Growing up an army brat I developed an expertise in several things-packing, adapting to unpleasant climates, and international cuisines. My family has lived more places than I can remember (or would care to count) and drafting a list of my previous addresses is impossible. Because of this, I am a packing expert for short weekend trips to moving to another city. The army doesn’t always take you to the most exciting places but you don’t have a choice but to go, so you learn to live with it. My family has lived through hot and cold temperatures, dry and wet conditions, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and anything else that you can think of. If you are fortunate enough, you will live overseas in countries such as German or Korea. My family lived in German for six years which birthed my love for international travel and food.
My family never lived in Korea but my mother always had Korean friends and therefore we would always eat Korean food. I can vividly remember dinners at Korean restaurants from when I was younger. Sides of kimchi, spicy Korean coleslaw, and bean sprouts and large servings of bulgogi filled the table. We would fill a large piece of lettuce with rice, a side or sides, and bulgogi, roll it up, and eat it. It was a messy dining experience but one that my family enjoyed together. Recently our friends Adrian and Dana raved to us about a Korean restaurant in Cecil called Golden Pig. Mark had never had Korean food and it had been several years since I had last had it, so we agreed to make it a date night.
Mark and I prefer to stay within the city limits when dining out. By the time we make a decision for where we should eat and get dressed, we are starving and close to resulting to cannibalism. But for the Golden Pig we made an exception. The Golden Pig is located off of Route 50 in a building shared with two other businesses. The sign is small, so if you don’t know where you are going you might just miss it. Mark and I arrived a little after 7 though we were unaware that they closed at 8. The restaurant is small with two high top tables and bar seating. You are practically sitting in the kitchen. The restaurant was empty so we had the pick from the plethora of dining options.
We were greeted by an older Korean woman and two middle aged men who were assisting her in the kitchen. Their thick country accents and appearance confused us as they were dressed to go hunting instead of cooking Korean food. We observed their interactions and listened to their conversations with the Korean woman and it was like they were all old friends.
We started our dinner with a hot green pepper mixed vegetable Korean pancake. It was very similar to a potato pancake though the veggies didn’t add much flavor. We topped the pancake with kimchi which added spice and a crunchy texture to each bite. For our meals we shared an order of bulgogi and daiji Bulgogi. Bulgogi is beef marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, garlic, onions, ginger, wine, and sugar. Daiji bulgogi is pork marinated in a spicy red pepper glaze. I am use to a rub instead of a glaze but it was delicious nonetheless. Both dishes are served with white rice and sides of jalapeno peppers, kimchi, and water chestnuts, peas and carrots. The food is bold and flavorful and even the aroma enhances the dining experience. The beef and pork were cooked well and did not resemble chewy jerky. The meal was spicy enough to induce beads of sweat on Mark’s brow, which is a sign he is enjoying his meal.
We believe the location contributes to the authenticity of the restaurant and food. If the restaurant was located in posh or trendy neighborhood such as Lawrenceville or Shadyside the prices would easily double and could be overlooked because of the number of restaurants in those areas. The Golden Pig's location should not be considered a hindrance but more of a treasure you have to seek out and covet. The food is a balanced blend of spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors that will tantalize all of your senses.
-Michelle
