Man, yesterday sure was a hot one! I walked out of the office to grab a quick lunch; this wasn't too far from the shore mind you….and it was pretty darn hot.
We usually get a couple of days in September or October that's pretty nasty….but this is June! Lot's of records set……
Heat usually dampens our appetite and this hot day was no different. We really didn't want to stay at home and stew in our juices, so we went through our options for dinner. If this was, say 2011, the choice would be obvious; it would be Ba Ren for Sichuan Liang Mian and Ko Shui Ji, but those days are long gone. Thai Papaya was one of the possibilities, or even some Gyokai Natto Don from Izakaya Sakura. In the end, the Missus made an interesting choice; Buga. While the Yukwe Bi Bim Bap and the Bi Bim Naengmyun had been among our favorite versions in San Diego; our last couple of visits after the ownership change had not been particularly delish. Still, it had been two-and-a-half years. It was time for a revisit.
It was interesting as the place always look empty from the street, but the parking lot was quite full on this day, as was the restaurant. The folks working here were really nice, in spite of basically running from table to table.
We placed our order and soon enough the panchan arrived right before the food we ordered.
On our previous two visits, we were thoroughly unimpressed with the panchan. This was totally different. Perhaps it was the fact that the cold dishes were nicely chilled, but I gotta say, the baechu (napa cabbage) kimchi had a bit of fermented flavor and the gobo (burbock root) glazed with a nice sweet soy based sauce was very good; earthy, salty, and slightly sweet. Those two items were the highlites.
Of course the Missus went with the Yukkwe Bib Bim Bap…..still served with the rice on the side.
I know the Missus was wishing for something like She had at Gogung in Insadong. But while the meat was sliced a bit too thick, it was nicely chilled, very fresh, with no off flavors. There was quite a pile of vegetables, which, when combined with the chojang made for a tasty dinner. I know as I got to finish off what the Missus couldn't.
Of course I ordered the Bi Bim Naengmyun, which looked different from what I'd had here before. The noodles were thinner and there was quite a bit of sauce/soup.
This might have been the best I've had at Buga. The noodles were perfectly elastic and stretchy; the sauce spicy-sweet-salty-savory…the Missus enjoyed the egg. A simple yet refreshing dish; perfect for a scotching day.
All finished with Sujoenggwa, the persimmon-cinnamon drink; still a bit too sweet for our taste, but throw in some ice cubes and it was just what the doctor ordered.
After having a couple of not so great meals here a few years ago, we were pleasantly pleased and surprised this time around. I guess Buga is back on our list.
Buga Korean Restaurant
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
So, what did you eat to beat the heat this past week?
lots of cold noodles for me too, glad this didn’t disappoint ๐
Oh, please stop sweating about the heat. ๐
It was better than on previous visits Kat!
I’m not sweating Billy! I’m eating!
It sure was hot! I made hiyashi chuka at home paired with an ice cold Sapporo.
That sounds great Junichi!
Glad Buga’s better.
And you folks are complaining about heat?! 120 here on Sunday.
Yay for Buga! We had garden salads with chopped boiled eggs at home.
Well Ed – You know we’re soft since we never had to walk five miles to school barefoot in two feet of snow, uphill both ways…..
That sounds great CC! Something cool and satisfying!