Jae suk Ra

What type of food doyou serve?

We serve popular Korean barbecue dishes such as bulgogi and galbi. Everyone knows bulgogi, but this was traditionally for poorer people – galbi, which is our particular specialty, is for the royal people. Our tables are specially designed so the meat is cooked on your own personal charcoal barbecue.

How long have you been a chef?

For six years. I began cooking professionally when we first opened this restaurant. But I’ve always loved to cook.

Where did you learn to cook?

From my mother and grandmother. They taught me to cook and then when I had my own family, of course, I started cooking for them. Cooking for lots of people doesn’t worry me – in Korea there are always festivals and celebrations involving lots of food.

What is your specialty?

Apart from galbi I would say omori kimchi jjigae, which is a very special kimchi that has been aged in the ground for four months. It’s a like a special winter stew. Most kimchi is aged for a few hours only, so this is very different.

Where do you source your ingredients?

All our vegetables and fruit come from the Flemington Market. My husband looks after that. We source our meat, including the beef short rib used in galbi, from the Korean butchers in Strathfield. Our seafood, such as prawns, tuna steak and octopus, comes from the Sydney Fish Market.

What is your signature dish?

Our beef galbi. Customers tell us that it is the best in Sydney, which is very nice of them.

BEEF GALBI