Care for Ox Intestine at Obaltan?
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Eating ox intestines would sound strange to people from certain cultural backgrounds. But considering sausage is stuffed pork intestines (and loved worldwide), eating un-stuffed intestine should be just fine.
Some people may find the smell of organs quite different, but at Obaltan in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, not even the most delicate gourmet would smell anything. It seems that the cleaning of the organ is done properly ― something that not many eateries are capable of doing due to a lack of manpower and know how.
There are two main courses for the ``large intestines'' and ``stomach walls.'' Both are marinated with spices and are sweet. Staff will bring charcoal and all one must do is grill the food, turn it over from time to time to avoid burning. The staff will then cut it into bite-size pieces.
The large intestine is rather rich in flavor. Fat inside the tube-shaped organ, however, is crispy with a deep flavor. Succulent juice pops out when you bite it. It's fat and greasy but one can't help enjoying it.
The stomach wall has more of a chewy taste. If you don't like richly-flavored meat, this would be a more appropriate choice.
There's rib on the menu, but the flavor is forgettable and plain compared to the other two.
The side dishes offer freshness that could offset the greasiness and flavor of the meat. There is squash steamed with honey. It's sweet with a clean aftertaste. The white kimchi (without red pepper paste) is quite nice as well. Though it could be suspected of having artificial flavoring, it is clean enough to wipe away the fat left on the tongue.
If you're still hungry, try the rice dishes. The nurungjitang (boiled, well-done-rice) is recommended and comes served with Korean soy soup. The soy paste used in the soup is rather salty, but the beans seem to be of a high quality.
There are some other dishes on the menu that could be recommended to both Koreans and non-Koreans. Yangbap (fried rice with ox stomach wall) provides people who don't want to see the stomach with a chance to taste it.
Overall, other than a few unimpressive items ― the kimchi wasn't fermented enough_ the restaurant provides people with the opportunity to try some really exotic food. Staff is friendly enough to make recommends and show guests how to eat the more unusual items.
The large intestine costs 28,000 won per 180 gram serving, and the stomach wall costs 26,000 won per 160 gram serving. The meat shrinks upon heating.
Obaltan opened its latest location after other successes around Seoul. It has eight branches in Seoul, Anyang and Gwangmyeong. The Samseong branch is located near Gangnam public healthcare center in Samseong-dong. One can get there by taking the subway to Cheongdam station (on line), take leaving via exit No. 5 and walking straight for about 120 meters. For further information, visit www.hiobaltan.com or call (02) 511-1012.