Korean pork bbq :‘더 서민 구이’ (The SeoMin Gooie)

Youn Seng Min

Hi guys!

How was your weekend? I hope you didn’t have to stay home and study all weekend… Honestly, I myself have much to catch up.

Despite the fact that I have four upcoming exams for which I should have started studying last week, I decided to go drinking with my friends on Friday. Which, in retrospect, was a terrible idea. I not only threw away my Friday night but also wasted my Saturday in a semi-drunken haze…

Anyway.

My friends and I like going to Korean barbeques for dinner whenever we go drinking. It’s a great way to end the week! I still remember the first time going to a Korean barbeque as an adult and being clueless. I bet some of you have felt the same. So, let me introduce to you one of my favourite bbq spots near HanYang and give you a few tips that will impress your friends! This the place to go to if you are on a budget but want to gorge yourself on some decent bbq pork!

‘더 서민 구이’ (The SeoMin Gooie) is an all you can eat Korean pork bbq spot near school. If you enter before 5PM you only have to pay 10,000 won! Even if you decide to go for dinner after five, it’s 12,000won which is still quite a bargain.

They provide two types meat plates: marinated pork and plain pork (which consists of pork belly, spare rib roast and shoulder butt). They also offer you a huge variety of side dishes and a seafood soup! Though the pan is a standard non-coated grease pan, they provide you with a decent amount of charcoal which imparts a nice rustic flavor unto the meat. The pork is of a frozen variety therefore it’s not nearly as juicy as fresh pork; however, it’s still decent considering the price.

Now here are a few tips to make you a hero during your next bbq session.

1) Cook the meat right. Always wait until the pan is smoking hot. This not only prevents the meat from sticking unto the pan but also ensures a crispy exterior. Do not flip until the side that’s is cooking is golden brown.

2) Always start cooking the kimchi and garlic after you have flipped the meat and cut it into pieces using the scissors. If you place the kimchi and garlic from the beginning, they will burn.

3) Do not be shy when it comes to the amount of meat you are cooking in one go. These pans can take more meat than you think.

4) Always cook the marinated pork after the plain pork. The sauce burns very quickly, so you will have to change your pan more often if you cook your marinated pork before the plain.

Stick to these rules and you too can be the pit master during your next bbq session.

Good luck on your midterms!