Sam is a meat-crazed thing on many accounts.
Master Fabricator – Manufacturing is the process of cutting larger corpses into smaller, easier to use pieces. Skills with Cleavers and Knife, and perhaps a light Saber, separate what is known as a primal cut (such as a shoulder, rib), and even restaurant customers can have lunch and dinner.
Ah, the chef/owner of Bulgogi House and local fans of Korean BBQ have been grilling and chilling since 2018. Its sister venue, the Burgogi family, also lives in Sarasota. However, his new kid on the KBBQ block is GG Korean Barbecue, an all-you-can-eat outfit that opened in Pine Hills in 2023.
It’s a big place, and the flavor penetrates the meat rather than the atmosphere as the charcoal-equipped tabletop gas grill draws the smoke down. It’s a place where you seriously pile up the ribs of the bones from the beef tongue and pork belly, seriously prime the marinated thin sliced burgogi sizzle. It’s where many famous local foodies have their heads in their minds when KBBQ craves.
Jason Chin of the Good Salt Restaurant Group, a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards, is one of them.
“KBBQ was something I grew up eating with my family. It was a meal when I was eating out,” says Chin. “I always say how interactive and collaborative it is, and of course, it’s tasty.”
But why go out to eat when you have to cook your own food? !
It’s a general argument from people who are not appealed. Chin has a counterargument backed by food science.
“I really don’t have a dining experience like that,” he says explicitly. “Other types of grilled meat you can enjoy in restaurants will rest after being taken away from the heat if the restaurant is doing the right thing.”
But in that process something is lost.
“There’s the explosive juiciness that’s characteristic of the bite-sized portion of the short rib bones fully grilled in a KBBQ setting,” explains Chin. “At that moment, just outside the grill, when it should technically rest, you bite it, and the juice running in the wild in its single, glorious piece creates the most magical and satisfying meal.
James Bearded Orlando Restaurant Scene Finalist Tap 2
At this moment of microphone drop I stopped here and was able to paste a lot of photos. But they pay to write me things.
And if you’re behind in the cooking and dining section this month, I’ve written a lot about Asian Americans and the Pacific Islands heritage. However, May is also National BBQ Month. Where is it better to try a little more fusion than a newspaper neck?
Sam Oh’s journey began in Pocheon, Korea, about an hour from Seoul, but by the 1990s he was working on his craft in Hawaii. Then came the long stint in Los Angeles. He was only 25 years old at the time.
“There’s a big Korean in LA,” says some interpretive help from longtime friend Sean Kim.
“I was the chef at many restaurants here,” he says. One of them is the Michelin Guide Selection Park barbecue, which opened in 2003 and holds honors such as inductees into the Los Angeles Times Hall of Fame. It is one of Koreatown’s grand classics.
Before heading out of LA to Orlando, Ohio was the opening chef of more than 12 Korean eateries. At a glance at Yelp reviews, La Ratives rated Bulgogi House as just as good as getting home. GG tally was similar, with beginners scoring high for service, food and value.
The last two in particular are big for OH, who spends most of his recent time at GG, as the Burgogi house has been cruising at altitudes for some time. He brings large, high-quality meat cuts from California and Texas, breaking each while training his employees. Also, the bulk allows OH to keep the price of meat of higher quality than many other places.
And butchers make a big difference.
“Oh takes the quality of his products and his slaughtering skills very seriously,” says Chin. “You’ll find cuts that you wouldn’t normally find elsewhere, such as an impressive, long, short rib bone.”
On the menu, it is known as Beef Rib Finger.
“You can give five different people the same meat, but it didn’t taste the same,” Oh says. “It depends on their cutting skills… even how tender and juicy it is, it can depend on the cutting.”
Are you new to KBBQ? Ah, they’re happy to provide primers.
Rule number 1: Do not cook all meat at once.
Rule 2: Marinated meat is the last thing to do.
“Pork is supposed to be well cooked,” Oh says. “Beef doesn’t have to be like that, but the cuts need to be done in the correct order. First, beef tongue, belly, brisket. Short rib bones, rib eye, etc.
SSAM, oh, is a way to go native.
“It’s a traditional way for Koreans to eat meat, a barbecue.”
In general slang, SSAM means “wrapped” and is usually found in lettuce.
“Like the Ty lettuce wrapped in a cheesecake factory!” Kim laughs. “I just get lettuce and eat rice, kimchi, soy paste sauce, and meat of my choice!”
Follow up on SSAM with soup if necessary, then eat later.
“That’s the final course,” says the dishes here, including banchan, kimchi pancakes, corn cheese, japuche, kimchi noodles, salads and steamed eggs, all served with eggs, ranging from basic ($27.99 per person) to premium ($39.99 per person). The latter includes more protein options and Prime Cut, which is part of Huy Tin’s favorite.
“For KBBQ, short boned ribs and pork jawls are a must,” says Tin, chef/partner at Seito Sushi Baldwin Park. GG is his go-to. “From the a la carte menu, prime short rib soup, short rib bones and spicy Korean fried squid are my absolute favorite and essentials.
For chins, I like cuts like Chador Bage (thinly sliced brisky) and samguip monkeys (pork belly). “But for me, the king is a short rib.
Back in his UCF days, Yao and Vietnoms owner Philip Nuguen had not exceeded his 48-hour trip to Atlanta just to kill the cravings of KBBQ.
“I’m grateful that so many different options are exploding here,” he says. “KBBQ gives you the opportunity to eat, drink and interact with friends at incredible prices!”
His reliance is GG.
“The quality is a rival to Atlanta’s. They have unique cuts like rib fingers and jawls. Their staff is also great.
I don’t know about you, but I feel my iron is low.
Do you want to reach out to me? Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @Amydroo or the Osfoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. Join Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook Group for more foodie fun.
KBBQ Quicklist
Bulgogi House: Colonial Drive, 705 W. Orlando, 407-317-4193
GG Korean BBQ: 5319 W. Orlando Colonial Drive, 407-813-1888; ggkoreanbbq.com
K-Pot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot: 8594 Palm Parkway, 407-717-6151 and 5535 Orlando, 407-704-8977 and 3280 Margaritaville Blvd. Kissimmee, 407-507-0707; thekpot.com
KBBQ & BAR: 5101 E. Orlando Colonial Drive, 407-601-3119; K-Bbqorlando.com
Korean House: Colonial Drive, 4501 E. Orlando, 407-896-5994; Koreahouseorlando.com
Shin Jung Korean Restaurant: 1638 E. Orlando Colonial Drive, 407-237-0451; shinjungkoreanbbq.com
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