Korean Restaurant List

Galbi, Korean Barbeque Ribs

Perhaps the biggest attraction from Korean restaurants is the barbeque. When you think about Korean barbeque, you are usually thinking "Galbi."

Galbi (or kalbi) generally refers to a variety of "gui", or grilled dishes, in Korean cuisine that is made with marinated meat. In the Korean language, galbi literally means "rib" and can often indicate uncooked ribs. In addition, the dish's full name is galbi gui, although "gui" (grilling) is commonly omitted to refer to it.

Galbi is often served in restaurants and the meat is cooked right at customers' tables on grills set in the tables (cooked usually by the customers themselves).

Galbi is usually served with lettuce and a spicy dipping sauce called ssamjang. A spoonful of rice, a piece of galbi, and a dollop of ssamjang wrapped up in lettuce is a taste of some of the best flavors in Korean cooking. Galbi is popular as both Korean picnic food and restaurant food.

Tteokguk is a Korean Dish Commonly Made for the New Year

Tteokguk is a well-known Korean dish to eat on New Year's Day. It is predicted that people have to eat Tteokguk because it is predicted to grant the luck for the forthcoming year and for him or her to gain an extra year of life. Having one bowl of Tteokguk in the morning of New Year's Day means that you become one year older. The first day of the New Year is the new beginning for all creation.

Koreans start eating Tteokguk cooked from white rice cake (Tteok) to symbolize the day's pure and solemn nature. Why is rice cake round? Some people say it was shaped after coins to bring people prosperity and some people say it means the sun. According to a 19th century handbook on traditions, the tradition of eating rice cake soup dates back to the late 18th century.