Samgeori Butcher’s in Hongdae
Samgeori Butcher’s is YG’s restaurant in Hongdae. Now. I don’t care about YG, but I like meat, and the place looked like it had a little kitsch value to add to the experience, so B and I decided to check it out earlier this week.
They did have an English menu, although I imagine most people can manage with a meat place menu in Korean. We ordered the set for two, which came with samgyeopsal (pork belly), moksal (pork neck from higher up, on the bone) and hangjeongsal (pork neck from lower down, near the shoulder). The set also included pujutgan donbap — the house kimchi bokkeumbap (kimchi fried rice) with a spicy chipotle sauce and pork, made with mukeunji, or ripe kimchi — and two lemonades or soju cocktails, a novelty for a Korean barbecue restaurant.
At the front of the restaurant is an open kitchen set up to look like a butcher’s shop.
This entire area — and actually most of the rest of the restaurant — was completely empty when we sat down. That changed quickly, when a bus of Chinese tourists unburdened itself of its load out front. See, this is YG’s restaurant, a fact which on its own may make it a worthy tourist destination, but because it is YG’s restaurant, members of the YG family are also regular patrons.
But back to the food.
Samgeori offers both pink and blue lemonade — both were good, but there may be a reason why it’s not caught on as a trend at barbecue places. I noticed that B and I both abandoned the lemonade completely once the food arrived. Lemonade’s strong flavors don’t really play well with savory food — it’s nice with sweets, because the tartness adds a balance, but meat and lemonade? I dunno. It was pretty, though.
The meat comes to the table wrapped in nostalgic newsprint butcher paper, which is one of the kitschy touches I was talking about. I got a reality check, though, when I went to unwrap the meat myself — it may have just been because the place was empty, but there were about six employees standing in a line near our table until the tourists came in, and it was somewhat unpleasant. There’s nothing I hate more than being babysat over my meat. I like to turn it when I think it should be turned, cut it the size I think it should be and eat it when I think it’s ready. Not a chance at this place.
The employees checked the hotplate with a thermometer to let us know when it was the optimum temperature to start grilling, which was nice, but the rest of the fussiness I could do with out — especially the massacre that occurred with the samgyeopsal. Part of the reason I wanted to give this place a shot is because I knew that they bring the meat to the table whole — grilling the meat whole holds in the juices and gives it nicer flavor. The samgyeopsal, though, after being grilled to a perfect, juicy golden-brown, was shredded by our waiter. The end result was like a really big version of those fake bacon bits people put on salads in the US. It was a shame, as well, because the rest of the meat was lovely, and I know the samgyeopsal would’ve been as well. If you decide to visit Samgeori Butcher’s, I suggest being firm with the waiters about handling your own meat — I wish I had.
The place offers all the usual trimmings, with the addition of two specialty house dipping sauces, one garlic and mustard and one myeolchi (anchovy). I had it backwards with this, because I was excited for the garlic and mustard and not so much for the anchovy, but the former was nothing too special, while the latter added a surprising richness to the meat. It was B’s favorite, as well.
The bokkeumbap was a bit of a puzzle. At first, we were really not impressed, but after we cut up the eggs and stirred in the yolk, everything started to taste a lot better, and the flavor grew on us the more we ate. It’s spicy stuff, which is a good thing at the core, but I don’t care for spice for the sake of it — if there’s isn’t an equally rich flavor backing it, you can keep it. I think as the temperature of the rice cooled and the flavor of the egg yolk soaked in, it just settled on the palate nicer. It was a massive portion, as well, so be forewarned. It would do as a meal on its own.
I really, really want to go back to try the gochujang, kimchi and budae jjigae (red pepper paste, kimchi and army stews). I will take a good jjigae over meat any day, and, as we were there at lunchtime, when most people stick to lighter fare, we were surrounded by delicious stew smells.
Other than the hiccup with the samgyeopsal, which could have easily been averted had I been more assertive, I would definitely recommend Samgeori Butcher’s for a night when you feel like meat, but with a slightly hipper atmosphere than the average meat place.
And if YG happens to be part of the draw for you, be sure to check out the YG restaurant complex in Myeongdong, YG Republique, which just opened in February. Over there, they’ve got a Samgeori Butcher’s, plus a pub and a cafe. It’s newly opened, so I think the celebrities are still dropping in pretty regularly to help promote the place. Maybe you’ll get lucky.
Samgeori Butcher’s Hongdae
서울 마포구 서교동 361-13
361-13 Seogyo-dong, Mapu-gu, Seoul
Monday-Sunday 11:30am-2am
