Surprisingly authentic Korean in Madison!
My boyfriend and I were craving Korean on the way back from the Dells and decided to swing by on a Sunday evening for some Korean grub. The place had a good mix of patrons so we felt good about our decision. Given the cold weather, we decided that warming ourselves up with some jjigae/soup would be an excellent decision.
We ordered:
- Beef Soondubu: I'm kind of used to small mom and pop Korean shops to use the standard stock you find at Korean super markets. However, this place's broth was surprisingly flavorful and rich. I loved the generous portion of tofu and vegetables - however the beef in the soondubu was a bit lacking. What was present was pretty tough. Nevertheless, I gobbled up the entire bowl of jjigae and ended up warm and happy.
- Gamja Tang: Pretty authentic gamja tang. We went with the spicy soup and there was a heft amount of pork and potatoes. My boyfriend was a a little bit annoyed at how little meat was on the bone of the pork and left a little bit hungry after our meal.
I know that sometimes Korean shops are a bit rougher around the edges in terms of service, but the ajummas that served us were very nice and made sure we always had enough napkins, banchan, and water.
Overall, I'm definitely a fan of the soondubu - and the portions for the bulgogi/kalbi from our neighboring tables seemed quite hefty. Some minor edits to the food would earn this place a 5 from me!