vip in the city

Barbecue at the big house

SC and JG organized another group together for a visit to Kunjip (in English: “big house”) on West 32nd Street, for “authentic Korean cusine [sic] in the middle of Korean town [sic].”

Our party this evening was about half the size it was at the previous Korean barbecue outing, but without the ordering restrictions in place for our last visit to Kunjip, we delved pretty well into the extensive menu.

A quick perusal of the menu board didn’t offer us much direction – though the hearts did add a festive touch! – but we fared somewhat better with the picture menu.

Gyeran Jjim (steamed eggs):

An order of “BBQ Combination for 2,” a.k.a. “Carnivore’s delight,” was made up of a heaping platter of fatty pork belly, thin sliced beef brisket, and ox tongue. To supplement, we could not resist adding on the Gal Bi Gui  (marinated short ribs) and Bul Go Ki  (marinated prime ribeye), all of which the restaurant staff helpfully grilled for us tableside. No smokeless grills this time out; the heavy scent of grilled meats permeated everything.

Rounding out the non-meat items: the Hae Mool Pajun  (seafood pancake), the Chap Jae, a bowl of Soon Doo Boo Chigae, the Mae Woon Dduk Boki  (spicy pan-fried Korean rice cake with vegetable — pictured below) and one curious-looking bowl of purple (forbidden?) rice.

For dessert, cool bowls of Sujeonggwa, the traditional Korean sweet drink flavored by ginger and cinnamon, and dried persimmon – aha, the mystery ingredient! – garnished with pine nuts. The aromatic brew had the color of tea, but was technically not a tea, i.e., based on tea shrub leaves, but an infusion or a tisane.