Braai with caution, eat with abandon

Galbi brings the interactive Korean barbeque experience to Cape Town

Cooking is one of my greatest pleasures and sharing food with friends is the best way to eat. This is why I was delighted to discover Long Street’s new hidden gem, Galbi. An interesting restaurant concept, this interactive, Korean barbecue expects diners to grill their own dinners.

Owner, Coenraad Groenewald, originally worked in hospitality management at the Hilton Hotel, but he’s always loved cooking. While teaching English in South Korea he became fascinated with restaurants characterised by hanging paper lanterns and grills at each dining table. He returned to South Africa, taught himself to cook and teamed up with good friend, Louis Smit, to bring the concept to Long Street.

All the colours of the Orient

As we walk through Galbi’s hidden entrance on Bloem Street, we find ourselves in a pretty, white courtyard, where lush green vines climb the walls and the bustle of Long Street fades away. A beaming, Coenraad is wearing a crisp white chef’s hat and is eager to show us around his restaurant.

The first things I notice are the dark-wood tables, each featuring a grill imported from Korea. Copper extractor fans strung from the ceiling hang expectantly above each grill.

Andre Spies and Valerie Lambrechts, from design company, To Think Architects, have painted the large mural on the left wall. We can make out green grass, sunset oranges, reds and yellows, and the faint white shadows of trees. Japanese stained-glass windows resembling flattened Rubik’s cubes are set in the opposite wall and dozens of paper lanterns create a warm ambience.

Little bits of lots of things

Savouring my large glass of Brampton OVR, I browse a menu that’s shaped like a vinyl record and sleeve. It’s reads like a foodie bible of South African meat, Mediterranean sides and mouthwatering desserts. The menu encourages a social experience, where a main meal and sides are shared among friends, grilled a little at a time, at your own pace.

We feel a delicious warmth as Louis lights our grill. Soon, succulent Thai chicken skewers, accompanied by a thick and spicy peanut sauce (R220) are crackling on the grill. We fall in love with the sweet potato fries and order another bowl.

Next, we grill kudu sirloin marinated in a peppery red wine sauce and served with red wine jus (R260). Then we move onto grade A rump strips served with a grilled courgette and creamy potato bake (R230). Coenraad hands us a pair scissors to cut medium rare slices of tender meat, before we dip them in homemade preserves including sundried tomato pesto, harisa, and sesame oil. We indulge in fresh little bites of lots of things that are not too heavy and devilishly tasty.

For dessert we treat ourselves to creamy, white chocolate quesadillas rolled in cinnamon pastry and served with raspberry couli (R45) and rich, chocolate chili fondant (R48).

The mains are meant to be shared between two people, but we were just keen to taste everything.

Couples and groups of friends could easily spend the whole evening at Galbi. The quality of the food, beautiful décor and friendly service are unique in every sense of the word.

By Lisa Nevitt


Galbi Restaurant
Shop 8 | 210 Long Street | 210 on Long Mall | City Centre | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 424 3030

Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays from 6pm - 11pm

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