Ansan butcher: pan-fried galbi-sal, mom's dallae kimchi, Morakmorak

What is Morakmorak Home & Cook, the Seongpo-dong butcher in Ansan?

Morakmorak Home & Cook (모락모락홈앤쿡) is a butcher shop and meal kit store on the basement level of Star Plaza in Seongpo-dong, Ansan. Some days you crave meat like crazy. Okay, I always do. 🤭🤭🤭 So my feet naturally carried me to this Ansan butcher again. I'm a real regular, so I walk in without a second thought. The moment you step in, you get that butcher-shop vibe mixed with a meal kit store, and one look at the meat on display tells you you're halfway to success already, haha.

Marinated meats at Morakmorak: types and price range

At the back of Morakmorak Home & Cook, rows of marinated meats are lined up: jeyuk bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork), dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) and marinated galbi. There are so many that choosing is hard. Honestly, the prices are fair for today's cost of living, too. The items sold by the 1kg are a really great deal. This kind of detail is why it's known as a Seongpo-dong favorite. ^^

This Ansan butcher isn't just a place to buy meat, it's a place that levels up your home cooking~ I have clear reasons for being a regular, and I plan to keep going. It's set up perfectly for takeout and eating at home, so it's really versatile. Now, the story of how happy the galbi-sal made me, starting~

Soups and side dishes beyond fresh meat

Morakmorak Home & Cook isn't only meat. There are lots of side dishes you can eat right away, meal-kit style. There are also separate soups like seolleongtang (ox bone soup), galbitang (short rib soup) and seujitang (beef tendon soup), which is super efficient when you're eating alone. Looking at the fridge, there were plenty of ready-packed products, so next time I plan to go after those too.

Choosing galbi-sal at Morakmorak Home & Cook

What I picked this day was galbi-sal. My choice? I'd already decided on the menu before going, so I headed straight for the galbi-sal without hesitating. The chilled showcase has a separate hanwoo (Korean beef) line, and you have to admit the pink lighting makes the meat look even more appetizing. I took one look at the marbling and just grabbed it. As you'd expect from Ansan's hanwoo line, the quality looks clearly good. The US beef is excellent too~! Please try it. Have it twice. ^^

Seeing the packed galbi-sal up close, the fat distribution was just right, so I could tell it would be delicious just grilled. The staff at Morakmorak Home & Cook are friendly too, and explain things well when you ask. There's a reason I became a regular. They also pack the meat neatly, so it's easy to cook right when you get home.

I'll be back next time! ^^

Can you cook galbi-sal at home with just one pan?

With galbi-sal, you just heat the pan until it's hot and grill it, and that's it. It's a cooking-rice day! Haha. How long has it been since I cooked rice? ^^ I was grinning ear to ear at the thought of a meat side dish, hahaha.

I got straight into cooking once I got home. Honestly, there's nothing to galbi-sal. But what matters is the condition of the meat, and the meat was really good this day. The moment it started grilling and the fatty aroma rose up, it felt like game over. It tasted even better because our house's grilling master did the cooking. ^^ Thanks, honey, hehe.

How did the pan-fried galbi-sal taste with dallae kimchi?

The golden-grilled galbi-sal was juicy, not tough, and tender to chew. Wow, I feel bad toward my daughter for eating something this delicious with just the two of us, but what can I do? Finders keepers! Hehe. It's the kind of taste that puts you in a good mood for no reason. Put on top of rice, one bite tasted like home cooking that blows restaurant quality away. This is why I come to this Ansan butcher so often. >.<

With just kimchi and a few simple side dishes, galbi-sal is enough to make a full meal. It feels like you don't even need to eat out. Eating at home was actually more comfortable and nicer. And the dallae kimchi (wild chive kimchi) my mom made and left for us went together with it amazingly, again~! I feel really satisfied that I ate properly. ^^

What to buy next at Morakmorak Home & Cook

My next shopping candidate is jeyuk bokkeum. While eating, I kept thinking, maybe I should buy the jeyuk bokkeum next time!! From what was on display, the seasoning looked well absorbed and the portion generous, so it looked like good value. I've also bought and eaten the dakgalbi there, and it was tasty, so I think it's perfect when you crave something spicy.

For people looking for a Seongpo-dong favorite, I recommend this style. Restaurants are great, but buying from a good butcher like this and eating at home feels like a trend these days. It's especially good on days when you're eating alone or want to eat comfortably at home.