With summer fast approaching, it’s time for us to unveil our guide to a stylish Korean BBQ feast arrangement for your next gathering with friends and loved ones! Korean BBQs, or KBBQs/Gogi-gui, have become more than just meals – they have gathered momentum worldwide as a social dining experience that brings people together around a sizzling grill – in part due to its hands-on approach of eating, that combines fun, flavour and culinary and cultural traditions.
Things you’ll need!
- A grill or a hot plate. Electric grills are easiest, if you’re grilling indoors, make sure you have good ventilation.
- Meats! Typically, you want to have 2-3 meats to grill. Common choices are Samgyeopsal (thick-cut pork belly), bulgogi (thinly sliced, marinated beef) and galbi (marinated short-ribs).
- Side dishes (aka Banchan). This is usually a selection of pickles, ferments or starches. Get your hands on delicious kimchi, pickled radishes or cucumbers. You can even add eggs or Korean potato salad – or even Japchae (glass noodles)! Dips are optional, but you can never go wrong with them!
- Wraps and condiments: Don’t forget the beautiful crunch that goes with every bite. Get your hands on some lettuce or even perilla leaves to wrap your food into. For condiments, try raw garlic slices and chili peppers if you want some heat – and don’t forget a pot of steamed white rice!
- Drinks: Korean BBQ is typically accompanied by soju or makgeolli (a fizzy rice wine), and given that Korean BBQs are a social dining experience, we encourage everyone to have their favourite drinks on hand to enjoy and share! From traditional, to western wines, or even non-alcoholic drinks, ensure there’s plenty to go around for you and your loved ones to enjoy!
Cooking and eating:
- You want to set the grill on the center of the table so it’s accessible by everyone.
- Lay out your banchan, wraps and condiments, and sauces around it, along with all the meats.
- Now that your table’s laid out, crank up the heat on the grill and start grilling – make sure you don’t overcrowd the grill so that the meat can get nice and caramelised.
- Once the meat’s cooked, grab a piece, dip it in sauce, wrap it in a leaf with condiments and pop it all into your mouth!
