Spicy hearty 'galbi-jjim' for adventurers

The spicy "galbi-jjim" is usually served with rice and other side dishes. / Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul

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By Kim Ji-soo

DAEGU ― It's hearty, meaty and spicy.

And that's all from a Korean's point of view. The "it" is the dish of spicy braised "galbi-jjim" literally soaked in spicy red peppers and tons of garlic. Located in Dongin-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu, there are bunch of these spicy galbi-jjim stores all line up in one section.

As host to the 13th IAAF World Athletics Championships , the city is currently host to some 2,000 athletes, some 2,000 journalists and IAAF staff and others. Look into any tourist information brochures and you will easily find these galbi-jjim restaurants mentioned among the top in "must-try" eateries in this city some 300 kilometers south of Seoul.

The origin of this dish was actually noodles. The story goes that dish was born when laborers who used to frequent the noodle dish sometimes brought meat to the store for added nutrition. As the chef of the humble noodle shop struggled to prepare some feast, there came advice from people to add this or that ― usually red pepper, garlic and other basic ingredients used in Korean dishes. It's a story that reminded me of the tale of how a Vietnamese noodle dish was born as told by our tour guide; that the now famous pho was born when the Vietnamese began to mix their noodles with the beef soup that the French colonialists left behind.

The once-humble dish evolved over the years to create the hearty, meaty and the spicy taste. I've tried the restaurant called Bongsan, which claimed itself as the original. There were numerous similar galbi-jjim stores nearby.

The menu comes along with rice, a tangy kimchi, water-kimchi and other Korean side dishes. The customers can order either Korean beef ― which is pricier at 25,000 won per person ― or settle for imported beef, which goes for 14,000 won per person.

If you're not used to the spicy taste, do not order the spicy version that promises to shock your tongue numb. The mild version is still very edible albeit a bit dry, especially if the weather turns damp and foggy as the southern city was at the time of our visit earlier this week.
The beauty of this food is that you feel like going back and digging into the deep nickel silver dish. For more information, visit www.bonsangzzim.com or call 053-425-4203.