Hwanghaedo Mandoo Jeongol: Excellent Meat Cooked Tableside in a Mild Broth, Pair with Scallion Kimchi, Steamed Cabbage or Ice-Cold White Kimchi Juice

I had always driven by Hwanghaedo Mandoo Jeongol on Western and didn't think much of it but I'm so glad I stopped by because it is a hidden gem. It specializes in a type of bulgoki cooked in a broth instead of grilled on a pan. Bulgoki is thinly sliced beef primarily marinated in soy sauce, garlic and sugar -- a classic Korean dish. It is cooked table side but as mentioned, this version was cooked in a dome-shaped grill with broth on the rims. Throw in lots of onions to add more sweetness and some squash and you have yourself a hearty and delicious meal on a cold, winter night.

Ok, LA isn't exactly winter weather but it does get chilly at night! More than anything, I was ecstatic I had finally found a good meal. I recently had a string of bad food experiences and was beginning to wonder how long the streak would last. I am usually not big on ordering bulgoki when I eat out because the quality of the meat is usually not great so it ends up being these balls of fat that taste salty and sweet drowning in a greasy marinade. The meat here was good quality -- it tasted fresh and no nasty balls of fat. The broth it cooked in was mild so there were a lot of ways to enjoy the meat, as is usually the case with Korean BBQ. The side dishes, or banchan, were solid too. Dongchimi, a cold, white kimchi enjoyed in the winter, came with floating, crushed frozen broth -- perfect to balance the meat. This type of kimchi hails from North Korea, which is where Hwanghae Province, the restaurant's namesake, is.

What about the works? This place has you covered. It has the standard red leaf lettuce and ssamjang, a mix of fermented soybean paste, red pepper paste, garlic, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Add a dollop of ssamjang into a lettuce leaf with a morsel of meat in it. It also had this excellent soy-sauce-based juice with pickled garlic, onions and jalapenos that added amazing flavor to the cooked meat since it was very lightly marinated.

It also had steamed cabbage with fresh jalapeno slices to add heat to your mini wraps. Again, you could make each bite different.

Speaking of different bites, the restaurant also offered Vietnamese rice papers that we could soak in warm water provided in a bowl with all these fresh vegetables and a hot sauce. I must say, I didn't care much for these fresh rolls and the hot sauce wasn't as good as the ssamjang or the kimchi on the table. Plus, the soaking thing was a bit cumbersome. But nice in concept and a different touch.

My favorite banchan was the scallion kimchi, or pa kimchi on the upper left of the above image. It was the perfect accompaniment to the bulgoki. There were also yeolmoo or radish stems kimchi and kongbiji, a stew made of soy beans seasoned with kimchi and pork. I was very focused on the meat so didn't have much of the stew but it is another one of those heart-warming comfort foods.

Speaking of comfort food, this place's version of egg custard was equally solid with a nice custard-y consistency and seasoned just right. 

Other banchan included this scallion pancake that wasn't anything special. There was a bit too much flour versus actual vegetables, in my opinion. Besides, I consider these a distraction when having meat. It's all about the meat!

They also had kkakdugi, or radish kimchi, which I didn't like, and bean sprouts, which were a mild addition to the strong flavors on the table.

For the finale, you could choose to add vermicelli like we did or add rice to make juk, or rice porridge in the broth with the remainder of the meat. I chose the noodles. It was odd that the vermicelli would be the actual meal much like nengmyun (cold buckwheat noodles after galbi ribs) since vermicelli or dangmyun in Korean isn't really a meal. I considered it a part of the bulgoki. Next time, I may try the porridge. The vermicelli mixed into the broth and meat added a very chewy texture and I liked it. I had a very satisfying meal, indeed.