Korean BBQ
Awhile back when we were still living in Joburg we had some friends over for a braai (Afrikaans for BBQ) and I wanted to have a Korean BBQ theme. There is a pretty large Korean population here probably because there are quite a few large Korean companies here that do really well like Samsung, LG, Kia and Hyundai.
There are a couple of Korean markets that you can go to to get Korean groceries and meat.
The one in Joburg that I frequented most often is at Rivonia Junction, on the corner of Rivonia and 7th Ave. It’s on the ground floor in the same complex as Saigon, the Vietnamese restaurant. I think it’s called Korean Market.
Korean restaurants are known (worldwide and generally speaking) to be pretty expensive. What I don’t get is that the ingredients are super simple and easy to make.
Here’s what the menu consisted of:
The first three items are what’s called Pan Chan or Ban Chan, simply little eats that always accompany Korean meals. Usually there are 6-10 little bowls of pickled and spicy veggies. Last night I only made three.
I marinated the kalbi and bulgogi 24 hours in advance to allow the flavors to develop nicely.
Most of our friends had never tried Korean BBQ before except one, he works for Samsung currently and has been to Seoul a couple of times.
Everything was a hit, even the kimchi! The Kalbi tasted great and was really tender. Of course we had soju with the meal.
Have you had Korean food before?
