Mapo Galmaegi (마포갈매기)

Mapo Galmaegi (마포갈매기)
136-71 Roosevelt Ave
Flushing, NY 11354
$$$
Menu

Mapo Galmaegi is a relatively new Korean barbecue restaurant based from a popular chain in Korea. Its located right in the heart of Flushing and outside the train station which means delicious and good value BBQ without venturing into Murray Hill Korea Town.

You are greeted by friendly welcomes and loud K-pop when you walk in. There is a mix of rectangular and circular tables inside. The tables along the wall are much more spacious and comfortable.

Each chair ingeniously doubles as storage after removing the lid to the seat. This way your clothes and bags won’t smell like smoke. However, the ventilation is already really good as it is so you won’t smell like meat anyways.

Before the meal even begins, a waiter pours a egg mixture from a golden pot around the grill that would eventually cook into something wonderful.

You can’t have a Korean meal without ban-chans. The selection here is not that great as all four sides resembled some form of salad. There is a pickled carrot salad, a lettuce salad with sesame dressing, a scallion salad, and kimchi.

I like this Korean BBQ restaurant because of their combo deals. These allow you to try a bit of everything without costing extra and you might save a few bucks. The two they offer are beef and pork. We ordered the beef combo (89.99) for 3 people which consisted of:

– Prime Rib Fingers
– Paper Thin Sliced Brisket End-Point
– A Choice of Prime Beef Boneless Short Rib or Prime Beef Rib Eye Steak
– Mapo Marinated Prime Short Rib
– Boneless Short Rib Sushi
– A Special Grilled Medley

The first course is the short rib “sushi”. These are brought out raw but then seared with a blow torch to add a smokey depth to the meat. It is then drizzled with a teriyaki-like sauce.

The second course is the sliced prime brisket. This is the first of the meats to hit the grill and gave the loudest sizzle.

The third course is the assorted grilled plate consisting of rice cake, mushroom, sausage, and shrimp. By this time, the egg around the grill is ready to be eaten.

The fourth course is when it starts to get serious. By now, they have changed into the grid-grill for the beef rib eye steak. They cook it to the point of medium rare and then it’s up to you on when you want to remove it and eat it.

Fifth is the prime rib fingers. These were juicy and tender with little effort in chewing.

The sixth and last course is the mapo marinated short rib. These were my favorite of the night and had the most flavor.

Tteokbokki

If you are weird and came here not to eat meat, there are plenty of appetizers and noodle dishes to choose from like  spicy rice cakes Dukbokki ($10.99) or seafood pancakes Haemul-Pajeon ($14.99).

     I had a good impression from my first visit here. The meat was high quality and the service was friendly and worked their butt off. The waiter did all the cooking and serving. Room on the tables is scarce so eat fast or else there is no room for the next course or other dishes. The prices are about the same as your typical Korean BBQ joint but it is worth it for the convenience, service, and quality.

Ming Xing BBQ (正宗東北風味) (Recommended)

Ming Xing BBQ (正宗東北風味)
35-14 Farrington St
Flushing, NY 11354
$
Menu (Prices Outdated)

If you are a fan of Chinese BBQ cart skewers, then you will love this restaurant. Ming Xing BBQ serves every street food lover’s favorite BBQ skewers in a sit-down setting. So instead of standing on the sidewalk, you comfortably grill your meat in private booths.

 

Don’t worry about your clothes smelling like smoke and meat because the ventilation is very effective. In addition, I was pleasantly surprised how clean the restaurant was.

10 Beef Skewers (14.99) and 10 Chicken Skewers (14.99)

The skewers here are pretty much the same price as street carts but you have to order in sets of 5 or 10. For example, 10 beef/lamb/chicken skewers will be $14.99. The meat is lightly marinated so you can adjust your own flavors. Also there are other options like gizzard, squid, and even penis! The menu is multi-lingual it lists each item in Chinese, Korean, and English.

You can tell how legit the place is because they use wood charcoal on top of the charcoal briquettes. This adds a unique smokey flavor that you can’t get from just grilling on regular coal. The fire intensity is controlled by the knobs on the side of the grill. Steel sticks also allow the meat to be cooked more evenly.

Each diner will receive a plate of premade seasoning. It’s a mixture of chili powder, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and sesame seeds. Add when the meat is just about done.

There’s a two-tier rack on top of the grill. You cook your meat on the bottom level while the top level uses indirect heat to keep the skewers warm.

This place has Korean and North-east China characteristics as they serve side-dishes along with your meal. Some examples of their “banchan” are salted dried fish, beansprouts, spicy cucumbers, peanuts, and pickled daikon.

Dumplings 水餃

If you need something more to fill your stomach, they have other food options like dumplings 水餃 ($10.00), soups, and various cooked meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes.

Ming Xing BBQ is one of the few do it yourself BBQ skewer restaurants trending around Flushing. These are the perfect places to relax with friends and have a drink. The skewers here are as authentic as any BBQ cart and the food taste so much better knowing that you put your own labor into it.