Korean BBQ gets the W!

One cannot turn the corner in Koreatown without bumping into a Korean BBQ joint. It's inevitable. One cannot escape it. So naturally, he or she would be tempted in some way, shape, or form to venture into one of these meat heavens, right? This is what happened to a boy named Albert Ko. The flood gates had opened. If any of you have not been to a Korean BBQ restaurant, please do us both a favor and keep reading. If you have been already, I encourage you to also keep reading because it's more than likely that you didn't receive the full-service experience that I have been exposed to. Let's begin class:

1. For the purpose of this blog, I will be using the specific restaurant called "Kogi-King." This restaurant is my all-time favorite.
   
2. If I were to pick out a common denominator for all Korean restaurants, I would have to pick the side dishes. Every Korean restaurant you visit will provide you with a variety of side dishes comprised of everything from Kimchi to headless bean sprouts. Don't be scared, keep an open mind, and try each one. Kogi-King's special side dish is their signature spicy rice cakes.
   
3. Make sure to ask for the steamed egg casserole and the soybean paste stew. Nothing more need be said. 
   
   
   
   
   
4. Here comes the meat. You get to "do-it-yourself" and sharpen your cooking skills! You get to choose from over 20 choices of meat laid out in a simple menu. Order your meat and use their terrific tongs to cook the meat on your own personal grill. After it's cooked to perfection, cut the meat to your own liking and wrap it up in rice paper. Add a couple veggies and you might as well sing, "Hold on, We're Going Home."
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. "Where's the rice," you might ask. No need to fear, DoShiRak is here! Ask for this and your waiter will bring you a tin box filled with rice, kimchi, eggs, and spam. He or she will personally shake that box like they would shake maracas, and bon appetit!
   
                                           
   
6. By now, you should either be going on your fourth hour or second stomach there. To settle down your digestive system, Koreans use a bowl of hot water and rice, which aids in digestion.
   
   
      
                                               

I hope your next Korean BBQ experience will be as memorable as mine. Follow my directions and, "You're welcome."

Your Seoul Survivor,

Albert Ko