※ 본 기획 취재는 (사)한국잡지협회의 지원을 받아 작성되었습니다. 그동안 '브라보 마이 라이프' 매거진과 온라인 기사를 통해 만났던 '고고가게' 시리즈를 해외 독자 분들을 위해 영문 버전으로도 준비했습니다.
‘Gogo' has several meanings such as old, elegant and outstanding. Let's take a visit to a famous restaurant that perfectly fits this expression, 'Gogo Eateroes'. It's easy to select and find just near the subway, let's shout 'go-go'.
●Daegu Story●
#1 Since 1957, Sangju Restaurant(상주식당)
When you walk along a narrow alley between sky-scrapers near Jungang-ro subway station, also known as Myeongdong of Daegu, you come to a cozy old house. This is 'Sangju Restaurant'. In front of the gate is a signboard saying, 'No Drinking. No Smoking, business period from March 1 to December 15'. From the owner Cha Sang-nam (73) who has been running Seongju Restaurant after the late Cheon Dae-gyeom, we heard the hidden story.
"When I was young, it was a small groggery so called 'Sangju House'. As I grew up, I hated my friends calling me a 'groggery girl', and I realized that people look down on you if you sell liquor. I pleaded mother not to sell liquor. That way, we sold Beef Bone Soup in winter, Spicy Chicken Soup in summer, and Loach Soup in autumn. But there were several restaurants selling these menus. So we thought hard 'What to sell in order to survive'. I visited and studied famous restaurants with mother. At that time, meat was rare, so we made a broth from intestines and made Loach Soup, and it tasted good."
Today, they use beef shank instead of intestines. It is specialized for the clean taste by adding high quality loach grown in Korea, high mountain napa cabbage and garlic to this broth. Other secret recipe would only include sincerity, diligence and honesty. A day of the owner begins with cleaning napa cabbage at 5 in the morning.
"When I touch cabbage leaves, the level of moisture varies each day. So I adjust the water depending on the condition. Ingredients are as important as loach. So we don't open during winter when napa cabbage is not harvested."
There's another reason that they don't open the restaurant in the winter. Cha worked in a trading company in Seoul for about 10 years and in the weekends, she came to Daegu and helped her mother. One day, she could not help because she was busy at the company, and when she visited after two weeks, she saw her mother wiping tears quietly .
"I decided that I should help mother again. Because I could not entirely quit from the company, I made a proposal for my mother to take a break for even three to four months in winter when napa cabbage is not harvested. Then, I'll come and work in other seasons. But then, when mother passed away in 1993, my younger siblings gave up inheritance because they were so thankful about raising them with this restaurant. They asked me to take over the Sangju House the pride of mother although it might be difficult for me. In fact, it was also my pride. From then, 25 years have passed. I'm going to make loach soup to keep our pride and promise with younger siblings."
Address 598-1, Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (4 minutes’ walk from Daegu Jungangro Station)
Opening Hours 9am - 8:30pm (Opens from March 1 to December 15)
Representative Menu Loach Soup
#2 Since 1972,Bongsan Braised Short Ribs(봉산찜갈비)
'Braised Short Ribs Alley in Dongin-dong' near Daegu Metropolitan City Hall, is a representative food street loved by locals and tourists alike. This is where you can taste 'braised short ribs' with spicy garlic seasoning instead of sweet soy sauce seasoning. And 'Bongsan Braised Short Ribs' has been the first comer in this food town.
In the beginning, it had been a noodle house for day laborers in the nearby construction sites, but as customers asked for meat menus, today's house of braised short ribs was born. Beef short ribs enhance health of people after hard labor, and spicy and salty seasoning restores appetite in scorching hot weather of Daegu. In addition, they put a generous amount of minced garlic. The food comes in a simple brass pot without garnish or decoration, which had been used to serve noodles. The bumpy brass pot reveals the wrinkles from age, and for this reason, the restaurant has many regulars who shared good and bad times. This 'memory' was a critical opportunity for the second owner, Choi Byung-yeol (50) to inherit from his mother, Lee Sun-nam.
"I studied in a university and worked at company in Seoul. When I turned 40, mother wanted me to come down and inherit the restaurant. At first, I wanted to refuse, but for the sense of duty as an only son, I traveled to and from Seoul for one year and did hall serving. That was when my thoughts changed. I realized that there were so many people who loved and cherished the memory of our restaurant. Thinking that their memory would vanish with Bongsan Braised Short Ribs, I had sense of responsibility and mission. At last, I came back to Daegu in the following year and started aright."
Reminding of the determination at the time, he plans to continue the reputation as 'A space to present memory'. In addition, he works hard to lead pleasant dialogues with customers thinking that 'food means communication'.
"These days, people look at mobile phones and don't talk to each other even when they are dining out. People somehow talk over drinks, so we have free cork charges for all types of liquor. I'm happy if customers make memorable times."
Emphasizing 'people over money' in terms of a successful life, he is also interested in 'environmental issues'.
"I'm making small changes such as putting an umbrella draining machine instead of a plastic cover like cafes that do not use disposable goods. I'm thinking of new ways such as rewarding customers who return untouched side dishes to reduce food wastes. We are borrowing this environment from our descendants, so I'd like to pass down clean environment along with Bongsan Braised Short Ribs to our descendants."
Address 9-18, 36-gil, Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (9 minutes’ walk from Chilseongsijang Station)
Opening Hours 10am - 10pm (Closed on National Holidays)
Representative Menu Braised Short Ribs, Rib-eye Stew
#3 Since 1963, Miseongdang(미성당)
'Flat Dumplings' are one of the 'Top 10 Delicacies of Daegu' along with Dongin-dong Braised Short Ribs, Spicy Raw Fish Salad and Blow Fish Bulgogi. When we talk about tasty dumplings, most people would think of generous fillings in thin skin, but flat dumplings are the opposite. They are flat just like its name, fillings are scarce, and dumpling skin takes the biggest role. You would wonder what to expect for its taste, but its simple and soft texture like Pyeongyang Cold Buckwheat Noodles will arouse your appetite.
There are several restaurants that sell flat dumplings all around the country, but 'Miseongdang' boasts of the longest history. When food was scarce immediately after the Korean War, the late Lim Chang-gyu who founded Miseongdang, designed flat dumplings by using minimal ingredients of glass noodles, chives and flour. Most dumplings are served right after making and steaming, but to make flat dumplings, you boil them once, soak in water for about an hour and grill over high heat. This was a desperate measure to expand dumplings in size in difficult times. Thanks to this idea, flat dumplings looked not only plenty but also gained the unique soft texture. Today, we don't starve anymore, but the second owner after his father, Lim Su-jong (56) keeps to the original recipe from 50 years ago.
"The recipe and ingredients are unchanged. It looks as if we don't put any ingredients or efforts into it, but it's not easy to get a uniform taste and shape each day. We make around 15,000 to 20,000 dumplings in a weekday and 30,000 in a weekend, and all our employees are veterans with over 20 years of experience. I think the secrets of a long-run were reliable employees and honest taste."
Generosity of the owner would have contributed to continuous service of employees. Lim says that he is thankful and that they are 'helping each other'. For the long history, family of Miseongdang have shared good and bad times. But this year, they had to leave the restaurant where they cherished 50-years of memory. They had to relocate because Namsan 4-5 District where Miseongdang was originally located began reconstruction of apartment. They were sorry, but regarded this as another beginning for the next long-run. At the beginning, Lim's son offered helping hand.
"My son decided that he would inherit the business, and is learning hard. Because the restaurant is too fresh (laughs), it doesn't have the old atmosphere, but we will gradually build up history by maintaining the taste. Of course, son's skill will be upgraded. Father always emphasized the importance of the 'smoky taste'. I think this is our knowhow and I hope my son to keep this smoky taste."
Address 93, Myeongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (4 minutes’ walk from Namsan Station)
Opening Hours 10:30am - 9pm (Closed on National Holidays)
Representative Menu Flat Dumplings, Spicy Cold Chewy Noodles, Udon, etc.
