mary eats

Today my review of Irionala comes out in the Korea Times. You can read it here
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What I didn’t say? Not a whole lot. I wish someone had taken me to a place like this when I first arrived in Korea. Instead, I hid from Korean food, only having Kimbap once or twice in a year.

Traditional Korean restaurants (I am speaking of most restaurants unaffected by the growing fusion trend) work on a different level than many are used to. There are diner style restaurants, serving up ramyeon, kimbap, and omelets with rice. But for dinner tucker, a restaurant is chosen based on the animal character decorating the front awning.

Looking at a picture of cows grazing in a field? Bulgogi (marinated sliced beef). Cute pigs wrapped up in a slice of bacon? Samgyeopsal (bacon like grilled pork belly). Plump, blue fish flying elegantly out of the cool waters? Hwae (raw sliced fish like sushi but without the rice). A gigantic inflated crab, clinging to the side of the restaurant’s wall? Steamed crab.

While that all appears straightforward enough, the problem lies in that all these restaurants serve meals in sets. Everyone in your party eats the same thing. No kiddie menu for the little ones, and no salads for the vegetarians.

Finding a Korean restaurant that caters to the dining needs of a group of picky eaters is tough.

What I like about Irionala, and restraurants in their vein, is that everyone finds something to eat. Vegetarians can munch on salad, namul, veggie cakes, and pumpkin soup, while bloodthirsty carnivores are treated to galbi patties, sliced beef and pork, pork, pork. Kiddies, are treated to their favorite, noodles. In the end everyone wins.

Almost.

My only gripe is that some of the dishes are prepared with out the love. Small, overlooked steps in the kitchen translate to unsatisfied diners. Bland soups could use a dash of salt. Unimaginative salads could replace the iceberg lettuce for some darker greens. Fried dishes could omit half the cooking oil used, ending up with better results.

Would I go here again? Most likely. And it would be first on my list for introducing visiting family and friends, or newbies to the peninsula.