---2.5 Stars---
"Yo Goober! Where's the meat!?" - Homer
It's summertime, so I haven't been to Yet Gol in several months. This is b/c I refuse to go back for the naengmyung (cold buckwheat noodles), which is $10 and comes w/ 1 slice of brisket, 2 if you're lucky. The last time I was here earlier this year, I asked for extra meat and I got 1 more slice of brisket for a $1.50 upcharge - not even the Hispanics ladies @ Chipotle are this stingy with their meat. If you're not a big meat eater, you'll love their naengmyun, and I'd love to come w/ you here so that you can give me your slice. The bibim naeungmyun - cold buckwheat noodle mixed in a sweet & spicy sauce is almost lick-the-bowl good. It comes w/ 1/2 a hard-boiled egg and 1 or 2 slices of brisket. For $10, I'd rather give my money to Myoung Dong, which is a better value and provides much more meat:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/myoung-dong-beltsville#hrid:HhH1lI2mB5fPnNxTrvOxKg
If it's wintertime, however, this place is a destination for fantastic soups no matter where you live. The seolleongtang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seolleongtang
here rivals several places my friends took me to in both NY and LA and the kimchi and pickled radish--a flaming version of dai kon--are some of the best you can get in the area. But be warned, both are heavily fermented so for you Korean-food newbs or those that like your kimchi's fresh, you probably won't like it. Unlike the naengmyun, the seolleongtang has an acceptable amount of meat, but it also comes w/ tripe, which I usually ask them to leave out. And for you newbs, the soup comes completely unsalted so it will be bland. There's sea salt on the table you are supposed to add but make sure you add a little, stir, taste, and add more if needed. If you add too much, your broth will be ruined.
From time to time, they'll also give you suh-bee-suh (free food), in the form of kimchi pa-jun (Korean pizza) or mandoo, and they'll also give you service, in the form of servers. The chicken stir-fry ($15) is also very good here albeit pricey, but make sure you ask for it extra spicy.
2.5 stars b/c it's only good 1/2 of the year for meat-eaters. read more