Gold Pig (Geumdwaeji Sikdang) - Seoul (Korea)
Korean barbecue probably rivals kimchi as the Korean food that westerners are more familiar with. And while there is much more than that to explore in the country, I was extremely excited to try Korean barbecue in its motherland.
If you ask around the city where to go for your K-barbecue fix, Gold Pig will inevitably come up. The place is a reference in its craft, and the never ending waiting list at the door is a testament to that. The restaurant works mostly with YBD pig, a crossbreed between Yorkshire, Berkshire and Duroc. This is due to the fact that Duroc is not commercially advantageous for farmers (as the animals are too small).
However, the restaurant does farm around 5 Duroc a week, and we were lucky enough to try it. That meant that we were able to taste the subtle differences between the hybrid breed and original Duroc, which made the overall experience even more special.
We were served a variety of cuts, including pork loin, belly, shoulder and neck, all of which were unique in their own way, with different textures and flavors. But they also had many things in common besides being delicious: All of them had a good balance of fat and somehow did not make me feel too heavy after such a massive meal.
The signature pork belly, aged briefly with the bones for additional flavor, is well deserving of all its praise. I also really enjoyed the pork skin, served here as a creative dessert, in a more chewy texture that did not provide the crunchy element typical of pork skins, which brought an interesting surprise factor for me.
Their grilled basil was also flavorful and aromatic, pairing very well with the pieces of pork and the array of sauces available. But the quality ingredients and perfect execution are not the only reasons why a meal at Gold Pig is so special. The vibe of the place is also off the charts and the communal aspect of eating this way with a nice group of people made everything even better.
Gold Pig is the type of restaurant that should be on anyone’s list of places to eat when in Korea. It could also be the single reason to buy a plane ticket there.
(Versão em Português nos comentários)
