cheap warming eats: Seoul Korean Barbecue

Seoul Korean Barbecue

Today is so cold and windy. Weather like this gets me thinking about warming food and drink. One dish that I often crave at this time of year is a popular Korean dish Bibimbap. The name means mixed rice and that’s exactly what bibimbap is. A large bowl of steamed rice is topped with small piles of seasoned vegetables, most commonly grated carrot, zucchini, cucumber, pickled bean sprouts, steamed seasoned spinach, doraji (belfowe root), and some fried beef (optional). Topping this all off is a fried egg. It is always served with kimchi (chilli cabbage) and a bottle of chili sauce on the side. Sometimes you also get little dishes of additional vegetables.

This week we had a impromptu visit to Victoria’s Seoul Korean Barbecue. We were scurrying from our car  to Pho Vj in search of warming Vietnamese soup when I suddenly spotted the Korean place. It’s been opened for a while and I’ve always wanted to try it. Suddenly bibimbap was a more appealing option than soup so in we went.

Cups of complimentary steaming tea

Interior of Seoul Korean

Interior of Seoul Korean

Bibumbap (back) and beef and vegetable soup (front)

Bibimbap

Blurry pic of my bibimbap mixed up

The first thing you’ll notice about Seoul Korean Barbecue is that it does not have a very ambient atmosphere and the second thing you will notice is that the service is extremely prompt and polite. As soon as we sat down we were presented with two cups of steaming tea, and menus, followed with a bow. I quickly ordered bibimbap (without beef) while C ordered beef and vegetable soup. Our dishes arrived quickly and again we received a bow. Both of the dishes were lovely and very good value. My only quibble with Seoul Korean is that the decor is rather harsh and cold. The tables, chairs, tiles, and wall paneling are black,  the floor is dark brown wood and the lighting harsh. All in all it is the sort of atmosphere that does not encourage one to linger. However, for a quick weekday supper this is not a big problem especially given that Seoul has all the other attributes you want; great value (tea, supper for two and tip for under twenty dollars) and quick, professional service. If you’re seeking a warming weekday supper I’d definitely recommend giving Seoul Korean a try!

Location:

768 Fort St
Victoria, BC V8W 1H2
Tel: (250) 592-4244

For directions see Map

Little Piggy – Fernwood

Little Piggy on Fort St has opened a second, much smaller, location in Fernwood. This mini cafe has three tables and seats about seven people. The menu is small but the prices are excellent and the food is yummy. We popped over there today for a quick Saturday lunch. I had a lovely tasty creamy yam soup ($4) served with bread. The soup was lightly spiced with cardamon and cayenne pepper, sweetened with a touch of honey and given a fresh twist with some fresh cilantro. My boy had a butter curry served with brown rice as well as a bowl of the yam soup. The curry was very fresh and tasty. A very filling lunch served quickly, all for $14.  Another great cheap eat!

Cheap eats – red fish blue fish

Red Fish /Blue fish is a lovely little take out seafood restaurant located in the docks in the harbour. One of the many cool features of Red Fish/Blue fish is that it is housed in a refurbished grey, marine blue shipping container. RF/BF is famous for their fish tachos and edamame tachos which come with a side salad of coleslaw. On our last visit I had the BBQed fanny bay oysters which came with a green salad. The oysters were fantastic but the salad was rather disappointing. The leaves were very heavily coated with a sweet creamy dressing. Luckily the location always make up for anything that is lacking in the food. We sat on the cute little wooden stools, watched the sea planes and boats coming and going in the harbour and were cooled by the sea breeze. What a lovely way to spend a hot summer evening.