Garam Korean

Looking for something a little unusual, my wife and I ventured out to Garam Korean. The dining experience was fun, but the restaurant does have several flaws.

The majority of the fun comes from the assortment of small dishes served with your meal.

kimchee

Among the dishes were: a mild kimchee, sweet pickled radishes, spicy cucumbers, sweet marinated or pickled potatoes and carrots, and a mayonnaise and noodle salad which reminded me of shrimp salad. There was also a dish of sweet, dried, tiny shrimp. The shrimp were very unusual. While I found the shrimp interesting, I would not recommend them to all. They had a funky taste that was oddly reminiscient of canned oysters.

We started out with a seafood and scallion pancake. The pancake was recommended by internet reviewers. The pancake was like a cross between a seafood omelet and okonomiyaki. (Okonomiyaki is a Japanese dish of a fried mixture of batter and cabbage covered in various toppings and sauce. Okonomiyaki is absolutely delicious. For more, see here.) The pancake was decent, but not amazing. It was oniony with a strong egg taste and seafood bits dispersed throughout. I did not keep an exact tally on the different seafood inside, but I do remember shrimp and squid tentacles. The pancake seemed a little undercooked and doughy.

For my entree, I ordered bibimbap. Bibimbap is a quintessential Korean dish. Rice is served in a hot stone bowl and covered with meats, vegetables, and a fried egg. The ingredients are mixed together by the diner. Garam Korean's bibimbap falls into the category that so many of my reviews seem to utilize: good but not amazing. It was tasty, but I will not be rushing back to Garam Korean. If I do make it back, I will probably try something else. I did like how the hot stone made some of the rice crispy which added a nice texture contrast. The dish seemed to be a little light on the toppings of beef, bean sprouts, greens, and egg. The yolk of the fried egg on top broke and made a nice addition to the sauce. The dish is served with a spicy red sauce similar to sriracha.

My wife ordered a chicken dish which was decent but unremarkable. It was essentially chicken and vegetables tossed in a sweet sauce and served with rice.

Garam Korean appears to be a family run restaurant. One woman serves as the only server. The service can be very slow at times. If you go to Garam Korean, go because you want an experience, not because you want a quick dinner. On the other hand, the family run aspect is a nice quality as well. The owners chat with friends and regulars in the restaurant and eat their meals at the front table. The restaurant plays cheesy Korean pop music which is mostly just humorous.

Garam Korean left me with a mostly neutral impression. The food was decent, but other than its "ethnic" quality, not all that special. The service was a little slow but friendly and helpful. The multitude of little dishes served with the meal were entertaining and a nice rainbow of flavors. I am happy to know that there is a Korean restaurant and Huntsville and I hope it does well, but I won't be rushing back.

Garam Korean
256-519-2374
600 Jordan Lane NW
Huntsville, AL 35816