OH GEUL BOH GEUL

Oh Geul Boh Geul is one of the staple Korean restaurants in North York. The fact that it’s taken me two years to visit is a testament to the volume of great Korean food in the neighbourhood.

Atmosphere: The restaurant is casual and has both booths and tables. Pictures of menu items decorate the walls and the TV was tuned to a Korean channel. I liked how the tables were more spaced than other restaurants in the area. The menu is full of pictures, which was super helpful with placing our order and stirring up an appetite.

Service: One feature I do like in casual restaurants is the “call service” bell. It’s a great tool when the restaurant is busy and usually makes service a bit smoother. I do however always feel a bit guilty using it when the restaurant isn’t busy, but I guess the feature is there to be used. Our server was very friendly, lots of smiles and double checked dishes as we ordered them. The food arrived quickly and she rearranged the many plates on the table to make sure everything fit comfortably. We had ordered a dish that is cooked at the table and our server came periodically to check on its status.

Food: I ordered too much food. This time though, it was on purpose as I needed lunch the next day. A nice excuse to order more dishes and not feel pressured to finish everything. Between my (pregnant) friend and I, we split an order of Spicy Rice Cake, Jokbal (cold sliced pork hock) and Budae Jjigae. We managed to finish the stew, ⅔ of the rice cakes, all of the side dishes and half of the jokbal, not bad. Of the nine side dishes, I really liked the cold tofu, pickles and potatoes. The kimchi was spicy, sour and well fermented.

The texture of the rice cakes was perfect, soft and chewy. I loved the japchae that was included, which soaked up the spicy sauce. The dish was spicier than other restaurants and I enjoyed the kick. I first had Jokbal at Song Cook’s and the dish quickly became one of my favourites. Each slice has a great ratio of chewy to meaty, all held together with natural gelatin from the hock. The flavour was very light and refreshing for a meat dish, great for hotter days and with a bottle of Soju. Served alongside the sliced pork is raw garlic, jalapenos and a fermented shrimp sauce. The poor Fiance had to deal with some mighty garlic breath that night.

At Oh Geul Boh Geul, the Budae Jjigae included spam, sausages, tofu, enoki mushrooms, green onions, ramen, flat rice cakes and watercress. All of the ingredients came together to make a hearty and delicious stew. This is a great dish to share, comforting and full of flavour. It is on the saltier side so I tend to drink a lot of water along with the meal. Once the noodles are cooked, the rest of the ingredients are ready as well.