Sometimes nothing less than the most authentic experience will do, which in a gastronomic sense of the word means taking the time to dine on Samgyeopsal with soju while you’re in town. Samgyeopsal means “pork belly” in Korean, and it is usually eaten grilled, seasoned with ssam jang and then wrapped in a lettuce leaf. The minimum order is always for two people in a restaurant so take an adventurous pal along when you expand your foodie boundaries.
The 2007 Korean film “Sikgaek,” which features two men—both schooled in royal culinary arts—competing in a cooking tournament in order to become the rightful heir to Korea’s last Royal Chef of the Joseon Dynasty, includes the making of Samgyeopsal so it’s a good primer to watch if you want to see how it’s done. Be sure to notice how the unseasoned thin slices of pork belly are cooked by the person consuming them so the delicacy is eaten while freshly prepared; then hop on over to Tteokssamsidae for the real deal.