"Korean-style barbecues are unlike the barbecues you have in your backyard!" Hen Jen Kuan store manager Mr. Dai Song-Yi tells us. In business for about five years, Hen Jen Kuan is known for its great food and Mr. Dai always lets customers know how to eat these Korean-style barbecued meats the authentic way: Accompanying meat with specially-seasoned barbecue sauce and kimchi (Korean-style spicy pickled cabbage), onion strips and garlic slices, and wrapping the ingredients with fresh lettuce—yum! Hen Jen Kuan has options like Mei Hua Pork, a piece of meat with more fat, marinated with a secret Korean recipe, or the Turkey Drumsticks. The best way to taste the fatty portions of pork or beef is with thin, marinated radish slices, which make it sweet and sour and by far the most popular dish. Aside from the all-you-can-eat selection of meat, rice and soup, you may also order their nine-inch Seafood Pancake or Spicy Glutinous Rice a la carte. --By Shanzi Chen, translated by Ann Lee

3, Lane 105, ShiDa Rd
(02) 2364-1980
Hours: 10 am-10 pm
MRT: Taipower Bldg
Credit cards accepted.
Smoking section.
10% service charge.

You should never eat in an empty restaurant. The Zhao family's first Korean restaurant, Fan Guan Er, in the ShiDa night market, has never been empty. For nine years it been packed with students and anybody else in search of simple, classic Korean dishes at reasonable prices. The Mixed Vegetable and Tofu Soup, both served in ceramic dishes, are just two of the favorites. Last month, they opened Han Wu Cun, also in the ShiDa neighborhood, making a good thing even better. Offering an expanded menu with more classic Korean dishes, the new restaurant is more upscale than the older one, but far from overpriced. The Sea Food Pancake is the house specialty. It is cooked on a flat steel griddle, so that the skin is crispy and thin and the stuffing is rich and delicious. The Non-Smoked and Brass Plate BBQ are also authentic recommendations. They boast unique dishes like Cabbage Meat Roll and Mushroom Hot Pot Wrinkled Salad, and a different tea is prepared each day. --By Charles McHale, translated by Ann Lee

4, Alley 5, Lane 107, FuXing S Rd,
Sec 1, 1F; (02) 2773-6949
Hours: 5:30 pm-12 am
MRT: ZhongXiao/FuXing Station # 5 Exit
Credit cards accepted.
10% service charge. Smoking section. Parking nearby.
http://www.mindong.com.tw/

Mingdong Korean Gourmet is highly recommended by celebrities and Korean residents in Taiwan. Owner Leon Lu, a former chef at the Hyatt Hotel in Seoul and Chunchuan native, speaks in favor of Chwin Chun Ta Kal Bi, a unique dish with great amount of cabbage, onions and sweet potatoes. All are sauteed with chicken marinated in Korean-style chili sauce, sesame oil and hot peppers. The color of the dish makes it look spicy, but it's actually sweet and mild. The chicken tastes best wrapped with a piece of sesame leaf or fresh lettuce; the different textures are really nice. Another popular dish is Mindong Special Kal Bi, which is beef steak marinated with sesame oil, pear juice, ginger and onions for half an hour before being grilled. The sweet, juicy beef, overlapping with the fragrant scent of the sesame oil, has a crispy texture that will satisfy you. After relocating last July, the restaurant's new location is more spacious and can accommodate up to 120 customers. --Words and photos by Eden Lin, translated by Ann Lee

(02) 2717-6896
16, Alley 3, Lane 56, MinSheng E Rd, 1F (behind Chang Gung Hospital)
Hours: 11 am-3 pm,
5:30-10 pm (closed Sun)
Credit cards not accepted.
No service charge. Parking nearby.

Established for 15 years, GG (representing luck and prosperity) is one the oldest Korean restaurants in Taiwan. Originally started in Suwon, Korea, GG relocated to Taiwan with second generation owners. Today, it is run by the third generation. Every dish has a story behind it that owner Gigi Gao is eager to share. The Mushroom & Tofu Pot, for example, comes from a time in Korea when meat was scarce, so it was replaced by beans as a source of protein. A set meal includes four small, marinated vegetable dishes and your choice of pine-nut or honey green tea. The Spicy Rice Cakes are sauteed with assorted mushrooms and vegetables, as well as water-boiled eggs. In old Korea, the cakes were a special food, served only to welcome guests at households. Gigi also recommends the Spicy Squid which is stir-fried with five kinds of chili sauces. The Ginseng Pork Chop is marinated in ginseng juice and honey. Whats more, all the dishes you order at GG can be cooked vegetarian style. --Words and photos by Eden Lin, translated by Ann Lee