Category: Korean Restaurants

Man, talk about hot…..man, talk about us being wimpy….especially after reading that Death Valley recorded what might be the second hottest temperature ever! I mean, we've been getting mid to high 80's here in Bay Park and we're complaining. Though we don't have A/C…..we did purchase two portable units; but our place was built in the 50's…..before the time of air conditioning it seems. So, we've been kinda sweating it out. Usually, we'd be heading out, trying to beat the heat, with cooler dishes and some nice A/C. Which, well, just isn't possible this year. Still, I'd been wanting some Bi Bim Naengmyun, one of my favorite hot weather dishes. So the Missus told me to just go ahead and order takeout from Prime Grill.

Here's where it gets kinda funny….I call and order the Bi Bim Bap for the Missus and then try to order the Bi Bim Naengmyun. The woman on the phone quickly asks me how far I live from the restaurant. I tell her about 15 minutes and she says "too far away, bi bim naengmyun is no good after that time….too far away…..no good to order!" Wow…ok….. I guess some folks would get a bit upset; but I took her statement to mean that she wanted me to have the best experience with the dish. The Missus told me to order some Dak Bulgogi; so I went with that.

I drove on over to pick up our order and cracked up. Not only had the side portion of the parking lot Prime Grill shares been converted to what almost looked like a Pojangmacha! There was a huge sound system blasting in front of the restaurant which the folks sitting outside of Min Sok Chon were enjoying as well. A older gentleman was working with a saw on a couple tables…..more capacity for the outdoor eating area I guess.

I went up to the older woman who was working and told them I was here to pick-up my order. She quickly got it and as I was leaving told me; "come back and have the bi bim naengmyun here…." I had to laugh.

Anyway; I got home and unpacked things.

The Missus and I quickly realized that something was definitely missing when ordering this way. The bim bim bap had kind of lost its personality….. The rice had lost it's heat; the heat from fried egg had started making the other items slightly soggy. Of course; there would be no wonderful crustiness from a dolsot, but we expected that.

The panchan, specially the baechu kimchi, which Prime Grill usually does fairly well was missing a nice slightly funky, but delicious fermented flavor.

The Dak Bulgogi (BBQ Chicken) didn't have any caramelization and looked a not-so-appetizing grey in pallor.

In terms of flavor, it wasn't bad, but the texture was too chewy and gummy, and I missed the extra texture and charred deliciousness of some browned and crisp edges.

Perhaps we've been pushing our luck a bit with all of our takeout successes and this was a bridge too far.

I guess when I feel comfortable actually eating in a restaurant (parking lot); I may just give in and have the bi bim naengmyun…..might be more sooner than later if this weather keeps up. Probably not though…..

Prime Grill
4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

On a side note….we worry about Frankie keeping cool; so I bought a little swamp cooler for him. We get a kick checking on Frankie when we have it on……he'll cool off a side of his body; then move around to get another area cool. He's doesn't enjoy having a fan blow directly on him; so the gentle breeze of the swamp cooler does just fine.

What a character.

He is enjoying that little portable cooler.

Frankie hopes everyone is being safe and keeping your cool; physically and mentally!

He sure is…..

Thanks for stopping by!

 

In my post on doing Covid-19 takeout from Et Voila (man that was May, but it just seems so long ago); "FOY" Jason mentioned Woomiok, which, shortly after opening became a favorite of the Missus. It just seemed too hot for Woomiok at that time. But when the weather cooled down substantially a few weeks back….well, it was time for the Missus to get Her fix.

I placed my order online, then went over to pick my stuff up. It was ready right on the table at the designated time. I paid and then hele'd back to my car…then home.

We basically went with the Emperor's Soup ($18.99) the bone broth with oxtail, brisket, ox knee, cheek meat, shank, and king mushrooms. Of there's kkakdugi and baechu kimchi, a nice portion of rice and some noodles. Salt and scallions completed the package.

Along with some veggies, this was actually enough for both the Missus and I. The cheek meat and the tendon like ox knee were favorites of the Missus. I enjoyed the very beefy oxtail.

I actually heated the soup up in our dolsot and got it good and boiling. We did need to add a bit more salt than what was provided, but that was fine.

The baechu kimchi wasn't bad; but definitely less fermented in flavor than I prefer. The kkakdugi (radish kimchi) was nice and crunchy; somewhat refreshing in a way. The Jangahjji (pickled peppers and radish) also really added to the meal.

This was perfect for the Missus whose stomach was bothering Her after eating all that spicy stuff from Village Kitchen for several days. In fact, the Missus had me order this three more times over those two weeks! At times; I'd just have whatever bone broth that was left over and mix it with rice and the noodles as sort of a porridge…..

Then of course, it got really hot and even though the Missus was wanting more bone soup, was really much to "atsui" for it. And then I saw Bossam ($34.99) on the online menu….I swear it wasn't there before. It had been a while sine we had decent bossam; Grandma's Tofu (Halmouny) used to be our favorite in San Diego, but the last time we had; things were just not the same. I just decided to order it.

Just take a look…..man, this was so much better than I thought it would be!

The pork belly had been nicely simmered; with a bit more soy sauce flavors than what I'm user to in bossam. Also, while it looked really fatty; this was very tender, not waxy, and definitely not greasy. The oysters….something that we're just suspicious of in this dish, was fresh with no off flavors. 

This came with two large portions of rice and also baechu kimchi….way more than we could eat.

There as also the standard and much needed garnishes; shrimp paste, bean paste, and sliced raw garlic (which the Missus just loved on this), jalapenos, and especially Musaengchae (thinly sliced radish kimchi). The napa cabbage had been brined; which changed the texture and added another layer of flavor.

It made for some very nice bites indeed!

So, it looks like we've got a new favorite for bossam in San Diego….and no; it's not like what we had at Samhae Jip in Seoul, but it's pretty darn good in it's own right.

A quick hint if ordering online….I'd recommend ordering a bit ahead of time. Often, pick-up times close to when you place your order aren't available.

Woomiok
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

The Missus is already considering ordering the Assorted Boiled Beef in Stone Pot (a favorite of ours at Woomiok) for take-out. Mid-80 temps be damned!

Thanks for the "Woomiok reminder" Jason! What would we do without all of our great "FOYs"?

After our recent meals at Prime Grill; the Missus mentioned Grandma's Tofu and BBQ. And while I thought that She was thinking of the Heokyumso Jeongol (Black Goat Stew) from Halmouny, the Missus was actually thinking about the Modeum Bossam, something that we hadn't had in maybe…..five years! Perhaps our visit to Bossam Alley in Seoul kinda put a damper on things…..

But now, finally, the Missus was wanting the Modeum Bossam again and we headed off to Grandma's. Upon getting seated and opening the menu; we noticed something right off.

Notice the fine print – "rice and Korean side dishes not included". So, no rice or panchan with the bossam dishes anymore. Still, we went ahead and ordered the Modeum Bossam.

I quickly noticed another thing when the plate of porkiness arrived….the usual napa cabbage had been replaced by regular boiled cabbage. Yeesh….what's with all the cutting costs going on?

Anyway; everything else was in order, from the fermented baby shrimp, to the pink salt, to the chilies….though the amount has been cut down….to our favorite garnish here; the fermented bean paste. The kkandugi (radish kimchi) was actually quite good….heck even the low quality oysters were fine.

The Missus didn't care for the soondae, the blood sausage which was really mushy, sticky, and metallic in flavor this time around.

The pork belly was more tender than it looked, with a nice porkiness. The pig's feet was the best item as it had a decent, soy sauce flavor, a very mild sweetness, great swine-iness, and that texture……that only a trotter lover would enjoy.

So while there was a bit of disappointment….no rice, no panchan, regular cabbage; the meal turned out fine in the end. I'm thinking we'll need to order something else in addition to the Gul and Jokbal Bossam. I think the Missus is finally over trying the soondae here.

Grandma Tofu & BBQ (Halmouny)
4425 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

 

I know most folks think of Korean BBQ when one mentions Prime Grill…..I mean, "grill" is in the name of the place, right? But for the Missus and I, PG has been a place to get Bi Bim Bap and Bi Bim Naengmyun when the mercury soars here in San Diego. When things cool down a bit, it would probably be Seolleontang from Woomiok or Heokyumso Jeongol from Grandma's that would come to mind. But now, the Missus has another favorite; the Mukeunji Daejji Galbi Jungol from Prime Grill.

It's a dish that uses "Mukeunji" which is poggi kimchi that has been aged at least six months. It's got a much stronger fermented flavor and is what we eat at home. Along with Daejji Galbi; braised pork ribs; which here add a nice porcine touch to the dish. There's a couple of huge pieces of kimchi that is sliced before placing the pan over the heat. Throw in some nice and meaty king mushroom, tofu, enoki mushroom, ssukgat – what I grew up calling "shungiku"; chrysanthemum leaves, and some rice cakes, this makes for quite a comforting meal.

We enjoy the leftovers even more; as the pork tends to add much more flavor overnight. I add in even more aged, fermented, kimchi…the good stuff, minced maneuljong muchim, the potent kimchi garlic scape, daikon, watercress, and tofu, and we have a heck of a second meal.

It's one of those dishes that tastes even better the second night……

Though it's pretty darn good at the restaurant as well.

Prime Grill
4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

So, now that things are cooling off; what dishes are all you nice folks thinking of?