Secret Garden

[sara]

Hi

Secret Garden, a Korean restaurant at the corner of Annandale Rd and Rt 50, has long been a family favorite (and I do mean long--at least 15 years). They do bulgogi, hotpots, etc, have table burners etc. It's inexpensive, the service is prompt and polite, and although my palate is probably undereducated to Korean food, I think it's very good. Anyways, I was wondering if any Egulleteers have been, and if so what you thought? Are there any other Northern VA Korean restaurants you think are better?

[John W.]

The only one I have experience with VA is Woo Lae Oak, in Crystal City. One of my old cooks (from Korea) took a bunch of us, ordered the lot. I quite enjoyed it. It was a while ago so no specifics, but suffice it to say that spicy cabbage and beef with red miso were had in abundance.

I think DonRocks might have a comment or three about this topic.

[sara]

I should mention the proximity of this restaurant to the Frozen Custard Stand,which is now, sadly, in a strip mall on the other side of 50. It used to be a true stand, with lines around the store, but I do take a little comfort in its continuing existence, albeit in a new form. They still have the real custard makers/machines in there, I believe. Good stuff after some spicy food.

[KHT20]

I've been to Secret Garden a couple times. The first time we just ordered dishes off the menu and discovered an awesome spicy, beefy soup that was unlike anything I've had before. We've also brought a friend and had the full Korean BBQ sampler. Not only was it a lot of fun, it was some of the tastiest beef, pork, and chicken I've ever had (and I'm not much of a carnivore). I'd definitely go a lot more often if I had a car. Or better yet, a boyfriend with a car.

[ecreson]

For Korean BBQ, our household favorite is Suwon Galbi in Centreville. It blows the socks off of most Korean BBQ in the area. Of course, you’ll smell like BBQ afterward, and your mouth will taste like someone’s garlic patch, but it's definitely worth it.

A couple others that aren't bad are Sorak Garden, in Annandale and Hee Been (if they're open again--they were closed for remodeling), on Little River Turnpike, just west of 395. I like any of these three over Secret Garden (‘Biwon’, for you Korean speakers out there).

Woo Lae Oak is pretty good, but the Korean opinion in our house is that it is overpriced for what you get. Word is, though, that Woo Lae Oak is where Korean diplomats take their expense account money. And if it’s a choice between fighting traffic out to Annandale, or going to Woo Lae Oak, Woo Lae Oak looks quite appetizing and economical.

Ultimately, Korean is like any cuisine--personal taste counts for a lot, and most of these restaurants use their own recipe for their kim chi, meat marinades, etc. If you prefer a sweeter bulgoggi marinade, a stronger kim chi, etc., you’ll like one place over another.

And don't forget the grocery stores. For really cheap Korean, the food courts in the Korean groceries can't be beat. Super H and Lotte (both on Lee Highway) are two of my favorites for food courts.

[Emily Kaiser]

I just had a yummy lunch at Han Sung Oak and wanted to revive this thread to know if anyone else has other Korean favorites, not just in NVA ... ? Nice, fresh kimchi with my scrumptious bul gogi, though I'm no expert on this cuisine.

[DonRocks]

Went tonight. I hadn’t been to Secret Garden in a good five years, and was immediately reminded of how much I like the interior (if you’re driving by, you should poke your head inside and look at the funny totem poles in the entrance foyer). Pre-P.S.: I should subtitle all my Korean postings “Relegated To OB.” When I walked in, I was the only American in the restaurant, and I don’t think I was looking terribly Korean this evening. The six banchan they brought were accompanied by a bowl of miso soup and a Shoney’s-like lettuce salad topped with shredded carrots and bottled salad dressing - both of these were put directly in front of me. About halfway into the meal, I feigned a visit to the restroom so I could peak at the 2-3 other tables which were frequented by Korean diners. I didn’t see the lettuce salad on their tables, and in fact I saw the server bring another one to a young American couple that came in later (I find this gesture sort of charming actually, but I didn’t eat mine!) The banchan were decent with the exception of an unforgivable mayonnaise-y egg-and-potato salad with little pieces of apple in it. One of them was two cubes of fried tofu that were wonderful. I spent some time leafing through the menu, and noticed that the steak tartare was inexplicably priced at $16.69, and the bibim bap was described as “beet[sic], assorted vegetables, and egg atio[sic] steamed rice.” (Does anyone wonder why Asian restaurants don’t pay somebody $10.00 to edit the typos out of their menus?) I ordered the Dol Sot Bibim Bap, which is one of two dishes (along with kimchi jige) that I use as little references when trying a new Korean restaurant, simply because I’ve had them both a bunch of times and am familiar with them. This was a good version, and I enjoyed it though I wasn’t a huge fan of the stir-in sauce which seemed a bit too thick and perhaps a bit too old. The young gentleman managing the floor was quite friendly, and a fine example that one good person on the floor can make-or-break the service in a small restaurant. (read: Jarad Slipp and Tricia Cominsky) Next door is Sam Mi Oriental Market, and if you want to make a decision on the value-per-pound of kimchi vis-à-vis caviar, walk in and look at the refrigerated section on the right-hand side of the store: there is literally a half-ton of kimchi sitting in gallon plastic containers. I’ve spent a good deal of time in the past ten minutes thinking about what can make a Korean restaurant great. Is it the expense-account/diplomat places such as Woo Lae Oak? The gargantuan warehouses such as Songbird? The obscure 24-hour places (yes, 24-hour places) such as Man Po Myun Oak? My temptation lies in thinking that it involves being either really traditional Korean (Woo Lae Oak), or much less Korean skewed towards modern American (Jeff Tunks: got any plans next year?), and I’m not sure what the answer is. Back to Secret Garden: Frances Hodgson Burnett can rest comfortably, as this perfectly fine little ambassador of Korean cuisine upholds the honor of its literary cousins (her two best-known works being, appropriately, Secret Garden and Sara Crew (the latter being rewritten to become A Little Princess. )).

Eternally vigilant,

Rocks.

Edited March 26, 2004 by DonRocks (log)

[CarrotStick]

I've only tried Korean food once, at Sorak Garden. Here's a question- all those little dishes of food that they bring you- are you supposed to eat them by themselves or use them as condiments with the barbecue? My friends and I did the latter. I think the waiter was already laughing at us anyway so if this is a faux pas, it wasn't pointed out.

I think Korean barbecue is fun!

[eunny jang]

The spread of little pickle and salad dishes is collectively called panchan. They're not appetizers, although they sometimes appear before the main, and they're not condiments or palate cleansers either - it's hard to describe exactly how they fit into a meal. I tend to think of them a spread of many different side dishes (although you only take a taste of each from time to time) to accompany whatever you're eating and to help round out the balance of key flavors on the table (hot, sour, salty, sweet, etc).

When money was getting tight in our house when I was growing up, dinner would often be just a bowl of rice and assorted panchan. Breakfast was always rice and panchan.

[chengb02]

Woo Lae Oak is originally a Seoul restaurant that exported itself to the United States. Opened in a number of locations (I have never been to the PC one, but went to the one in Chicago a few times) and has closed down in most of their locations. It is very different from the majority of Korean places as it has a relatively fancy dining room and is generally more "upscale". However the food offered is more or less the same as at any other Korean restaurants and the quality doesn't equal the higher prices. Unfortunately, my lack ofa car when I'm out in DC has typically stopped me from sampling the many offerings in Northern VA, although I have been to a very fine Korean buffet, pretty big spot in a Korean strip mall, but the name escapes me

[eunny jang]

Cheng -

I think you're thinking of Il Mee Buffet.

Ok, this is the most imporant thing anybody will ever tell you about Korean food: Pay special attention to the gae jang panchan, and ask for it if it isn't offered. Berate your hosts if there is none to offer, then leave. Simple halved blue crabs, placed raw in chili paste, scallions, garlic and vinegar. You pick them up, the shells having become a little softer from the quick cure, and work the silky raw meat our with your teeth. Repeat until your lips are blistered from the spiciness of the chili paste and you can't take it anymore. Ohhh, man.

I can't remember the name of the fantastic Korean hwe restaurant I went to once in NoVa - we had all sorts of hwe you don't see on your everyday sushi menu, big slabs of raw sea cucumber and "live" sashimi, everything wrapped at the table around slabs of raw garlic clove, slices of chili, and dressed with a dollop of daen-jang. If eating formal Japanese sushi is to revel quietly in the purity of the flavors and in the skill and artistry of the execution, sitting down to a platter of Korean hwe is to undergo an almost assaultive hit to the senses.

Although most Korean food north of the Potomac is pretty mundane, Woomi Garden in Wheaton is pretty good - as per usual in Korean restaurants, steer clear of the sushi and Japanese entrees, and focus on the hotpots, noodles, and barbeque. Their galbi jjim (braised short ribs), any of their dolsot bibimbap dishes (including ahl dolsot bibimbap, where the primary garnish is flying fish roe), and spicy pork barbeque are especially good versions.

There's also a great, very cheap soondae restaurant next to Korean Korner in Twinbrook - the restaurant serves almost nothing but soondae, sort of a Korean boudin noir but with lots of rice or vermicelli in the filling. You can order it simply boiled and sliced, or in a murky, livery soup...you get the idea. Sometimes, it's the only thing that will do.

[DonRocks]

I had lunch today at Bookchangdong Tofu (Annandale, on Little River Turnpike just inside the beltway) and thought it was a cut above most other places I've tried, though this is only the first time I've visited.

By the way, here's a pretty complete list of area Korean restaurants:

http://www.enterdc.com/SearchList.asp?categoryID=61

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Emily Kaiser]

If eating formal Japanese sushi is to revel quietly in the purity of the flavors and in the skill and artistry of the execution, sitting down to a platter of Korean hwe is to undergo an almost assaultive hit to the senses.

happy tummy ...

[Steve Klc]

"Ok, this is the most imporant thing anybody will ever tell you about Korean food: Pay special attention to the gae jang panchan, and ask for it if it isn't offered. Berate your hosts if there is none to offer, then leave. Simple halved blue crabs, placed raw in chili paste, scallions, garlic and vinegar. You pick them up, the shells having become a little softer from the quick cure, and work the silky raw meat our with your teeth. Repeat until your lips are blistered from the spiciness of the chili paste and you can't take it anymore. Ohhh, man."

That's one of the best things I've read in a while. With apologies to When Harry Met Sally fans, "I want what she's having."