The restaurant gets its name from the crystal belly-shaped grill that is at the center of each table. Apparently, they are personally designed by JYP at a cost of $30,000 each! Some of the advantages of crystal grills include...
1. Infrared-ray, which allows the meat to cook inside and outside simultaneously, therefore keeping the juice within.
2. Cooks 2 to 3 times faster compared to traditional stainless or metal grills
3. Prevents smoke, therefore keeping the grilling experience clean
The chef brought us complementary appetizer. The triangular plate had pieces of kimchi kimbop (rice, kimchi, and beef rolled in seaweed), lightly battered and fried. The dish was accompanied by rolled-up spicy noodles and refreshing salad.
I am not a fan of fried food, but the kimbob tempura wasn't too heavy. Too be honest, the restaurant was dark and I didn't realize it was fried before I took a bite of it. The crunchy texture on the outside complemented the savory beef, spicy kimchi, and seasoned rice.
What a great way to start a meal. The noodle was too spicy for my liking, but the fresh greens balanced it well.
Gamja Jeon ($14) is a shredded potatoes and jalapeno pancake. It was really greasy at the bottom, even after dabbing it with napkin. The slightly burnt, crunchy potatoes gave it a similar feel as French fries. The pancake tastes a bit bland without the soy sauce that came with the dish.
Chadol Bap ($12), or thinly sliced beef brisket with rice. I guess this is sort of a fusion on Japanese nigiri. The waiter had really tough time separating the thin slices on the grill. The meat was really fatty. The square sushi rice was topped with jalapeno, wasabi, and some sort of red pepper flakes.
After our appetizers, the waiters came by to set up our table for the main meal. Rather than having one sets of banchans (side dishes) that everyone share, we got individual plates of side dishes. All I could think was, "There are lots of dishes to be washed tonight!"
Filet Mignon ($55/person). Once the crystal grill was hot enough, the waiter brought four chunks of filet mignon. Judging by the color of the meat, I could tell how juicy and savory they will be!
I prefer my steak rare because if it's cooked well, the meat loses its tenderness. The waiter cut the meat for us, and then they will be up for grabs.
Pink meat, just the way I love it! Despite not having much fat, the filet mignon was amazingly tender and juicy. I didn't fully grasp the meaning of "melt in your mouth" until I had this.
Next on the grill were two pieces of NY Strip ($49). These were fattier than the filet mignon.
The crystal grill sucked all the smokes in the vent, so my clothes did not smell like grilled BBQ afterward.
We wrapped up the meal with Korean fusion desserts. Even though we only ordered one dessert, the chef brought us complementary desserts...aka all the desserts on the menu!Goguma Cake($10): Sweet Potato cake with candied sweet potato and sweet potato ice cream. The cake was a bit dry, but I really loved the sweet potato puree/cream swirled within the cake. The ice cream just tasted vanilla to me.
Sesame ice cream ($10). An interesting flavor.
Chaps! by B E S F R E N ($10): Handmade Gluten-free Korean Rice Cake Blended w/ Artistic Flavors including chocolate caramel chips, cheese cream oreo, and vanilla blackcurrant berry. The mochi that I ate had oreo bits. I prefer traditional mochi with red bean fillings.
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