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Went on a trip to South Korea and I stumbled on a hidden gem—a BBQ grilled unagi restaurant in Yangpyeong, about a 1h ride out of Seoul and accessible by public transport. Who knew that Korea had unagi too?! Instead of slathering it with the sweet and unctuous teriyaki sauce like the Japanese do, the Koreans grill the freshwater eel and eat it wrapped in lettuce with kimchi and other vegetable banchan side dishes. It’s a glorious mix of fresh, tangy and smoky grilled deliciousness—truly unagi like you’ve never had before! One thick slab of eel (fresh, and not frozen, mind you!) that was big enough to feed 3 cost about KRW63,600 (SGD$73.25), which is a bit on the pricey side but still more affordable than the unagi in Singapore. Plus, you get free flow side dishes, vegetable pancake, barley tea and service by the staff who cut, grill and barbecue the eel for you! One of the most memorable meals I had in Korea, and it’s really unique, unlike the usual run of the mill Korean BBQ or fried chicken fare you get. Plus, it’s grilled on charcoal (which is rare to find in Singapore), adding a delicious smoky grilled flavour to the eel! Check out my video review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HYuVRduPkAY now!
To our surprise, the staff at the restaurant brought out a plate of pancakes and gave it to us free of charge when we ordered our food. It’s naturally tinted a gorgeous emerald green colour from the veggies they mixed in with the batter, with bright orange from julienned carrots, and literally a feast for the eyes. Slap it on the grill and it turns a wonderful crisp golden brown on the outside. This was literally the BEST side dish we tried in Korea! Check out my video review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HYuVRduPkAY now!
Another one of the interesting side dishes we were served as part of the free flow banchan was this chopped up lettuce with a heap of greyish sauce on top which tasted like tuna. Doesn’t look the most appetising but it was surprisingly good! The closest thing I can relate it to is some kind of tuna salad coleslaw?! 😛 Check out my video review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HYuVRduPkAY now!
We were served a sumptuous spread of free flow side dishes (called banchan in Korea) including acorn jelly, and this fresh green vegetables that comes seasoned with a salty slightly sweet and spicy sauce. (I have no idea what it is called but it is really refreshing and tasty! A great palate cleanser and way to eat your greens even when indulging in a BBQ hehe) 😋 Check out my video review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HYuVRduPkAY now!
Have you ever tried ACORN JELLY? No? Me neither, before I went to South Korea. Apparently acorn jelly, called dotori-muk, is a popular side dish served at restaurants. It tastes a bit mild and has a bouncy jelly texture, kind of like agar agar, and is usually served chilled and topped with some sauce. Quite a refreshing side dish, especially when paired with heaty BBQ in the summer! This was one of the unique banchan side dishes that were served FREE FLOW at the Unagi restaurant we went to! Check out my video review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HYuVRduPkAY now!
We found this restaurant called Sandre Nongwon Freshwater Eel at Yangpyeong, just 1h outside of Seoul, where they had the most delicious grilled eel. You can also add on BBQ pork shoulder, which we did, because everything was so delicious! Can’t remember exactly how much it cost, but it was pretty affordable (less than SGD14) for one thicccc slab of juicy, succulent and well-marinated meat! 😋😋😋 Check out my video review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HYuVRduPkAY now!
