PrintSeolleongtang, Ox Bone Broth, from Gahm Mi Oak
If I didn't have friends to guide me while eating a late dinner at Gahm Mi Oak, I wouldn't have known what to do when faced with the giant bowl of seolleongtang. Gahm Mi Oak is known for this traditional Korean dish of ox bone-based broth filled with thin slices of beef brisket, noodles, and rice; you can see the giant soup vats where bones simmer for hours in the back of the restaurant. It's served unsalted, hence the pot of salt on every table. Not used to salting my own food aside from the rare judicious sprinkle from a salt shaker, I felt a bit uneasy wielding a heaping spoonful of sodium that could potentially ruin my dish. "You'll need more," one friend said. "Maybe you should taste it first," said the other. After putting in a few spoonfuls, I tasted the broth; it needed more salt.
When I finally found the right salt ratio, I was rewarded with a slightly rich broth unlike any other beef broth I've had. The milky soup, while bland without salt, had a minerally and meaty flavor that came out with the salt. The additional chopped scallions added some crunch and mild onion flavor. It may have been better on a cold winter's night, but it was perfectly satisfying during that mild summer's night.
Besides the seolleongtang, I'd also go back to Gahm Mi Oak for their spicy radish kimchi that they cut into pieces at your table, straight out of the pot. I couldn't specifically tell you what was special about that kimchi, but considering it made me realize that I really like kimchi after having recently spent a week eating loads of it in South Korea without any sort of kimchi epiphany, I hope that's enough proof of its tastiness. Or maybe I was just really hungry. I'll confirm after making my second trip.
And if you're worried about whether or not you'll be able to freshen your ox broth-and-scallion breath with gum, have no fear; they give you gum at the end of your meal. I can't tell you what makes it charming though.
Gahm Mi Oak
43 W 32nd St, New York NY 10001 (b/n 5th and Broadway; map)
212-695-4113
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18 Comments:
I love this place!!! Great Seoulleongtang for a decent price, and their Soondae isn't bad either.
vivosergirl at 11:08AM on 06/16/09
someone once told me that they asked the manager and they said they use a Korean cider to sweeten up the kimchi...
i've heard someone else say they think they put a lot of shredded Korean pear into it to sweeten it...
in any case, the kimchi there is definitely sweeter than the kimchi you'll find in other places and that's probably the biggest difference..
sushiburger at 11:15AM on 06/16/09
@sushiburger: Thanks for the info! I guess I like sweet. :)
Robyn Lee at 12:31PM on 06/16/09
Sushiburger, that's interesting what you say about the Korean cider/pears. But I have to say that Gahm Mi Ok's kimchi is definitely not sweeter than a lot of the other K-town restaurants. Have you ever tried BCD Tofu's kimchi? It's like eating dessert! Gahm Mi Ok's kimchi is the perfect level of sweetness (at least for me) and has the perfect level of fermentation -- a bit carbonated, but not too sour. They would make a killing if they did a kimchi business.
missneedle at 12:47PM on 06/16/09
@missneedle - I use to think that too... until I bought a big bag of Gahm Mi Ok Kimchi.... I have Kimchi in almost all my meals... and eating Gahm Mi Ok kimchi for all your meals is not a smart thing to do.. the sweetness is overwhelming after 3 or 4 straight meals w/ it..... also, i agree with you on BCD.. their kimchi is very sweet as well, and Gahm Mi Ok is much more balanced, but I guess my point was that it is sweeter than traditional kimchi you have in Korea..
Also, the way you sweeten kimchi makes the outcome different.. and i'm not skilled enough to know / taste exactly how.. but i'm sure that has something to do with one being preferable to another despite both being on the sweeter end..
sushiburger at 2:08PM on 06/16/09
I haven't had kimchi in Korea for close to 30 years. So you're probably correct that GMO's kimchi is sweeter than Korean kimchi. But a lot of the kimchi I've had at restaurants in K-town have been really on the sweet side for me. Perhaps Korean-Americans like their kimchi on the sweeter than Koreans?
Oh, I totally agree with you that the type of sweetener and how you sweeten makes a huge difference. BCD's kimchi -- the sweetness is more one-note. GMO's kimchi's sweetness is more of a rounder flavor.
missneedle at 2:27PM on 06/16/09
Just reread your comment. Wait! How did you buy a big bag of Gahm Mi Ok kimchi? They sold it to you? And for how much? I've heard that they refuse to sell it to customers. If it's true that they're selling it, it would totally make my day -- no, year!
missneedle at 2:33PM on 06/16/09
@missneedle - hahaha i actually got it from a friend of mine... his mom is apparently friends with the owner or something along those lines.. and he gave me a bag... not sure what other way there might be to get it.. i guess "i bought" was the wrong term to use... "i got" is more like it... i apologize for the confusion..
but in any case... honestly.. ended up throwing out half of it.. I just can't have it that often.. you get sick of it fast...
sushiburger at 3:12PM on 06/16/09
I royally ruined the soup with too much salt, don't make my mistake
fressagirl at 3:33PM on 06/16/09
Sushiburger, lucky you! Hey, next time you get a bag of it, I'll gladly take the other half off of your hands. : )
missneedle at 3:37PM on 06/16/09
As an FYI.. my friends says that there are some places in Flushing and Pal Park Jersey that have kimchi almost exactly like Gahm Mi Ok, and those places actually sell you the kimchi. Not sure how trustworthy it is, but i guess it could be worth a shot. I never asked gahm mi ok, but i guess it couldn't hurt to just ask...
sushiburger at 3:43PM on 06/16/09
love gahm mi oak's sul long tang. they have the best kimchi and kkakdugi (radish) in ktown. i always thought it was less sweet than the rest on 32nd. modum bossam (oysters, pork belly, lettuce), soondae (blood sausage), brisket, tongue and tripe are excellent as well. liver, not so much.
gastrodamus at 6:27PM on 06/16/09
why did you spell it like that??? Where did all the Es come from? suhl lung tang seems so much more sensible.
Haelee at 10:40AM on 06/17/09
@Haelee: If I learned anything from writing posts about Korean food it's that spellings of Korean words drive me insane. (It'd also be easier if I actually knew Korean, haha.) Sometimes the standardized spelling doesn't really sound like...what it sounds like. Anyhoo, I try to use spellings that are widely used/standard, hence seolleongtang, even if suhl lung tang or sul long tang or sul lung tang or sol long tang (I could probably keep going) seem more sensible.
Robyn Lee at 10:50AM on 06/17/09
Roboppy- I give you props for trying! There is no "right" way to phonetically translate something!
Their kimchi used to taste even yummier way back when. I dunno what's changed but it still is decent!
You can also ask for a non Korean menu. It has photos ;)
Ambitous at 11:08AM on 06/17/09
Seollongtang is the perfect winter lunch. I know this amazing place...but it's in Seoul. Come on over and I'll show you: probably the second best kimchi I've had in my life. I was once told by a Korean foodie that, because of sulleungtong's blandness, the measure of the soup is in the quality of the kimchi, which provides a counterpoint for the broth. This means the best sorleungddaeng restaurants go for broke on the kimchi, and if you ever find a restaurant with only soolrungteang on the menu, try the kimchi there.
roboseyo at 11:52AM on 06/17/09
They used to sell their kimchi at Gam Mee Ok, but I heard they stopped doing that. It's a shame. And @fressagirl, next time you screw up, you can let them know, and they'll give you more soup to mix. They won't mind, unless you make it a habit of course.
bionicgrrrl at 11:59AM on 06/17/09
that innocuous salt on the tables is MSG salt!
avisualperson at 5:36AM on 07/07/09