Busut bulgogi jungol

Last weekend, J and I went up to Myung Ga Won for some Korean BBQ. Unfortunately, we showed up around 7pm on a Friday night. The BBQ section was full. So we sat down with the 90% menu and attempted to order regular Korean nibbles.

Of all the staff at Myung Ga Won, I'm pretty sure only one of the hostesses spoke English. She became our guide. She vaguely explained the menu for us and recommended the busut bulgogi jungol, a dish she felt that we would like. Always one (two?) to take the recommendation of knowledgeable staff, that's what we ordered.

First they brought the requisite ten or so little side dishes. We tentatively poked at them. I am still unsure whether you are supposed to eat these like appetizers or if you are supposed to wait. I glanced furtively around at other tables and noticed the occasional poking but certainly not a consistent snacking atmosphere so we kept the snacking to a minimum.

Then a portable stove appeared on the table with a dark broth in the bottom, followed by a large plate stacked with raw meat (sirloin?), enoki mushrooms, button mushrooms, and some thick cellophane noodles. All the raw pieces were put into the broth and the fire was turned on. The entire thing simmered for some amount of time with the waitress returning to mix it up.

When the soup/stew/thing was done, the waitress came and cut up the meat with scissors. This is my universal sign that the food is done and ready to eat. She spooned it into bowls for us. I have admit that I wasn't expecting such a completely rich-tasting broth. It was very delicious! I totally took rice and put it into my soup bowl to soak up the soup. I noticed that no one else was doing this, so clearly it's not what you are supposed to do. I suppose that is the advantage of ignorance.

Among the side dishes, we were provided a sauce, a dark brown thin liquid topped with thin onion slices and mustard. When I asked our helpful English-speaking guide, she told me that it was a sauce for the meat. I did try to sauce solo, and the mustard burned my eyes! It was quite tasty with the meat though.

Although the table next to us had almost the same thing (plus some thick noodles that were added at the end of their simmering), I noticed that they took home a containerful of soup. J and I finished almost the whole thing, leaving too little to consider taking home. I suppose we are just pigs. But it was so good...

We also tried a soybean pancake. Basically it seemed to me like a soybean pancake with little bits of soybeans and a whole ton of peppers. I found it to be bland but found out after the fact that you are supposed to dip it in soy sauce. Well, I'm not sure if I would like it that way anyway.

I've scanned in the menu and sent it to a generous friend, N, who has agreed to prey upon her innocent Korean co-workers to translate some of the menu and answer my lame questions with gems such as "are the side dishes meant for appetizer snacking, or are you supposed to wait?" I can't wait to go back!