Budae Jjigae (부대찌개) - Army Base Stew

My criteria for food in Korea was to try new things and to try hopefully better versions of dishes that I've had before in the US. I have Yelp friends in Vegas that love Budae Jjigae at Soyo Korean Barstaurant. It's a tasty stew that came about shortly after the Korean War when food was scarce. When Jieun's Dad found out that I knew about the dish, he enthusiastically took us to what he considers the best Budae Jjigae in town—a place called 신서방부대고기 (Sinseobang Budae Gogi).

The verdict? In general, everything was just better in Korea and the Budae Jjigae was no exception. I won't say it was night and day, but more subtle. It's like the difference between eating a tasty dish at a restaurant and eating a home-cooked comfort meal. The broth was just richer and more flavorful without being salty.



And here's the "after" photo once the stew really gets going. As I go through my food shots, I am realizing that I should have taken more. For example, I completely failed to capture the aprons that the diners can wear to help keep their clothes clean as they dig in to this deliciousness.