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Bang Ga Nae, Korean Restaurant in Annandale with Fabulous Black Goat Stews - Closed


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I could not find a post for this place that I've been to a few times, but I went back last night and it needed to be written up.

With the weather unseasonably warm and nearing the upper 60s, the GOP operative, my staff physicist and I went for a run in Alexandria. We started off in North Ridge neighborhood, up the hill, around the Masonic temple and back down through Del Ray. We worked up quite an appetite, and I told them we were going to feast like kings tonight. I love the mid-Atlantic, because there are days in December that you can wear shorts and flip flops. Yesterday night was one of those days.

We drove to Bang Ga Nae, which is at the proximal end of Annandale. It is at the former location of the only North Korean restaurant in the area, in a cute little house. There is ample parking available. When we walked in, there was just one table filled with 3 older Korean men. The waitress/chef sat us at the table behind them and got us waters. I was in the mood for some Soju, so we ordered a bottle of Chamisul and a round of domestic beers. We ordered pan fried dumplings as our appetizer. It is served with a soy based sauce with pickled jalapenos, and I really liked the sauce. Simple, but with a kick. The banchan came with intensity and volume. I don't have a great reference point for it, but I liked how it tasted. I liked that as the kimchi was finished, the waitress would come and re-stock us. That was a nice touch. I'm not sure if it costed anything.

For our meal, we ordered the Jun Gol for 3 - "spicy black goat with vegetables". They bring a table side burner and then a large skillet filled with goat meat, vegetables, the broth on the bottom, chili paste, garlic, and other things that I didn't recognize. The cook comes periodically and stirs up the stew. It smelled amazing. I mean, seriously, heavenly. And it's right there at your table. She gave us a mixture of garlic, chili paste, and other condiments - we were to add vinegar and hot mustard to taste. This sauce was to dip the goat meat from the stew into. When the stew was done, she filled our bowls with it and we went to work. The goat meat was not strongly gamey, but it had a deep taste. There were meatier pieces and fatty pieces. They don't skimp on the meat. The broth is intense, somewhat "bitter" (not the word I want to use, but I can't think of an alternative right now). It is spicy, but I get the sense that Korean spicy is not like Lao/Thai spicy or even Indian spicy. It's a slow burn that keeps me sweating throughout the meal, but never gets too intense where I have to stop. I really like that. She kept coming by to fill our bowls and I felt like I was at a family member's house, when they aren't satisfied until you are completely and utterly full. The sauce that we prepared before the stew was done adds a nice complexity to the meat. I suggest using that sauce with the dumplings and even just putting it into the broth.

Finally, the last part of the meal is the fried rice that she prepares on another table side burner. I didn't watch the preparation of it, but I love it. It's not sweet or salty. It's, again, a little bit bitter, but with each bite I liked it better and better. I throw on some of that sauce on there, too, and it livened it up more.

This place is phenomenal. I've never had a meal like this and I will go back over and over. It's definitely one of my favorite restaurants. Great service, better food, though not the best ambience/lighting. Never a big issue with me.

The pictures attached are - 1) before cooking 2) while cooking.

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This place is phenomenal. I've never had a meal like this and I will go back over and over. It's definitely one of my favorite restaurants. Great service, better food, though not the best ambience/lighting. Never a big issue with me.

I'm nursing a sixteen-year-old, but that second picture of the goat stew cooking makes me want to abandon ship and pick up the phone to order a Jun Gol for 3 ($52.99). That looks *fantastic*!

Small plates my eye.

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Banchan is always included with every Korean meal (yep, all of them, breakfast, lunch, and dinner (unless you're in the only Korean restaurant in Pinellas Pines, FL where they want to charge you for kimchi after the first offering)).  Food comes as it's cooked so there's not necessarily a specific order to what you eat when.   We haven't been since the original chef/owner left. 

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I'm nursing a sixteen-year-old, but that second picture of the goat stew cooking makes me want to abandon ship and pick up the phone to order a Jun Gol for 3 ($52.99). That looks *fantastic*!

Small plates my eye.

Has anyone else had this? I still haven't been here. :(

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Has anyone else had this? I still haven't been here. :(

I was there at least a year ago and tried this dish. As far as I can remember, Simul perfectly described the flavor as "intense." The combination of scallions, garlic, goat meat, spices, and everything else absolutely bombards your senses. Personally, while I thought it was well executed, the flavor was a little overwhelming for me. It did pair nicely with the fried rice, but that came towards the end of the meal and I was too stuffed to fully enjoy it. It was one of those dishes that I'm glad to have tried once, but am not in a rush to return for. The banchan was great though, and I specifically remember one of them changing the way I see kale (perfectly cooked and lightly dressed with sesame oil).

[Just as a side note, we were really interested in trying North Korean food (and this was definitely different than any other Korean I've had!), but we asked the waitress about it and she told us that it was actually a South Korean restaurant. I think the confusion is that Bang Ga Nae is located in "the former location of the only North Korean restaurant in the area" to quote Simul above.]

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Drove by again, and the Big Crab House banner is gone. It looked open, and the Bang Ga Nae sign remains so they're back to usual?

Could be or it could be an entirely new restaurant with the old sign (see Hong Kong Palace, New Big Wong, et al., etc.).  Only way to tell is to visit and see if you recognize the people behind the cash register :D.

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