Bulgogi Express - Korean in Footscray

My friend firmly believes that the windswept strip of shops at the corner of Gordon Street and Ballarat Road, remarkable for its Pizza Hut and long-shuttered doctor's surgery, is the next big thing.  I wasn't so sure.  However, the revelation of Bulgogi Express' homestyle Korean menu could be the turning point the strip is looking for.

This shop has a curious history, and I've never been quite sure if it was a public restaurant or a dining hall of sorts.  Ian gave me the hot tip on the FFB Facebook page, enticingly describing bibimbap and bulgogi grilled tableside.

Bulgogi Express now has new owners (only for the last three weeks at time of writing) and while there's no more tabletop bulgogi action, there is a simple and enticing menu of homely Korean fare.

The restaurant has a contract to feed Korean students at Vic Uni, and while we ate two separate groups came in, flung their bags dow and began raiding the slow cookers and bowls of kim chi at the back of the restaurant like adults coming back to mum's house and rifling through the pantry for snacks (not that I would do that!)

Japchae, $10

Japchae is a dish made from chewy, clear noodles made with sweet potato flour.  Often it can descend into glugginess, but this version was awesome - the noodles still springy, not at all soggy, aromatic with sesame oil and entwined with beef and vegies.  YUM.

Beef bulgogi, $10

Top points for value here with a heaping serving of wafer-thin, well-marinated beef cosying up to white rice.  I preferred the lighter flavours of the japchae, though - the very sweet beef got a bit much over time.

Korean-style ramen and rice, $10

Normal people would be quite sated at this point but greedily we wanted more...until I was faced with my nemesis, plastic cheese!  Korean cuisine has co-opted some elements of the Western pantry, particualrly in the dish budae jjigae or "army base stew"- an (IMHO) nauseating combination of instant ramen, frankfurters, Spam, plastic cheese and baked beans.  It's a favourite of Melbourne blogger The Quince Poacher, who fondly calls it "a seven year old's dream dish".  Underneath the cheese this dish was quite good, with large jiao zi-style dumpling, springy instant noodles, kind of thick, starchy discs and broth with a good chilli hit but I couldn't get past the fromage au plastique.  Not doubting its authenticity though!

With lovely, friendly service and all the tropes of a good budget restaurant including a single-page, handwritten menu, chattering telly in the corner and only one drink on offer - Coke, $2 - Bulgogi Express is definitely worth checking out.  Save some japchae for me!

Bulgogi Express

203 Ballarat Road, Footscray (shop is on Gordon Street)

Hours:  Daily noon-3pm, 5-9pm


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