Casserole House – Jeongol in Oakland
If you’ve had Vietnamese hot pot and liked it, you’d like the Korean hot pot better. If you haven’t had Vietnamese hot pot, try it, and then try jeongol (전골 Korean hot pot), and then you’d like jeongol better. There goes my motherland loyalty, but Vietnam has bánh cuốn and gỏi cuốn, so I’m not too worried.
Lots of beef, lots of mushroom, green onion, bean sprout, tofu, cucumber, cabbage all snuggling in a pasty sunny broth. The pot is more like a deep tray on a gas stove, and the bubbling conglomeration is like a spoiled teenager threatening to run away from home. The bulgogi junggol comes to us wild and daring. We ladle right in.
Casserole House has these big bright pictures on the wall of beef, spam, vegetables, and seafood neatly arranged in a round dish or bobbing in broth. The real stuff in action also hides some tteokbokki (떡) for chew and dangmyeon (당면) for engtanglement with the enokitake that just wait to drip the broth between the plates or fling a fortunate dot onto your shirt. I don’t know why they would call jeongol “casserole”, the word brings to mind a square glass dish with crispy-top green beans swearing hot from the oven, which, as yummy as it is at Thanksgiving, is far less exciting than a hot pot. (As a guy said in a Super Bowl ad, “it’s where the action is”.)
Like true Americans, we didn’t get jeongol the first time we ate at Casserole House. It’s not a mistake per se, because the seafood bibimbap had quite some scrumptious crust and chewy squid for kicks, and if you scan over my favorite post list, you’d know I have a soft spot for pig feet.
But the pig feet at Casserole House aren’t very soft. Jokbal (족발) is a cross between boiled and roasted, the skin is taut, hardened to nearly a crunch, the meat takes every chance to get stuck in your teeth. I like it. I wrap one or two slices in a lettuce leaf and smear on a chopstick’s tip of doenjang. I lick a taste of saeu jeotkal (새우 젓갈), but objectively speaking, Vietnamese nước chấm is better :-D. And seriously, for $17.95 the plate has enough meat to feed five people, if they also clean out the banchan and order an extra pajeon.
Speaking of money, I haven’t seen jokbal on any other menu, so it’s a must-get here. But there are three reasons to get out of the bibimbap comfort zone and get the jeongol while you’re at Casserole House: 1. it’s in the name, 2. despite it costing a scary $29.95 each scary pot, it’s enough for 3-4 people to share, 3. it’s metal-chopstick-licking good.
And when you’re there next year on Jan 22-25, make sure you wish the ladies a happy new year. They’re sweet, like the sikhye (식혜) they give us for dessert. I drank Mudpie’s cup, too.
Address: Casserole House (right next to Sahn Maru)
4301 Telegraph Ave
(between 43rd St & 44th St)
Oakland, CA 94609
I have recently started a website, the information you provide on this site has helped me greatly. Thanks for all of your time & work. “One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea.” by Walter Bagehot.
1Hey there! I’ve been following your web site for some time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Huffman Tx! Just wanted to say keep up the fantastic job!
2Hello there, just becamme alert too your blog through Google, and
3found that it’s truly informative. I amm
goinng tto watch oout ffor brussels. I’ll appreciae if you conjtinue thgis inn future.
Lotss oof peope wwill bee benefitfed from yoour writing.
Cheers! xnxx
I got what you intend, appreciate it for putting up.Woh I am pleased to find this website through google.
4As I website possessor I believe the subject material here is real superb, thanks for your efforts.
5Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
6I see something truly special in this web site.
7Keep functioning ,impressive job!
8Way cool, some valid points! I appreciate you making this article available, the rest of the site is also high quality. Have a fun.
9I was examining some of your blog posts on this site and I think this internet site is real informative ! Continue posting.
10When I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!
11you have a great blog here! would you like to make some invite posts on my blog?
12Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after checking through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!
13Hello, i think that i saw you visited my weblog thus i came to “return the favor”.I am trying to find things to improve my website!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
14This blog is definitely rather handy since I’m at the moment creating an internet floral website – although I am only starting out therefore it’s really fairly small, nothing like this site. Can link to a few of the posts here as they are quite. Thanks much. Zoey Olsen
15I like what you guys are up also. Such intelligent work and reporting! Keep up the superb works guys I have incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it will improve the value of my website :).
16Very well written story. It will be helpful to anyone who employess it, as well as me. Keep doing what you are doing – i will definitely read more posts.
17You can certainly see your skills in the work you write. The world hopes for more passionate writers such as you who are not afraid to mention how they believe. All the time go after your heart.
18I was reading through some of your content on this site and I think this internet site is really instructive! Continue putting up.
19After all, what a great site and informative posts, I will upload inbound link – bookmark this web site? Regards, Reader.
20You made some respectable points there. I looked on the internet for the difficulty and found most people will go together with together with your website.
21Your place is valueble for me. Thanks!…
22F*ckin’ awesome issues here. I am very satisfied to look your post. Thank you so much and i am having a look ahead to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?
23Thanks for another great post. Where else may just anyone get that type of information in such a perfect approach of writing? I’ve a presentation subsequent week, and I am on the look for such information.
24Its like you learn my mind! You seem to grasp a lot approximately this, like you wrote the guide in it or something. I believe that you simply can do with some to drive the message home a little bit, but other than that, this is magnificent blog. An excellent read. I will definitely be back.
25It’s really a great and useful piece of information. I’m satisfied that you simply shared this helpful information with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
26I really appreciate this post. I’ve been looking all over for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thanks again
27Nice read, I just passed this onto a friend who was doing some research on that. And he actually bought me lunch since I found it for him smile Thus let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!
28Usually I do not read post on blogs, however I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to check out and do so! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thank you, quite great post.
29Hey there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this website with us so I came to check it out. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Terrific blog and terrific design.
30A person essentially assist to make seriously posts I might state. That is the very first time I frequented your website page and to this point? I amazed with the research you made to make this particular post extraordinary. Magnificent process!
31Hi there, You have done a fantastic job. I will definitely digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I am confident they’ll be benefited from this website.
32Loving the information on this internet site, you have done outstanding job on the content.
33Regards for all your efforts that you have put in this. very interesting info .
34You really make it appear so easy with your presentation however I to find this topic to be actually one thing which I feel I might by no means understand. It seems too complicated and very extensive for me. I’m taking a look ahead to your subsequent post, I’ll try to get the hold of it!
35I reckon something genuinely special in this internet site.
36Thank you, I’ve recently been searching for info about this topic for ages and yours is the best I’ve discovered so far. But, what about the bottom line? Are you sure about the source?
37This web site is known as a stroll-by means of for the entire information you wanted about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse right here, and also you’ll positively uncover it.
38I have recently started a blog, the info you offer on this web site has helped me tremendously. Thank you for all of your time & work.
39I like this post, enjoyed this one thankyou for posting.
40Wow! Thank you! I continually needed to write on my site something like that. Can I include a fragment of your post to my website?
41whoah this blog is excellent i love reading your posts. Keep up the great work! You know, many people are hunting around for this information, you can help them greatly.
42Excellent post. I used to be checking constantly this weblog and I’m inspired! Very useful information specially the ultimate phase 🙂 I handle such info much. I was seeking this certain info for a long time. Thanks and best of luck.
43Can I just say what a relief to find someone who actually knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. I cant believe youre not more popular because you definitely have the gift.
44I’m no longer sure the place you’re getting your information, but good topic. I must spend a while studying much more or understanding more. Thanks for great information I used to be looking for this info for my mission.
45