Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bangbayed]

[bassexpander]

Well the guy at Yaksu isn't black market.

My wife and I just bought 37,000 won worth of Prime bulgogi and steak. Price was nearly 1/3 that of Costco. I think 1,600 won per 100 grams was what we paid. The non-prime meat was around 1,100 or 1,300 if memory serves. We should have gotten some of that just to try.

The guy said he's sold American beef for over 17 years. We asked him if a lot of foreigners had come there, and he said yes. He had heard the news was out about his place on the internet, and it was bringing him lots of customers.

[wylies99]

Two things to post.

First, the butcher at Yaksu market is a nice man. If you go to that butcher shop, you'll have a positive experience. He'll be honest about price and he'll cut the beef to YOUR specifications.

Secondly, I thank wanamin for posting about that butcher at Sinchon Station. I went there today and I have a slight change in regards to his directions. It's easier to find the butcher shop if you go to Sinchon Station on Line #2 (Green) and go out exit #8. Walk about 150 meters and you'll see a large building with a large bowling pin ON YOUR LEFT. Walk DOWN the stairs and you'll find some black market stores. Walk until you are about 1/3 of the way through the "market" and you'll see the butcher shop wanamin mentioned ON YOUR LEFT with the large sign waniman mentioned with "U.S.A. Federation of Importers" prominently displayed. The husband sliced the beef while the wife handled the money.
They were VERY happy to have a customer for American beef.
I need to mention that the husband cut off much of the fat BEFORE slicing it- a nice touch.
The cost was 1,100 for 100 grams of the chaper marbled cut of beef and 1,500/100 grams of the better cut.
If you live close to that station you'd be NUTS to pass up a deal like the beef offered at that butcher shop.

[wylies99]

One more thing- a reliable Korean friend of mine reported that the Costco in Ilsan has American beef. I'm not sure if this is true and I am busy tomorrow helping someone move (don't even ASK! ).

Can someone check this out?

[Morton]

Here's the directions to the butcher in Sindaebang.
Go to Sindaebang station and come out of exit 2. Turn right and walk down the main road. You need to cross a road here. As you walk down the street there is two phone boxes and across from them is a kimbab place. Before you go past them, turn left and walk straight. When you see a hairdressers on your right hand side take that right turn. You should be walking past a hairdressers and on the opposite side is a violin shop. This area is called Sillim-4-dong. When you reach a car park take a hard left and walk for a while. There should be a chicken and electronic shop on your left. When you see them take a right and the butchers is on that road.

I hope the directions are ok. Hope you all had a great weekend.

[pkang0202]

I wish Eastern Seoul had a place that sold the beef.

[wylies99]

[exit86]

I'm really happy that this thread I started has continued so well and has
opened up some alternatives for good beef shopping. I hope more people join in and we learn about more great shops for US beef.
This whole anti-US beef/anti-America thing is such horse sh_t; but it is good to hear that we can get around it and that some Korean store owners could care less.

[wylies99]

I hope that bigger stores soon sell US beef, but there's something gratifying about buying beef from a small butcher shop. The butchers have probably heard a lot of insults and possibly threats from other Koreans for selling US beef and they deserve our business.
Also, you can get the beef/steak cut any size you like. I like THICK steaks- roughly an inch thick, and butchers can easily accomodate this request.

[poet13]

What a wonderful thread. So many options. But.....how about in Daegu? Has anyone found beef there?

[bangbayed]

Checked out the Shindabang location today. For those of you who can use Congnamul.com, type this into the Address search field: 신림4동 505-1 and you'll see it. Or you can check out this map (it's the purple landmark):

http://i526.photobucket.com/albums/cc346/slakkerjaw/beefmap.jpg

Asked for steak (there's a young guy who kind of speaks English there) and got the most expensive cut (알등심) which I think is rib eye roll. Anyways got about a kilo for 25,000 won. I thought it was a bit expensive until I saw Emart's price for the Korean version: http://www.emart.co.kr/item/ItemInfoViewDtl.jsp?item_id=1500000014599&site_id=1&ctg_id=30362&shop_id=

The cheapest cuts start at 800 won for 100g. I think that was for bulgogi. Looks like they just opened shop very recently.

[wylies99]

[DrOctagon]

Too bad there's none in Cheju... The Australian beef just doesn't have the same flavor, and the Korean is way too expensive... I tried A-meat.com but I can't read Hangul.

[Roch]

Hello,

Go to Cheongdam Station, Line Number 7 and leave it via Exit Number 6. When you arrive at the top of the stairs of the exit, walk straight until you see a Starbucks Cafe on your left. Continue walking past the cafe along the footpath/sidewalk until you come to the first Crosswalk in your view. There, walk across the street and go down the declining and narrow street/alley for about 50 or 60 feet. At that point, you will see on your right a dead end: Turn into it. You will see the grocery store known as K-Mart/King Mart on your left. The butchers sell their wares at the rear of the store.

Roch

[bangbayed]

It looks like it's going to be easier and easier to get US beef. I just had a look at the shi jang near my house after I came back from Shindaebang and they had a cut of US beef for 700 won/g. It looked like it was the only cut they had that was from the US, but just start asking the butchers around your neighbourhood and pretty soon we won't have to be posting maps on this thread anymore.