Cheese Galmagi-sal in Taehwa-dong

 

If you did a search for the Korean word “갈매기” in a Korean dictionary you’d find a shocking translation of “Seagull” However, you will not find any seagull meat here. 갈매기살 (pronounced “Galmagi sal”) is roughly translated as bits of pork skirt steak and it is delicious.

This regular looking restaurant located along Taehwa-dong’s “Bulgogi Street” seems normal enough. However, if you read the sign in Korean you will see a word that does not belong “Cheese” That is right,cheese and bbq’d pork! Cheese galmagi-sal is something just strange enough to be awesome.

What makes this dish even better is that it is rather cheap compared to most samgyup-sal restaurants these days. At 3,900 a portion (100 g approx.) and a minimum of 3 portions to start, it is not a bad deal. Sure there are cheaper places out there, but do they include cheese?

The meat is cooked over coals just like any other place but around the coals are dishes that will heat up and gently melt the cheese as well as cooking the beaten eggs. It all sounds like a strange mixture of flavours but trust me when I say that it is really good. If you are not full by the end of your first order you can also order single portions of meat or the usual rice and dwengjang soup.

The pro tip for cooking the meat perfectly (according to the owner) is to “roll” the meat constantly, instead of flipping it like you would samgyup-sal. When finished cooking you can place the meat in the warming tray around the outside to rest, warm, and not burn.

To find “Galmagi Mok-Jang” head down from OMK bikes towards the Taehwa Soccer Pitches. Take a right and look for building number 21. All of of the restaurants in this area are numbered. As you go right (away from the Taehwa park, coffee shops, etc.) the numbers will decrease. So just look for number 21 and you will be fine.

Our meal came out to 24,000 won and consisted of 3 portions of meat, 1 bottle of coke, 1 bottle of beer, and an order of nangmyon (icy noodles). Not a bad deal and my wife and I were both really full. The staff are really friendly and I highly recommend this place. Over the next few months, Ulsan Online will be exploring different areas around Taehwa-dong. If you have any suggestions leave them in the comment section below.