The Koreans, a hardworking, resourceful people, have brought us many wonderful things: the notion of “pro” video game players, disturbingly cheap electronics and several really quite special filmmakers. Recently, across the nation, we are starting to see the arrival of their latest gift to the world — the Korean barbecue.
Hasn’t the Korean barbecue been around forever? Well yes, but an explosion in the number of Korean students coming to Australia has meant that more of these style of restaurants are opening in order to give the kids a taste of home. They’re everywhere.
The Korean barbecue style of cooking, or gogi gui, shares many similarities with it’s showier, more extroverted cousin, the Japanese Teppanyaki. Meat is grilled in front of diners, who garnish it with various sauces and condiments before eating over rice. However, Korean barbecue distinguishes itself through both the primary method of cooking — a grill over glowing charcoal — and the obscenely tasty range of sidedishes presented with the meal.
Upon ordering a meal, visitors to a Korean barbecue restaurant will be presented with a range of marinated and non-marinated meats — primarily beef, in the form of brisket and sirloin. Ribs are also very popular. A waiter will start you off, placing some of the meat on the grill, before leaving you to cook — quite unlike those Teppanyaki staff who will often have you playing some ludicrous game involving catching cups of rice. We get it fellas, you’re handy with a spatula.
Watching the meat cook and tending to it is a rather comforting experience. There’s something about the process that tweaks the long-dormant hunter-gatherer instinct, satisfying a primal urge. Dipping pieces of meat into sesame oil and bean paste before eating them is just the deliciously salty and juicy cherry on this fleshy sundae.
This carnival of meat is only part of the joy of the Korean barbecue. The side-dishes, invariably involving some form of pickled bean sprout, cabbage or onion, are tangy and refreshing. Kimchi, the infamous and ubiquitous fermented pickled cabbage dish, is an acquired taste, but once you’ve got it you’ll be buying tubs of the stuff from Korean supermarkets.
It’s not vegetarian-friendly and I dare say that prolonged exposure to red meat, pickled vegetables and oils could do irreparable damage to the digestive system. But a Korean barbecue is a unique, tasty night out. A cursory search of food websites in any city around the country will reveal a mass of the places popping across your city. Go on, you’re already buying their electronics and their cars — it’s time to sample their approach to the barbeque.
Korean barbecue also distinguishes itself by the range of meats available, especially in Korea and China. I became aware of this on a visit to China in the early 90s. The client had taken my business partner and i to a popular Korean restaurant in a leading hotel, and ordered the BBQ. Included in the meats were both ‘Australian’ and ‘Chinese’ beef. After some chewing and reflection my partner quietly asked me ‘What do you think ‘Chinese’ beef is?’ Yep, hands up if you correctly answered ‘dog’, a well recognised protein in Guangzhou, where dog farms and restaurants abounded. The role of dog meat in Korean BBQ and diets generally was confirmed in subsequent research Asian Strategies conducted in Korea for various booze clients where certain culinary protocols existed in the pairing of specific liquors with dog meat. Dog did at that time appeared to be something of a staple for groups of men intent on a big night out. I’m not certain if this is still the case. Trevor Harrison (Asian Strategies, Sydney)
I can’t understand the appeal of going to a restaurant and then cooking your own food.
Absolutely love Korean food. Nothing beats going to a BBQ in Seoul or anywhere else in S Korea. Great food and so cheap. If you have an ability in reading Hangul, they are always impressed.
“I can’t understand the appeal of going to a restaurant and then cooking your own food.”
What a narrow minded view. The point of the Korean BBQ is not just about eating. Its a social gathering where cooking the meat is part of the show. Usually the attendants who bring out the “bakchan” and the dishes you order will get things started and also make sure your stuff doesnt get burnt if you drink too much Soju.
“Narrow minded”? Moi? Hmm – don’t think so. Have actually tried the hot rocks cooking at a restaurant and, while a novelty, I found distracting. If I want to cook food surrounded by friends then I’ll have bbq or dinner at my place. That being said the Korean food sounds really yummy but I’d rather it was cooked for me (that way I can also blame the chef if it’s not done right).