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Published: April 30th 2012
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Sam Gye Tang
Bubbling Bowl of Chicken Heaven This blog encompasses some of the meatiest and best meals that Korea has to offer. Two of them are staples in Korean society and one is a little more unusual out here.
The first meaty meal that I’m going to talk about is called Sam Gye Tang. Sam Gye Tang is a meal made from heaven and is one of the best meals I've ever had. Basically, you take white and brown rice, ginseng, chestnuts, jujubes, garlic, and "19 various medicinal substances" (quote taken from the menu) and stuff it all into a chicken. Then you put the chicken into a bowl of thick boiling chicken broth. This is like chicken soup for kings. Not only is this meal incredibly tasty, it's also incredibly fun to eat. Since it's boiled, the meat comes clean off of the bone, like very good ribs. So you have to pick the meat off of the bones and then discard the bones before you should eat too much of it. I love this meal. The chicken is fantastic, the broth is more than amazing, and it's not spicy, so anyone can enjoy it. Even though, in general, I prefer a spicy meal,
Sam Gye Tang
This after I worked it for a while. I would pick this over most of what I’ve eaten in Korea. This meal is flavorful, healthy, and filling.
Next in this meaty blog, is the main red meat ingredient used in Korea: pork. The first set of pictures is called Sam Gyup Sal. Sam Gyup Sal is straight cuts of pork from the torso of the pig. As far as I know, it isn't really spiced in any special way. It's a straight up cut of meat. The second set of pictures is Galbi. Galbi is similar to Sam Gyup Sal, except that it's marinated. They both are very good. It's what you would expect: beautiful, flavorful cuts of god's greatest animal. It's a really cool dining experience too, because a gas grill is set into your table. You cut and cook the meat on your personal grill. The greatest part of this meal, however, is the side dishes you use to create a vehicle for the meat. Instead of using a kind of bread, you actually use a lettuce and/or mint leaf. Take a piece of pork, dip it in the red bean paste (which sounds awful, but actually gives the meat a very good smoky and
Sam Gyup Sal
As you see, the meat is grilling with the onions and garlic. tangy flavor), then dip it very slightly into the salt and place it in the leaf. At this point you should have garlic and onions grilling on the grill that is set in your table. Add a cut of onion and garlic. There is also a small bowl of onions that are marinating in a semi-sweet soy type sauce. These onions are good to snack on alone and to place in your finger sized pork sandwich. I'll also add a little kimchi, sprouts, and whatever else is on the table to use as a condiment. It's a great meal and a lot of fun too.
There is a very common soup that usually comes with this meal, and it’s called Dwean Jang Jjeegae. This soup is really interesting. It's basically a soy bean paste soup. In two years time I never gave this soup a chance. I actually preferred that they wouldn't bring it to the table at all. The reason for this is because it smells like the living dead. You really wouldn't believe how bad this stuff smells. It's quite awful. But, believe it or not, it's quite flavorful. And the flavor is actually VERY good. It
Sam Gyup Sal
A finished product. makes no sense that a soup can give off such an abysmal stench and can actually taste really good. It's hard to explain this soup. There are cucumber slices, soy bean paste squares, and I don't know what. The broth is also very good, but I can't describe it. I guess you'll just have to try it at your local Korean restaurant.
Finally, I’m going to talk about the amazing lamb my friends and I get, usually after LG Twins games. We go one subway stop over from the baseball stadium and stop in Aladdin’s Lamb. As we all know, lamb is incredible. Believe it or not, it’s pretty unusual to Koreans though. Most Koreans that I know will admit to me that they have never tried it. Aladdin’s lamb serves many different varieties of lamb, but we usually get the skewers and/or chops. The chops are a bit pricier but it’s so, so, SO good. Again, there is a grill in the middle of your table, and again, there are a million side dishes that take this meal from great to legendary. Instead of leaves they serve pita bread, but you have to order it separately. Some of
Sam Gyup Sal
The table for a three-person meal. There's no more room! the side dishes include: full green peppers, carrots, chopped black olives, a thick-cut tomato and onion salsa, fried (I think) kimchi (my favorite kimchi in Korea), jalapeños, garlic, onions, mint sauce, red bean paste, random delicious other sauces, a side salad, and so many more great condiments. Much like the Sam Gyup Sal, you make finger-sized sandwiches with the lamb meat and the side dishes. This is one of the best restaurants in Korea, and everyone who I’ve taken there always craves for it. I’m not sure if Robin, who owns this restaurant, reads my blogs, but if you are reading, know that you have an amazing restaurant, and I can’t wait to get back there to enjoy a great meal and talk about how much better LG is than Doosan:p
That’s it for this blog. I hope you enjoyed it. Please subscribe, and write a comment below. Thanks for reading.
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