Dining at Samgyupsal (korean bacon) restaurant in korea

One of the unique experiences you can get in Korea is to grill your own meat in a restaurant. Many restaurants in Korea have grills at the tables, and customers cook their meat exactly the way they like. Samgyupsal is probably the most popular type of meat for Korean barbecue. It is made from pork belly strips, the same part Americans use for bacon. Samgyupsal is inexpensive and delicious.

When you go to a Samgyupsal restaurant, you don’t need to wait to be seated. Just go sit at any table available. Servers will bring you a menu and water. To order Samgyupsal, you should get at least two or three servings. It will cost less than 30,000 won (around 30 US dollar). Samgyupsal will be served with a dipping sauce called Ssamjang (paste). It also usually comes with a side of sliced garlic and peppers, onions, mushrooms and lettuce. Then it’s barbecue time!

You can cook anything on the grill with the Samgyupsal. When you barbecue, you can also grill garlic, mushrooms, onions and Kimchi along with the Samgyupsal. Even if you don’t really like the taste or smell of raw Kimchi, try grilled Kimchi with Samgyupsal. Kimchi tastes strong, but when it’s grilled until it turns yellow it becomes much milder. The subtle spice of grilled Kimchi goes very well with the flavor of Samgyupsal. Also, Kimchi is healthy because it’s a fermented vegetable made with a lot of garlic.

As you probably know, pork should always be thoroughly cooked. When the Samgyupsal gets close to being cooked, cut it into bite size pieces using the scissors provided at the table. Wait until the Samgyupsal is well done and the Kimchi becomes caramelized. Then, grab a piece of lettuce and put it in your palm. Yes, you have to use your hand. So, clean your hands with the hot towel that you’ll be given at the restaurant. Put a couple pieces of Samgyupsal into the lettuce, and then get some of the sauce using your chopsticks and put it on your Samgyupsal. You can also add Kimchi, garlic, pepper and/or onions if you like. Wrap it just like you would do with soft-shell tacos and enjoy!

If you want more side dishes such as lettuce and Kimchi, ask for more. No extra charge will be added. There’s another thing that you need to know before you go to a Korean restaurant. Servers usually won’t check on your table after the food is served. Instead, you call them whenever you need something. Many restaurants in Korea have a bell on each table. When you need a server, just push the button. A server will come to your table shortly. If there’s no bell, raise your hand and say “Yoe-Gi-Yo” at a volume that you think a server can hear. The phrase means “here”, implying that something is needed.

About the time you are done eating, a server will bring you Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and a bowl of rice. Or, you might be given the choice between Doenjang jjigae and Naengmyun (cold buckwheat noodles). When you are finished you pay the bill at the counter. No tip is expected, but they will appreciate it if you say “Ma-shi-so-yo”(delicious) and “Gam-sa-ham-ni-da”(Thank you).