Meat from the Street: Authentic Bulgogi in Seoul, South Korea

I love spicy food, and for that reason alone, tteokbokki (and meat covered with the sauce used in tteokbokki )is my favorite Korean dish. But there are plenty of other great dishes in Korea, including the famous bulgogi.

Bulgogi is pretty simple to make, which makes it perfect as a street food. Sirloin or rib eye beef is thinly sliced and marinated in a bunch of sauces and spices for a few hours. Then, it's usually grilled with garlic, sliced onions, and chopped green peppers. I got the above dish of bulgogi at a street-side stand with sit-down picnic tables, located just outside the Seoul Folk Flea Market. It came with the bowl of cold soup you see below. Bulgogi literally translates as fire meat, but it's not spicy - none of the seasonings are spicy. The soup, on the other hand, had some red pepper that gave it a kick.

Bulgogi is so simple and non-exotic that it's the perfect primer for those interested in trying Korean food!