Japantown's Korean Option
Omogari offers informative menu, authentic dishes
byWhen Sunny Lee and Jim Turner went looking for a place to open up their restuarant, San Jose's Japantown did not leap to mind. But a spot that had been a noodle house came open, and eight months ago they moved in some Korean knick-knacks and called it Omogari, a Korean word that means "deep pot," sounds Japanese and is easy for most customers to pronounce. It's a good fit.
The 45-seat cafe is dressed simply in Korean dance masks. Though remnants of a sushi counter remain, Omogari serves authentic, if not adventurous, Korean Fare.
At many Bay Area Korean restaurants, the novice is left to sink or swim in bowl after bowl of kimchi, the fermented vegetables that accompany most dishes. The South Korean-born Sunny Lee Turner and her husband, Jim, take a more inclusive tack. Each entree is amply translated on the menu and pictured on a full-color laminated card, the way items often are shown in a sushi restaurant, and Sunny will explain if needed. On the card, dessert is pictured as a couple on the beach at sunset, although actual deserts are ice cream and melon. Still, this is a big improvement on the stick of chewing gum many Korean restaurants serve for dessert.
If Omogari isn't serving a particular kimchi that you like, or if you want more, just ask. These pungent pickled condiments accompany each entree and often send novices running from a Korean menu. But Omogari's are fresh and pretty mild. nappa cabbage, bean sprouts, potato salad with slices of hot dog, Japanese cucumber (sweet pickle), and spinach in sea salt and sesame oil.
Marinated short ribs, beef, chicken and pork are barbecued for you in back, not at a scary hot grill in the middle of the table. And vegetarians will find plenty of soft tofu and vegetables.
Even the amount of alcohol in the beer and soju (Korean sake) are listed. This is information you'll probably need. In case you don't know, soju is 22 percent alcohol, while OB Korean Beer runs just 4.4 percent.
Hae mul-pa-jun ($12.95) is a mung-bean pancake filled with fried shrimp, calamari, mushrooms, red pepper and green onion and cut into manageable strips. Ours should have been cooked a little longer to attain a crispier middle and edges. But it was tasty. Also, it should be served with a dipping sauce of soy, vinegar, sesame seeds and diced scallions.
The mushroom soft-tofu hot pot ($8.95) is a spicy stew of creamy tofu (from Azuma, in Hayward) topped with oyster mushrooms. Fish sauce, garlic, peppers and onion give the basic beef broth a kick. If you want it spicier, they'll add chopped jalapeños.
Instruction should be given with dol sot bee bim bab ($10.95), a large stone pot with white rice that's still cooking. On the rice is a thick layer of sauteed vegetables and grilled beef topped by a fried egg. If you don't know that you're supposed to mix it all around so everything blends and cooks together your rice can burn at the bottom. This comes with a bowl of soup, usually miso, turnip or cabbage.
Besides kimchi and soft tofu, the dish that defines Korean food for many Americans is barbecued meat. We tried the marinated grilled pork ($10.95), which was tender and tasty.
Lunch and dinner come with a lovely Korean tea, brewed from loose barley and corn.
Simple and clean, Omogari extends its welcome with a Web site at www.omogari.biz. There you will find translations of key Korean phrases, such as hello and goodbye.
Contact Sheila Himmel at shimmel@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5926. Fax (408) 271-3786.
Ed. note: Prices in article now reflect current prices.