Galchi jorim or boiled spicy scabbard fish


By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Walking through the busy streets of Namdaemun Market in Seoul, one hits a particular narrow and zigzagged alley that mainly sells ``galchi jorim.'' The owners and ajumma, middle-aged women, servers stop people in their tracks, beckoning them to come in and have a bite.

``Galchi'' is scabbard fish, a thin and silvery type of fish Koreans enjoy. The fish is usually boiled in soy sauce with red pepper and other spices, or simply fried.

Among numerous restaurants that boast of the title ``wonjo,'' or ``original,'' there is a relatively smaller place called ``Hee-rak.'' The trick to finding this modest restaurant is to go to the only place that's crowded with people.

As soon as you locate Hee-rak, you can find ajummas preparing the spicy red dish on a strong fire right outside the door.

The place is surprisingly small, with only about 20 seats downstairs. But there is also an attic, where we were told to go.

Climbing up the steep staircase, visitors find an even smaller room with only five tables. The ceiling is too low to stand straight up and there are no chairs. It's small but cozy, complete with air conditioning and electric fans.

The main menu is the famous ``galchi jorim'' (6,000 won) and the ``gyeran jjim,'' a poached egg dish, (4,000 won). The menu lists several other recipes, but these two dishes are what made this small restaurant famous.

The galchi jorim is served in an old and rusty nickel pot. The pot may seem strange to some, but for Koreans the pot causes nostalgia, for it was frequently used in Korean homes in the past. Nickel is known for holding heat, and indeed the food was boiling hot for quite some time.

Galchi jorim is usually cooked with radish and big pieces of green onion. The dish was spicy and savory, with the radish soft and juicy, and the green onions giving the dish a fresh taste and look. Mix the spicy seasonings with your white rice and experience a totally different taste.

Galchi is a fish with rather big, sharp bones, but there is an easy way to get rid of them. First get rid of the short bones on each side of the fish and carefully single out the meat from the backbone.

Poached egg dish

/ Korea Times Photos byHan Sang-hee

If the fish dish sounds a little too spicy for you, then try the poached egg dish. It is basically eggs delicately poached with some seasoning, such as a pinch of sesame seed, some small pieces of green onion, and other vegetables. The two dishes go well with each other: one spicy yet tempting and the other soft and simple.

To get to Hee-rak, leave exit 5 of Hoehyeon Station on subway line 4. Walk straight toward the middle of the Namdaemun market until you find a shop called ``Seoul Sang-hae'' on your left and an alley next to it. Walk into the alley and turn right at the first corner. Look ahead and you will find the yellow signboard that reads ``Hee-rak'' in Korean. Open from 3 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed on Sundays. For more call (02) 755-3449.

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

Originally Posted by forgetting4u This is killing me. One day one day I will eat at least one of these dishes. I think before I go into a restaurant I come on this site and write down all the dishes that have been posted so I know what to order. Looking at the menu on my own limits me.

Originally Posted by AZN_North The point and picture method is just as effective! .