I met up with some of my old university classmates on Garosu-gil. We’d thought about going somewhere else, but it felt like too much hassle, so we just came to good old reliable Gaehwaok. It isn’t cheap, but the food never disappoints, and it’s open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The first floor was packed that day so we went up to the second, which apparently doesn’t stay open late at night. I had no idea it was this popular.
Sundae
It’s Kaesong-style, but done in a clean, refined way. Good enough for entertaining business clients, don’t you think? Being open 24 hours makes it really convenient too. The branch is spacious and has a sort of luxury-concept vibe, so it feels a bit stiff. But it’s easier to get to than the main restaurant, so I think I’ll be using it quite a bit from now on.
Bossam
This is my favorite dish at Gaehwaok. I haven’t come across many places that do boiled pork (jeyuk) as well as this one, though that’s probably because I still haven’t been to many of Seoul’s famous restaurants. People who really know their boiled pork say it’s much better made at home than eaten out, and it’s true that doing it properly takes a lot of care. If only someone would make it for me… I’m very confident in my ability to eat it, at least.
Tteokgalbi
A plain, safe dish. We ordered it as a snack with beer. The à la carte dishes aren’t cheap, but portions are generally pretty generous. The lunch menu is good value for money. It’s easy to drop in, which is a plus, and the branch is a bit easier to reach, which is nice. These days I rarely go to Korean restaurants for business, so I probably won’t be back anytime soon, but it’s one of those places worth remembering because it’ll come in handy someday.