Honey Pig Gooldaegee Korean BBQ
For months we had been hearing about a mysterious Korean BBQ joint in Annandale that stayed open 24-hours and was supposed to be absolutely incredible--and with a name like ‘Honey Pig’, obviously we were intrigued. We were finally able to schedule a date to go in late September and hauled out to the ‘burbs on a Saturday evening, not quite sure what to expect. The restaurant is in a strip-mall laden section of Columbia Pike in Annandale and relatively non-descript, except for the giant cartoonish pig painted on the side of the building—a good sign. Upon arrival, we found the parking lot completely packed and had to search for spots in the adjoining neighborhood—another good sign.
We put our names on the list and after a short wait were escorted to our (tiny) table in the back of the restaurant. The place was PACKED with people, young and old, primarily Korean. Asian club music blasted from the speakers and every table had a sizzling grill of some delicious smelling meat cooking away. We squeezed around our table, ordered beers and attempted to read the menu, though it was a little confusing. The waitress had to come back twice asking for our order and we all gave each other panicked and confused looks until we finally pointed at a few things that looked interesting.
The waitress cranked up the grill situated in the middle of our table, and immediately began bringing an assortment of condiments and sauces. Kimchi of course, apple salad, mixed greens with a delicious light dressing, sesame oil, some kind of garlic dipping sauce and steamed white rice. For starters we ordered a seafood ‘pancake’ and bowl of cold soba noodle soup to share. The pancake was extremely tasty, perfectly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and loaded with fresh seafood. The soba noodles were also very good, floating in a light broth and the perfect chewy consistency. For the main course, we ordered beef ribs and—surprise--pork belly. The beef came out first and the waitress deftly threw the meat on the flaming hot grill and went about cutting it into portions with heavy-duty scissors. After it cooked for a few moments, she added sliced onions and jalapenos to the grill. The beef was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious with our array of condiments and sticky white rice.
Next the thinly sliced pork belly was added to the grill to cook, along with a huge pile of kimchi. The pork was fried to the consistency of bacon and was also amazing, though at this point we were all extremely full. We struggled with the remaining portions, determined to finish everything because it just tasted so GOOD. At the end, the meal came to about $30 per person including tip—a fantastic deal for the quality and amount of food.
For months we had been hearing about a mysterious Korean BBQ joint in Annandale that stayed open 24-hours and was supposed to be absolutely incredible--and with a name like ‘Honey Pig’, obviously we were intrigued. We were finally able to schedule a date to go in late September and hauled out to the ‘burbs on a Saturday evening, not quite sure what to expect. The restaurant is in a strip-mall laden section of Columbia Pike in Annandale and relatively non-descript, except for the giant cartoonish pig painted on the side of the building—a good sign. Upon arrival, we found the parking lot completely packed and had to search for spots in the adjoining neighborhood—another good sign.
We put our names on the list and after a short wait were escorted to our (tiny) table in the back of the restaurant. The place was PACKED with people, young and old, primarily Korean. Asian club music blasted from the speakers and every table had a sizzling grill of some delicious smelling meat cooking away. We squeezed around our table, ordered beers and attempted to read the menu, though it was a little confusing. The waitress had to come back twice asking for our order and we all gave each other panicked and confused looks until we finally pointed at a few things that looked interesting.
The waitress cranked up the grill situated in the middle of our table, and immediately began bringing an assortment of condiments and sauces. Kimchi of course, apple salad, mixed greens with a delicious light dressing, sesame oil, some kind of garlic dipping sauce and steamed white rice. For starters we ordered a seafood ‘pancake’ and bowl of cold soba noodle soup to share. The pancake was extremely tasty, perfectly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and loaded with fresh seafood. The soba noodles were also very good, floating in a light broth and the perfect chewy consistency. For the main course, we ordered beef ribs and—surprise--pork belly. The beef came out first and the waitress deftly threw the meat on the flaming hot grill and went about cutting it into portions with heavy-duty scissors. After it cooked for a few moments, she added sliced onions and jalapenos to the grill. The beef was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious with our array of condiments and sticky white rice.
Next the thinly sliced pork belly was added to the grill to cook, along with a huge pile of kimchi. The pork was fried to the consistency of bacon and was also amazing, though at this point we were all extremely full. We struggled with the remaining portions, determined to finish everything because it just tasted so GOOD. At the end, the meal came to about $30 per person including tip—a fantastic deal for the quality and amount of food.
The ambiance is also something not to be overlooked; this place is intense. The music is loud, the people raucous, and the wait-staff run around between tables grilling meats and carrying huge platters of food. Sensory overload would be a good way to describe the scene and we mean that in the best way possible. The only drawbacks may be the close quarters of the tables, making it difficult to get comfortable (not to mention the teeny-tiny stools we had to sit on), and the fact that smoking is allowed in the restaurant, which we were not accustomed to. These things only seemed to add to the charm however, and we left feeling full, fat and happy. Honey Pig is worth the trip and I know we will be going back when that 2 am craving for Korean BBQ hits. 3 Oinks!
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