Tong Sam Gyup Goo Ee Korean Restaurant 01-08-2011

Location: 162-23 Depot Rd, Flushing
Time: 3pm
People: 15 Ramen and Friends: MGru, ALev, MKang, JBH, Sekita, MerryL, Yasmin, Sasha, Marsha, HaSha, NoaSha, Rich, RB, CK and myself

Feelings: I have been an ovo-pescatarian my entire life. Not in a strict sense since I do eat dishes that include meat juices and broths, so you may wonder why I would be going to a Korean BBQ restaurant? Because I don't particularly care for vegetarian restaurants. They are often overpriced, the service is crunchy granola slow, and the flavors are usually unspectacular. There is something exciting about going to a meat-centric place and finding something I could eat. Also from my experiences in Osaka, the city with the biggest Korean population in Japan, that samgyeopsal places usually have the best vegetarian side dishes.

The LIRR Port Washington line to the Broadway station will take you right in front of this Korean pork belly BBQ restaurant, as I call it "K-Bacon." If you don't want to spend $12 for a round ticket, you can also take the 7 and buses, but it will take you quite some time if you don't live in Queens.

Kevin Bacon should visit this "K-Bacon" place as soon as possible as it has gotten raving reviews from every single Ramen and Friends attendees:

1) Kid friendliness: The staff even helped us take care of SaSha's kids and CK at one point so we could eat.

2) Kimchi guk: What a delicious way to start the feast.

3) The method of cooking: To watch the thick slices of pork belly and kimchi getting cooked on a dome shaped grill before us was an exceptional experience. "Seeing everyone drool as pork is grilled before our eyes added so much fun," says Sekita.

4) Pork: If you're a pork lover, this is a must visit. "The pork itself has a very mild flavor," says MerryL, "I enjoyed it more once I got the right balance of pork & everything else (condiments)."

5) Bibimbap: The crispy rice at the end, which is cooked with pork and kimchi juices on the same grill, is the best part of this epic feast. I would strongly recommend to pace yourself and leave some room for the tasty crispy rice.

6) Naengmyun: Their version is served in a bowl with shaved ice. It is cold and chewy, and the flavor is subtle enough to compliment the bold flavors of other meat oriented dishes. This was definitely one of the better naengmyun I have ever had, and the expectation of "samgyeopsal places serving great vegetarian dishes" was met with perfection.

JBH ordered beef intestine, which reminded her of unflavored undercooked steak. With all the available condiments, it was decent, but RB was disturbed that the intestines were stuffed with a mysterious filling. Could it be of natural substances that exist inside the tubes?

With tax and tip, it came to $31 per person, which might not be your typical cheap eats, especially if you add the $12.50 round trip LIRR ticket, but it is certainly worth it. This is a great place for a weekend group outing, and a karaoke bar is conveniently located around the corner.