Sunday, February 6, 2011

porky delights at don dae gam



most restaurants do not advertise to their patrons how rotund their buttocks may become after heifing at their establishment. but don dae gam makes no apologies for it and proudly displays the roundest swine's behind for you to look at and aspire to as you stuff your face silly with all kinds of their delicious porky offerings. not at all intimidated by a potential expanding behind, my dining partner and i dropped in for dinner this past saturday night.

surprisingly, this sister restaurant to park's bbq was rather empty which was a godsend for our grumbling bellies. we were seated quickly at a round aluminum table, woot. the banchan that was brought out to us was standard fare though i quite enjoyed a marinated version of kimchi that reminded me of vietnamese pickled mustard greens. ah...when conical hats meet korean kats.



after a quick huddle over our menus, we decided to go with a combo meal for the best bang for our buck. for $49.99, the combo #1 allowed us to choose two different kinds of pork bbq, a side dish from their "something more" category, and beer/soju. since there were only two mouths that night, albeit big mouths at that, the best deal for us was a combo meal.



although don dae gam offers beef, it seemed counterintuitive to order cow when such a big fat pig was emblazoned on their menu. we decided to choose the special pork neck meat and the seasoned black pork belly as our two porky choices and a side order of fried kimchi rice balls from their "something more" category.



pork neck. WOW. i can't quite say i've had it before and texturally, it reminded me of pig's feet but without the gelatinous element to it. however, the chew was similar. it was LOVE. if i was a vampire, i would forgo your neck and head straight for the swine's. DELICIOUS i tell ya and i would certainly crave this odd piece of meat.



the seasoned black pork belly was dangerously unctuous and was marinated with the same ingredients that one would find for galbi. but i must warn you that one must ENJOY fat to enjoy this cut of meat. i like fat so i likey.



the little football shaped fried kimchi rice balls were a delectable discovery that night as well. although a tad oily, the balls of mixed black and white rice were stuffed in an egg blanket. each bite seared into my memory the desire to return to don dae gam sooner, rather than later, for another order of these savory carb filled footballs.



the meal ended with their tofu and bean paste soup. as you can tell by the picture, we had quite a bit of heat in that bowl. i thought it was too spicy and my dining partner did not enjoy the fermented bean taste.



and rice crust in water, another unnecessary side for us that came along with the meal.



overall, the meal i had at don dae gam was spectacular and i only wished there were more mouths that night to justify over-ordering. not only was there no wait, but the service was quick and attentive....not to mention PORK NECK and FRIED KIMCHI RICE BALLS. and truth be told, my bum was quite robust as i waddled out of their doors that night. ahhh, i do look forward to waddling back through their doors again soon though. oh pork...i oink you.

Don Dae Gam
1145 S. Western Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90006

(323) 373-0700


price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!
Don Dae Gam on Urbanspoon
Don Dae Gam in Los Angeles on Fooddigger

12 comments:

  1. If you failed to devour the spicy baby octopus/bacon stew with rice, your belly did not roam.

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  2. Oink oink! Ain't no shame in over ordering. Leftovers are a treat, especially when eaten the next day cold and congealed ;-)

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  3. been on a pork fest lately and this looks good! have you tried ham ji park? 1 order of pork bbq and 1 order of gam ja tang (pork neck soup) and you're set.

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  4. steve- ok that's on the list. i love octopus.

    cathy- ha you enabler! i was playing conservative. the pants be feeling mighty tight lately. lordy, they be tight.

    effing- ham ji park is on the map. i think a panda wants to take us there. i will remind myself that an order of gam ja tang is a must have.

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  5. I've been wanting to try this place! I really like Park's and the tail on that pig is just too cute.

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  6. i haven't tried this place or fried kimchi rice balls! i love pork neck, so i must visit...

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  7. I would've finished up the fermented bean stew, no prob! :) Looks delicious, must go.

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  8. christina- yeah, that pig's behind is pretty darn cute. make sure you go with a lot of dudes...the food is heavy!

    helen- omg, fried kimchi rice balls. my new favorite balls!

    marie- it's so good...and if you want pig, it's the place to go. oink.

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  9. Ok, when do you want to go again?

    And why in the hell am I up at 3:30AM again?

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  10. danny- i can oink any time.

    seriously. 3:30am....it's like you're a security guard at a parking garage :0

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  11. OMG...must go! As a non beef eater, I am always looking for kbbq that specializes in pork! Thanks for posting this!

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  12. nancy- YUP. my pleasure. if only i can share the calories i've acquired as well as the finds...*sigh*

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