I Eat Korean: Shilla Korean Restaurant
If you have never lived in a city with a diverse population, you may not have had the pleasure of getting acquainted with Korean food. This is a crying shame. Staple flavors found in other Asian cuisines such as soy sauce, scallions, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil are present, but Korean food is known for its heavy use of fermented red chili paste (gochujang) and sweeter savory dishes.
I became BFFs with Korean Cuisine while living in D.C. It may or may not have coincided with my mild obsession with Korean Dramas. When I moved back to Sarasota, I despaired at the thought of never being able to scratch that itch for Korean food I get about once every two months.
As I was being interviewed for an article in Sarasota magazine, my now friend, Cooper, began sharing some of his favorite places to eat in the area. He mentioned something about Korean food, and time just stopped for a moment. COULD IT BE TRUE? Sure enough, he informed me that there was a Korean Restaurant in Sarasota and it was actually good! Since that fateful day, I have visited about half a dozen times and I do not plan on stopping anytime soon.
Shilla is tucked away in a sort of dead looking plaza, and from the outside, there's nothing that entices you to come inside for a closer look. But once you get there, you'll find a clean, spacious setup where you're not forced to listen to another table's conversation due to their close proximity to your table. The staff is helpful, and Korean tv is playing in the corner for your curiosity or amusement.
WHAT TO GET:
For appetizers, some of my favorites are the Seafood Pancake (Seafood Pajeon) and the Crispy Fried Vegetable Dumplings (Twigim Mandu). The Seafood Pajeon is chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. It has onions, scallions, red peppers, shrimp, squid, and scallops. The Twigim Mandu have crispy fried skins and are filled with seasoned veggies and vermicelli noodles. Both come with a soy-based dipping sauce.
*Tip: If you don't like squid, you can ask them to substitute the squid for extra shrimp in the Seafood Pancake.
Though less flavorful, I also love me a good grilled pork belly (Samgyupsal) served with fresh lettuce, garlic, and gochujang.
*Tip: While you can eat everything with just plain rice, if you want to do as the Koreans do, eat the meat dishes as a lettuce wrap: A bit of rice, a bit of meat, and a bit of kimchi all bundled together in a Korean lettuce taco of sorts.
Shilla is the place you want to go when you need to convince your date that you are cultured, and if you don't know what to say, you can just pretend to be intently watching the Korean television. But for reals, if you want to diversify your palate, Shilla is where you want to try next.
I became BFFs with Korean Cuisine while living in D.C. It may or may not have coincided with my mild obsession with Korean Dramas. When I moved back to Sarasota, I despaired at the thought of never being able to scratch that itch for Korean food I get about once every two months.
As I was being interviewed for an article in Sarasota magazine, my now friend, Cooper, began sharing some of his favorite places to eat in the area. He mentioned something about Korean food, and time just stopped for a moment. COULD IT BE TRUE? Sure enough, he informed me that there was a Korean Restaurant in Sarasota and it was actually good! Since that fateful day, I have visited about half a dozen times and I do not plan on stopping anytime soon.
Shilla is tucked away in a sort of dead looking plaza, and from the outside, there's nothing that entices you to come inside for a closer look. But once you get there, you'll find a clean, spacious setup where you're not forced to listen to another table's conversation due to their close proximity to your table. The staff is helpful, and Korean tv is playing in the corner for your curiosity or amusement.
WHAT TO GET:
For appetizers, some of my favorites are the Seafood Pancake (Seafood Pajeon) and the Crispy Fried Vegetable Dumplings (Twigim Mandu). The Seafood Pajeon is chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. It has onions, scallions, red peppers, shrimp, squid, and scallops. The Twigim Mandu have crispy fried skins and are filled with seasoned veggies and vermicelli noodles. Both come with a soy-based dipping sauce.
*Tip: If you don't like squid, you can ask them to substitute the squid for extra shrimp in the Seafood Pancake.
 |
| Seafood Pajeon |
 |
| Twigim Mandu |
For you first timers out there (and even you seasoned eaters), go with the Bulgogi. You can never go wrong with marinated beef. Each meal is accompanied by white rice and traditional Korean side dishes that usually consists of potato, a couple different varieties of kimchi, and egg.
 |
| Beef Bulgogi |
Though less flavorful, I also love me a good grilled pork belly (Samgyupsal) served with fresh lettuce, garlic, and gochujang.
*Tip: While you can eat everything with just plain rice, if you want to do as the Koreans do, eat the meat dishes as a lettuce wrap: A bit of rice, a bit of meat, and a bit of kimchi all bundled together in a Korean lettuce taco of sorts.
 |
| Samgyupsal |
Shilla is the place you want to go when you need to convince your date that you are cultured, and if you don't know what to say, you can just pretend to be intently watching the Korean television. But for reals, if you want to diversify your palate, Shilla is where you want to try next.
(Also, shoutout to BulGoGi Sarasota Food truck for doing their Korean thing as well!)
Ambience: 8.5/10.
Service: 10/10
Food: 8.5/10
Good for: Casual Dinner
Seafood Pajeon: $15
Twigim Mandu (Dumplings): $7
Beef Bulgogi: $15
Samgyupsal (Pork Belly): $15
Seafood Pajeon: $15
Twigim Mandu (Dumplings): $7
Beef Bulgogi: $15
Samgyupsal (Pork Belly): $15
Comments
Post a Comment