I went to the Rowland Heights outpost with my in-laws the other night. Thought Sun Nong Dan was going to blow me away based on all of the hype from FTC, David Chang, Bourdain, etc… The flavor was pretty good but a traditional galbijjim has all of the big meaty pieces on the bone. Our order had maybe 2 smallish pieces on the bone while the rest were served more like brisket strips or cut up into smaller chunks. There were many more potatoes, radish, carrots and veggies than I’m accustomed to and certainly no cheese. I felt like the restaurant was catering more to a Chinese clientele. The kim chee they served was excellent though. Top notch.
Excellent abalone rice porridge, chicken soup, and mandoo (dumplings) at Mountain. It’s usually a Sun Non Dang / Mountain BangBang for me at that shopping center. (With an occasional Cafe Bleu extra bang to get my Japanese whisky libation on with @CiaoBob as well)…
The spiciest Korean dish might be nakjibokkeum/oojingoh bokkeum, or spicy stir-fried octopus or squid you’d find at bars. That stuff will hurt for days.
The 1st time I asked for the recipe my mom came by a few days later with a few pounds of cooked galbijjim. She said it was easier this way.
The 2nd time I asked for the recipe it took my mom a while. There was a list of ingredients with measurements in scoops, pinches, a little bit, not too much, some of this - half Korean and half English. A few ingredients I didn’t translate well and are only sold in Korean markets.
I honestly think the only way I could get a recipe with measurements is if I stood next to my mom while she made the dish and had measurements cups/spoons by the ready and measured each ingredient as she cooked. It is something I’ve been meaning to do but I feel like this is a common issue when translating recipes from old school moms who cook by taste and smell.
You know what would make this easier? A kitchen scale. She can cook by sight/feel, and then you can weigh it after each ingredient. Do the volume conversions later, if you’d like. Just don’t forget to consider the weight of the cooking vessels!
So why not cook the way she does? Watch her, assist as needed, then, when you are worthy, have her watch you prep and cook. I am sure she will have plenty of advice and complaints, but listen to your mom!
This is basically what happens in professional kitchens. I’m pretty sure no one gets handed a recipe on their first day as a line cook.
