Have you ever found yourself torn between choosing spicy Korean pork and cheesesteak? One is a well groomed package of oily convenience, while the other is a deliciously spicy mess of a meal with limited mobility. How can you possibly decide!? Good news... you don't have to. In somewhat of a conflict of interest, I didn't write about Koja (the hybrid Korean-Japanese truck that lives on 38th street) here, but this... I couldn't bring myself to write for another site. It's like I'm cheating on myself or something. Anyway, I present to you... the bulgogi pork cheesesteak.
I don't think I need to really explain this one. You take a regular hoagie roll, layer some cheese inside (I'm guessing provolone?), and layer on spicy bulgogi (or however you want to spell it) pork w/peppers and onions. A stroke of pure genius. Nothing could make this sandwich any better.
Oh wait. Yes there is. It is $3. For just $3, you get a 10" sandwich stuffed with an entire serving of spicy pork with gochujang. If I could somehow quantify taste and value per dollar, this shit would be off the charts. Just consider the fact that you can have 30" of spicy pork cheesesteak for less than a single Hamilton. Fuck, I bet even Kim Jong Il would be down with that. Insane.
But the thing is, even if it were twice the price, I'd still absolutely love it. That's how good it is in actuality. The bread is a plain hoagie roll that gets toasted, but the part that makes it special is the fact that it somehow gets covered in a thin coating of sweet chili oil. Spectacularly flavorful and soft, it's the kind of combination I wish all my sandwich breads used. Inside, the pork is no slouch either. Cooked fresh with a heaping handful of onions and a mix of red and green peppers, the pork is just spicy enough to numb the tongue without going overboard. Adequately tender, the cheapish meat, high in fat content, truly glistens in bright red glory. It's no shabbier than their standard bulgogi, which on its own is pretty good.
I'll put it this way (at the risk of being crucified by traditionalists)... I love my cheesesteaks the original way just fine. Put some peppers, onions, cheese and plain steak on a roll and I'd consider it a fine meal. If you give me the option of having a jazzed up Korean version of cheesesteak? I'll take that 9 times out of 10. Especially at this price. Way to go Koja.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Bulgogi pork cheesesteak (Koja)
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9 comments:
lmao I love the comment on Kim Jong Il. And wow that does look fantastic. This one's gunna be a must-try on my list =]
That looks too awesome to be true. Only in Taiwan. And, not only would Kim Jong Il be down with it, but how about that heir apparent of his, Kim Jong Un? Now this is a guy who, not only loves rollerblading, but is someone who has DEFINITELY embraced his inner fatty. Just sayin!
munchimonster - forreals, soooo good.
camissonia - let me blow your mind right now. It's in Philadelphia :p easily accessible right here in the US of A.
Kogi BBQ truck needs to start selling that. Like now. It's just not faiirrrrr
Sue - lol are we really talking fair? You have an entire truck dedicated to Korean tacos. I have one measly sandwich. We can trade if you want?
3 DOLLARS?!?!? UNFAIR!!! That looks sooooo good!!!
Sherry - sad you had to graduate so early now? :)
FYI, bulgogi is actually just the non-spicy beef. If you go to a Korean restaurant and want the spicy pork, it's called jae yook bokkum or jae yook dupbap.
Anonymous - I know that (although TIL the names of the spicy pork dishes!). If you dig around, there's a more recent post on the non-spicy beef variant. Endlesssimmer/Huffingtonpost misquoted me on their articles, oh wells.
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oh snap. I can control the text here?