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I know very little about Korean food. Although I am familiar with the spicy condiment kimchi, I had never eaten a Korean dinner.
After savoring oysters and clams at the Sansom Street Oyster House several weeks ago, I walked down the block and happened upon Giwa (pronounced key-wah), a Korean BYOB. I asked my friend Sunny, who was born in South Korea and arrived here with her family when she was 5 years old, to join me and give a quick lesson on the food of her native land.
Giwa is a casual place with wooden tables and chairs. Diners place their order and receive a number that is called when the food is ready.
We began with mool mandu ($5.50), which were light-as-a-feather steamed pork and vegetable dumplings sprinkled with sesame seeds. They were heavenly and melted in our mouths. A side of sesame dipping sauce gave them a nutty flavor and several raw baby carrots were included.
Next was one of the most intriguing dishes I have ever sampled called haemul pa jun ($8.95), a scrumptious rice flour pancake made with ground shrimp, crabmeat and scallions. Cut into wedges, it looked like a pizza and had the texture of an omelet. I’ve eaten scallion pancakes in Chinese restaurants but this was truly different: light and not a bit greasy. The seafood was a marvelous choice, adding flavor and texture.
Because I am a fan of Chinese and Vietnamese soups, I wanted to sample one from Korea. Sunny did the ordering and when our number was called, I discovered kimchi jigae ($7.95), which arrived with bulgogi ($10.50), the entrée she selected from the special dishes. I found this odd, since I could not think of any cuisine that serves soup with an entrée.
"The bulgogi is dry," Sunny explained. "It does not have a sauce so we use the soup as a sauce to spice up the dish and add moisture and flavor."
The soup was made with very hot kimchi and tender strands of juicy pork and tofu. It was so spicy that, at one point, it went down too fast and my eyes began to tear, I could not stop coughing. Be on guard if trying anything spicy — take it slow and easy.
Kimchi (which has alternate spellings of kimchee or kim chee) is made from fermented vegetables such as cabbage, radishes or turnips, which are pickled and then stored in tightly sealed jars to ferment.
Our entrée went well with the soup and assorted side dishes, which are an integral part of a Korean meal. We received a large bowl of perfectly steamed rice, as well as kimchi that was made of cabbage and thin strips of red, orange and yellow sweet peppers.
Sunny used her chopsticks to stir the bulgogi, compiled of marinated tender strips of rib-eye beef, heady exotic mushrooms, carrots and onions. Every ingredient was julienned and delicious. Although the dish was stir-fried, it did not contain a sauce. Thus, I know why the soup came with the entrée. It was nicely seasoned and, like all portions at Giwa, was large enough to share.
I looked through the Zagat guide and found only a couple other Korean restaurants in Center City. There are a few in the suburbs and one in the Olney section. Korean immigrants make up one of the largest group of Asians in America and I am surprised there are so few Korean eateries in the city.
When we entered the restaurant, a few tables contained reservation cards. Giwa must be popular, since there were cards set out for lunch, too.
Giwa is a gem. I want to try it for lunch, as there are specials each day.
Three tips of the toque to Giwa.
Giwa
1608 Sansom St.
215-557-9830
Visa and MasterCard accepted
Closed Sundays
