Whenever I crave something soup-y I default to Vietnamese pho (did I ever tell you that if I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life I'd choose pho?) Although it's extremely rare there are times when I just don't feel like pho especially when it's super cold outside. When the windchill makes it feel like it's -30 I long for a thick, rich soup; a soup with depth, a soup that'll warm me up from the core (does that make sense?!) Tofu stew, kimchi stew, pork bone soup...they do exactly that. I mean c'mon, they are all served steamin' hot! You literally need to sit there and wait until the bubbling dies down just so you won't burn your lips off. But man, the first sip of that hot soup is so comforting - it makes me go "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh....." every time. You know what I mean, right? You do. Korean stews seriously soothes the soul. When it's summer the hotter temperatures deter me from ordering stews but I still enjoy other Korean dishes, especially their cold noodle (mul naengmyeon and bibim naengmyeon).
Prior to this particular visit to Oh Geul Boh Geul I usually, if not most of the time, order my own thing at Korean restaurants with minimal sharing of dishes. It's an in-and-out ordeal for me; I'd sit down, order, eat my stew and go. It's safe to say that this visit to Oh Geul Boh Geul changed that because 1) there was 10 of us, and 2) the sheer number of people at the table allowed us to eat family-style, something I've never done at a Korean restaurant before (when I say "never" I'm excluding those so-called Korean BBQ joints run by Chinese peeps). So obviously, this was also the first time I've consumed so much, and so many varieties, of Korean dishes in one sitting.
Unless you've never been to a Korean restaurant you should all be familiar with the fact that you get Korean side dishes (banchan). Even if you dine alone there's still a chance that side dishes will invade your entire table. So awesome. Some restaurants are more generous with their side dishes than others but rest assure you'll always get something to munch on.
Oh Geul Bo Geul is a Korean restaurant in North York that serves good homey Korean food. Their decor is nothing to write home about; it's casual and nothing fancy, but what it does have a 1-up on is their covered, back patio with TV which is great for summer nights.
Without further ado, let's dive right into the food. Actually, wait. I want to quickly give a shout-out to the guys at Popup Markets (Twitter: @marketspopup, Facebook: Popup Markets) for providing the booze that night. Shown below are the 905 Lager and Summertime Saison.
GRILLED MACKEREL (Godeungeo-Gui)
DUMPLINGS (Mandu)
Deep fried dumplings served with soy sauce.
GRILLED MARINATED BEEF (Bulgogi)
MARINATED SHORT RIBS (L.A. Galbi)
Marinated short ribs in a ganjang-based sauce (Korean soy sauce). It's "L.A" galbi when the meat is cut in thin slices across the bones. This permits the marinade to penetrate the meat faster.
TABLE COOKING: MARINATED BEEF / TOP SIRLOIN (Ju Mul Luk)
Veggies with gochugaru (Korean chili powder) eaten with the grilled meat.
TABLE COOKING: PORK BELLY (Sam Gyeop Sal)
SPICY TOFU STEW (Soondubu Chigae)
A hot and spicy Korean stew made with uncurdled tofu, seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, onion, scallions, and gochujang.
BLACK BEAN SAUCE NOODLE (Ja Jang Myeon)
Noodles topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang (a salty black soybean paste), diced pork and vegetables. This is a 'Chinese style' Korean dish.
SPICY DEEP FRIED CHICKEN (Kang Poon Kee)
Deep fried chicken (boneless) drenched in a sweet and spicy sauce. These had an ultra-crisp crust around a drippingly juicy interior.
KOREAN SWEET & SOUR PORK (Tang Soo Yook)
Deep fried pork (boneless) in a sweet sauce. This is a 'Chinese style' Korean dish.
SPICY RICE CAKES (Dduk Bok Gi)
A popular Korean dish made from soft rice cake, fish cake and sweet red chili sauce
HOT POT WITH KIMCHI (Boo Daw Jung Gol)
Hot pot with veggies, sausage and rice cake.
SPICY SQUID WITH PORK (Jook Sam Kyup Sal)
Squid, pork, veggies and rice in spicy sauce
Great authentic Korean food at Oh Geul Boh Geul! Big thanks to my friend Alex Tsang (Twitter: @tsangzillavs, Instagram: @al3xxxx) for organizing such a fun evening and exposing me to all these tasty Korean dishes! Now that summer is around the corner I'll probably head back to Oh Geul Boh Geul soon for some back patio BBQ action.
*This meal was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own*
