Yoogane Dak Galbi serves a very specialized dish in Myeongdong and it happens to be one of my favorite Korean dishes. It’s the epitome of comfort food with it’s robust flavors and it goes perfect with beers and soju. There are many Yoogane restaurants around Seoul and South Korea. What makes Yoogane so special? It serves Dak Galbi.
I’m from the Los Angeles area and there are an excessive amount of Korean restaurants. There’s practically a Korean BBQ spot on every corner of Korea Town with a Korean pub on every other corner. However, there is only one Korean restaurant that serves Dak Galbi out of all those restaurants. Why? It’s a dish that’s very hard to perfect.
This location is in the popular shopping district of Myeongdong and it was fully packed when we arrived for dinner. Yoogane Dak Galbi wasn’t packed with tourist but with locals. Locals packing a restaurant is a big sign of how good the place is. The service is good and they had English menus. The decor consisted of your typical Korean restaurants, which is wood tables and seats. The ambiance was loud and lively as any Korean pub. Yoogane has a salad bar.
Now, the Dak Galbi. The ganjang marinated chicken is cook in a pan in front of you like Korean BBQ. There’s an outer circle for cheese fondue which you dip the Dak Galbi in. The abundant onions and veggies are mixed in with the chicken. In addition, there’s a sweet chili paste added to the chicken for a little spice to the dish. The spice isn’t overbearing like a street vendor. It’s there for flavor.
Yoogane Dak Galbi is extremely comforting and soothing. There’s a number of different textures and flavors encompassing the dish as you dip the cooked chicken into the cheese fondue. The sweetness and flavors of the chili paste with a barely noticeable salt from the ganjang then there’s a mild milky flavor of the cheese with the elastic texture. In addition, the onions still retained its sharpness even though it’s close to being caramelize, which adds another level of sweetness.
Overall, Yoogane Dak Galbi needs to come to Los Angeles so I don’t have to fly to South Korea to get Dak Galbi. The only restaurant in Los Angeles that serves Dak Galbi has a line now thanks to David Chang. Thanks for letting the world know my secret spot, David. Well, at least, I drank my disappointment away in Itaewon.
Check out our other Seoul articles here.
- Service - 7/107/10
- Presentation - 7/107/10
- Flavors - 9/109/10
- Decor - 7/107/10
- Ambiance - 7/107/10
Summary
Yoogane is your typical Korean restaurant with its service, decor and ambiance. However, the Dak Galbi is where it sets itself apart from other Korean restaurants. Dak Galbi is all over South Korea, but it’s a very dish to come by in the dish due to the sauces. It’s a must stop for cheap comfort food in Myeongdong for it’s robust flavors.
