Porky & Porkie

While enjoying a delicious dinner at Cafe de Laos in October, we could not help but notice the renovations underway at the building next door. The sign read Porky & Porkie Korean Barbecue. I anticipated the opening because I had never eaten Korean food.

Porky & Porkie finally opened about two months ago. I did some culinary sleuthing and discovered Koreans love barbecue, which means they like grilled foods.

Porky & Porkie, in the heart of the Asian community at 11th and Washington, is BYOB. A smiling gentleman showed Edward and I to a roomy table in the dining room, which is spacious and airy. Each table contains its own gas-powered hibachi-like grill. Stainless-steel exhaust boxes loom overhead to ensure smoke does not get in your eyes.

Another gentleman soon greeted us. He could have been the owner or manager and he made our evening most enjoyable. He opened our wine and poured it into Italian crystal wineglasses. He flicked the switch on our grill and our Korean barbecue feast began.

A complimentary bowl of light miso-type soup arrived piping hot, flecked with strands of moist chicken. After we finished our soup, the assorted condiments that enhance Korean cuisine were brought to our table. Placed before us in individual bowls were kimchee, a slightly peppery cabbage; an orange-red chili paste; tiny anchovies, which were about 1-inch long and still had their heads and eyes intact; pickled vegetables, cool seaweed salad and stainless steel bowls of sticky rice with lids to keep it hot.

More complimentary fare arrived for the grill – a few small tiger shrimp, two New Zealand mussels, some squid and fish balls. Americans are used to adding a bit of oil to fish before grilling because it adds flavor. The shrimp fared best here. Edward and I found the squid rubbery and chewy because it was frozen. The fish balls were bland and mussels are not the perfect choice for a grill. The best flavors were to come.

Porky & Porkie is a buffet ($14.95), but we also received menus for à la carte dishes. From the buffet, we tried plain strips of boneless chicken breast and pieces coated with barbecue sauce. Our helpful friend told us to grill the chicken, place it in a lettuce leaf, top it with rice and condiments and enjoy. You have to watch the grill, tossing around the bits of food so they do not overcook. We were given metal tongs for this task, but we also had fun cooking with our chopsticks. The chicken was moist and flavorful.

The barbecue sauce is neither too sweet nor too spicy. In fact, I found the red chili paste perfect. The kimchee was not too hot and the pickled vegetables, mostly a julienne of carrot and cucumbers, were refreshing and light.

Back to the buffet to try two types of beef, a medley of pork, squid and a few dishes for those who have a true sense of culinary adventure. Grilled beef tripe? Chicken intestines? More on that later.

Paper-thin slices of prime rib were perfect for do-it-yourself grilling, especially if you prefer your beef rare. The beef was tender and all it needed were a few tosses with the tongs. Fat cloves of peeled garlic and chunks of onion were tossed on the grill with the beef.

Barbecued pork, plain pork and pork belly also were on the raw food buffet. Keep in mind pork must be thoroughly cooked, but don’t overdo it. Pork belly is another name for streaky bacon. The fat cooked up nice and crisp.

Neither Edward nor I liked the squid because it was cut from large fish and frozen. Even the barbecued raw version on offer just didn’t pass muster. Whole baby squid would be prefect here because they are tender and would grill up quickly.

Now for chicken intestines. Perhaps they should be called "gizzards" to sound more palatable. Still, I always loved pupiks as a child. Pupik is Yiddish for bellybutton. It is also the word to fondly refer to the chicken gizzard that bubbes and great-bubbes would toss into chicken soup. Be adventurous and try them at Porky & Porkie.

I noticed potato salad at the cold buffet. This threw me off. We tasted it and it needed salt and pepper. Edward chatted with our friend and asked whether American soldiers during the Korean War introduced it and made it a Korean staple. Indeed, they did.

We wanted to try something from the à la carte menu. Seafood pancakes ($9.95) were the first cousin of the Vietnamese crepe. They also reminded me of a frittata because they were open-faced. An egg-rich batter was poured into a pan and some bits of shrimp, squid and scallions were placed on top. They were placed in the oven until the edges were crisp and brown. We received three and they were a nice change from all the grilled food.

Chunks of sweet ripe pineapple, honeydew and cantaloupe from the buffet ended our introduction to Korean fare. Go and have fun.

Two tips of the toque to Porky & Porkie.

Porky & Porkie
1111-13 S. 11th St.
215-468-8389
Visa and MasterCard accepted
Wheelchair-accessible
BYOB
Open seven days