Korean food at good ol' Strathy - The Bulgogi

Establishment: The Bulgogi, Strathfield

Cuisine: Korean/KBBQ

Allergy Information: There are many dishes that are dairy, egg, seafood and nut free. Some dishes have egg, but you can request they remove it. Most dishes will likely contain soy and/or sesame so double check with staff. 

Suggestions: Stir Fried Bulgogi is delicious and dairy, egg, seafood and nut free, but be aware it contains soy and sesame. 

When it comes to allergies, there is some wisdom in the notion that if you need something done right, you should do it yourself. 

The idea of going to Korean BBQ was presented to me as an option by my friends because the ability to cook my own pork would mean I could ensure there were no allergens in my food and eat along with everyone else. We would then be able to order a range of meats and I would just be sure to get my meat cooked first to avoid any cross contamination with the marinated meats. Then I'd be able to dive right into my lovely pork belly. 

Needless to say, I've now had my fair share of Korean BBQ! 

Saying that, I can definitely imagine that not everyone is necessarily keen to head out to eat, only to have to cook the meal themselves, so the great thing about Korean BBQ places like The Bulgogi (and countless others!) is that they also have some really lovely ready-made dishes to choose from. 

A little while back, a friend of mine who had moved down here from Queensland was keen on trying some new cuisines here in Sydney. To help her out, I had begun introducing her to a few different spots in the city and eventually, it was time to bring her along to try some KBBQ. I thought as she's trying something new, I'd try a new place too so we decided to head out to Strathfield to try out The Bulgogi, one of the many KBBQ places off the strip leading out from Strathfield station and a place I'd not yet checked out myself. 

And of course, their neverending free sides!

I'm always a little tentative when approaching a new place, but I was sure I could fall back on cooking up some pork belly without too much fear so I was happy to give it a go. My friend was hoping to challenge her capacity to manage spice levels so we both approached the menu with some trepidation before stumbling on a couple of dishes that sounded safe and hopefully delicious.

Now unfortunately, I can no longer remember the dish my friend ended up ordering except to say that it proved just that little bit too spicy... and perhaps may have turned her off of Korean for a while, so a warning to anyone who may not be so comfortable with spice!

However, my dish was lovely. Once I'd determined with the staff that it was clear of any dairy, egg, seafood or tree nuts, I ordered a lovely sizzling pan of Stir Fried Bulgogi.

It's a shame a photo can't capture that excellent sizzling!

I really loved this dish. The beef was marinated beautifully, ribboned through with savoury and sweet and this flavour had soaked into the surrounding vegetables and rice making for one delicious hot plate of food. I'd only really tried bulgogi once before and by this stage, it had been about three years so I'd actually forgotten how nice it was and this was a fantastic re-introduction.

This was also only the second ready-made Korean dish I had tried. I have a staple cooked pork belly dish at one of my other favourite places, but for the most part, I stick to cooking my own fresh pork belly just to be safe. So this dish was a real treat and I enjoyed it.

Now I'm one of the lucky ones who can eat soy and sesame without too much worry, but for anyone who suffers from those particular allergies, I would be very sure to check with the staff beforehand about any dishes because soy sauce and sesame oil are abundant in this type of cuisine. I would also check with them about spice levels as well!

Otherwise, Korean places may allow you some surprising and exciting new options, especially for those who are allergic to dairy or nuts. It is also quite easy to avoid seafood and remove egg from some of the dishes if either of those are an issue.

If you feel like something a little different and Korean hasn't quite yet made it to your palate, I definitely suggest giving The Bulgogi a try!