So bulgogi (소불고기) is beef bulgogi: marinated, grilled beef with vegetables and one of the great classics of Korean cooking. At Han Kitchen in Zurich-Oerlikon it costs CHF 36.90 and is made with Swiss beef – served in our restaurant on Baumackerstrasse 46 or packed as takeaway.
What is bulgogi?
Bulgogi literally means “fire meat”: “bul” is fire and “gogi” is meat. Thin slices of meat are left to soak in a marinade – traditionally soy sauce, a touch of sweetness, garlic and sesame oil – before being cooked over high heat. The result is tender, lightly caramelised and savoury rather than spicy.
The “so” in so bulgogi comes from 소, the Korean word for cattle. It sets the dish apart from versions made with other meats, such as pork bulgogi. When people simply say “bulgogi”, they usually mean the beef version.
How we make so bulgogi
At Han Kitchen, so bulgogi is marinated grilled beef with vegetables, just as our menu describes it. The beef comes from Switzerland. At CHF 36.90 it is the top-priced dish in the Korean section of our menu.
Our food is cooked by a former chef of Globus Bellevue in Zurich. Bulgogi is a dish where the details show: a balanced marinade and beef cooked just right.
Bulgogi is not Korean BBQ
Bulgogi is often mentioned in the same breath as Korean BBQ, because in Korea it is also cooked on table grills. Han Kitchen has no table grills and does not offer Korean BBQ: our so bulgogi is prepared in the kitchen and served ready to eat. There is no grilling for you to do – and it travels just as well as takeaway.
What goes well with so bulgogi?
Bulgogi is one of Korea’s best-known meat dishes and a popular first step into Korean food, because the traditional marinade is more sweet and savoury than hot. So bulgogi is not marked as spicy on our menu. If you are coming as a pair, it goes well with something punchier such as ojingeo bokkeum (CHF 31.00) or kimchi jigae (CHF 32.00). Gyoza (CHF 14.50) or a miso soup (CHF 6.00) make a good start.
Bulgogi to take away
Call 077 268 20 80 to order your so bulgogi and pick it up during opening hours at Baumackerstrasse 46 in Oerlikon, or simply come by. We do not deliver. For an evening out with friends or family, book a table online or by phone.
