Written by India Roemlein
Just got off the PATH train? Revive yourself with some home-style Korean food at Gogi Grill.
The environment is a quick order, over-the-counter sort of place, with all of the order combinations and prices written on the board. Gogi Grill is like a Korean Chipotle. Customize a bowl, burrito, salad, or some tacos with yummy Korean staples. You can’t go wrong with a bowl with either fried rice or sweet potato (vermicelli) noodles. For an extra dollar, you can get kimchi fried rice, which is literally rice stir-fried with sesame oil kimchi. If you are going for the cheaper option, just go for the plain rice or sweet potato vermicelli because they are just as good. But if you aren’t in the mood for carbs, you can get lettuce. Then pick from the several proteins, including tofu as a vegetarian option. Top tip if you are picking beef — the beef galbi (short rib) tastes a bit better than the beef bulgogi (ribeye). It’s difficult to only pick four toppings when all of the veggies look good. The vegetable toppings like the julienned carrots, bean sprouts, corn, and squash do not have seasoning on their own, but there is kimchi, butter kimchi (which is kimchi sautéed in butter), cucumber kimchi, and spicy slaw that add different flavors to your dish. If you aren’t the biggest fan of kimchi, opt for the cucumber kimchi topping because the fermented flavor is not as strong. Another good option is cheese, which can cut through the spicy sauce.
Make sure you know which sauce you like because the flavors of the sauces are delicious but can also be strong. The Korean red pepper sauce is a spicy-sweet sauce, the cilantro-lime sauce tastes more like a dressing than a sauce for your dish, the teriyaki sauce is like a sweet soy sauce, and the katsu sauce tastes like a barbecue sauce. If you feel like treating yourself, for an extra $0.75 you can get a fried egg on top. Other snacks you can get are their fried vegetable dumplings or their Instagrammable kimchi cheese tater tots.
Personally, when I go to Gogi Grill, I’m ready for a bowl full of kimchi and gochujang. Basically everything else in the bowl is there to complement these strong flavors. I prefer noodles over rice in my bowl because noodles add a different texture to the dish, but it depends on what you are in the mood for. It also just depends on whether you are a noodle or rice person. I honestly would pick any of the proteins, but I have had the shrimp and the short rib so far. For toppings, I usually get both the regular kimchi and the cucumber kimchi, carrots, and corn. I like keeping the flavors of the dish simple. I keep my order as simple as it is to just grab and go from the cafe, especially if you order ahead. I like the clean, chill vibe in the cafe that is good for hanging out or even doing homework. I pretty much enjoy any place that isn’t a sit-down restaurant for convenience’s sake. The next time you have a craving for some Korean food, stop by Gogi Grill for some comfort eats.
Disclaimer: This column is a collaboration between The Stute and Spoon University. It will be published both in The Stute and on Spoon’s website, and will be written by different authors week-to-week.
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