Samgugji - Campsie

I do love Tuesdays, mainly because that's the day that my dad gets a day off from toiling away in the kitchen. Despite that, most Tuesdays, you can still find him in the kitchen cooking a feast for us and our family friends. And that's why on the rare occasions we decide to go out for dinner, I'm especially happy because I get to see him sit down and relax for once. Our family only ever goes to a few regular places and this Tuesday, we decided to visit our Korean BBQ favorite.

Upon arriving, we were shocked to discover that the Korean restaurant we've been frequenting had been replaced! Samgugji (formerly Se Jong...the non-buffet one) still looked rather promising so we decided to go in anyway. Luckily, our uncertainty was put to rest as despite the name change, we could still identify the same familiar faces we've seen for years. The staff sure did remember us as without a hitch, we got to ordering all our usual dishes.

Not that the food was bad before (quite the contrary, it's always been really good) but I have to say, it's really gotten better since the change, The Ban Chan (side dishes) were the usual dishes but were of a discernibly higher standard. First to come was our BBQ platter and the first thing on the hot plate was my personal favoured cut, Chaedol Baegi (sliced beef brisket). Only needing a slight singe on the hot plate, the stuff is amazing when had with a steaming bowl of korean rice and bountiful Ssam Jang (Soybean paste).

Next came the seafood pancake which offered a nice, carby side to our meat. The Mrs absolutely loved this place as much as my family does and there's a reason why: they do really good pancakes and dumplings. Unfortunately, I was so absorbed in eating that I didn't take a photo of the dumplings but I did get a good snap of the pancake! Notice that despite it's thickness, the pancake still had the nice and crispy bumps that gave each bite a satisfying crunch.

We also ordered the beef soup (yukke jang) and I got my own bowl of Jya Jyang Myung (black bean noodles). The beef soup is perfect for this cold weather, the spice giving it a good kick to flavour the beef, spring onions and chewy potato noodles.

 I was apprehensive when ordering my noodles as the signs clearly said 'Lunch Only' but decided to give it a shot anyway. The boss lady (who was taking our order) had gave me a look when I asked but then smiled and let me have it anyway! I felt so special that I demolished it all (almost) without sharing.

We then finished our meal with more and more meat (as you do). We ordered the pork belly as an additional order and honestly, no regrets there. The thinly sliced bits of porcine goodness go really well with the sesame oil/salt mix they provide. If you don't have enough, you can always make more with the condiments available to you on the table.

The steak was amazingly tender but nothing compared to the beef ribs we had. They were cooked to a perfect medium and coated with a charred and sweet marinade. The fatty bits nearest to the bone were the best...especially when you don't have to share cause no one else would want it but you. As we always do, we finish with Bulgogi which I have to say has improved a lot. I think it may be my personal preference talking but it was spectacularly juicy and tender.

I'm so happy to see the restaurant still serving amazing food after all these years and although they might be experiencing a bit of a transitional period from the name change, I'm confident they'll come back to and exceed their former popularity if they keep serving food as good as I had this Tuesday night.