The Food:
In general, I am a huge fan of Korean Food. The many different flavors, spices, and textures of Korean cuisine never fail to disappoint, so I was very excited to try this Seoul Korean BBQ & Hot Pot – 2080 S Havana St, Aurora, CO 80014.
As soon as we ordered our food, a young man with a cart pulled up and placed 12 small plates on our table. Each plate was piled high with traditional Korean sides from kimchi to marinated tofu skins to slightly strange-looking fish jelly. These types of small plates eaten alongside the main meal are referred to as Banchan in the Korean culture.
As our food began to arrive, the space on our table quickly lessened, and we understood that we had ordered way too much, but let’s be honest by no means is that a bad thing (I love me some leftovers).
The first dish that we tried was Chapchae(Stir-Fried potato noodles with beef and vegetables). It was everything you could possibly want from an Asian noodle dish. Perfectly cooked chewy noodles, a sweet and savory sauce, and big chunks of Stir-Fried beef made this dish shine.
Next up was the Kimchi Mandu-guk(Beef stock with beef and kimchi dumplings). Unfortunately, this was one of my least favorite dishes. Although the broth was very well-seasoned, the filling in the kimchi dumplings was dense and oversalted.
We then turned our attention towards the meats we had ordered: Bulgogi(Thin slices of spicy marinated beef) and Heumit-gui(Thin slices of beef tongue). The exciting thing about eating Korean BBQ is that you are usually required to cook the meats yourself. There is a grill built-in to the middle of your table specifically for this purpose.
We started by cooking the bulgogi. Although very flavorful, the meat had a very grainy texture as the marinate was very thick and pasty. Nevertheless, the beef had a great balance between a delightful sweetness and a mild kick of heat, which surely made up for the slightly off-putting texture.
The beef tongue was next up on the agenda. The ribbons of thinly sliced beef tongue were arranged so perfectly that I did not want to break this piece of meaty craftsmanship.
After cooking the beef tongue for about 8 minutes in total on the grill, the thin slices were ready to eat. I dipped my piece into some soy sauce and enjoyed. First of all, the quality of the meat truly stood out. The fat marbled throughout the meat rendered beautifully on the grill which made the meat very tender. If you have ever had beef tongue before, you know that it has a unique irony flavor. This slightly metallic taste is something I frankly enjoy, and this interesting taste along with the richness and juiciness of the beef tongue made this one of my favorite dishes of the night.
In general, I am a huge fan of cold soups, and although there was no need to cool off considering it was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside, I was craving some and was delighted to find Mool-naengmyum(Sweet potato noodles in iced beef broth) on the menu. And boy was I happy I ordered it. The broth was really delicious and had a very pleasant sweetness. The sweet potato noodles were very thin and chewy and were a perfect addition to the broth. The slices of cucumber and the hard-boiled egg along with the strips of tender beef truly elevated and completed this dish. In general, the Mool-naengmyum was wonderfully refreshing, yet had a very satisfying quality, making this dish my favorite of the night.
The Experience:
Overall my experience at Seoul Korean BBQ & Hot Pot was wonderful. The 12 small plates at the beginning of the meal(banchan) are awesome. They allow you and whoever your eating with to try a variety of traditional Korean side dishes. You may be very familiar with some of these dishes, or they might be brand new. You may love some or you may hate some, but the wonderful thing about Banchan at Seoul Korean BBQ is that you get a little culinary sneak peek into a wide variety of traditional Korean foods.
A unique aspect of Korean Barbecue is grilling the meats at your table. Although some may prefer the chef to cook the meat, I believe grilling yourself creates for a more exciting and enjoyable meal. From passing around the tongs with your buddies to eating the juicy, charred pieces of meat straight off of the grill(and sometimes burning your mouth because of it), the food experience is surely elevated.
The service itself was good. Our waiter tended to us promptly and the food came out quickly, and in my opinion, that’s all that I really need.
Overall Rating:
Seoul Korean BBQ & Hot Pot is a great place to go with both friends and family. A genuinely fun experience meets equally delicious food in a traditional Korean feast. My overall rating is 4.6 stars out of 5.
