Daeji Ssonday
321 Broad Ave, Ridgefield, NJ 07657, United States
Daeji Ssonday is one of the most authentic Korean restaurants I’ve come across in the US. I know I’m from Philly and got a restaurant of my own, but I like to promote local places so you guys can hit it up when you’re nearby. To add, this is next to a huge Hmart (where I buy most of my pantry essentials) so you can hit two birds with one stone!
This restaurant’s menu pretty much covers a lot of bases when it comes to Korean cuisine. They are first and foremost a Korean BBQ spot that offers an assortment of beef from thinly sliced to marinated short ribs. They also offer pork belly, but they are better known for their beoljip samgyupsal or black pig pork belly.
But if you’re in a rush and don’t wanna smell like BBQ, you can also enjoy their other offerings. They have classic Korean soups like soybean paste soup, kimchi stew, soft tofu stew, army stew, and beef bone soup. They also offer grilled and braised fish similar to what you can see in the galchi jorim alley of Namdaemun Market.
Aside from those, they also offer Korean classics such as dumplings, pancakes, japchae, bibimbap, naengmyeon, and stir-fried dishes which you can order either a la carte or as a rice topping.
What should I order in Korean restaurants?
One of the questions I often get asked is what are my recommendations when it comes to trying Korean restaurants? If you ever chance upon a restaurant like this that offers a lot of food, you will definitely get overwhelmed. But chill out, I got you!
if you have time, go for the Korean BBQ because that is the full experience. Aside from the meat that doesn’t really have extreme flavors (ie. too spicy, a bit sour, etc), you’ll be able to enjoy it because it’s good quality meat.
Along with the meat, you will get fresh vegetables, different sauces, sampler soups, steamed eggs, and a whole lot of side dishes that help cleanse your palate as you consume the meat. They are there for a good reason!
If you haven’t tried out kimchi, in a Korean BBQ, kimchi comes free! You can pair it with meat, and you will fall in love with Korean food!
Otherwise, if you are pressed for time or just don’t really want to do the whole KBBQ, you can order a la carte. My advice would be…
- Easy on the palate & light: Order japchae or bibimbap and dumplings or savory pancakes.
- Full meals: Order a bowl of rice or noodle dish, grilled meat or stir-fries, and some soups.
You cannot go wrong with these pairings. Just beware and ask your server if the dish is spicy so you can be prepared or you can avoid it if you cannot tolerate spice.
How do you eat your Korean BBQ?
As for me when I visited Daeji Ssonday, I got the beoljip samgyupsal, naengmyeon, and yuksu. I really enjoyed the pork belly with the ssam sauce and scallion kimchi!
Aside from getting a great order, I know each of us got a way to enjoy our meals. So when you are in a Korean BBQ… Do you dip the pork belly and eat it as it is? Do you make a ssam and eat it all in one bite? Or do you wrap your pork belly with noodles and eat it? While I enjoy all this, I like making ssam the best to get all the vegetables and protein in one whole bite. Shoutout to Mama Cho for always reminding me to eat my greens!
Is Korean food healthy?
Another question people often ask me is how I stay in shape while eating the way I eat. Honestly, I think aside from going to the gym regularly, Korean food is also generally healthy.
We always have kimchi as a side dish, if not, there’s always another type of pickled vegetable when we eat a meal. We also eat a lot of grilled protein which lessens the use of oil and excessive seasoning. Our soups may be strong in taste, but it is also almost always filled with vegetables. The dishes we make are well-rounded and good for your body! I’d like to think that’s how I stay in shape.
Another tip I’d like to share is that, when there is a Korean restaurant near you, you don’t have to order everything all at once. You simply need to savor what you have at the moment. With a great palate experience, you will come back again and again and you’ll have more opportunities to try everything else! Enjoy!
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