Comments on: Atlanta: Seoul Gardens Korean & Japanese Restaurant

By: hkj

hkj — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:53:13 +0000

Thanks for dropping by, Dan. And thanks for your help.

Hilton

By: Seouleats

Seouleats — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:46:13 +0000

maangchi is awesome. I watch her on my ipod all the time. Great post. If you’re ever in Seoul, you have a tour guide.

By: hkj

hkj — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:32:50 +0000

Ah, Say, thanks for both the comments and the info. I wonder if Han II Kwan Ginza is the one I was taken to…I’ll try it soon. I used to go to Rice before it was Rice (it was a buffet back then, too). But haven’t been in its current incarnation.

Yes, I love the durian. I had it for the first time flying first class, through frequent flyer miles, on Air China. They asked if I wanted a Chinese meal or a western meal. Of course, I said Chinese. I could have stayed home and had western!. Got a huge chunk of a something white and funny smelling and an egg that looked like an abandoned Easter egg turned to brown cheese. They both tasted wonderful. Only later did I find out what they were. I’m addicted to both now. Yes, “heaven sent” is the only way to describe durian.

By: Say Lee

Say Lee — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:24:38 +0000

We are fortunate to have a Korean friend right here at Tampa who has taken us to many a Korean restaurant, including Sa Ri One, Rice, and Han Il Kwan Ginza. We have blogged about our gastronomic adventure at Sa Ri One toward the end of 2006 here. We visited Rice while the restaurant was still serving Buffet. It so happened that the third one on the list is also located at Waters. We are not sure whether that's the one you are looking for. But if it is not, we think it will be well worth your time too. Its address is 8104 W Waters Ave. If you are still in Atlanta, do try Top Spice (here and here, run by our friends from Malaysia (Howie and Judy, and Howie's brother).

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:32:39 +0000

Nice article you wrote here. I always love seeing non-koreans being introduced to Korean food. I think if every American tried Korean food once, they would almost always love it.

Here are some quick comments:
1. The traditional soup at lunar new year that you ate is called “Mandu-guk”. Guk is one of the Korean words for soup. Mandu are the “dumplings” in that soup (a Korean version of the pot stickers in Chinese food).

2. Im not familiar with a “spicy” version of bulgogi (doesnt mean it doesnt exists). However, Ive been eating Korean food most of my life and I have been to Korea for 13 weeks in the last 8 months, and never had a spicy Bulgogi.

3. The bulgogi in your picture looks like it was just cooked on a gridle, there is also bulgogi that is cooked in a pan with broth and has more sauce, and then obviously the grilled type.

4. Beside bulgogi, the other famous Korean BBQ is called Kalbi/Galbi. You should try it some time.

5. Here are some suggestions of other food that you can probably find in a Korean restaurant in the US:

BiBimBop – Korean staple, usually considered a “light” lunch. But if you have ever seen a true Korean, they can eat their own weight in food! Its simply amazing. (Dolsot bibimbop is my favorite which comes in a hot stone bowl so the rice gets crispy)

JaeJae Myun – Actually is a korean/chinese fusion that is eaten by Koreans. Its noodles in a black bean paste.

Kimchee Chigae – well you know kimchee, this is a stew that is made out of kimchee, tofu, and kimchee…sometimes there is a little meat. This is really good on a cold day.

Jap Chae – Kind of a Korean/Japanese fusion. This is “clear” noodles (I believe rice based?) with a mixture of vegestables. Very good. If think you getting pretty good with chopsticks. Order this and test yourself. If you can eat this with chopsticks your getting real good.

By: hkj

hkj — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:28:16 +0000

Hilton, Both forms of bulgogi you have eaten and read about are called bulgogi. There is the type that is cooked at the table on a grill. There is also a type of bulgogi that you actually cook in a “hot pot” at your table. They will put a butane cooktop on your table and bring a pan full of vegetables and bulgogi, and usually some noodles. They will pour broth on top of it all and let it cook down. The vegetables will get soft and the bulgogi marinade will cook out into the sauce. Essentially making a “stew” of sorts. The sauce/juice from this dish is excellent on top of rice. Each dish is called bulgogi, but they have a different adjective modifier to the name of the dish. Maybe Daniel knows the diffent names between the different ways bulgogi is prepared. Also, Im not sure how familiar you are with Korean food. There is also a very popular dish called Kalbi/Galbi. Which is rib meat specifically that is marinated and grilled at the table. The marinade is slightly different usually to Bulgogi. To me its usualy not as sweet. This maybe what you had in Honolulu? It is probably the most famous/favorite BBQ type grilled meat dish in Korea. Richard [Re-posted from a comment in a thread regarding my query about bulgogi on Seoul Eats.]