Community Foodwaves

Crab 1st Avenue Kkotdol (Yeosu, South Korea)

Marinated crabs are one thing that I always make sure to get while visiting South Korea.

I was looking for a place to get some fresh crabs in Yeosu, which led me to Crab 1^st Avenue Kkotdol!

This restaurant is run by a larger food company, Hanil Foods (한일식품), which makes and delivers marinated crabs and gat kimchi, a popular type of kimchi from Dolsan island made with mustard leaves, nation-wide.

On your way in and out you can browse their store, where you can buy packaged gat kimchi and their other products.

They do not have outdoor seating, but they have plenty of seating indoors. Luckily we did not have to wait, but typically you can expect a wait time with this popular restaurant.

Seated with cup, plate, dried seaweed, tissues, and tools to eat crabs

We chose the blue crab dinner (돌게정식) which costs 30,000 Korean won (~$26 USD) per person. Along with two types of marinated blue crab, soy sauce based sauce (간장게장) and spicy red pepper based sauce (양념게장), this dinner came with plenty of side dishes ranging from small fried crabs, stir fried marinated pork, gat kimchi, marinated herbs, crab stew, and rice.

Pictured below is the blue crab dinner for four people.

It was nice that you could also try fresh gat kimchi at this restaurant, and the crab stew was refreshingly tasty!

Side dishes: fried crabs (top), marinated cabbage (bottom)

They also had a side dish bar, which had smaller marinated crabs (돌게장; not as tasty as the bigger ones but still pretty good for it being unlimited), marinated veggies, kimchi, salad, and even fish cake skewers! The variety of dishes at the bar were impressive, especially since it is unlimited, and I especially enjoyed the fish cake skewers dipped in soy sauce.

Dipping the fish cake skewer in soy sauce

The side dishes are good, but let’s get to the highlight: which are definitely the marinated blue crabs! The crabs were very fresh and filled with meat and eggs. The crab meat can be on the saltier side because of the sauce, so it was best enjoyed with lots of rice. The soy sauce based sauce had a creamier taste (due to the crab eggs) and brought out the freshness of the crab. Make sure to mix some rice into the crab shell for extra flavor!

The spicy marinated crab had a kick and some slight sweetness. As a spicy food lover, I enjoyed this very much and the sauce was definitely addicting.

There was plenty of food with the side dishes and even for the freshness of the crabs alone it was well worth the price. I definitely recommend this location if you are looking to enjoy lots of marinated crabs and other side dishes. They deliver their products nation-wide, so you could even look into their delivery service!

Address: 210-2 Bongsan-dong, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea

Bongsan-dong

Yeosudang 여수당 (Yeosu, South Korea)

Corn or Mugwort flavored ice cream anyone?

You can definitely see Yeosudang’s creativity in their menu choices, whether it is through their ice cream flavors, or their baguette burger!

Around 10 am there was already a line that formed already in front of their small shop located on the corner of a street near the Yi Soon-shin Square. They do not have seating so the line moves quickly since it is a grab-and-go system.

Their menu choices are limited in terms of only offering the baguette burger (4,000 Korean won ~$3.50 USD), the two flavors of ice cream (corn for 3,000 Korean won ~$2.5 USD or mugwort for 3,500 Korean won or ~$3 USD), coffee for around $2-3 USD, and several types of ades (grape, orange, lemon, and blueberry) for 3,000 Korean won ~$2.5 USD.

The prices were definitely worth it, and they offer deals when you order several items as a set!

I got both ice creams and baguette burger combos (Set 3 and Set 4).

The corn flavored ice cream was sweet and definitely had a strong flavor of corn. In Korean, I would best describe it as 고소해. Both ice creams were in smooth and creamy soft serve styles piled high in a small cup.

Mugwort, a type of aromatic flowering plant, is commonly used in rice cakes in Korea, but I had not had it in ice cream form before so I was excited to try it! It was slightly sweet and had the strong and very slight bitter taste of mugwort. Both flavors were unique and delicious, and were large enough to split with another person.

I did not expect much from the baguette burger, but it surprised me with how good the filling was paired with the crispy baguette. Unfortunately they do not cut the baguette for you, so expect some messiness with crumbs and cutting it, but it was worth the mess.

The crispy toasted baguette bread was packed with a creamy, sweet, and savory mayo-ketchup like sauce with bits of ground beef, crunchy cabbage, and onions. It tasted like a burger but much more flavorful. I liked the mix of textures with the veggies as well. Who knew that a burger in baguette form could make all the difference?

We did have to eat in the car since there were no seats nearby, but with food this tasty who can complain? We were also on our way to visit Odongdo Island, so it saved time as we could eat breakfast on the go as well.

Address for Yeosudang: South Korea, Jeollanam-do, Yeosu-si, Jungang-dong, 중앙로 72

Jungang-dong

Here are some pictures from my rainy day in Odongdo Island as well!

Mural on the bridge to and from Odongdo Island

Amazing walkway surrounded by stone next to the temple

Yeosu Jjambbong (Yeosu, South Korea)

Noodle alert!

Found one of my all time favorite jjambbong places while visiting Yeosu!

Yeosu is known for its seafood, as it is located on the southern coast of Korea. As a lover of spicy noodles, I was excited to visit Yeosu Jjambbong for a taste of their best.

They do not have outdoor seating, but they have many tables indoors for dine in. Differing from many Chinese fusion restaurants in South Korea, this restaurant does not offer delivery.

The restaurant prides itself in its fresh ingredients, as their sign explains how they use fresh mussels caught daily, as well as pork, squid, and red pepper grown and harvested within Korea.

Restaurant's info on ingredients — Restaurant’s info on ingredients

The tangsooyook, fried battered pork with a sweet sauce, was very crispy and the meat was high quality. I liked how they had trimmed all of the fat on each cut of pork, so it highlighted the texture of the meat itself. The sauce, which was on the sweeter side, coated the pork very well and I enjoyed the mixture of flavors that the sliced peppers, onion, cucumber, and lemon brought to the mix. If you are feeling ambitious, get a bite with the veggies, pork, and squeeze of lemon for a sweet, savory, and tart flavor explosion!

While I very much enjoyed the tangsooyook, the jjambbong was definitely the star of the day. The rainy, windy weather actually was perfect for enjoying this spicy, steaming dish.

Jjambbong had plenty of seafood and was topped with chives!

This was actually the best jjambbong I have had so far because of the quality of ingredients. Sometimes jjambbong broth can taste a bit heavy (I cannot think of a good English translation for 텁텁해), but this one was different. I believe the freshness of the pork made for a very clean tasting broth that was still flavorful at the same time!

Firm and chewy noodles mixed with spicy broth

They just ran out of ingredients for their jjajangmyun (black bean paste noodles) before we arrived so I could not try it, but I will definitely be back for more delicious noodles!

The location of the restaurant is also just a 5 minute walk from the square dedicated to Admiral Lee Yi Soon-shin, a military general who played a major role in defeating the Japanese imperial navy during the Imjin War using a boat shaped like a turtle (거북선). You can take a look at his statue and boat in the square!

Address: 447-3 Jungang-dong, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea

Jungang-dong

Egg Tarts and Tiramisu in Ikseon-dong (Seoul, South Korea)

Today’s post is special because it is a double feature!

Okay confession time- tbh I am not a huge fan of dessert…BUT there are rare moments when I do crave certain sweets. I was not expecting to get so many sweets, on my outing to Ikseon-dong, a street in Seoul that is known for its hanok style buildings and trendy cafes, but there were so many choices for cafes and dessert that even I could not resist!

The streets of Ikseon-dong are maze-like, but you will find yourself mesmerized by all of the choices for food. Jong-no, the larger town that the street is located in is also known for Korean BBQ, so you will see a lot of outdoor BBQ places lining the surrounding streets as well.

Macau Egg Tarts, also referred to as Portuguese Egg Tarts (although there are some subtle differences as The Woks of Life points out) are one of my favorite dessert options.

When I passed by OTAR, bakery and café, I knew I had to try one of theirs.

Otar Entrance- almost missed it because they do not have a traditional sign with the name!

The bakery offers a variety of egg tarts ranging from Cheese tarts to Apple to Durian egg tart and the tarts all ranged around 2,700 Korean won (~$2 USD).

You order on the bottom floor and then take your food up to the second floor, where there is indoor seating with a view of the street! They do not have outdoor seating.

Iced coffee, Macau Egg Tart (upper left), Durian Egg Tart (bottom right)

The Macau Egg tart was delicious with a flaky crust and juicy inside. It had a medium level of sweetness that paired well with coffee.

I was excited to try the Durian egg tart, which actually had small chunks of durian in it, and had the unique taste and smell of durian. I like to describe it as being a flavor party of avocado, banana, apple, and a slight onion taste all in one! If you are a fan of durian, I would recommend!

Next, I went to Mangwon-dong Tiramisu, which carries many different kinds of tiramisu, including Earl Grey Tiramisu, Strawberry Tiramisu, Mint Chocolate Chip Tiramisu, Injeolmi Tiramisu, and even Tiramisu ice cream.

You ordered on the bottom floor and then they had indoor seating on the second floor. They do not have outdoor seating.

Injeolmi, a type of roasted soybean powder usually combined with sugar and coated on Korean rice cake, is my favorite type of flavor so naturally I picked that one!

The Injeolmi Tiramisu was more of a cake, as it was made of layers of Injeolmi powder, cake, and whipped cream topped with more powder and two tiny cubes of rice cake. It was a little too sweet for me, and was missing the slightly bitter espresso layer that I love in Tiramisu, but it was worth a try.

Enjoyed it even though it was very sweet!

If you are a Mint Chocolate Chip lover with a sweet tooth, the Mint Chocolate Chip Tiramisu would be a good choice for you.

The Tiramisu cups range around 5,300-5,800 Korean Won (~$5 USD), which seemed a little high, but also makes sense since they use quality milk. You can also purchase milk tea!

The Tiramisu ice cream (3,300 Korean Won, ~$2.80 USD) was surprisingly good especially on a hot summer day, with the slight bitterness and smooth taste of milk.

Injeolmi Tiramisu (left), Tiramisu ice cream (middle), Mint Chocolate Chip Tiramisu (right)

If you do end up going to Ikseon-dong, just avoid going during prime time on the weekend as the narrow streets will be packed with people! Sadly I could not make it into some popular restaurants and cafes because of the wait, so I hope you have better luck than I had!

Address for OTAR (오타르): South Korea, Seoul, Jongno-gu, Ikseon-dong, 169-2번지 1층 2층

Ikseon-dong

Address for Mangwon-dong Tiramisu (망원동 티라미수) : 22 Supyo-ro 28-gil, Nakwon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Address for original location: 87 Poeun-ro, 마포구 Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Mapo-gu

Jang Manok (Seoul, South Korea)

Jang Manok is a hip bar and restaurant that offers Chinese inspired cuisine and strong cocktails.

Thankfully there was no wait when we went around 11 am, so we were seated right away. They have extensive indoor seating, but you will frequently find a line waiting for this trendy restaurant. They do not have outdoor seating.

Exterior of restaurant — Exterior of Restaurant

Even in daylight, the interior was dimly lit with Chinese lanterns, a disco ball, and their iconic neon sign spelling out the name in Chinese characters, so it felt like it I stepped into a bar late at night. I liked the street-style vibe that the restaurant had, and the tables were set up as small booths to the side and a long table in the middle that was shared between different parties.

They have an extensive alcohol menu with wine, beer, soju, and their Chinese baijiu drinks, which are definitely not for the weak (34%-52% alcohol content!)

Drink and food menu — Drink and Food Menu

I tried their Lychee Gin and Tonic (9,000 Korean won; ~$8.5 USD), which was refreshing and slightly strong, topped with two delicious skewered lychee.

As for food, they offered many Chinese inspired dishes, but generally the food was lacking a bit in flavor and the portions were on the smaller side. You do have to order rice separately and the price ranged about a $1.

The Shandong Garlic Noodles (9,800 Korean won; ~$9 USD), was my favorite of the dishes we tried. It looks like a simple dish, but caught me by surprise. The sauce was sweet and savory and coated the noodles well, and I really enjoyed the slight smoky taste that the slightly crunchy vegetables and minced pork had.

I expected a lot from the Pearl Balls as they were pricey (11,800 Korean won; ~$10.5 USD for 4 pieces), but unfortunately they were nothing special. The pork and shrimp filling was lacking in flavor and texture to make it memorable.

The Fried Eggplant with Mara Sauce (13,900 Korean won; ~$13 USD) was saucy, savory, very good when paired with rice, but it was missing the spicy kick that I love with anything mara flavored.

The eggplant was best enjoyed with rice!

The Deep-Fried Chicken Thighs with Green Onion Sauce ($15,800; ~$15 USD) was crispy and paired well with the green onion signature sauce.

The sauce was soy sauced based an had a nice crunch from the green onions. I also added cilantro for a flavor explosion!

Chicken with Green Onion Sauce and Cilantro

Don’t expect very attentive service here as the waiters are very busy, but overall it was a fun setting to enjoy food and drinks with friends after a long week!

Address: 323, Euljiro 3(sam)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul 1F

Euljiro 3(sam)-ga

Gap Eul Restaurant (Sancheong, South Korea)

Some of the best food in Korea is found in the mountains!

After a day of traveling to Jiri mountain in South Korea by car, we spent some time looking at the beautiful streams of Daewonsa (대원사).

At any mountain in South Korea, you will find stone mountains that people made. Each stone symbolizes a wish!

My brother's masterpiece! — My brother’s masterpiece!

Before we knew it, the time was around 6:30pm and we were worried that the restaurants would be closing, since many restaurants in the mountains close early. There was a closer restaurant to the stream, but it was already closed so we made our way to the next closest restaurants. There was a street with many restaurants about a five-minute drive from the stream.

After seeing that the sign at Gap Eul restaurant still flashed “open,” we quickly ran inside. The owner, who was just about to close, showed a little bit of reluctance when we asked if we could still order, but luckily allowed us to put in our orders.

The menu consisted of common foods that you would find at mountain restaurants, such as scallion pancakes, gelatinous squares made of acorn powder, chicken stew, and handmade tofu, depending on seasonal availability. Since the restaurant is by a stream, they also had daseulgitang (다슬기탕), which is marsh snail soup. The owner harvested the marsh snails and all other fresh ingredients right from the mountain and stream.

The restaurant has extensive indoor and outdoor dining spaces, and you could probably do take out for some items, but they do not offer delivery as it is located in the mountain.

Since the owner was the only worker, we helped her set the table, and were soon given an array of banchan, side dishes consisting of various marinated vegetables such as garlic flower root, radish, dried persimmon, and mountain herbs.

The garlic stalk was so crunchy and fresh!

We ordered one of every dish, except for the chicken stew, which would take at least an hour to make. The owner suggested that next time, we call an hour in advance to order the stew so that we won’t have to wait.

The Pajun (파전), or scallion pancake, was perfectly crunchy on the outside, and filled with chopped scallions, little pieces of squid, and spicy sliced Serrano peppers.

This dish is a staple at any mountain restaurant, and tasted amazing especially with makgeolli (막걸리), Korean rice wine that was made at Jiri mountain.

The handmade tofu was very firm and went well with the fried kimchi on the side.

Bibimbap was also good, as all of the various marinated vegetables complimented each other perfectly and were not too salty.

The muk (도토리묵), gelatinous squares made of acorn powder, was very tasty and interestingly had various marinated vegetables on top. The marinated vegetables was a different touch from any other muk I have had, and I greatly enjoyed it!

I usually am not a huge lover of daseulgitang (다슬기탕), or marsh snail soup, but this soup tasted very clean, with sliced zucchini, scallions, and pieces of round rice cake. The marsh snail had a tender and chewy texture (and was not fishy tasting at all), and the sliced peppers added the perfect spicy kick to the soup.

Overall, I loved how fresh everything tasted since all of the produce was locally sourced from the mountain. All of the food had a home-cooked taste to it, as nothing was overpowering or artificial tasting, and the owner definitely had great cooking skills, or 손맛, as they say in Korea. You could tell that the owner and chef put her soul into her dishes.

From our outdoor dining table, we could see a great view of the stream and mountains, providing the perfect scenery to compliment the delicious meal. My family and I left with our stomachs full and vowing to visit again next time to try the chicken stew.

The restaurant also sells homemade honey and different herbs, depending on availability.

I highly recommend enjoying some quality cooking made from fresh ingredients at Gap Eul restaurant any time you are in the Jiri mountain area!

Address: 24 Yupyeong-ri, Samjang-myeon, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do

Samjang-myeon

Cali Soft Serve (Geoje, South Korea)

I have ice cream on my mind…

Especially since I got my wisdom teeth extracted so I’m restricted from eating hard foods at the moment!

Since ice cream makes everything better, I’m featuring Cali Soft Serve (캘리 소프트 서브), an ice cream shop that is sure to make you smile, on the blog today!

Cali Soft Serve in Geoje island, South Korea, is known for their vibrant colors of ice cream, with the color of their ice cream changing frequently for variety.

The building of the shop is also colorful, with an electric blue outer and blue and pink interior, which instantly caught my eye as we were making to Maemi Seong, a castle by the ocean.

Their menu is simple, as they offer three choices of soft serve flavors: vanilla (4,000 Korean won; ~$3.5 USD), chocolate (4,500 Korean won; ~$4 USD), or mixed (4,500 Korean won; ~$4 USD).

I love how they use fresh organic milk from Sangha Farm to make their ice cream. Quality ingredients made a difference as the ice cream tasted very creamy, not overly sweet, and absolutely delicious!

Sangha farm milk is used for their ice cream!

The waffle cone was a thin, black cone that was light and easy to bite into. They also give a circle to put around the cone to catch any drips.

The shop is small so there are only a few benches to eat inside and one bench outside. You can always take your cone to go and eat while exploring the path to maemiseong. This path is lined with eateries, like the popular shop Mr. Oksusu (미스터옥슈슈), that sells bread filled with delicious corn.

Once you follow the path you will see Maemi Seong, which was named Maemi (after the typhoon in 2003 that devastated the island’s plant life), and Seong, meaning castle in Korean. Amazingly, this castle was built single handedly by Paek Soon Sam, a local farmer who wished to protect the town’s crops after they were destroyed by the typhoon.

The castle has many layers and even a passageway inside with a window that overlooks the beach. It is beautiful and impressive, built with a European architecture style.

There were plenty of tourists on this beautiful day, so the castle was crowded, but I was so glad to get to enjoy this view!

Hard to believe that all this was built by one person!

I highly recommend visiting both Cali Soft Serve and Maemi Seong on your trip to Geoje!

Palsunlu 팔선루 (Geoje, South Korea)

My search for a warm bowl of noodles near the Gohyun bus station after I arrived in Geoje brought me to Palsunlu (팔선루), a Chinese bistro that serves Korean/Chinese fusion food.

It was located on the second floor of a large building. They did not have outdoor seating, but plenty of indoor seating that was spaced out.

After filling out the mandatory information book with name, phone number, and temperature, we were seated at a table and given menus.

Their menu was extensive, so we ordered a variety of dishes to share.

I love getting tea at Chinese restaurants, as it compliments the dishes very well!

We were given some banchan (side dishes) consisting of pickled veggies and radish, as well as some roasted peanuts. The peanuts were the perfect mix of salty with a slight sweetness.

We started with the housemade Pan Fried Pork Dumplings (수제만두; 6,000 Korean won, ~$5.50 USD). These were very crispy and had such a tasty filling packed with juicy ground pork and plenty of chives. This was my favorite of all of the items we had. My dumpling craving was satisfied!

The Beijing Style Deep Fried Pork (찹쌀 탕수육; 22,000 Korean won, ~$20 USD) was different from traditional Korean style Tangsooyook (deep fried pork) as it does not come with the traditional sauce with vegetables and fruit, but instead a sauce made with a vinegar base that was tart and sweet.

The fried pork was crispy and slightly chewy on the outside and the sauce went well with the pork because it was not too heavy, although it tasted a bit plain. You can ask for sauce on the side or on the pork itself, and they cut the pork in small pieces for you after they bring it out, which was a nice touch.

I had high hopes for the Seafood Jjamppong (짬뽕; 9,000 Korean won, ~$8.50 USD), a spicy noodle soup with seafood and vegetables. Visually it was very impressive, with plenty of clams, squid, shrimp, onions, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, and bean sprouts. The seafood was all very fresh, and the noodles were cooked well, but the broth was just missing the spicy kick that I was expecting. It was actually the mildest Jjamppong I have ever had! You could definitely have this even if you are not good with spicy food.

The Sichuan-style noodle soup (사천탕면; 10,000 Korean won, ~$9.50 USD) was surprisingly more spicy than the Jjamppong even though it had a clear colored broth. This noodle soup was also filled with fresh clams, onions, zucchini, carrots, and peppers, and had a spicy aftertaste to the tasty broth.

At the end of our meal, we were given a complimentary small dish of Pineapple sorbet, which was a nice touch and very refreshing at the end of our meal.

I appreciated how our server was very friendly and service was very fast.

Even though the dishes were on the mild side, I would still recommend trying Palsunlu if you are in the Gohyun area and would like some fresh food!

Location: 971-6 Gohyeon-dong, Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do

Gohyeon-dong

Oedo Nursery (Geoje, South Korea)

After walking through a hill to see the Gujora Fortress, a fortress built during the Chosun time period in Korea to protect against foreign invaders, I definitely needed some refreshment!

Tip: bring comfortable shoes if you are going to visit the fortress, as the path is very rocky!

After the hike, my friends and I were relieved to see Oedo Nursery café, located close by the fortress. It was only about a 10 minute walk away.

This nursery themed café was one of my favorites from my trip to Geoje island! You instantly feel like you are entering a secret garden when you enter the walkway to Oedo Nursery café surrounded by tall trees. The building is made of clear glass with green structures.

The head chef pâtissière is Kim Jisu, who trained under Paul Bocuse (a Michelin star chef) at the Institut Paul Bocuse.

They have displays of their desserts and pictures of each drink. Their desserts ranged from madeleines to various shiny and colorful cakes.

Since we were parched from walking in the heat, we ended up just getting some drinks. The drinks were pricey, ranging from 7,000-8,500 Korean won (about $6.5-8 USD), as is expected for a tourist location by the beach. They are worth it if you want that gorgeous aesthetic!

Once you order, you are given a buzzer to alert you when your drink is ready.

Gujora Ade was definitely beautiful, combining the tart taste of yuja citrus ade with lavender tea. Since the lavender tea comes separately in a small bottle, when you pour the lavender tea into the ade, it creates a magnificent color meant to symbolize the sunset on Gujora beach.

The Brewing Tropical Ice Tea was delicious with brewed tropical crimson tea and a jelly-like green grape syrup on the bottom. Make sure you mix this drink together to get the full conglomeration of flavors.

If you like tart drinks, the Raspberry Mojito is also a great choice with lime and apple-mint flavors mixed with raspberry. This drink is non-alcoholic, so it is perfect for any age!

The interior was definitely full of people but did not feel overly crowded because of the very high ceilings and the sunshine shining in through the windows. Being surrounded by plants also created a sense of peace in the midst of everything.

Since the weather was sunny, sitting outside in the back was a must, as you can get a very nice view of the Gujora beach. I just wish they had more shade as it did a bit hot after an extended time, but I still enjoyed the peacefulness of looking at the water while sipping my drink!

This view makes the drink taste even better!

They also have a small nursery and garden in the back, where they host private events.

I definitely recommend Oedo Nursery if you are looking for a place by Gujora beach to sit and enjoy drinks with friends or with a loved one!

Location: 21 Gujora-ro 4-gil, Irun-myeon, Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea

Irun-myeon

Jeonwon Charcoal Grill (Daegu, South Korea)

Yesterday was a national holiday in South Korea- Buddha’s birthday celebration, which takes place on the eighth day of the fourth month (lunar calendar).

Grateful for a day off, my parents and I visited a nearby mountain, Ch’orye-bong (located: Ansim 3(sam).4(sa)-dong, Daegu) to do some hiking.

I had really missed mountains while in Florida since there are no mountains to be found there- only swamps with gators!

It was a beautiful spring day and I enjoyed the serenity of being surrounded by trees, with the only sounds being flowing water from the creek and the chirping of birds.

After the two hour hike, we made our way to get some Korean BBQ!

We went to Jeonwon Charcoal Grill as it was just a 7 minute drive away from the mountain.

The restaurant was not too crowded when we arrived, and we had to take our temperature and sign the book for guests. Every restaurant in Korea has a policy where you need to sign in or use a designated registered QR code.

Korean restaurants are also very strict about not allowing any groups of more than 4 people as is the law at the moment.

Since BBQ needs to be grilled with charcoal at the table, there is only the option to sit indoors. It did get a bit crowded well into dinnertime, but the tables are spread apart. You could also get meat to take out, and they are actually offering discounts for takeout orders!

You order the meat in portions (1 portion is usually enough for 1 person). We ordered 2 portions of marinated pork galbi (쪽갈비) priced at 9500 Korean won (about $9 USD) per portion, 2 portions of plain pork shoulder (생목살 구이) priced at 10,000 Korean won (about $9.5 USD) per portion, and 2 portions of marinated pork shoulder (양념 목살 구이) priced at 9500 Korean won (about $9 USD) per portion.

marinated pork galbi and shoulder meat — Marinated pork galbi and shoulder meat

After you order, someone brings the burning charcoal to fit into the grill at your table, and your table gets filled with delicious banchan (side dishes), which come complimentary to your meal. Some of my favorite banchan that the restaurant had was dotori mook (도토리 묵), a savory dish made of gelatinous jellied acorn powder marinated with a soy sauce based sauce and tossed in mixed veggies, mushroom tangsooyook (버섯 탕수육), and mulkimchi (물김치), a watery version of kimchi that is mild and delicious.

At Korean BBQ, it is tradition to cook your own meat, which may seem daunting to some, but it is part of the fun! Just be careful not to cook the marinated meat on too high heat, as it can easily burn.

Remember to also throw the garlic onto the grill along with the meat so you can get it nice and cooked!

The best part of Korean BBQ is definitely when you get to triumphantly grab the perfectly cooked slice, steaming hot, and place it into your mouth.

There are many ways to eat the meat once it is cooked. You can eat the meat by itself- if you are a ‘purist,’ or you can wrap it in some marinated lettuce.

The plain pork meat tasted best simply dipped into salt.

One of my favorite ways to eat the meat is to make ssam (쌈), which is when you layer lettuce, meat, onion, garlic and some ssam sauce (쌈장) to create a beautiful wrap to shove into your mouth!

After eating some meat, we ordered some rice and noodles.

My parents got the Gondeure namul bap (곤드레밥), which is a stone pot rice steamed with Indian thistle.

There is a specific way to eat this rice dish: Scoop all of the rice into another bowl and fill the empty stone pot with rice water that they give you in a kettle. Then, cover the stone pot and once you finish your meal, you will have nurungji (누룽지), which is crispy rice crust that is very grainy and delicious.

As for the rice that you scooped out, you can eat it with the dwenjangjjigae (soybean paste stew) that they serve it with, and marinated herbs (나물), as well as other banchan.

I got the mulnaengmyeon (물냉면), which is a chilled buck wheat noodle dish with meat broth, sliced pickled daikon radish, sliced pear, a hard boiled egg, and mulkimchi.

You can add mustard/wasabi sauce and vinegar to your liking.

This dish is perfect for the summer, as it has chunks of ice floating in it, and pairs so well with the cooked meat. One of my favorite food combinations ever!

Mulnaengmyeon pairs perfectly with grilled meat

I was beyond full after this meal and had massive food coma, but had absolutely no regrets!

Location: 625-6 Sinseo-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu

Sinseo-dong

Sensei Asian Bistro (Gainesville, FL)

I was happy to hear that there was a new Asian restaurant that opened in Celebration Pointe mall a few months ago, so I knew I had to check it out.

Sensei Asian Bistro is open for dinner on Mondays-Wednesdays, and from lunch to dinner Thursday-Sundays. They have outdoor and indoor dining spaces, or you can get takeout.

Sensei is equipped with a full bar and has a modern feel to it with gray floors, wooden tables and black accents.

Their gold silverware and white rose details on the tables added a nice touch.

Sensei offers a variety of Asian fusion dishes, from Sichuan Chili Chicken to Sushi, to Thai Curry.

We started with a side of Spring Roll ($3), which came with three very crispy spring rolls filled with vegetables and served with a standard sweet and sour spring roll sauce. They were freshly fried and I enjoyed these a lot!

My favorite dish was the Chicken Katsu ($19), which came with a large portion of chicken cutlets breaded and fried, on top of a very small amount of lettuce and two sweety drop peppers.

The katsu was crunchy and cooked well, although I wish it came with a bit more veggies. I enjoyed the togarashi seasonsing and sweet brown sauce that was drizzled on top. This was my first time having sweety drop peppers and I really enjoyed them! They are not spicy at all, but rather sweet and very juicy on the inside. It really added elevated the look and taste of the overall dish. The portion is large so you can definitely share it or have leftovers!

I had high hopes for the Sichuan Chili Chicken ($17), but while the presentation was impressive, the taste was a bit bland. The sauce was a soy sauce base and was slightly sweet. You can choose the spice level so we got it hot, but the sauce itself was actually not spicy at all. Maybe if you eat the thai chili pepper you can get extra heat, but these peppers are extremely spicy so be warned. The dish also had caramelized onions and a small amount of spring mix veggies on the side. The portion for this was just standard.

We were told that we could try “roasting” the chicken in the fire before eating it, which we tried, but it did not really make a difference in terms of taste.

Also, I was disappointed that the entrees did not come with rice, despite prices being on the higher side, so you had to add a side of rice.

On the flip side, our server was very friendly and was very attentive throughout the meal. She even boxed up our leftovers for us!

Overall, price of the food is pretty steep for the quality, but Sensei could still be a nice place for a quiet and classy meal if you are in the Celebration Pointe area.

Location: 4860 SW 31st Pl Ste 10, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States

Southwest 31st Place

Scuola Pizza (Gainesville, FL)

Gainesville is blessed with many great pizza options, but Scuola Pizza offers something unique with their food and décor!

You can dine in their beautiful indoor space, or pick up to go. They also offer delivery through uber eats, grubhub, and 352 delivery, which is good since the location could be a bit far if you live around campus.

Scuola Pizza, which opened in March of 2021 by the Sinis family, has a modern vibe with wood and black colored interior accented by bright colored walls.

The interior choice that caught my eye most was the collection of bright and colorful books lining the walls, and also the open book mural made with tons of real books!

The many books not only add a unique touch to the interior space, but also provide for some good reading while you order or eat.

When I asked about all of the books aligning the walls, our server kindly explained how Scuola means school in Italian and how the owner used to teach English in Greece so he wanted to share his love for books! I also love reading, so I was delighted to see some of my favorite books being featured. The space almost seemed like a café with the cozy and calming atmosphere.

We got started with some water and this is a small detail, but I like how they were using biodegradable straws made from agave!

The dishes at Scuola Pizza are inspired by European and Mediterranean cuisine ranging from salads to pasta, burgers, gyro platters and more. They also have Craft-Your-Own pizzas ranging from $10.95 for 12 inches or $14.25 for 16 inches.

Since I went when they were doing a Buy One Get One Half Off deal, I chose two options from their variety of specialty pies.

The Scuola pizza ($13.95 for 12 inch) was my favorite pizza that I tried as it was topped with plenty of pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. Some pizzas with sausage and pepperoni can be a bit too salty, but this one did not feel overly salty at all. I liked how the meat and bell peppers were cut in smaller pieces to create a more even texture as well. The ingredients tasted fresh and complimented the cheese and crispy texture of the crust really well.

The Margherita pizza ($11.95 for 12 inch) was also very good with fresh mozzarella, grated pecorino romano, olive oil & basil. Their pizza is flame baked in a wood fire oven and it was very tasty. Another small detail that I liked was that they designed a newspaper for their paper lining the pizzas. Such a great design idea that provides some history and a crossword puzzle!

Loved this newspaper lining for the pizza!

They also have local and imported beers, as well as wines.

We paired our pizzas with some Greek beers and went for the Mythos beer (est. 1997, $3.50) and the Fix beer (est. 1864, $4). I liked the taste of the Fix beer a lot better; it was light and went really well with the pizza.

I was too full for dessert but want to try their Baklava Cheesecake and Athenian Chocolate Mousse in the future.

I would definitely visit Scuola Pizza again for some food for my stomach, as well as my brain!

Follow @scuolapizzagainesville for the latest updates!

Northwest 34th Street