Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Korean mini-braai cooking
HAVING to cook your own food seems to defeat the purpose of eating at a restaurant, but in this case it’s a wonderfully fun and different experience. And at least you don’t have to wash the dishes after.
I’d known about Galbi for a while, but for some reason had never been. When looking for a place to take my friend Mr Shine – who is always up for a bit of fun – I turned to Zomato, where I found Galbi had several glowing reviews. I booked immediately.
You’ll find the restaurant inside the little mall in Long Street, but I’d suggest you rather enter from the Bloem Street side, around the corner. It has pretty fairy lights lining an alley and it’s a much more interesting approach. Inside it’s quite basic, with wooden tables and benches, but there is a great, noisy vibe (note: booking is essential). In the middle of each table is a hole, and once you order your food, a waiter will bring a bucket of coals and a grid which fits neatly on top. This will be replaced during the course of your meal as it becomes sticky with marinades.
The concept is based on Korean galbi houses where meat – usually ribs – is cooked this way. At our Galbi there are Korean as well as South African inspired dishes, most of which you will grill yourself. Tongs are supplied, as are knives, forks and metal chopsticks. The meats are served in 100g portions so you can have several different kinds and with a few side dishes it’s one of the best sharing experiences you can have, whether you are a party of two or 20.
The meat is usually cut in thin slices across the bone which allows the marinades to penetrate faster, make it tender and cook more quickly, and easier to eat with the chopsticks.
Because it’s a mini braai at the table it should all come rather naturally and you have no one to blame but yourself if your meat is overdone. Mr Shine and I did quite well until our last piece of sirloin, which I messed up.
Some starters, like Mr Shine’s beef jinmandu (R50) which are similar to empanadas, are pre-made in the kitchen. Others, like braai broodjies and my haloumi and rosa tomato skewers, you grill to perfection yourself.
For your main courses, you can choose from a wide range of meats – sirloin, fillet, lamb, kudu, warthog, pork, ostrich, even zebra – as well as chicken, fish, and tofu. Each has a different marinade, but only the lamb is particularly spicy.
Our waiter, Sibusiso, was one of the most knowledgeable and helpful I have encountered anywhere and he knew that menu back to front. Once we began cooking, he arrived at the table unbidden with a bowl of lettuce leaves and showed us how to eat the meat and kimchi with them, Korean style. Utterly delicious.
We supplemented our meats with too many side dishes: the kimchi of course, grilled zucchini with parmesan and pine nuts, sigumchi (spinach), and pajori (spring onion salad). It was quite a feast. With a bottle of Cloof ’s Very Sexy Shiraz (R155) our bill came to just R505 without a well-deserved tip.
Prices are ridiculously reasonable, and look out for Korean wines, teas, and cocktails made with soju, a distilled beverage containing ethanol and water. It was an excellent night out.