Visited on: November 23, 2014

Still in the food heaven area in PIK, this time I am gonna write about SEORAE, another Korean BBQ joint that comes originally from Seoul, South Korea.

SEORAE is first established in South Korea in April 2007, started as the leading brand for “galmaegi” or skirt meat. Opening its first store in 2008, currently there are more than 250 branches all over South Korea. Not only that, SEORAE also spreads its wings all over the world, particularly in Asia, America, and Europe.
Last year (2013), SEORAE entered Indonesia’s market with its first franchise store opened by some Indonesian partnership including Augie Fantinus. The first store is opened in PIK and the second one was just recently opened in Flavor Bliss, Alam Sutera. This review is about the outlet in PIK, BTW 🙂

First of all, the restaurant is not big, as typical restaurants in PIK, it’s basically a ruko. The floor is decorated with road signs to bring the feeling of eating street food like they usually eat Korean BBQ in the country. The tables are not the most convenient one to eat Korean BBQ (you know, with all the stuffs, the tables get full FAST!) but I guess that’s how Koreans enjoy their BBQ. However, I love the warm and comfy feeling when I was there.

It is no secret that whenever we go to Korean restaurants, BBQ or not, we always look forward to see the banchan or appetizers they have. Here, I fell in love to most all of them, especially the green salad (love the crunchy veggie mixed with the sweet and sour dressing), the caramelized sweet potatoes, the pork, and also, the kimchi was SO DAMN GOOD!!! 
Please take the comment above from someone who doesn’t even like kimchi. XD
I was also quite surprised looking at myself that I could actually keep munching on the kimchi and even asked for another plate. And if you ask me, yes, it was THAT good (and addictive).

Banchan gives us smile!

Preparing the charcoal…

For the BBQ, we have options of pork, beef, and chicken, ranging from IDR 54,8K to 154,8K. However, SEORAE offers much more than Korean BBQ: there are also rice, noodle, soup, side dishes, even kids menu available. Prices are from IDR 24,8K to 69,8K only.
Let’s start with some meat that we tried that day! 🙂
Woosamgyeob IDR 139,8K
This is actually soft and juicy beef belly, marinated overnight. I really love how tasty this is, with perfect hint of sweetness involved. But for this price, I would definitely go for the pork version, as pork belly is thicker, more satisfying and also more fragrant when grilled.

Spicy Samgyeopsal IDR 79,8K

Samgyeopsal a.k.a. Pork Belly is never a miss for Korean BBQ time, and this time, we tried the spicy version, which was good. They were not as thick as pork belly that I found in other Korean BBQ restaurants, but the sauce was so generous that the taste was one of the best I have ever had so far. Because it was grilled nicely, the meat was still very juicy and easily melted in mouth when eaten. Love!

Galmaegisal IDR 84,8K

SEORAE’s signature pork skirt meat, marinated with their secret Korean spices. Skirt meat itself is rare part of pigs, where it’s said that only 200-250 grams of skirt meat can be obtained from a fully-grown individual pig.  
The skirt meat didn’t look so appetizing when raw, but they became something like block-shaped meat when it’s done. 
Our friendly waitress who helped grilling the meat for us said that there is a special way to cook the skirt meat: is that to keep flipping the meat continuously and never let them stay on the grill just like that. Why? Because by doing that, the skirt meat will keep its juiciness and stay tender to the inside, yet still well-cooked. Of course, nobody wants to eat undercooked pork, right?

Flip, flip, and flip!

I must admit that I only tried skirt meat back then in Mapogalmaegi (also in PIK) and I have to say their version is kinda different from SEORAE’s. Both are delicious in their own ways, but because the shapes, the sauce, and the taste are completely different, I don’t think it’s comparable one to another. In Mapogalmaegi, the skirt meat is served in thinner slices, but the sauce is stronger, with hints of peanut sauce. In SEORAE, the sauce is just like usual marinating sauce, lighter, but the thicker cuts of skirt meat make the taste stands out. 

We also tried the spicy version of the skirt meat, honestly, they are not spicy enough for me, but slightly hotter than the original version.

Spicy Galmaegisal IDR 89,8K

Fresh leaves to wrap the meat, then HAP!

Our super friendly waitress, one of many reasons why I would come back to SEORAE in PIK.

Oh yes, another impressive thing I noticed from SEORAE is their greatly-functioning exhaust tubes! I mean, I have been in countless Korean BBQ restaurants but seriously I had never been so amazed watching how this thing literally sucked all the smokes in, so clearly. 

Sundubu Jjigae IDR 54,8K
Spicy tofu stew mixed with tender pork, fresh vegetables, mushroom, seafood and Omega-3 eggs.

For soup, I usually opt for the tofu stew, and this is also VERY GOOD with lots and lots of ingredients inside. I really love the soup, very tasty and warm, also has a distinctive spiciness that goes really well with the meat. And it stimulates sweating, and we all know that sweating helps a lot detoxifying our body, so it’s all good.

Special Pat Bing So IDR 24,8K

For the dessert, we had Korean mixed ice which is accompanied with fresh fruits like watermelon, kiwi, mango, some jelly, red bean and also ice cream. The portion is also very generous so it can be shared for 2 person if you want. I really love fruity desserts so this one is also another favorite that I will definitely order again if I happen to stop by another chance!

Beside the a la carte menu, we can also enjoy a lot of set menu or promo menu like pictured in the banner below. I think this is a good idea especially if you are first-timer or just wanna try Korean food but have no idea where to begin. 

Overall, we really enjoyed our visit to SEORAE and I must state that aside from the delicious food, they also have the friendliest staffs ever! I hope I will also be welcomed with same quality (if not, better) of service next time! <33

*All prices are subject to 5% service charge & 10% government tax
*The Food Escape team are not paid whatsoever for writing this post.
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SEORAE KOREAN GRILL
Ruko Garden House Blok B No. 19
Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK)
North Jakarta
Phone. +62 21 290 333 89
Opening Hours:
Mon – Sun 11AM – 10PM



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