Ask and ye shall receive. I get quite a few messages asking for restaurant recommendations, in and out of Seoul, but this terrific restaurant serving one of my favorite dishes came to mind, out in nearby Yeoju.

The place is called Misikga, the Korean term for a gourmand/ epicure/food connoisseur, and the title is befitting because the food is absolutely delicious. The menu is extensive but maeun galbi jjim (spicy braised beef short ribs) is their specialty—a magnificent mashup of equal parts tender short ribs and chunky veggies in a sinus-clearing sauce. Served with the most satisfying gamasot bap, which was naturally sweet and rich in texture, it convinced me to never cook with a conventional rice cooker again (bought a dolsot soon afterward). Another thing that made the meal better was the homey and comfortable ambiance, surrounded by medicinal concoctions, plants, and a wood-burning furnace to keep the place nice and cozy

All in all, this was a memorable meal that had me curious about their other dishes, most notably a seasonal dish utilizing an ingredient that I’ve never seen nor heard of before called ggu-ji-bbong 꾸지뽕 (a type of mulberry?). If any of you have tried it, please let me know your thoughts in the comment section.

Food: ★★★★½ out of 5 stars

Service: ★★★★ out of 5 stars

Ambiance: ★★★★out of 5 stars

Value: ★★★★½ out of 5 stars

Misikga 미식가

Deokpyeong-ri 578-10, Jumdong-myeon, Gyeonggi Province (경기 여주시 점동면 덕평리 578-10 )

Phone: 031-884-1634

Hours: Open every day 10:00 am – 9:30 pm except 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month

Click here for an interactive map: http://naver.me/xnECJjfD