When was the last time you had Korean food? You know, bibimbap, kimchi rice, Korean bbq?

How many times have you had it?

I have to admit, although I love Korean food, I don’t have it as much as I want to. Somehow these comforting dishes fade away from my memory, and then I remember how much I enjoyed those dishes. And then, suddenly, I must have my Korean fix ASAP.

Whenever this happens, I make plans to visit Gangnam Korean Restaurant. The restaurant is located in a rundown strip mall in the Spring Glen neighborhood of Jacksonville.

Beyond the front doors of Gangnam, you will be greeted by a smiling face and seated in their no-frills environment. It’s ok; you are here for the food. Below I will guide you through a few of my favorite dishes from Gangnam.

SEAFOOD PANCAKE:

When I come here, I never leave without ordering the Seafood pancake. It’s a must. This savory pancake rippled with green onions, octopus, and a variety of other seafood items I don’t even recall and mixed into an egg-type pancake batter and cooked into a sizeable crispy disk, with light browning around the edges. Its served hot, straight off the grill with a savory and slightly spicy dipping sauce. If you like fish sticks, enjoy calamari, love fish tacos, and put scallions in your omelet, you will LOVE this dish.

YUKEJIANG: (Spicy beef soup)

When I came here a few weeks ago, I asked what my server’s favorite thing on the menu was; she said it was this soup. I ordered it (mild) because I wanted to taste the soup and not just the spices. Mild was not spicy at all, but the flavors of this soup were exploding. I don’t even have words to describe all of the spices or flavors in the soup, but I would describe it as the cooler and more sophisticated cousin of ramen. The noodles are clear glass noodles, perfect for the heavily seasoned broth. Seasonal vegetables, seaweed, egg, and small pieces of beef are the main ingredients of this soup, but darling, it’s all about that thick, savory, spicy broth. (life-changing)

BEEF BULGOGI: (Savory sweet marinated ribeye beef)

Of course, another great choice at a Korean restaurant is their BBQ meats.
Somehow the meat is perfectly tender, sweet, and savory every time. And then it’s always served with white rice and all of the traditional Korean side dishes like Spicy Cucumber Salad, Kimchi, and Sweet and Sour Radish Salad, to name a few.

DALGONA COOKIE:

I didn’t try one of these cookies, but if you’re a Squid Game fan, you may enjoy trying one or even buying one for a friend whos a big Squid Game fan.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy a meal from Gangnam Korean soon!

-Esther 🙂