Blog #5: Korean Food

I’ll be honest, South Korea was never on my “places to go on vacation” list. Oddly enough, I was supposed to go there to teach English as a Second Language (I had been hired with a school and all of the paperwork was in) but when my relationship failed (I was traveling with my partner at the time), I cancelled my contract. I guess it was meant to be that I spent some time there because 8 years later, I was on a cruise ship that would dock in Busan once every 2 weeks. Much to my delight, I really enjoyed my time in this city and country. However, I must admit, at least 50% of the time I had there was spent eating Korean BBQ. 

My friends were excited to join me for some Korean food here in Spring Valley, Las Vegas. Spring Valley is a nice neighborhood which also happens to incorporate Chinatown, Japantown and Koreatown. There are so many great restaurants to choose from in one area! We walked in to a table already covered in an array of small, side dishes called banchan. This is one of the special treats while dining, Korean style. Banchan can consist of pickled vegetables such as daikon and cucumber, tofu, and for a little American twist, we even had a perfect little scoop of potato salad! My personal favorite is kimchi, a pickled and fermented spicy cabbage dish. Don’t be afraid of kimchi!! I remember when an article came out a few months ago saying that eating kimchi could help ward off COVID 19. It is actually proven to improve intestinal health and support the immune system so, just a little bonus if you already like this tangy and spicy side dish (ps- you can buy a large, authentic container of kimchi at Costco!). For someone like me, it’s perfect because you can taste the spice but the heat is not overpowering. If something is too spicy, I get an attack of the hiccups. This restaurant’s kimchi was spot on. 

We decided to order a combination of pork and beef for grillng as well as an appetizer of mandoo. Mandoo is Korea’s version of the potsticker (China) or gyoza (Japan) and in my opinion, was absolutely delicious. In fact, it dates back all the way to the 14th century so, who knows, maybe this dumpling came first! The pork inside was spiced perfectly and the little fried pockets of dough were accompanied by a lovely sesame and soy sauce for dipping. Believe me, those went fast. Oh, but there was more, much more!! Along with the meal came a tofu soup, kimchi pancake and steamed egg- enough for sharing! I must not have read the menu in detail because the extras came as a surprise. I felt that the kimchi pancake could have been a little crispier but the tofu soup was a hit (spiced with gochugaru- korean red chili) and the steamed egg was like putting your spoon through a fluffy little cloud. At one point, I think we had about 10 side dishes, colorfully adorning the table. We weren’t going to leave hungry, tha was for sure! You know what they say, a colorful meal is a healthy one….and we had everything from green, to red to pink and orange happily mingling on the plates. It was a feast for all of the senses.

Now on to the meats. We decided to go with a combiation of beef brisket, rib fingers, pork bulgogi and kalbi ribs. I actually loved how this restaurant had a variey of mouthwatering combinations for you to choose from, so you didn’t feel like you were missing out on something special. In traditional Korean barbecue, pork is usually the star of the show, but I love my grilled beef as well so, I was thrilled to see this combo offered. Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the trio of “sauces” which included a gochujang (a sweet, savory and spicy Korean red chili paste) based sauce, a soy based sauce with onion and green chili and a mixture of salt and pepper. The first meat to arrive was the brisket, pure, fresh and unseasoned. The waitress attentively flipped and tossed this meat until the color shifted and the edges turned up. Now it was time to try the trio. My personal favorite was the gochujang based sauce….all of the flavor profiles melded together so beautifully with the meat and made for one very attractive combination.

The rib fingers were next and while still quite tasty, were probably my least favorite of the 4. Kalbi, when the meat is fresh, is always a treat. Kalbi beef is a cross cut short rib and the marinade includes ingredients such as sugar, soy, sesame and garlic. I was first introduced to this craveable dish when I was living in Hawaii. It’s a local favorite and can be found anywhere from L & L Kitchen to fine dining restaurants. The Asian and Portuguese influences in Hawaii make for a diverse and delicious local food list on the islands and introduced me to many foods from those particular countries.

Bulgogi is also on menus in Hawaii which was the last and final meat in our rotation. This meat was by far the most tender and bursting with the most intense flavors. It’s no surprise that they saved the best for last. It had a smoky, savory and sweet marinade that was dripping from the meat and filled the air with aroma upon grilling. The waitress took extra care when preparing this one (as pork should never be undercooked) and even pulled the exhaust lamp closer to the grill when needed with subtlety and grace.

I generously topped all of my meats with The Korean Spicy Green Onion Salad and the girls agreed that this side dish was the perfect accompaniment to our meal. I fondly remembered my favorite restaurant in Busan which would provide an entire platter of various green onions (from chives to leeks) as well as many other vegetables for grilling (mushroom, sweet potato, etc) and thought that, although we didn’t have that huge quantity, there was plenty of other food to satiate our palates (and enough green onion slald to go around!). 

This restaurant was delicious and all of the food tasted fresh and clean. It certainly wasn’t cheap, however, it boasted having the highest qualtiy meats and this is something to be considered when raw meats are being cooked at your table.

Unlike many other Korean restaurant in Las Vegas, it was also quite ambiant with an industrial-chic feel and a full cocktail list. Oh! Last but not least, we couldn’t leave without trying a bit of soju (a clear, distilled alcohol from South Korea). When I ordered a bottle, the waitress looked concerned and said, “Oh….have you tried this before?”, and I repiled, “yes, I’ve been to Busan about 25 times!” and she smiled and replied, “Oh! Much more than me!”…she was sweet and genuine. She did, however, bring over a “smoother” soju than most (perhaps it had a lower alcohol content) so…looking at my frame, she must not have trusted my familarity with and tolerance for this beverage. I appreciated her sensitivity because despite that enormous meal which was fit for a king, we still left with a happy buzz. Soju or no soju, you will too. 

Restaurant: 8oz Korean Steak House and Bar

4545 Spring Mountain Road B#105

Las Vegas, NV 89102

Neighborhood: Spring Valley