10 Korean Foods You Must Try

What's up everyone, this is Steve with Rockstar Eater, and in this unique episode, I'm going to be talking about 10 of the must-try dishes that you must have if you were to go to any authentic Korean restaurant. Now this is designed to be a beginner's guide for those who have never really had Korean food before. Or maybe you've had Korean food before, but then you've walked into a Korean barbecue restaurant, had some of the short ribs, as well as the beef brisket, and maybe even some kimchi and some rice and some of those side dishes that they give you at a Korean barbecue restaurant. But then other than that, you don't really know what Korean food is. And like I said, this video is designed to help you so that if you were to walk into a Korean restaurant, let's say a non-barbecue restaurant, you were to open up a menu and you see the dozens of items laid out there, all looking so foreign to you, and you're just wondering, which of these should I order? Which of these are good? Well that is what this video is designed to do, and I want to help you to pick some of the best Korean dishes that you can get if you were to go to a Korean restaurant. Number one, mandu guk. Mandu guk is dumpling soup that's boiled in a beef broth, and sometimes it's also accompanied with these thinly sliced rice cakes, as well as this shredded beef and shredded scrambled eggs that's added on top of it. It's a simple dish, it's really popular during New Year's Day when Korean families gather together and they eat this stuff. It's really something that you should try if you want to try some authentic Korean soup. So if you see this at a restaurant, then I would recommend, get this dish. Number two, galbitang. Galbitang is short rib beef soup, and it's the meat that they use for Korean barbecue short ribs, but rather than grilling it, they boil it in a soup in order to make a soup out of it, and oftentimes it is accompanied by radish to give it a very nice taste as well. And this is actually another one of my favorites as well that I love to eat at home and eat at Korean restaurants as well. So if you love soup, especially beef soup, and you see this on the menu at a Korean restaurant, then go ahead and order it. You can thank me later. Number three, pajeon. Pajeon is basically Korean pancake. It's made with flour, eggs, scallion, and it's very popular with two different choices. One of them is seafood, and another one is kimchi. But at the very least, I would recommend that you get kimchi pajeon, kimchi pancake. It has a really nice crispy texture to it, and it just feels so good in your mouth. I mean, especially with that kimchi flavor that gives it a slightly spicy and slightly sour taste to it. It's an awesome addition to any meal that you can order at a Korean restaurant, so please take my word for it and order this dish if you go to a Korean restaurant. Number four, bulgogi. Bulgogi is basically thinly sliced beef, usually made out of sirloin, and it's cooked with a soy sauce that's kind of sweet, and when it comes served to you, oftentimes you'll see that there's a lot of broth inside of it that kind of cooks out of it. And it's a great, great meal that you don't necessarily have to get in a Korean barbecue restaurant. If you go to a non-Korean barbecue restaurant, they will serve it to you as a lunch or dinner item. You pack that in with some rice and some kimchi and all that other banchan, which is side dishes, and you've got an awesome meal there for you. So this is one you definitely need to get, especially if you are a meat fan. Number five, sundubu. Sundubu is spicy tofu soup, usually made with soft tofu, and that's cooked in a spicy soup where you can adjust it according to however level of spiciness you like it. I usually like to get my medium because I don't like to burn my mouth, but however way you like it, it is an awesome dish to get, and it's usually accompanied by your choice of seafood or beef, or you can get both of them. This is something that I would highly recommend that if you like tofu and you like spicy soup, then this is a match made in heaven. See this on the menu? Get it. Number six, bibimbap. Bibimbap is basically rice that's mixed in with cooked vegetables, assorted vegetables like spinach, bean sprouts, shaved carrots, mushrooms, and it's all kind of mixed together with some sesame oil, as well as the sauce called gochujang, which is a sauce, like a red kind of sauce that kind of gives it a little bit of a spicy flavor to it. So you put it in and you mix it all around and basically, bam, that's your meal and you eat it just like that. It's also another one of the more popular, actually casual Korean dishes that you can try. So if you've never had bibimbap before, then this is something that I would recommend, especially in a Korean restaurant that can serve it to you in a stone pot where the rice is out sizzling. So don't miss this one, especially if you are a rice fan. Number seven, japchae. Japchae is sweet potato noodles that's cooked and that's mixed with other vegetables as well, such as with spinach and mushrooms and carrots, and oftentimes they do add in some shredded scrambled eggs as well, topped with some sesame seeds. Japchae is one of the more popular Korean dishes that you can eat, even as a side dish in many Korean restaurants, but this is something that would even make for a nice light meal So if you see this on the menu and you are a noodle fan and you really love that sesame flavor, then I would recommend that you get this dish if you go to a Korean restaurant. Number eight, ddeokbokki. Ddeokbokki is spicy rice cakes. It is these rectangular shaped rice cakes that are cooked in this spicy thick sauce that has two distinct flavors which you taste in your mouth, the spiciness and the sweetness. This is a popular dish that's found all over Korea, and if you go to big cities, or even small cities in Korea, you'll find them as part of street food, and they do serve these in Korean restaurants as well. So if you like spicy, you like rice cakes, and you see this on the menu of a Korean restaurant, then go ahead, order it, you'll love it. Number nine, seolleongtang. Seolleongtang stands for ox bone soup. It's a soup that's cooked with the bones of an ox, and it takes hours in order to make the soup. And after they filter it out, it makes for a very smooth, clean taste, and they top it off by putting some cooked radish inside, beef flank, green onions, and then you have a nice meal right there, served of course with some rice on the side, and maybe even some kimchi. This is a dish that I would most recommend, especially if you like galbitang, then this is also another dish that kind of tastes like it, but is just as good. Don't miss this dish if you go to a Korean restaurant. And finally, number 10, samgyetang. Samgyetang stands for ginseng chicken soup. It's basically a Cornish hen chicken that's stuffed with Korean rice, ginseng, and some other ingredients, and cooked in a soup, which makes a chicken soup Korean style. And it's a very filling dish, and it's really a great thing especially to have on a rainy day or if you are sick, but all around it is a great dish. You probably see a pattern by now that Korean food is really known for its soups, and indeed Korea makes some of the best soups in the world, and samgyetang is no different. If you go to a Korean restaurant and you see this one on the menu, and you are a chicken fan, especially a chicken soup fan, then this is the dish for you. Well there you have it, with 10 of some of the most popular things that you should get at a Korean restaurant, 10 must try dishes. Like I said, there's so many more Korean dishes out there that you can try, but if you start with these 10 popular authentic dishes, then you can't go wrong. It's cheap, it's affordable, and it's very satisfying. So I hope that helps you in your search for finding some great Korean food, especially when you go to a Korean restaurant. You open up the menu, and you have no idea what to order, then pick these 10 suggestions. Well we hope you enjoyed this episode of Rockstar Eater. If you've liked this episode, and maybe you find it to be very helpful, and maybe somebody else can benefit from this information as well, then please do consider liking and sharing this video on your social media. And also please, if you can subscribe to Rockstar Eater, that is the best way to support this channel as well as to get content on a weekly basis as we put out new episodes on Thursday. Just hit the subscribe button at the bottom of the screen, as well as the notification bell to the right, in order to get alerts on new videos that come out every Thursday. Well there you have it, my name is Steve once again from Rockstar Eater, and I will see you next time on this show.