Cozy Korean Spot with Healthy, Vegetable-Focused Dishes
Borit Gogae, located in Koreatown, is one of the consistently loved restaurants where you can enjoy a clean and healthy barley rice set meal. It’s a great place to enjoy a simple bowl of barley rice served with neatly arranged side dishes, especially when you want to have a proper meal. The first time I visited Borit Gogae was around noon on a Saturday, and there were many people waiting, so I had to wait about 40 minutes. If you don’t want to wait long, I recommend going a bit earlier. The next time I arrived around 4:30 PM, and I was able to enter right away, but by 5 PM, it was quickly full.
On the menu, all guests must order the basic barley rice set meal, to which they can add special menu items or beverages. However, the barley rice set can only be ordered for two people or more, making it difficult for solo diners. We decided to add grilled mackerel to our barley rice set.
Before the meal, pumpkin porridge, fried snacks, and scorched rice were served first. I’m not usually a fan of fried snacks, so they were just okay for me, but my brother enjoyed them. The pumpkin porridge was so good that I wanted to take some home, and I appreciated that it wasn’t too sweet. Then, the barley rice set was served with a variety of seasoned vegetables and side dishes. Choosing the vegetables I wanted and mixing them with the barley rice and fermented soybean paste, taking that first bite made the 40-minute wait worthwhile. Although I couldn’t taste every single vegetable, overall, the flavors were mild and not overly salty, which paired perfectly with the salted fish. There were so many side dishes that it was hard to explain them all, but the acorn jelly particularly stood out to me. Even though it’s a common side dish, I couldn’t figure out why it tasted so delicious this time.
Next, the cheonggukjang stew and perilla seed chicken soup were served. I usually don’t eat cheonggukjang because of the smell, but the cheonggukjang here was light and clear, making it easy to enjoy. Mixing it with the barley rice made it even tastier. The perilla seed chicken soup was also really delicious, and my brother was so into it that it was the first time I saw him eat like that. The grilled mackerel we ordered additionally was served with all the bones removed, making it very convenient to eat. It’s often a hassle to deal with bones when eating fish, so it was nice to be able to eat it right away without that trouble. However, personally, I felt the seasoning was a bit weak, and I wished it had been a little saltier. The meal concluded with dried persimmons and plum tea. After a hearty meal, enjoying a refreshing cup of plum tea with dried persimmons made for a pleasant ending to the meal. It was an impressive finish that wasn’t overwhelming.
Borit Gogae
The portions were generous and every dish was delicious, so even though I ate a lot, it wasn’t overly salty and was made with healthy ingredients, leaving me feeling completely comfortable. It was rather a satisfying yet comforting meal to finish. If you’re looking for a healthy table and a proper barley rice set meal, be sure to stop by Boritgogae.
