By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Vincenzo Acampora from Italy
Seoul l March 15, 2018

Visiting family restaurants are a unique opportunity to experience delicious food and to learn more about the culinary history of a certain country. These kinds of restaurants in Korea are no exception, and as a Honorary Reporter for Korea.net and as a Korean food blogger, I'm very interested in traditional Korean food and am constantly looking to learn more about it. For this reason, I was thrilled to visit the restaurant Yukjeon Hoekwan following an invitation from Yonhap News to meet and interview the chef there.

Yukjeon Hoekwan has a long family tradition dating back to 1928, when the great-grandmother of the current chef opened the restaurant in Suncheon-si City, Jeollanam-do Province. In 1962 the family moved to Seoul and opened a restaurant near Yongsan Station serving delicious meat dishes for the many office workers of that area. During those years, the grandfather Sin Jin Woo invented their signature dish of bassak bulgogi. It's marinated beef grilled over an open flame. It's quick to cook and has a delicious smoky flavor, perfect for a fast but nutritious lunch or dinner.

“We have more than 85 years of history of working in the restaurant business, and this is the fourth generation. The menu has been consistent during these years and we serve authentic comfort food, dishes that I've grown up with and loved. Next to our signature bassak bulgogi, we offer fresh sannakji gui grilled octopus with a delicious red spicy sauce, and seonji sulguk beef coagulated blood and blood sausage "hangover soup," explains Chef Sin as we enjoy the food freshly-cooked at the table.



The flavors and freshness of the ingredients is what the owners take pride in at their restaurant. The bassak bulgogi is sweet and crispy, and has a smoky flavor that makes the dish unique. Must-try items also include the grilled octopus in a red spicy sauce, so fresh that it melts in your mouth, and a good balanced coagulated blood soup with a clean broth. Also, the side dishes are made in-house and the fresh pickled kimchi cabbage is delicious.

“My passion for food started from an early age, watching my grandmother cooking and spending time in the kitchen and in the restaurant, and learning from her. I studied at a culinary school in the U.S., mostly Western cuisine, so when I came back to Seoul two years ago and started working in the family restaurant, it took some time to adjust. It was like learning everything over again. Now, I feel much more comfortable, but I'm still learning and studying every day to improve my skills.”

The restaurant, together with other landmarks of Seoul's dining scene, was selected for the “Future Heritage of Seoul” award in 2013. “We are very proud of having been selected as a future heritage site, and we work hard to preserve our traditions and have people enjoy our dishes.”

Chef Sin invites me into the kitchen to show me how their signature dish is prepared and to cook some bassak bulgogi together. The first thing is to prepare the meat and to marinade it with a sauce made with soy sauce, brown sugar, green onions, garlic and sesame oil. The meat will marinade for two days before cooking.



Next, we move to the grill, where the marinated meat will be cooked over an open flame. It takes some skill to make sure that the meat is cooked evenly and thinly as needed. Quick movements and constant flips require some time to learn. My first try was merely OK, according to Chef Sin. My bassak bulgogi is a bit too thick, more like tteokgalbi short ribs, we observe. We joke that maybe we could call this “Vincenzo bassak bulgogi" and add it to the menu. “Don’t worry. It took me one year to learn how to properly cook bassak bulgogi,” Chef Sin encourages me.

A strong family tradition and pride are visible throughout the restaurant. Pictures on the wall at the entrance of the restaurant show the family history. Being able to keep the restaurant successful with consistent quality is a real challenge. As Chef Shin explains, “Some years ago, we had a difficult period here at the restaurant and my father thought about selling the business. During the same period, I was doing my military service, so I couldn’t help my parents as much as I wanted. Fortunately, my mother persuaded my father to keep the restaurant open, and immediately after my military service, I came back to Seoul to help them at the restaurant.”



The family restaurant has been successful since then with its signature dish that is a unique variation of the common bulgogi. It's a must-try for every Korean food lover.

Thank you Yonhap News and Chef Sin for the opportunity to try such great dishes and to learn more about the history of Yukjeon Hoekwan.

Yukjeon Hoekwan
47 Tojeong-ro 37-gil, Yeomni-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul



wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.