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.
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