WORDS David Mowery
The food scene in Montgomery has grown exponentially in the past few years. We have a fine array of upscale and downscale options: “authentic” southern cooking, enough meat and three options to choke a horse, and enough chains to delight the taste buds of anyone who wishes they lived in Orlando. We also have some off the beaten track options that this column will seek to explore over the next few issues.
When Hyundai arrived in Montgomery it was the biggest industrial recruitment project in Alabama history and it paved the way for a cross-cultural dialogue that had occurred much in the region. Did you know there are over 10,000 Koreans living in the River Region?
As a young man, my dad was stationed in Korea. We were lucky enough that it was an “accompanied tour” which meant that I got to spend my 11th Birthday on a Northwest flight from SeaTac to Seoul. This was even pre-Gameboy, so my entertainment options were my Walkman and two trusty cassette tapes: George Michael’s “Faith” and Poison’s “Open Up and Say….Ahhh.”
What does all of this have to do with food? Well, while everyone has their favorite go-to Chinese place, many enjoy Hibachi and Sushi nightly at several locations, and we even have Lao, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants in Montgomery, how many of you have eaten at one of the Korean restaurants in our city?
My dad worked for something called The Combined Field Army, which meant, essentially, that his boss was a Korean General – General Han. He was stationed at Camp Red Cloud in Uijongbu and we lived on Yongsan in Seoul. Aside from having half days the entire first two weeks of school, my best memories are about the meals we had.
Meals varying from high-end dinners with a wood-fired cooking pot in the middle of the table to make your own Kalbi (short ribs) lettuce wraps, to meals with my dad, his boss, and colleagues where we were the only ones who spoke English, to our “Ajuma” (housekeeper) making Chap Chae (like a pasta salad) to a pre-Anthony Bourdain “street food experience” of eating Yakki Mandu (Korean style pot stickers) and Jjamgyeon (Soup). Well, that and the time my dad conspired with his boss to make me eat dog.
The dog thing and the fact that many of the ingredients are often translated as “fermented black bean paste” and “beef tendon,” coupled with a general lack of knowledge about Korean culture present a high barrier to entry – even in a town who’s largest private sector employer is a Korean company.
Most Americans start out with (and enjoy) Bulgogi. It is similar to stir fried beef, but with a pronounced sesame and onion component that may take some getting used to. Traditional Korean food is also served with steamed rice on the side, and Kimchi – the dreaded fermented cabbage that everyone is immediately wary of. Kimchi looks odd to the western eye, and it has a pungent smell and taste that may take some getting used to, but like curry in India and marinara in Italy, each region, and often families within the region, has its own recipes – so you can’t write all kimchi off on the basis of one that you tried.
The first time my wife and I went to a Korean restaurant in Montgomery, I was excited. Having not eaten much Korean in the ensuing years, I wanted to get some of my old favorites, and show off my supreme command of the language – I can say both “Hello” and “Thank You.” But the proprietors of the establishment could not have been less excited to see us, and seemed to be angry when I tried to use my vast knowledge on them. I chalked it up to the fact that the restaurant in question, Korea Garden, is two doors down from a Chinese restaurant, and they probably get sick of shooing people down there for Fried Rice Special #4.
We had a good meal, and they serve all the usual dishes. Our next meal at Arirang was met with a slightly more cheerful reception, and a similar meal. I have not been back to either, though.
Woo-Ga is a “Korean Barbecue Restaurant” located where the old McAlisters was on the Eastern Boulevard. It appears to be a chain based out of Atlanta, operated by locals. I have been several times and sampled much of the fair. The hosts don’t speak the best English, but if you go in knowing what you want, you can have a superb meal. Each order comes with an appetizer sampler with a stream of always changing fare that is all excellent. I had the pork Kalbi and Yakki Mandu, while Michelle enjoyed the BiBimBap – a sort of mixed bowl of rice, vegetables, meat and a fried egg.
The old Hooter’s is soon to be the home of “Gangnam” – which I’m sure is an attempt to capitalize on the dance craze by K-Pop superstar Psy. At press time it was not open, but I look forward to trying it soon.
There is also a Korean market in the shopping center at the corner of Interstate 85 North and the Eastern Boulevard, which sells home country favorites, but also to-go food options including Kim-Bop (Korean sushi for lack of a better term. It often features egg or a piece of hot dog instead of fish, and uses Korean style sticky white rice and not the sushi rice we are all used to. That said, I can eat 25 pieces of this right out of the package. It tastes like the after school rec center on Yongsan to me).
A good place to start for some “Korean 101” of Bulgogi is Sushi Café on Zelda Road. They have recently introduced a Bulgogi option for the both the Bowl and Bento Box, and (deep dark secret) the place is actually owned and operated by a Korean couple. Everything is great there, but next time you go try the bulgogi, and maybe that will spark a desire to seek out and try more Korean food – now that you know what you are missing.
