: the minimum order is two portions, and they put both portions on the grill at once. Come on.. am I supposed to wolf down this precious meat the moment it is cooked? Surely the normal way is to grill one portion, then put the next one on.
Grilled
In the end the first bites were delicious, but the later pieces got far too charred. For the price, the service is a bit disappointing. Or maybe this is a place where you need to come as a group of at least four.
Taster-size naengmyeon
Byeokje Galbi’s naengmyeon is among the best in the country. It was delicious, but the portion was on the small side. Maybe I should have ordered the regular naengmyeon, but then again there was dessert to come, so this was about right.
Pineapple
Nicely ripened. A clean finish to the meal.
The second stop was Damjang Yeope Gukhwakkot (“Chrysanthemum by the Wall”), a bingsu specialist in Seorae Village. It has been famous for ages. I had originally meant to go to the tart shop Juliette, but as luck would have it, it was their day off.
Patbingsu topped with jujube
A little sweet, but a decent bingsu. Far better than Sulbing.
Tteok
The menu is quite varied. I tried the traditional tteok, and it was a hefty serving.
The atmosphere was nice too, and if I find myself around there again I will probably drop in. Hôtel Douce is right across the way, but the café space there is so small it feels cramped.
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