I hadn’t seen my college friends in ages, so we agreed to meet up in Sillim-dong. Originally I wanted to do a Bogeonok + Woo Lae Oak meetup, but it turns out Bogeonok is closed on Sundays..
Seoul Galbi specialises in usamgyeop (thin-sliced beef brisket) and is a really famous spot with the locals. Apparently it used to be inside Bongcheon Market, then made enough money to move near Sillim Station.
The sign
I like that in Korea you can park right in front of the restaurant. ^_^
The grill plate.
Unusually, they lay bread on it. Probably because so much fat runs off the meat..
On goes the usamgyeop.
Usamgyeop tastes almost exactly like chadolbagi, but it’s less than half the price. That seems to be the secret of this place’s popularity. I can’t remember the exact prices, so from now on I really must photograph the menu too.
It’s thin, so it cooks in no time.
Gotta eat it quick ^_^ It tastes great, but maybe because it’s so fatty, after about two portions each we’d had enough. Dropping by now and then for one portion each would be just right.
Doenjang soup
Not bad for doenjang soup at a barbecue place.
The rest of the side dishes
Can you see the red sauce? You dip the meat in that. The vegetables and pajeori (scallion salad) are good too. As you’d expect from a famous barbecue place, hardly anything on the table disappoints.
Tired of usamgyeop, we order some chimasal (beef flank).
This one’s pretty ordinary.
After a good meal, on the way home I fancied some naengmyeon to finish off, so I walked into a naengmyeon place that caught my eye on the street.
The broth
One sip and I nearly spat it out.. -_-;;
The napa cabbage kimchi is just basic..
The radish is ordinary too..
I ordered bibim naengmyeon.
All the MSG made my tongue hurt. I should have researched properly where to go for a second round in Sillim-dong, and now the regret is flooding in.