For a hearty meal at a low price… Baekjewon Old Bulgogi

For a hearty meal at a low price…

Baekjewon Old Bulgogi

The foods that best represent Korea include kimchi, bulgogi, and bibimbap. Among them, bulgogi, a dish of sliced meat marinated in sweet soy sauce and then barbequed, is the favorite of foreigners. ‘Baekjewon Old Bulgogi’ located in Dongchun-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, follows the ‘Seolamyeok’ recipe, the original bulgogi, to recreate the traditional Korean-style dish.

Writer Lee Hyun-joo

Photographer Jeong Dong-myeon

Entering the restaurant, servers in clean uniforms greet the guests with a big smile. The neat interior makes the place look like an expensive Korean Table d’hote restaurant, making some guests worry about breaking their budgets. Their worries, however, subside when they see the menu. The prices for ‘bulgogi,’ a recreation of the traditional Korean taste, and the warm ‘Hanu (native Korean beef) healthy broth’ are both available for a modest price.

What to choose from among these delicious dishes?

The most popular dishes at the restaurant are the ‘Hanu bulgogi,’ ‘Hanu healthy broth,’ and ‘bulchobap.’

‘Hanu bulgogi’ presents a fantastic flavor, with its sweat sauce, vegetables and chewy glass noodles. Be warned, however. By choosing this dish, bulgogi addiction is a very real possibility. ‘Hanu healthy broth’ is a dish that hikers of Cheongnyangsan Mountain line up to enjoy. After preparing a base soup by boiling Korean beef leg bones with hanu (ribs, chuck rolls, sirloin, etc.), the base soup is reboiled with doenjang (soybean paste) and radish tops. The rich flavor from the broth of beef leg bones and doenjang is what makes the dish so outstanding, very different from ordinary ‘healthy soups’. If you want a unique taste, try ‘bulchobap.’ Bulchobap (which is a sort of sushi) is made by putting a slice of prime beef on top of a marinated rice ball. Then, a servant comes to your table and cooks the meat with a torch. The sight of the blue flame sizzling the meat is spectacular. Bulchobap is a dish that satisfies eyes and mouths. After the meal, you can enjoy a cup of warm citron tea, sikhye (sweet rice drink), omija tea, or coffee as dessert.

Polishing rice every day to make the ‘freshest rice,’ where rice buds come alive

Although ‘Baekjewon Old Bulgogi’ just opened this March, it quickly became famous for its ‘delicious rice.’ Using the ‘rice polisher’ at the entrance of the restaurant, ‘Baekjewon Old Bulgogi’ pounds and polishes its rice every day. The bud of the rice used in the restaurant is alive, presenting a delightful flavor. Rice bran from the polisher is handed out to guests for free. Manager Choi Mi-ae commented, “The main concept of our restaurant is ‘health.’ All dishes are prepared ‘healthy.’ For instance, we grind whole anchovies and shrimp to make them into powdered seasonings used in all of our broths. All seasonings we use are natural, and we only serve handmade foods to our guests.” There is a saying, ‘The ultimate Koreanstyle is the ultimate universal-style.’ If you want to try the most universal-style food, you should visit ‘Baekjewon Old Bulgogi’ where bulgogi, the most Korean-style food, is prepared using only traditional recipes.