Given my pick of eating out anywhere in Chattanooga, chances are, I’ll opt for the Seoul Korean Restaurant out at Lee Hwy and 153. It is delicious, fresh, healthy and interesting food, all served in an incredibly clean setting. Here’s a spread from a recent lunch at Seoul — those three little bowls are a kimchi sampler that comes with every meal (I have got to learn how to make some!), and in the foreground is a seafood stew and some rice. I’ve had this same entree on several occasions and it’s different every time (depending on what’s fresh at market, I assume), but always a delight and filled with things like shrimp, fish, squid, clams, tofu and lots of veggies.
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Alice, I love your food porn. It’s been too long.
Also love Korean fod which is sadly lacking here in the Capital District. However, NYC is just a short ride away and has some pretty darned good Korean. I can never get past the Korean BBQ (love those little individual charcoal braziers) to try things like this though. Looks so good.
I’ve never tried Korean. How does it compare to, say, Japanese?
I don’t have much to compare it to, because Japanese cuisine isn’t something I’ve really sought out — my experiences with it have been a bit weird. Japanese cuisine is a bit heavy on the ginger for my tastes. But I think Korean food is more like Thai — it relies heavily on fresh vegetables and hot spices (if you like that kind of thing) or vinegars and soys (if you don’t like the heat).
Lucy, where do you go in the City for Korean? I make it up to NYC once in a while and would love to have a Korean place in the queue for the next time…
To Lucy- There are a number of Korean grocery stores in the Capital Region.
I will have to look up the name – being sadly not very facile with asian language, the names do not stick in my head.
We searched out a resto in that section around midtown (in the 30’s) where there are tons of korean places, but we found one of the few that still use actual charcoal instead gas braziers. Great stuff.
I undertand that actually Queens is now where the supreme Korean restos are but I never go out there, myself.
I find the Korean BBQ to be unique in asian food – they marinate the meats or veggies, and then you cook to your liking (rare, med rare, well done, whatever) and compose your meal with condiments which include kim chee, and other various sauces. They serve with lettuce leaves to wrap everything up in – very fresh and delicious flavors.
Nothing like the ubiquitous Japanese hibachi tables which are more for entertainment.
kenmon – yes, if they would only open a decent Korean restaurant…what is the prob? There are two or three mediocre ones, but none with hibachis, that I have found.
Ok – here it is:
New York Kom Tang Kalbi House
32 W.32nd St (between Broadway and Fifth Ave)
It is NYTimes Top Pick…do you know abou ttheir restaurant search function? If you go to Dining and wine page, you can search by location (NYC only), cuisine type, price range and whether it is Top Pick. I have found great leads for all sorts of restaurants by searching Top Picks. I have to say they have not yet lead me astray. I found that if you don’t want to spend alot of money or deal with the big name places, it is a great way to navigate the bewildering NYC food scene. There are many excellent reasonably priced places.
Much of the Korean foods are hard for me to eat because I can’t have very spicy foods. So naturally I live with someone who was born in Korea and is always jonesing for his home cuisine. Now that his mom is gone I wish we at least had a good Korean restaurant here…
Beep, this particular restaurant is very good at customizing the spiciness of the food based on individual customer preferences (of course, as far as I’m concerned, the spicier the better — and I have a cast iron stomach, apparently!). And apparently good Korean restaurants are hard to come by. I feel lucky that we have one here in Chattanooga!
Lucy, thanks! I’ll check it out next time I’m in the City!