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Sariwon, Seoul-South Korea |
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Bulgogi is served with wine.
The new menu of a renowned restaurant won high marks.
A secret sauce handed down for three generations. |
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| The first, second, and third floors at lunch time. All 250 seats are occupied |
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| The first floor |
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The second floor |
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The third floor |
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| It is not easy to nurture a family business into an established brand. Mr. Rah, the 50 year-old president has realized this difficult task. "My 15 years of experience in the United States served me well," recalled Mr. Rah. In Seoul, he first introduced a menu offering traditional Korean dishes - including Bulgogi and Karbi - together with wine rather than beer. This new menu, inspired by his stay in the United States, has received rave reviews. Sariwon's flagship restaurant underwent a decorative makeover in 2000. Since then, Mr.Rah has established four other restaurants in the South Korean capital. Because he does not want to disappoint guests' expectations toward this Seoul culinary landmark, he takes his time when expanding the business. |
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.jpg) Mr. Rah |
"When I returned from the United States, many restaurants did not invest much money in shop design and equipment, believing that offering tasty food was enough to attract many customers. But I used Shinpo smokeless grills because I believed that I should make a sufficient investment in equipment as well. Now, this is the reason employees from large companies in the area come to my restaurant. This proves the importance of investing in the future."
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.jpg) Mr. Byun |
Mr. Byun, a chef, has worked at Sariwon for 35 years. "I want to have my own restaurant after retirement, but I would like to keep a business relationship with Mr. Rah," he said. |
.jpg) Mr. Yong |
Mr. Yong has worked at Sariwon for 26 years. " I am grateful to this restaurant for educating me since the time of the first president," he said. Employees he trained are now managers of other branch restaurants. |
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 Mr.Rah's grandmother created a low-calorie sauce for her husband, who was sufferring from diabetes. As her sauce gained popularity, she invented a new style of eating Bulgogi, where the diner dipped grilled beef into her secret sauce, unlike conventional Bulgogi, where sauce is rubbed into the beef before grilling. Now this dipping style has become a popular item at Sariwon. |
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 At lunch time, employees of blue-chip companies flock to the restaurant with guests, and even some arrive by car. The photo on the right shows the Samsung headquarters building, a five minute walk from the restaurant. |
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