10 Korean Foods BTS Fans Should Try in the Bay Area
If your love of BTS has slowly turned into an obsession with Korean food, the Bay Area is a very good place to be hungry.
You do not need a flight to Seoul to try many of the dishes that constantly appear in Korean entertainment, idol livestreams and food content. Santa Clara and San Jose have everything from tabletop Korean BBQ to black bean noodles, spicy rice cakes and enormous bowls of shaved ice.
Here are 10 foods every ARMY should try at least once.
1. Samgyeopsal
Start with Korean BBQ.
Samgyeopsal is thick-cut pork belly grilled directly at the table, then wrapped in lettuce with garlic, kimchi and ssamjang.
For the full social K-BBQ experience, try Baekjeong San Jose or Jang Su Jang. The latter is a longtime Santa Clara favorite serving grilled meats, bibimbap and stews.
2. Bulgogi
If pork belly sounds too adventurous, bulgogi is an easier introduction.
Thin slices of beef are marinated in a slightly sweet soy-based sauce before being grilled. It is savory, tender and one of those Korean dishes that almost everybody likes on the first try.
3. Sundubu Jjigae
This bubbling soft-tofu stew looks intimidating when it arrives at the table, but it is pure comfort food.
Seafood, beef or pork can be added to the spicy broth, usually alongside rice and banchan. Omogari in San Jose is one local option where seafood soft tofu is among the dishes diners seek out.
4. Bibimbap
Bibimbap might be the perfect Korean starter dish: rice topped with vegetables, meat, egg and gochujang.
Order the hot-stone version if you can. The rice touching the bowl becomes crispy, which is arguably the best part.
5. Jajangmyeon
Those glossy black noodles you have probably seen in Korean shows are jajangmyeon.
The sauce is made with fermented black bean paste and has a rich, savory-sweet flavor.
Paik's Noodle / 홍콩반점 산호세 in Santa Clara specializes in Korean-Chinese dishes and serves jajangmyeon and related noodle dishes.
6. Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki is Korean comfort food with a kick: chewy rice cakes cooked in a sweet and spicy red sauce.
bb.q Chicken North Park Plaza is an easy place to combine tteokbokki with another K-food essential: fried chicken. The chain's menu includes both traditional spicy ddeok-bokki and a creamier rosé version.
7. Korean Fried Chicken
Forget ordinary wings for a moment.
Korean fried chicken is known for being exceptionally crisp, with flavors ranging from soy garlic and honey garlic to seriously spicy gochujang-style sauces.
Order several flavors and share them. This is not really a one-person food.
8. Gimbap
Gimbap looks a little like sushi, but the flavor is completely different.
Rice and fillings such as egg, vegetables, tuna or meat are rolled inside seaweed and cut into bite-sized pieces. It is inexpensive, portable and ideal if you want something quick.
9. Ramyeon
ARMY already knows why ramyeon belongs here.
Jung Kook has even created his own noodle combinations, helping turn Korean instant noodles into a topic of fascination among international fans.
If you want to experiment at home, H Mart San Jose is one obvious stop for Korean noodles, sauces and snacks.
10. Bingsu
Finish with dessert.
Bingsu is Korean shaved ice piled with toppings such as strawberries, mango, red beans, condensed milk or matcha.
Try Sulbing in Santa Clara and, ideally, bring someone to share it with. The bowls can get impressively large.
Where should BTS fans start?
If you only have one afternoon, head toward Santa Clara's Koreatown around El Camino Real. It has one of the Bay Area's strongest concentrations of Korean restaurants and specialist food businesses.
Start with Korean BBQ, add tteokbokki or fried chicken, and save room for bingsu.
Consider it the Bay Area version of a very tasty K-pop pilgrimage.