Galbi Jjim at 강남면옥 Gangnam-myeonok in Seoul
On my short list of things to do before I came to Seoul included having Galbi Jjim. Galbi Jjim is braised beef ribs, in a sweet and savory sauce. I first had Galbi Jjim from a small place in Los Angeles called Seong Buk Dong. And I fell in love with this tender beef dish. So, when we were able to finally go to Gangnam-myeonok (I have no idea how to pronounce this) in Sinsadong (신사동) – I was ecstatic. I giddy with joy!
My past experiences with non-Korean Beef ribs weren’t all that great. But after my Seong Buk Dong, I realized how juicy and tasty it could be. The braising of the beef allows the meat to become tender with the infusion of the sauce. Understandably, beef is not popular dish because of the rarity of the cow on the peninsula. Beef has to be imported from Australia or the US.
At Gangnam-myeonok, there are three different offerings – small, medium, and large portions. We selected the large portion without thinkings. I think our bellies did the thinking and deciding. Yet, after the hub cap sized plate arrived with the beef ribs – I realized that perhaps we were in for some hurtin’ later. They gave us tongs and forks to help us devour this cow . . .but I didn’t use them, personally. The meat would fall off the bone with little effort. My teeth were an effective knife replacement. I believe the three of us were beasts who were celebrating a kill with this fabulous feast.
The three of us – yes only three, attempted and successfully finished the 18 beef ribs. I was told that Gangnam-myeonok also had noodles and dumplings – which didn’t peak my interest. I do remember the beef consume/soup that they served as if it was a tea or drink. I liked that. Amazingly, we still had dinner and a late night snack later that day.
What to Order: Seriously don’t order anything else except Galbi Jjim What not to Order: everything else on the menu
Rating 3 Pigs Price Range 2 $/¥/NT
강남면옥 Gangnam-myeonok 서울 강남구 신사동 588-9 588-9, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul +82-2-3446-5539
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