Irresistible Korean food in Rome

Can you imagine yourself eating carbs seven days a week? Me neither. Let’s be honest – sometimes we need a break from Italian cuisine. When the Italian food in Rome starts to get monotonous, you can find plenty of ethnic options to choose from. One of them is a place called GALBI – the Korean Restaurant of Rome.

The idea was born when Galbi owners, Stefano Chung and Deuk Uoo Ferretti Min, decided to combine their collective experience gained from their two restaurants, Gainn and Apuleius, to create the first Korean barbecue in Rome using oak coal. The restaurant offers traditional Korean dishes and techniques of preparation and cooking, which have ancient origins dating back more than 2000 years. The cooking is done strictly on the grill and what makes this kitchen stand out is the preparation of food by marinating meat and fermented vegetables.

So as you can imagine, Galbi is not only about to satisfy your stomach, the Galbi staff won’t hesitate to explain the Korean dishes and the proper manner of eating them.

So the question to ask yourself is “are you in the mood for something spicy or sweet and sour?” This authentic Korean barbecue offers traditional Korean food, including the famous Kimchi (fermented vegetables with spices), Japchae (sweet starch potato noodles) and Pajeon (a sort of green onion pancake). But that’s just the beginning of it.

While navigating the menu, if you’re not sure what to order, don’t miss out on the Galbi Pang (steamed buns with duck, crispy sweet and sour cod, beef strips and fried chicken), the Tok gnocchi with ground pork, ginger shiitake mushrooms and savoy cabbage, and the oh-so-yummy Deungsim Gui – barbecued dry aged sirloin. Another must-try is the the Ramen with clams, squid, shrimp and salicornia. And to top it all off, a semifreddo with black sesame peanut brittle and salted caramel.

While if you’re coming by for lunch, you can order from a limited menu, with options like the Galbi Box (a traditional Korean basket complete with starters, steamed rice, a Korean side dish, fruit, dessert and a seafood, meat or vegetarian main to choose from); the Galbi Pang (homemade steamed bread with a side dish of fried potatoes with herbs and paprika accompanied by a choice of beef, pork, chicken or salmon); noodles; dumplings; soups; ramen and steamed rice with meat, seafood or vegetarian options!

Just remember that your guide Deuk Uoo will not let you get lost in this complicated Korean food labyrinth.