Having heard so many great remarks about Seo Seo Galbi Korean BBQ restaurant, we finally had an opportunity to visit their first outlet in Indonesia, exactly in Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) area.
Located inside Ruko Crown Golf complex (the main street align with PIK Marketing Office), exactly beside Shirokuma (now closed down) and Martabak Pecenongan 43. From outside, it looks small and difficult to notice but you can always rely on the big signage with Korean word visible from the street.
Stepping inside, we were surprised to see a quite spacious dining area fulfilled with simple tables complete with typical Korean BBQ restaurants’ exhaust systems hung everywhere. Seo Seo Galbi restaurant occupy 2 floors of the building but apparently, the second floor is only open during weekends as it usually gets really crowded around those days. As I hate cramped places, I actually love the layout of this restaurant for sure!
Originated from Shinchon (a region in Seoul, Korea), Seo Seo Galbi is known for a famous Korean BBQ restaurant for at least, 60 years. The long history makes it a must try for Korean BBQ lovers, and the most interesting thing is that in their outlet in Korea, there is no chair inside the restaurant so guests eat while standing. The idea of having enjoyable BBQ while standing doesn’t really interest me, so luckily in Indonesia’s outlet, we have tables and chairs so we can enjoy the food while sitting comfortably! XD
We started with the banchan or popularly known as Korean appetizers, usually provided as complimentary in Korean restaurants. The banchan variety is not much but they are all so good, especially the kimchi and pickles. Better yet, we can always ask for refill if we need any, so for us, it’s definitely many orders of kimchi!
Banchan or appetizers, usually provided as complimentary in Korean restaurants.
As Seo Seo Galbi is infamous for its BBQ, let’s start with the grill first! For the meat, they only have beef and pork, with prices ranging from IDR 85,000 to 275,000 per portion. The prices are considered alright because their portions are quite big and very satisfying, and we think the pork prices are exceptionally affordable for a famous Korean BBQ restaurant with great history like Seo Seo Galbi. Keep reading to find out why! 😉
Seo Seo Gal Bi IDR 195,000
First to try is Seo Seo Galbi’s signature meat, which is special seasoned short rib bone-in! I literally fell in love at the first sight to this beautiful meat roll, and couldn’t wait to taste it! The meat has this special marbling tone on it, and it looks like a sweet sinful treat that one won’t mind having, LOL!
What I like about dining at Korean BBQ restaurant is that a staff will be there and cook the meat for us. And as grilling meat has its own technique, it’s best to leave it to the trained staff and let’s just enjoy the process and prepare for the feast! Oh well, look at ’em marble! @_@
We were quite speechless when we tried this meat for the first time, it was SOOOO GOOD I wish I didn’t have to share! XD The meat was perfectly tender, well-seasoned and I didn’t feel the need to use any other sauce to enhance the taste. The spring onion on top of the meat gave a familiar aromatic flavor as well! If you prefer fresh meat (not marinated ones), you can opt for Seo Seo Saeng Gal Bi (IDR 245,000) for the same short rib meat served fresh!
Woo Seol & Steak IDR 195,000
Next to try was the grilled imported beef tongue and the steak, which refers to the thicker cuts of tongue, I think. First, I must say that the (thinner) cuts of the tongue are perfect, it’s not too thick and it’s not too thin, just precisely good enough for a grill so it won’t stick on the net and become messy. They are incredibly crunchy and I just couldn’t stop munching it’s not even funny. For the best taste, you must dip the grilled tongue into the special dipping sauce provided only by Seo Seo Galbi!
The steak meat is also superb! Not only crunchy, because of its thickness, it takes more time on the grill and it absorbs more smokey flavor afterwards. The taste is beyond my expectation and I was glad I tried this one!
Saeng Sam Gyep Sal IDR 85,000
One thing we will never miss when dining at Korean BBQ restaurant: the sliced fresh pork belly! Just by looking at the meat, we couldn’t ask for better, fresher pork belly.
Again, we waited with excitement for the pork belly to be grilled perfectly and oh la la, the wait was worth every second! The pork belly was thick, juicy, and soft at the same time. Since it wasn’t seasoned or marinated yet, it’s best to eat them with the provided sauce (sesame oil, salt, and pepper), or if you want to try what I did, just dip it into the special Seo Seo sauce on the pan.
Seo Seo Gal Mae Gi Sal IDR 85,000
Another must try meat is the special seasoned skirt meat, which is also served marinated and well-seasoned. The skirt meat was surprisingly tender, although it has a slight tough, almost chewy parts. I actually really like the smell of spring onions sprinkle when the meat was grilled, it suits the aroma of the meat and makes the meat more appetizing.
Oh, did I tell you that here in Seo Seo Galbi, we can also have unlimited refills of the egg? Mixed with carrot cuts, the egg was nothing but soft, smooth, tasty and healthy. Make sure to ask for refills anytime you want, the staff will gladly pour in some more into your pan!
And… this is our ultimate reason (and yours too!) to always go back to Seo Seo Galbi: the special dipping sauce that is available in the one and only Seo Seo Galbi outlet! Honestly, I was skeptical when the staff told us that the sauce is so special many guests asking for take away after dining there. I mean, seriously? It can’t be THAT good, right? XD But hell, I was so wrong! The special sauce is indeed very special because it’s so darn delicious and I practically dipped everything into it (beef, pork, kimchi, egg, even noodle!) and I asked for refills, at least 4 times during my less than 2 hours visit.
Apparently, this special sauce is made by Mr. Jung, one of the owners of Seo Seo Galbi Indonesia and we were told that only him can make the best version of the sauce no matter how many people have tried to follow the recipe and make it. So I guess, he has magical hands that can produce such a great, addictive sauce, eh? 😉
Beside the BBQ, Seo Seo Galbi also has many other authentic Korean menu from rice, noodle, and soup dishes. The selection is quite good so even if you are not in mood for Korean BBQ, you can still visit Seo Seo Galbi for authentic Korean comfort food such as Ra Myeon, Bu Dae Jji Gae (the big stew), or even just lighter snacks like Tteokbokki!
Jap Chae IDR 89,000
When eating Korean BBQ, ordering a plate of Jap Chae has somehow become a mandatory thing, LOL! And here you can choose your Jap Chae to be cooked with beef or pork. I was surprised to see the generous serving portion, not to mention that the noodle was very flavorful and tasty! We actually were really full after eating so much meat so we only tried a little of this and decided to bring it back home for take away. Surprisingly, even until the next day, the noodle was still very good so we definitely recommend it for you Jap Chae lovers! 😉
RTG IDR 139,000
RTG stands for Ra Myeon, Tteokbokki, and Gim Bap. Yes, they have separated menu for each, but we tried this special combo menu so we could try 3 of them without feeling too full. The Ra Myeon & Tteokbokki are served together in Yin Yang bowl, but believe me, that doesn’t reduce the portion! I think this is really a good menu, and even for such a special price, the serving portion is big enough to be shared for 2-3 people.
The Ra Myeon was good just like Korean instant noodle and fulfilling for sure. I love the additional toppings such as egg and seaweed, but mind you, eat it quickly because the noodle gets soggy real fast.
The tteokbokki is the winner! Even Mr. K who normally doesn’t like it, claimed that this is THE BEST tteokbokki he has ever had so far. The sauce was great, not too sweet with good spices, and the cheese was so tasty we suspected they put any other cheese than only mozzarella in it to enhance the taste (cheddar, perhaps?). We definitely won’t mind driving to PIK just for another plate of this!
My heart also goes to the Gim Bap, which is so colorful and “crowded” with ingredients. Honestly, I had never really liked Gim Bap, and always considered it as cheaper version of sushi, but well, with so many ingredients over the little rice, this Gim Bap definitely is different! I think because they use meat and also spam, the gim bap has more flavors! The crunchiness of the fresh vegetables like cucumber, carrots and pickles is really memorable and I can’t wait to go back and have it again! *cry*
Overall, our first dining experience at Seo Seo Galbi PIK was nothing but a pleasant, unforgettable one. From this first thing that entered my mouth (the Seo Seo Galbi meat), I knew this is gonna be my #1 Korean BBQ restaurant in town, at least until I can find better one. With so many variety of dishes (BBQ and non BBQ), Seo Seo Galbi is like the best stop when we crave for authentic Korean dishes, and we urge you to give it a try as well if you haven’t! We hope that we can visit Seo Seo Galbi again soon in near future, and wish Seo Seo Galbi the best luck in always-growing Indonesia’s F&B industry!
Thanks for reading!
===
* All prices are subject to 5% service charge & 10% government tax
** This review is written based on our visit on 19 August 2017.
Follow Us in:
EMAIL | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOOGLE+
Check our IG story for LIVE UPDATES:
@foodescape_id
SEO SEO GALBI
Ruko Crown Golf Blok A no 31
Pantai Indah Kapuk, Kamal Muara
Penjaringan, North Jakarta 14460
Indonesia
Ph. +62 21 2942 4861
INSTAGRAM
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sun 11AM – 11.30PM
No Comment