Rice platter with pork served at the Kangnam BBQ Sports Bar & Grill.
All right, I confess: I’ve never quite learned how to use chopsticks. On occasion, I’ve even asked for a fork at Asian restaurants, conceding to my lack of coordination and cursing my inability to entrap slippery noodles between two uncooperative sticks.
My culinary tastes lean toward the simplistic. Meats, potatoes, the occasional fruits and vegetables and some breads satisfy me. That’s not to say I don’t try new foods — I’ve eaten some Chinese foods that typically aren’t part of American cuisine, and I’ve had haggis in Scotland — but take some meat and cheese and wrap it in a grain substance like bread or a tortilla and I’m golden. However, I’ve started to get bored with eating the same foods. There’s a whole culinary world out there, and I’ve only tried a small slice of it.
Realizing this problem, I decided to check out the new Korean barbecue restaurant I’d been hearing so much about, Kangnam BBQ Sports Bar & Grill, out on Route 1. I’d never had Korean food before — I don’t think the Korean barbecue at the dining hall counts — and I was eager to try it. On Friday evening, two friends and I headed down to the restaurant, which was brightly colored and featured collages of K-pop stars smiling down at us from the wall.
The three of us ordered two dishes to share: Korean barbecued beef and a platter of noodles, vegetables and kimchi. Our waitress was friendly and cooked our meal right in front of us on a stove built into the table. While we watched our main meal cook, we received soup, salad, various dipping sauces and some version of an egg — all part of our entrees. It turns out that Korean restaurant meals are often served with banchan, or side dishes. These were the first of many.
I also wanted to try the Korean alcohol — not recognizing any of the names, I picked one at random, Makguli, and was brought a rice-based drink with the appearance and consistency of milk. It’s served in bowls, so I took hold of my bowl as if I’d finished eating my breakfast cereal with some milk leftover. It was unlike anything I’d ever tasted: somewhat sweet and very refreshing.
I needed all the refreshing liquids I could get once I tried the kimchi, which is generally a spiced cabbage dish, and the noodles and vegetables. Not usually one for eating cabbage, I nevertheless tried the most famous national dish of Korea. It’s spicy and sour, with the expected crunch of the leafy vegetable. It’s an acquired taste, but it wasn’t bad at all.
The main beef dish was my favorite. It was some of the best flavored beef I’ve had in a long time, and it’s served with grilled onions and rice. Our second dish of spicy noodles and vegetables sent me calling for multiple water refills. All the while I fought with my chopsticks, mostly succeeding at using them, even if it was a bit sloppy and earned me laughs from everyone else.
After our main meal, we had a plate with some fish and one with jeon, which resemble small pancakes. They are pretty tasty and can be made with all combinations of meats and vegetables.
Full and satisfied with our meals, we divided the bill when the waitress came back and said they had coffee or a cinnamon drink. Seeing us hesitate, she laughed.
“It’s free,” she said.
Just when you think you’re done eating and drinking at Kangnam, they bring you more.
Overall, I had a great experience with my first taste of Korean food. The beef was some of the best I’ve tasted, my random beverage choice turned out to be pretty good and the spicy noodles along with various other vegetable-based dishes were tasty and filling. Kangnam has a friendly environment and is unique among College Park restaurants. It’s definitely a pricier dinner than stopping at Chipotle or Applebee’s, but it’s not unreasonable and comes with a lot of food.
I will definitely be back, and next time I just might be able to use chopsticks the right way.
