((This is an article I wrote a while back, but I felt like sharing!))
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love Korean cuisine enthusiast. I don’t know I like it so much, though. I probably just find it very comforting, and love the sharing and do-it-yourself aspects it has.
So, naturally, the first restaurant I wanted to try in Cape Town was a Korean restaurant. I settled for Galbi, on Long Street, which is a Korean fusion restaurant.
I’ve been wanting to go try Korean barbecue (or braai, should say?) for a while, so it sounded pretty good to me, and the very positive reviews only added to that.
Upon arriving, my eyebrows knitted together. Too loud, I thought to myself. I shrugged it off and sat at the table, where I opened the menu. I must say, it easy to get lost when looking through the wide array of dishes. There is a bit of everything: Korean dumplings, mushroom shots, the famous galbi, quite a few vegetarian options (which is a plus), and even exotic game meats such as zebra or ostrich.
I did find the menu a bit overwhelming when I first read it, but at least, it is unlikely to find yourself limited when it comes to choosing the perfect dish.
The service was quite alright. Each table had a bell (more like a button) to call a waiter. Very Korean, and very convenient, especially when the restaurant was so packed and loud.
As for the dishes, I will say that I was fairly disappointed. Since I ordered their Korean set, I was definitely expecting to eat Korean food, but it wasn’t the case. The galbi had the slightest hint of soy sauce and sweetness. It was barely marinated, and honestly there was barely anything in the marinade. Same goes for the dwaeji galbi, which was only was slightly better. However, the quality of the meat was great, there’s no denying. The side dishes were pretty traditional: spinach (not so green and somewhat flavorless), green onion salad (quite nice), and kimchi (unceremoniously piled up and obviously not homemade, but perhaps I shouldn’t have expected it to be). I also tried some appetizers: prawns skewers (which were supposedly marinated, but again, it just tasted like prawns), and Seoul chicken wings.
Those Seoul chicken wings were advertised as “tangy, spicy, yet crispy”. I immediately thought of this korean dish that fits all the criteria above, and is often served as an appetizer.
However, it was not the case. These wings sure were spicy, but not so crispy or tangy. But that’s not quite the problem. The problem is that these wings were completely covered ingochujang, aka korean hot pepper paste. And perhaps it might not shock you, but as a person who enjoys both eating and cooking, and knows about Korean cuisine, chicken wings covered in gochujang is unacceptable, both for the client and the chicken.
Gochujang is a paste, and not a sauce. It’s usually not used by itself due to its salty nature, and if it happens to be, it’s in small quantities.
Imagine if someone gave you chicken wings entirely coated with spicy mustard. That’s how I felt. Seriously, it’s like killing the chicken a second time.
Galbi is a restaurant I personally wouldn’t recommend, as I believe that the dishes did not reflect what was on the menu. However, if you are a meat lover, enjoy grilling your own food, and do not care so much about marinades and side dishes, and whatnot, then you might like it! It’s an affordable restaurant, with a large selection of meats and appetizers, and your vegetarian friends can also tag along.
Bottom line : four out of ten, probably wouldn’t recommend.
((to read more of my adventures, you can follow me on Tumblr, or follow me on instagram @yogirljade. if you wanna talk and stuff, my kakaotalk ID is lafrisee !))
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