I must admit, I'm no expert in Korean gastronomy, and the over-arching 'fish-sauce-iness' is something to which I've gradually had to adjust my palate, but judging from my companion's reactions even the novice epicure can find something to love at Min-Ga...provided they arrive with an open mind (and a little more cash than the average strip-mall, easterly oriented chow house requires.)
It's worthwhile to note that our excursion was centered around my sister's upcoming trip to South Korea. My sister is a pescatarian and the friend whom she is visiting exhibited uncertainty as to whether he could find her suitable fare in his host country. That is, a meat-free meal in a place where the language and signage is...let's just say, incomprehensible. Our mission was to seek out the names of dishes free from pork, beef, blood sausage (called, confusingly, 'Sundae') and the like.
Happily, we found a variety of solely (no pun intended) fish-based dishes.
We started with the seafood pancake: A delightfully light egg-pastry topped with scallions, shrimp, bay scallops, tiny mussels, octopus and squid and served with a sweet/spicy sauce. It was delicious, and would have sufficed as a meal on its own for the solitary diner.
We then ordered a variety of entrees: Seafood Bibimbap (meaning, in Korean, 'mixed meal') in a clay hot-pot, Joki Kui--salted yellow croaker (head on, particularly unattractive fish) Japchae with Beef, Japchae with Tofu--both stir-fried rice noodle dishes and Kimchi Seafood Tang- a spicy, broth soup with abundant and multifarious sea creatures. Our meals were accompanied in the traditional Korean manner with a number of 'Banchan'--side dishes, which included kimchi, cole slaw, hot peppers, several variations of marinated potatoes, marinated turnips, seaweed and cucumber, cabbage and cucumber and what was described as 'fish cake' but was evidently bean curd skin. These were all lovely additions, each an adventure in taste and texture, and led us each to complete (if not exorbitant) gratification.
For someone wanting to stick their toe in the delightful, yet intimidating world of Korean cuisine, I recommend the Bibimbap--an interesting yet understandable variation of a more recognizable 'fried rice' (they offer fried rice, too, but having not tried it, and loving the Bibimbap, I'd say go for it) or any of the Japchae as deliciously different, but not TOO different (or spicy) as an inaugural foray into Korean flavor. From there, decide what you like and if you won't like it, your server will probably tell you so. Thankfully (and unlike in South Korea) the menu offers helpful translations of all of the dishes...and if you've got $11.95 to blow on blood sausage---let me know how it was.
It's worthwhile to note that our excursion was centered around my sister's upcoming trip to South Korea. My sister is a pescatarian and the friend whom she is visiting exhibited uncertainty as to whether he could find her suitable fare in his host country. That is, a meat-free meal in a place where the language and signage is...let's just say, incomprehensible. Our mission was to seek out the names of dishes free from pork, beef, blood sausage (called, confusingly, 'Sundae') and the like.
Happily, we found a variety of solely (no pun intended) fish-based dishes.
We started with the seafood pancake: A delightfully light egg-pastry topped with scallions, shrimp, bay scallops, tiny mussels, octopus and squid and served with a sweet/spicy sauce. It was delicious, and would have sufficed as a meal on its own for the solitary diner.
For someone wanting to stick their toe in the delightful, yet intimidating world of Korean cuisine, I recommend the Bibimbap--an interesting yet understandable variation of a more recognizable 'fried rice' (they offer fried rice, too, but having not tried it, and loving the Bibimbap, I'd say go for it) or any of the Japchae as deliciously different, but not TOO different (or spicy) as an inaugural foray into Korean flavor. From there, decide what you like and if you won't like it, your server will probably tell you so. Thankfully (and unlike in South Korea) the menu offers helpful translations of all of the dishes...and if you've got $11.95 to blow on blood sausage---let me know how it was.
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