Cycle 3 – Item 229

21 (Tue) August 2012

Kimchi Jjim

3.5

at The Kimchi Jjigae

-Sinchon, Seodaemun, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with W, DJ, MtG, KIT, YI + JD

Kimchi Jjim is a Korean dish.  Consists of whole napa cabbage kimchi, usually cut into quarters, braised in its own juices, plus stock, usually prepared in the kitchen and finished at the table as a hotpot.  Toppings often include sliced pork and dubu.  The kimchi is cut with scissors just before eating.  Because the emphasis is on the kimchi itself, the kimchi has to be good, often mugeunji or close to it.  The dish is a cousin of kimchi jjigae, which has less kimchi and more broth.

With still-tingling memories of KIT’s phenomenal gamja tang over the weekend (see 3.226 Gamja Tang), which featured the same kimchi, W and I were eager to visit The Kimchi Jjigae to try kimchi jjim at the source.  As usual, the kimchi was beyond reproach, still one of the best that I’ve ever had in my life, mouth-wateringly delectable at every bite.  However, the pork didn’t seem as good as it had at the cabin; despite being pork belly, the fattiest cut of all, it somehow managed to be a bit dry.  So, alas, the dish overall didn’t merit the 4.0 that I’d been anticipating.  But excellent nevertheless.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)