I Speak Korean...Bulgogi, Kalbi, Bibimbap

By Lu

Kalbi, on the charcoal grill

That is the extent of my Korean vocabulary. Well, I actually can also say "how are you," "good bye," "thank you," "I'm thirsty," and lastly.."I'm hungry!!" However, don't ask me to write them. I wouldn't know how to spell these words in Korean characters nor the Latin alphabets. It's good enough that I could pronounce them!

However, the most important words are the trifecta.."Bulgogi, Kalbi, and Bibimbap!" I hope you know me well enough to know that these are definitely food items. Bulgogi is thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce based marinade, and then grilled or pan fried. Kalbi, is short ribs of beef, also marinated in the same concoction. Bibimbap is the equivalent of fried rice for Koreans, except this is a melange of rice, vegetables, meat, a fried egg on top, and seasoned with Korean red pepper sauce (kochajang), usually served in a hot stone bowl.

People who aren't familiar with Korean food may not think that Korean cuisine would be that delicious. After all, it isn't as well known as the Japanese's sushi or the Chinese's General Tso Chicken. Yet, if you get yourself familiarized with Korean food, you will learn that it is so tasty, and on top of that, it's really healthy. My ex husband, Mark, used to only eat pepperoni pizza, pretzels, and taco. Now, he can say that he loves Korean food. That's just a light year ahead from what he was before.

Dining at a Korean restaurant is an experience in itself. It is so much fun! Koreans are known for their barbeque..and when you go to a Korean restaurant, more than likely you will get something extremely fresh and hot, right off the grill.

I first had Korean food back home in Indonesia. My parents are big foodies. My mom is quite prominent in the Jakarta culinary world, having been pegged as the Indonesian traditional cake (kue basah) expert. She teaches various classes in several culinary centers in Jakarta and Bandung. My dad, he loves to eat and to try out new restaurants. He first took us to a Korean restaurant (Gang Gang Su Lai) when I was in junior high and that was the first time I saw a grill on the table.

Tina and me

Then, I got even more familiarized with the cuisine when I met my friend, Tina years ago. Well, she's Korean, and her mom cooks crazy delicious Korean delicacies. She was the one that taught me those words too. Her mom at times even forgets that I am not Korean. She will speak to me in Korean until she realizes that I have that deer in headlights look on my face.

I've known Tina for years and through her, not only I expanded my fondness of Korean cuisine, but I also expanded my circle of friends. I'm grateful that through Tina, I got to meet Sandrine, Rebecca, Marilou, Scott, Dipak, and all my other foodie friends.

Tina's mom taught me how to make Kalbi, Bulgogi, and Bibimbap; and, I will never forget it. She taught me once, and I can make it without looking up the recipe.
Here's the marinade recipe (for about 2 lbs of meats):

• 2 cup soy sauce (light soy sauce if you prefer to stay at the healthier lower sodium style)
• 1.5 cup regular cola soda (between 3/4 of a can or a whole can depending on how sweet you want it).
• 5 stalks green onion/scallions, sliced thinly
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbs toasted sesame seeds
• 1.5 tsp sesame oil
• salt and pepper per your taste

Remember, no exact measurement here, and you can't go wrong. All you have to do is mix all the ingredients, and then marinate the meat in it. Just make sure the marinade covers your meat. To ensure that, use a container, and lay the meat one by one. On each layer, pour some marinade. That way, you know that every piece will be seasoned. If you don't have enough marinade, make more!

To make Bulgogi, you want to choose beef that are thinly sliced such as those intended for Philly Cheesesteak or Italian Beef. Kalbi meat are usually sliced thicker and it has the rib bones. The easiest way is to go to a Korean grocer, as they would have the meats cut purposely for these applications. But if not, you can always make do with any type of beef. The cola is a great trick that Tina's mom, Soon, shared with me. The fizz helps break down the meat so it is tender, and the sweetness adds to the flavor. Plus the sugar from the corn syrup helps the caramelization when you grill them.
Once marinated for at least 1 hour (overnight is best, and you can always freeze the marinated meats), you can cook them on the grill or pan fry it on a stove top. Best way is to cook them on a charcoal grill of course!

When you go to a Korean restaurant, it is so much fun as you will have to grill the meat on the table. You have to take shower and febreeze or wash your clothes afterward since you will smell like smoke, but it is part of the experience. Yes, you have the choice for the restaurant to cook it for you in the kitchen, but what's so fun about that? The pleasure of eating food so freshly cooked and hot off the grill is also unmeasurable.

Panchan/Side Dishes

Further, you will get little side dishes to eat with your meal. They will bring a whole bunch of these tiny portioned of various offerings and you would be like.."Uh, I didn't order those." Relax, they're free and must have. These side dishes are called "panchan," and mh..mh..mh...they're good. It can be pickled radishes, or boiled spinach dressed in sesame oil, fish cake cooked in soy sauce, anchovies cooked in chili sauce, sea weed, potato salad, and the most famous one is kimchi. Kimchi is pickled napa cabbage that has been fermented and spiced. It is an acquired taste, but for those who like it, you can't eat Korean food without the kimchi.

Dolsot Bibimbap

Dolsot (means: served in hot stone bowl) Bibimbap as I have mentioned above, is basically rice, and they add the bulgogi or kalbi on top of it, some of the panchans, vegetables, a sunny side up egg on top and they will serve it in a stone bowl that was heated and sizzling when they bring the dish to your table. The idea is the rice keeps cooking as you eat it so it stays hot, and also make the rice on the bottom crunchy to add to the texture of this already layered dish. To spice it up, you mix the kochajang red pepper sauce to it, and just mix it well. It tastes superb! You can get the stone bowl at a Korean grocery store if you would like to make this dish at home. Tina's mom taught me that before using it for the first time, you want to boil them in salted water for a couple hours to condition it. I have two bowls and I use them often! However, even without the stone bowl, Bibimbap is still yummy.

I do have to thank Tina for all the exposures I received in enjoying this delicious cuisine through the years. Also, I'm grateful for the friendship she shares with me for all those years. She is convinced we are all friends with her only because of her mom's cooking. Well, I think it has something to do with it, but I believe it is more because she is as good a friend as Korean food. If I go to a Korean restaurant alone with non Korean people, I think they tried to be easy on us, and serve only some panchans so we didn't get scared. But if I went with Tina, the panchans could fill the whole table! Yes, it is the same as my pool of friends since after I knew Tina, it has expanded as the panchans expanded in quantity on the table! No complaints there.

I can say Korean food is on top of my list of cuisines I love. I even made Bulgogi and broccoli panchan for my host parents' Dale and Cherryl's wedding. I made loads of it and every body loved it.

If you live in Chicago, San Soo Gab San in Western Ave in Lincoln Square neighborhood is one of my favorites. My other favorite place is recently closed down..but I hope they will re-open. It is called Kang Nam Kalbi at Kedzie and Lawrence in Korea Town. Kang Nam used to serve spicy and non spicy Kimchi. They also give you a complimentary pancake (which I love and at times go there just for it). I took my cousin, Joanna, and her husband, Josh, to San Soo Gab San, and they were thrilled. I think Josh agreed with me that it was an experience all by itself.

Anyone can build a patio? Tina said if someone can build a patio for her, she will make her mom cook some delicious Kalbi and have a patio building picnic this summer. Anything for Tina's mom's Kalbi :D

I hope I inspired some of you to try Korean cuisine. Not only that it's delicious, healthy, and fun to eat; but you can also brag that you're so sophisticated and learned a new language. Bulgogi, Kalbi, Bibimbap!

Kamsa Hamida (Thank You).