Strong flavors, special sides delight stomachs

  NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin ChoSun Galbi restaurant,
located on 3330 W. Olympic, serves a variety of Korean cuisines
that will satisfy any palate.

By Sophia Whang
Daily Bruin Senior Staff ChoSun Galbi Restaurant
Entr̩e price range: $6.99 Р$19.99
3330 W. Olympic Blvd.
Open everyday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
(323) 734-3330
Rating: 4.5 (on a 1-5 scale)

Diners will never be so happy to air out their clothes for
weeks. Located in Koreatown in a restaurant with a fusion of
interior design styles, the food promises to be traditionally
Korean. Tantalizing fumes from its traditional barbeque dishes
being cooked on individual grills will seep into diners’
clothes while delightfully pleasing their stomachs. It’s an
exciting place to gather with friends or family, to be able to cook
meat together on the built-in grills, and share the communal-type
side dishes. Side dishes include white or brown bean rice; turnip
or seaweed soup; pickled, fermented cabbage, called kimchee; a
variety of steamed and seasoned vegetables; and sometimes spicy raw
squid and crab, depending on the season. These side dishes are like
the bread or chips and salsa served at some other restaurants. They
come completely complementary, and there is no limit to how much
diners can request. The flavors of these dishes accompany the main
courses wonderfully and will make chopsticks reach eagerly for
more. But a reminder to not get full off of them ““ leave room
for the main course. Barbeque choices consist of beef, chicken and
pork, flavored in a traditional soy sauce marinade. The galbi,
rectangular beef strips attached to the bones, are tasty and the
flavor is satisfying. The bulgogi, thinly sliced beef, is also a
delectable choice when diners easily wrap them in lettuce with rice
and bean paste sauce. The mul neng myun, a traditional chilled
Korean noodle dish, comes in either the half or whole portion and
is light but filling, and sweetly enjoyable. The soups also come
Korean-style, spicy and boiling hot in a stone pot. The broth is
always filling and refreshing and the vegetables fresh. Also
complementary is a rice drink, called Shi-kae, that is served after
the meal. It is a traditional drink, made with rice and sugar, that
takes weeks to make. It is difficult to think of taking in anything
more by the end of the meal, but its sweetness ends the experience
perfectly. Korean food is a healthy choice; the meats and marinades
are low in fat and a variety of vegetables accompany the meals.
ChoSun Galbi provides this alternative to meat-eaters and vegans
alike, while sharing a part of the Korean culture. Not only is the
quality of the food impressive, but the quantity makes the
restaurant an even more obvious choice. Undoubtedly, the strong
flavors of garlic, bean-paste, raw delicacies and fermented
vegetables can be acquired tastes, however for the first or the
hundredth time, this Korean food experience will not
disappoint.