Far East BBQ feast

High on the Hog

By: Robert Garner

Posted: 9/12/08

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Fayetteville food fare is quite diverse.

All it takes is just the slightest bit of bravery to actually venture out and try something that doesn't come served with fries.

Last semester a sign on College Avenue piqued my interest. Like "fish tacos," the two words seemed to be mismatched. "Korean Bar-B-Q."

Now, I know that there are several types of BBQ here in the U.S.; Texans, of course, swear that they have the best. The Memphis crowd won't buy it, saying that their dry rub is the best in the land. Kansas City proudly boasts of their delicious meats as well.

BBQ has evolved differently in each region, and very beautifully so, based on my experiences. But Korea doesn't exactly fit the paradigm Americans have for BBQ, does it?

Well, let me tell you; you should definitely give Koreana Bistro a try. The interior of Koreana completely surprised me. The décor was so nice, I felt like I was walking into a fancy five-star restaurant. The owners have definitely done a very impressive job of assembling an elegant, yet bold, and comfortable environment.

Anyways, on to the important stuff: the food. If you are like I was, then you probably have no idea as to what Korean cuisine entails.

To start things off, our jovial waitress brought us some Korean bean paste soup. Although I don't want to compare Korean cuisine to Chinese food, I know that it's probably the most effective way to describe it.

Bean paste soup is, as our waitress stated, essentially a Chinese miso soup that uses a darker bean. A fan of miso soup, I thoroughly enjoyed the bean paste soup. The soup was served with a platter containing two variations of kimchi and some fish cakes.You might be thinking that I'm some kind of freak that enjoys truly odd fish dishes, but the fish cakes from Koreana were a completely pleasant surprise.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made of various spices and vegetables. Although I wasn't a big fan of the kimchi with cabbage, the other kimchi variations were delicious and featured a type of bean sprout.

And now on to the main dish: galbi. Assuming you have never heard of galbi, allow me to give you the menu definition: "grilled short ribs marinated in special formulated sauce."

Not knowing what to expect from the very detailed explanation of galbi, my nerves sunk while waiting for the food. When our waitress rounded the corner with the tray of food, I thought that I must have gone crazy. At that point, I could see steaming-hot meat and vegetables stacked on top of each other on a cast iron skillet.

Basically, I had ordered Korean fajitas - without tortillas, though. The skillet was stacked high with small squares of steak on top of sautéed onions and cabbage. The meat was perfectly cooked and had a unique and delicious flavor.For once in my life, I wanted more vegetables than meat. I was served with onions and cabbage that were cooked to such perfection, I'm set up for disappointment next time I eat sautéed onions, no matter how good.

I recommend Koreana for a date or dinner out with the family or a small group of friends. The prices range from around $6 to $15.

Happy eating, friends.

Robert Garner is a columnist for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Friday.