gam ja tang... I already posted about a Gam Ja Tang (Korean Pork Bone Soup) place downtown. This time we're gonna take a look at a North York Restaurant (in the North York Ktown!..Yonge/Finch area). This place is called Oh Geul Boh Geul, and it serves all types of Korean food (bbq pork belly, bim bim bap, bugolgi, etc.). I came here for the Gam Ja Tang, as I love this stuff. At this place, the first thing you notice is that they give you a huge variety of /korean appetizers. This included Kim Chi, Pickled Turnips, Spinach, Tofu, Sprouts, Seaweed, Pickled Cucumbers, a Potato Pancake and other stuff! (Sometimes they even have some cooked spicy fish as an appetizers). So, before you even start your meal, you have this table full of free, unlimited refill appetizers! 2 Words: Sick Deal. My friend and I each ordered a Gam Ja Tang, which is served with purple rice here (a little more grainy than white rice). This dish is pretty good and even if you can't eat spicy food, you should try it still. My friends say the Owl of Minerva location next door is better for the Gam Ja Tang specifically, but this place has some crazy appetizers. Like all korean places, they also give you a handy jug of water.
Quick Notes: Now onto the prices. The Gam Ja Tang is regular price ($5.95 + tax/tip). This is pretty cheap for the amount of food you get (includes all the free appetizers and rice). On that day we went though (Mar. 25 2009), we got the bill and it turns out they had a speical going on ... (drumroll)... $2.99/each! That's the cheapest I've ever heard of for Gam Ja Tang. I nominate this for "Deal of the Year." Our meal, 2 Gam Ja Tangs and all those appetizers, came out to be less than $8 (even after tax/tip!). I'm not sure how long this special is going on for, but even at regular price it is a good place for cheap eats. Oh Geul Boh Geul is located at 5320 Yonge Street, next to the Owl of Minerva. It is on the West Side of Yonge, in between Sheppard and Finch.
- Parking: pretty busy area, but they have a parking lot in the back, shared with Owl, you can also park on Yonge or the side streets in the back after 9pm for free
- Subway: Get off at North York Centre, walk north
spicy... Pork Bone Soup or Gam Ja Tang is a spicy Korean stew made with pork bone, vegetables, green onions and potatoes served with a bowl of rice. To quote a friend who I ate with last night, "Pork Bone Soup is the Pho of Korean People!" A bunch of us went to the "Owl of Minerva" restaurant in Korea Town (Bloor/Christie) for a late dinner at around 12:30 am. We just won our intramural semis basketball game!, so we needed to recharge with some delicious Gam Ja Tang. Owl isn't the best place, but it is open 24 hrs which is great for late night partiers or even people who just want to eat this spicy stew for breakfast. Like most Korean places, Owl provides side dishes. Unfortunately the only side dishes they have are kimchi and some pickled turnip (no pics). Other places (ex. Oh Geul Boh Geul and Ka Chi) have up to 10+ types of side dishes. If you haven't tried it and are scared that its too spicy, most places offer a mild version of the Gam Ja Tang (Owl does not offer this though). Last night, one of my friends who can't take spicy food ended up finishing up the the whole bowl, even all the soup, so it really isn't thaaaat spicy.
Quick Notes: There are better places for Gam Ja Tang, but Owl of Minerva is a good alternative to Mcdonalds when nothing else is open. The Gam Ja Tang/Pork Bone Soup ($6.20 +Tax) is definitely the most popular dish, although they offer other korean dishes like bugolgi, calbi, etc. (lol, i can't name any other ones). In case you didn't know, the side dishes (ex. kimchi) are unlimited and can be refilled. This location in Korea Town (On North side of Bloor, South of Christie) is great for UT students and downtowners but Owl also has a location around Yonge/Empress and also another location at First Markham Place (Highway 7/Woodbine).
