2.197

21 (Thu) July 2011

Obulsa

3.5

at Haenam Ojingeo

-Hannam, Yongsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with exchange students from Stonybrook University

Haenam Ojingeo (해남오징어) is a Korean restaurant.  Specializes in squid (ojingeo) dishes.  Something of a local landmark.

Their signature dish is obulsa.  The name is a portmanteau of “ojingeo” + “bulgogi” + “sari (noodles).”  The squid, marinated in spicy chili sauce, and bulgogi, marinated in a sweet-soy-sesame sauce, are cooked together in a long shallow pan at the table, along with the noodles and heaps of sliced scallions and bean sprouts.  The result is a hodgepodge of contrasting-yet-complementary tastes and textures.  Optionally, the individual bites may be wrapped in lettuce leafs.  Optionally, at the end, the leftover sauce in the pan may be used as a base for fried rice.  In my experience, I’ve never seen this combination elsewhere, not by this name, so I’m wondering if the dish might be unique to this particular restaurant.  24,000 won for a double serving, which is a bit skimpy (the photos shows 4 servings), and 2,000 won for each bowl of rice. A fine meal.

(See also FOODS.)

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