When I first set out on this trip, I didn’t expect to stay in Mokpo for four nights.
I planned to spend about two nights in Mokpo,
and use the remaining two nights to visit Gunsan.
So I only booked a hotel for two nights.
For various reasons, I ended up staying in Mokpo for four nights,
and I think that turned out to be the better choice.
There was just one small regret.
I wanted to go to Gunsan and eat tteokgalbi at Wanjuok.
※ Tteokgalbi is a Korean grilled patty made from minced beef short ribs.
I like the soft beef tteokgalbi from Damyang,
and I also like the Gwangju-style tteokgalbi, which has a higher pork ratio and good value for money.
Among the many styles of tteokgalbi,
my favorite is the one from Wanjuok.
The meat is minced, but not too finely,
so you really get a proper bite.
It’s grilled to bring out a smoky flavor,
and the aroma is great.
I also like the sliced garlic casually tossed on the plate.
It does get called expensive,
but beef isn’t an ingredient that can ever be truly cheap.
While feeling disappointed that I wouldn’t get to eat Wanjuok’s tteokgalbi on this trip,
I found out that there are several tteokgalbi restaurants in Mokpo as well.
So I decided to take this opportunity to try one.
Yeongam tteokgalbi was a bit out of my way,
but the main branch of Seong-sikdang, right next to Hangdong Market,
fit perfectly into my route.
I knew it was a famous restaurant and that reservations were usually required,
but since I was already nearby,
I decided to just walk in.
Maybe because it was a cold winter weekday,
I got lucky and there was an empty table.
So I was able to eat there without a reservation.
Finally, the tteokgalbi arrived.
It was piled generously on a plate that wasn’t very large.
In the center was a rib bone,
as if to declare, “this is beef short rib.”
The meat that was missing because of the bone
was neatly placed on top,
so in the end, it was still a full plate’s worth of beef.
At a glance, the coarseness of the minced meat
looked similar to Wanjuok’s,
which raised my expectations even more.
The nicely charred spots here and there
were also visually tempting.
I cut off a piece with my chopsticks and took a bite,
and thought, huh?
The quality of the meat itself isn’t particularly outstanding.
But then again, tteokgalbi is a dish designed
to make meat taste better even when the quality isn’t great,
by mincing and grilling it.
If the meat were truly high quality,
there would be no reason to mince it in the first place.
It would taste better just grilled as it is.
Anyway, after a sip of soju,
I cut another piece and took a bite.
Ah, it’s good.
There is a clear “flavor” that makes you forget about the quality of the meat.
Another sip of soju,
a bite of meat,
a spoonful of rice,
some side dishes,
another bite of meat,
another sip of soju…
I fell into an endless loop like that.
It was tteokgalbi I truly enjoyed after a long time.
I didn’t experience any of the negative things
that appear here and there in online reviews.
The rice, the meat, and the side dishes were all good,
and the staff weren’t unfriendly,
just a bit blunt.
As I took my time enjoying everything with soju,
the meal stretched on longer than usual.
Naturally, the tteokgalbi cooled down.
And cooled meat usually starts to give off a different smell, right?
But this tteokgalbi was still good even when it cooled.
I also thought the portion might be small because the plate wasn’t very large,
but once I started eating,
it turned out to be quite filling.
It was more than enough for one person.
A plate of tteokgalbi found while walking through the old downtown of a port city.
It was a very satisfying dinner.
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