As we were craving Korean BBQ, we roamed around Korea Town and picked the first restaurant we found that followed the following criteria: we've never been there, it has an A grade and it proposes BBQ. We found this place called Kunjip. It was of medium size and, as it was before noon on a Saturday, not packed. I should say not yet, as, by the time we left, it was crowded, with people waiting for a table.
The sat us on a table of 4 and put a divider in the middle to separate us from the person who was already sitting there.
It was tiny and I told the waitress that we were there for a BBQ, but she said it was ok...
We decided to order some green tea with our meal, not expecting to pay for it ($2.50 pp). I know, people always complain about paying for tea in an Asian restaurant, but find it normal anywhere else...Anyway, it was an interesting tea: brown rice and green tea. You could definitely get the slight taste of brown rice that was coming through.
After few minutes, they brought us the banchan, these side dishes that you eat with your meal.
There was:
Kimchi, that is my all time favorite. It was a tiny bit spicy.
Turnip in a red sauce that was not spicy.
Squid, crunchy and sweet:
As well as soy and Seaweed (sorry, I'll pass).
For the entree, we decided to try fried tofu:
The tofu was firm and a bit if a challenge to cut...Served with seaweed and green onions, it was deliciously fried, not greasy and perfect with the scallion sauce that came with it.
Then, they brought the device for BBQ.
And, as I expected, it was a challenge to get everything on the table! We had to find a way, putting plates on top of the others and hoping that nobody would knock off the hit tea! They also brought the marinated ribeye for the Bulgogi:
With it, were some onions and glass noodles (love it)! Next to the plate, you will notice a pair of scissors: it is used to cut the meat in smaller pieces.
As well as lettuce:
Then, nothing. We were wondering if they would take care of putting the meat on the BBQ device or if we should do it ourselves, especially as the broth that was in it started to evaporate! After few minutes, I courageously decided to do it myself... What I did not expect was the smoke coming out and, suddenly, the staff realized we were there.
One guy started to rearrange the meat, before being yelled at in Korean. He then rushed to the kitchen and came back with some more broth.
The lady who yelled at him made sure everything was properly dispatched on the device, and we were back in business.
The glass noodle that were white at the beginning, became translucent, absorbing some of the marinade and juice from the beef. That was delicious: I just wished there were more!
Then, we had to eat the beef. The way it works is that you pick a salad leaf and put the beef with whatever ingredient you like. Then, you add the red sauce Ssamjang that is a thick, sweet and not spicy.
You wrap it and eat it. Yes, you eat with your hands! I loved it: the meat was tender and juicy, with the nice taste of the marinate coming through. Then, when biting this little wrap, you get different flavors that will combine in your mouth delightfully.
As we were in the middle of the BBQ, they brought us an egg dish.
It tasted like scrambled eggs cooked in a broth, but was creamier.
Last, when we finished, was a glass of cold cinnamon tea to clean our palate.
It was very good, refreshing, and a great palate cleanser.
I liked the food, but it was too uncomfortable to eat, to the point where we just wanted to leave. Too bad...
Enjoy (...)!
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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
