2.190

14 (Thu) July 2011

Eopjinsal

2.0

at Noksaek Hanwoo

-Suwon, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

with KHJ and PHY

Eopjinsal (업진살) is beef brisket cut into small chunks.  Not very common in Korea, where the brisket is usually shaved thin, in which case it’s called “chadolbagi.”

Indeed, the meat was kinda tough.

One way to have quality Korean BBQ here in Korea for relatively cheap – though of course by no means actually cheap – is the hybrid butcher shop/restaurant.  In a separate area of the premises, often at the entrance, meats are displayed behind glass much like at a butcher shop and sold at or near market prices.  Customers purchase meat and either take it home with them or eat it in the fully-serviced restaurant section, usually for a small “seating fee” of around 5,000 won per person, which covers the typical array of side dishes, while other menu items (e.g., rice, soups, noodles) and beverages are charged at regular restaurant prices.  Because top grade (1++) hanwoo (한우) (Korean beef) is so expensive – between 8,000-12,000 won for 100 grams (about US$30-$45 per pound) at the market, and around 50,000 per 150-gram serving (around US$125 per pound) at a restaurant – these hybrids offer a bigger bang for the buck.

At tonight’s venue, however, the meat prices weren’t quite at store rates but still significantly lower than what it would cost at a comparable restaurant. The one-notch-below-top-grade (1+) brisket was 30,490 won for 242 grams, or 12,600 won for 100 grams, although its market price would probably be about half that.  Thus, the whole butcher shop thing – even the meat was brought to the table in shrink-wrapped packaging – was something of a ploy.  Then again, they didn’t charge a “seating fee.”

(See also FOODS.)

(See also PLACES.)