Gwangju News May 2022 #243

Page 24

22 Local Entrepreneur 22

Min Cook Barbeque

An Interview with Kang Woong-min By Jana Milosavljevic

Gwangju News, News, May May 2022 2022 Gwangju

gwangjunewsgic.com gwangjunewsgic.com

FEATURE

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outhern-style American barbeque lovers – fear not! Min Cook Barbeque can be found in two locations in Gwangju: Kumho-dong and recently also in a new location in downtown on Chungjang-ro. What was supposed to be just a regular Tuesday lunch with the Gwangju News team at a newly opened place near the office that we did not know a lot about turned into a two-hour talk with the restaurant’s kind owner, Min, a Gwangju News restaurant review, and an interview because we could not possibly keep this gem of an appetizing discovery only to ourselves. The moment one steps into the spacious, secondfloor dining area feels like an instant teleport to the US, as the interior is carefully decorated with bits and pieces the owner himself gathered during his 65 days and 10,500-mile-long bucket list camping car trip across America and brought back to Korea, with a somewhat bigger dream of bringing and sharing a special taste of the American south with everyone in Gwangju. The fact that we arrived to the minute right at the opening time as the first customers, combined with the owner’s remarkable hospitality and readiness to reply to each and every one of our curious “What is this?” questions, led us to learn not only a bit about his personal journey as a cook, but also a lot about the meat he prepares at Min Cook Barbeque. The food at Min Cook Barbeque can be easily ordered by using a tablet located on each of the tables. At the time, the tablet ordering systems are only available in one language – Korean – but you can ask for an

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▲ Kang Woong-min

English-language menu separately, or ask the owner for recommendations directly, as he is fluent in English and usually bustling around between the kitchen and tables, making sure that everyone is satisfied with the taste. The main dish on Min Cook Barbeque’s menu is, of course, barbeque. Not just any kind of barbeque, I may say, but the most delicious, mouth-watering barbeque you will have tasted in a while. The menu consists of four main types of meat – pulled pork, pork belly, brisket, and ribs, and the combinations of the meats on your dish depends on, of course, your preference, as well as on the size of the platter you might need. The four of us chose a “Large Platter”

2022-04-26 �� 2:06:07


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