Seoul Eats Mailbag: Restaurant Recommendations, H Makgeolli, and Questions

Hey everyone, as you know, I try to answer all letters that I receive. I figure if someone sends a letter it usually means that there are 5 other people with the same question. So here we go:
Hi Dan,

Mark has returned to NYC and is enjoying working at Lugo Caffe as we speak.

I am here for a few more weeks with some family coming in just a few days. I was hoping you could give me
a few recommendations:-) I am dying to have some sushi before I leave with a few friends. Do you know of
an affordable and delicious sushi restaurant?

Also, I want to take my family out for Korean BBQ. I have been to Sam Won Garden and loved it but think it might be expensive.(I didn't pay:-)
What do you think?

Thanks so much!! Hope things are going well!

Terra
My response:

Dear Terra,

I hope you're having a good time and I wish you could have come on the food tour with us on Saturday. If your friends are around for a while, we could arrange something for your group. I've got a couple excellent tour guides that could lead you around.

For sushi, I recommend Sushi Hyo. It's way pricey but worth the money. http://www.seouleats.com/2008/06/omakasi-you-can-get-good-sushi-in-seoul.html They also have a location in the Somerset Hotel near Insadong.  If you want Korean-style raw fish then go to Noryrangjin.

Here's a list of some of the best barbecue restaurants:

  • Bossam: Gung Jung Bossam has four locations across Seoul, to get to the one featured, take Subway Line 2 to Guro Digital Area, get out exit 3, and walk towards the Colon Science Billie building. Tel: 02.2025.2999
  • Bonga: It's a Korean BBQ with very thinly sliced 우삼겹 (beef with fat layers) and lots of salad and side dishes. The place is called 본가 (Bonga). If you take exit 5 of Hongdae station, turn left before Pascucci, then turn right at the first possible street. The restaurant is on the right side of this street, you need to climb the outside stairs to get to the entrance.
  • Eel at Jangeorang Hongdae. 2F, Samuk Bldg., 6-137, Changjeon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul 02-333-1455 www.jangarang.com  Lunch Prices: 10-15,000 won per person. Dinner Prices: 15-30,000 won per person. Hours: Open from 10am-11pm everyday. Reservations recommend for large groups. Parking is available.
  • Hongik Sootbul Kalbi, near Hongik University, 82-2-322-4487; 15,000 won a person.
The High End Places:
  • Hankukkwan for raw beef and great bbq: 02-3464-5450
Here's another letter:
Hi Dan,

Thanks for creating this blog and making it a lot of fun to read. Also, thanks for the info on the cuts of meat.

I do have another question. When I go to Korean restaurants, I realized that they actually have more than one types of cut for pork meat. Samgyeopsal is just one of the many. Would you by any chance know the names of the other types?
Thanks, Sparkplug
Dear Sparkplug,

Thanks for reading. Besides Samgyeopsal (pork belly) there is garmaeggisal (I think a tenderloin), moksal (neck meat), chadol (Flank usually frozen and sliced super thin), Galbi (rib). These are the most common that you'll see. Here is a post on how to buy meat in Korea.

Here's a comment about H ㅎ Makgeolli in Haebangchon.
Hey Dan,

Great times, food and of course Makgeolli tonight. Nice people running the place. I liked the noryounggee sp? (burnt rice) Makgeolli the best. The seafood bindettoek was really good, as was the pork rib...thanks for the help..!

My Best,

Tim
Here is a letter from a great Spanish blog on Korean food:

Hola sr. Daniel Gray, I'm a follower of your blog, I am a lover of Korean food, I have a blog about Korean cuisine in Spanish, is very new,not have many articles, is still taking shape, but my goal is to share with the Hispanic speakers much information as possible about Korea and its cuisine, I wanted to ask your approval to post your articles in my blog, and actually I have some but I feel more comfortable with your approval.
Greetings, and have a nice day.
http://soulofhansik.blogspot.com/
Here's a question about NCAA:
Hey Daniel,

I was wondering would you by any chance know a bar in seoul that would be showing the NCAA march madness basketball tournament. I would love to watch a couple games. Please get back to me and let me know.

Thanks,

Alex
Dear Alex,

The sports bars that I think would have them would be 1) Sam Ryan in Itaewon, 2)Yaletown in Sinchon, and 3)Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon.

Thank you all for sending me letters and for reading my website. I am truly flattered. If I didn't answer your letter yet, I promise that I will get to it. Thanks again.

Dan

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