something to write home about.: Galbi...another word for heaven.

As most of you know, I've been a vegetarian for the past two and a half years. I haven't been perfect in those two years and there were definitely a few times when we first came to Korea that I ate some type of meat without realizing it was meat until after. However, the past few weeks I had been really wanting to try galbi, one of Korea's most popular dishes. I mean, there is a good chance that we will only be in Korean once, so why not try one of its most famous dishes? I didn't want to go back home and regret not trying it while we live here. And to be honest, I had really been craving meat the few weeks leading up to this, so it seemed like the perfect time to try it.

So, we made plans with some of our friends to try it out on a Friday night after work. The galbi restaurants have tables with built in barbecues, so you barbecue your own meat. There is the option to sit at a high round table or sit on the floor at a long rectangular table. Since there was five of us, we opted for the ground (plus you feel way more Korean sitting on the floor). You tell the waiter how many portions you want for the galbi and they bring out hot coals to put under your grill. They also bring out a ton of side dishes like lettuce, rice, a fried egg, raw garlic, raw onions in a broth, a sauce to dip your meat in, and various types of kimchi. Then they bring out the bowl of raw meat, tongs, and scissors. You place one slab of meat on the grill at a time and when it is almost done you cut it up into small pieces and everyone grabs the pieces straight off the grill with their chopsticks. You eat slowly, waiting for each piece of meat to cook, so you can really focus on the conversation and catching up with your friends.

The galbi was way better than I ever imagined it would be. So incredibly juicy and the perfect combination of sweet and savory. It is also good put into what I like to call a gabli burrito, which is a lettuce wrap filled with a little bit of rice, galbi, sauce, and some onions. Pretty delish. I am definitely going to get some more before we go back home.