BBQ with Seoul: Five Korean barbecue restaurants in Fort Myers, Naples
At these five barbecue restaurants in Naples and Fort Myers, you'll find ribs and brisket, and also banchan and ssamjang. Let's BBQ, Korean style.
Annabelle TometichI've never understood the "it's Memorial Day, we must barbecue" mindset.
It's a very Northern/Midwestern approach to the holiday. One that doesn't make sense in our already swampy heat. This isn't to say I don't love barbecue. I very much do. American barbecue, sure, but also grilling traditions from around the world.
Arguably my favorite style of "barbecue" comes from Korea, where sizzling meats serve as a beefy excuse for eating bowls and bowls of banchan, small sides of pickled and fermented vegetables — kongnamul muchim, oi muchim, gosari namul — layered with savory spice.
My favorite Korean barbecue experiences involve bottles of soju, a sea of banchan surrounding a small fire-pit of a grill, and a few plates of raw pork belly and fat-marbled beef to be rotated onto said grill. The smoke of the cooking meats serves as a perfume, a background scent that infuses and heightens the experience. There should be white rice and kimchi, of course, some gochujang and ssamjang, some soy sauce sweetened with brown sugar and balanced with tangy vinegar.
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The woman who taught me how to properly enjoy Korean barbecue is Rosa Kim, the owner of Origami in south Fort Myers. Kim introduced Southwest Florida to the foods of her homeland way back in 1994. She introduced me to proper Korean barbecue techniques in the late 2000s, a lesson I still hold dear.
Kim's advice:
• Mind your meats. Even if a server gets things started, it's often up to you to monitor and flip the meats to your desired temperature (this is part of the fun!). You never have to wait for the server to come back to pull a ready piece from the grill and eat it.
• Eat your banchan now and later. Think of these tiny plates as free appetizers and sides. They're meant to be snacked on as soon as they hit the table. And, at most restaurants, banchan refills are endless.
• Scissors over knives. The scissors next to the tabletop grill are there for the meat. Use them to cut and portion the cooked beef/pork. It's so much easier than using a knife.
• This is not a burrito. The leaves of lettuce on the table are for making bite-sized wraps. Layer in whatever meat has just come off the grill, spoon on some sauce, some scallions, wrap it up, and pop it in your mouth in one hearty, happy bite. Save the banchan and rice as sides.
• Don't shy away from the soju; do drink it with caution. Soju's slight sweetness helps balance the spicy, salty flavors of Korean barbecue. The drink is so popular in Korea, it's often cheaper than water — and consumed in similar quantities (soju is the most-sold booze in the world). Tread carefully, however. At 20% alcohol by volume, soju sits between wine and liquor in terms of strength.
Where to find Korean barbecue in Fort Myers, Naples
Ember Korean Steakhouse: With one of the most extensive selections of meats, from Wagyu and filet mignon to galbi and chicken bulgogi, and helpful staff, Ember makes the Korean barbecue experience deliciously delightful. (7091 College Parkway, south Fort Myers; 239-771-8818; emberfortmyers.com)
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Hot Pot & BBQ: Though it's been open for less than a month, this long-anticipated spot off of Dani Drive in Fort Myers is already garnering rave reviews. Hot Pot offers an all-you-can-eat experience, with buffets of raw ingredients that you take to your table to cook in either a boiling hot-pot broth or on Korean-style grills. (9345 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers; 239-338-9999)
Origami: The area's first Korean barbecue restaurant, Origami's offerings are slightly more limited than Ember's. But its bounty of beautiful, house-made, from-scratch banchan is hard to beat. (8911 Daniels Parkway, south Fort Myers; 239-482-2126; sushiorigami.com)
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Seoul Korean Restaurant: Naples' only solely Korean restaurant, Seoul has soul. Go for the Korean barbecue tables and banchan, stay for the mandu, the tteokbokki and some of the best Korean pancakes I've had anywhere. (5926 Premier Way, Naples; 239-653-9406; seoulinnaples.com)
Zen Asian BBQ: In addition to traditional Korean barbecue tables, Zen also offers fun cocktails and slivered steaks that can be seared on hot stones. (10823 Tamiami Trail N., North Naples; 239-260-7037; eatatzen.com)
This is the third in my series of stories highlighting Asian foods in Southwest Florida for Asian American Pacific Islander Month. Find my guide to Southeast Asian restaurants here; and click here for some of my favorite ramen spots.
Annabelle Tometich writes about food and restaurants for The News-Press and Naples Daily News. Connect with this reporter: atometich@news-press.com; @atometich (Twitter); @abellewrites (Instagram)