Alice Y.
Yelp
5 stars for the gamjatang only. I want to try other stuff at Gam Ja Gol, but my friend and I seem to end up gorging exclusively on the spicy pork neck and potato stew. It's $40 for the small, $50 for the medium, and $55 for the large (before tax). After trying the medium and large sizes, we concluded that we should definitely get the small next time LMAO it's so much food!
We usually go on a weeknight and get seated immediately. The servers are friendly and attentive, a welcome surprise for an Asian establishment. The joint has a old mom and pop feel, with gas burners built into each table.
The salt levels of the banchan seem to be hit or miss. On my first visit, the fish cake was salty. The dipping sauce had too much soy sauce, and the vinegar enhanced the saltiness. The pickled cucumber and daikon was good. On another visit, all the banchan were good. Instead of fish cake and cucumber, there were spinach and bean sprouts.
As for the gamjatang, I tasted the umami pork and spices in the thick broth. I think the perilla leaves added an earthy scent. As the broth reduced over time, the soup got saltier and soaked into the creamy potatoes. The meaty neck bones became fall-off-the-bone tender. You gotta use your hands and get 'em dirty. My friend asked for a side of rice, but I held off knowing there was fried rice included with the meal at the end. The rice was made at our table using our reduced broth, kimchi, and chives. Its flavor was savory, porky, and sour with the bright kimchi. SOOO good!
On another visit, we also added a side of vegetables for $4. They brought out an overflowing bowl of chives and perilla leaves. I turned the heat to a low simmer, so the soup didn't get too salty. I felt slightly healthier after these changes. We came a bit late that night and tried to finish up as they were closing. They cooked our fried rice separately in the kitchen. It was still tasty, but slightly less flavorful since they did not use our reduced soup. I would go earlier next time.