[Fairfax, VA] Mjeoka Mjeoka

Lunch yesterday was at one of my favorite Korean joints in Fairfax. Mjeoka Mjeoka, which my kids call Meow-Meow, is small and cozy. Like many other Korean joints, they have an industrial vibe. This is because a lot of BBQ joints in Korea are located in such places with the same or similar decor.

It’s not too loud. The selection is small. The bonchon limited. But the food is tasty AF. You can tell from the mostly Korean patrons that the food is good. The meat is fresh and appropriately seasoned. And like the best places, they change out the grill depending on the cut of meat ordered. We had a mixture of meats- brisket, spicy pork belly, seasoned rib eye aka bulgogi, and short ribs aka galbi. We also got the normal extras like doenjang jijae and egg custard. but we also got cheese corn, which is a current street food that is all the rage. They also have one of my favorite salad dressings for the normal salad served. It’s not the normal ginger soy, but rather uses gochujang as a base. Instead of lettuce- although you can ask for it- we got thinly sliced daikon radish to do wraps with. So, so, so good.


Picture of the bulgogi and the brisket before the pork belly is cooked on the same grill. They change out the grill for the king of Korean meats, which is galbi. And it’s not just a change of grills, its a different kind of grill so the meat gets really charred. I wish I had taken a picture of it.


Cheese corn with a spoonful missing. I couldn’t help myself. It’s so good hot!

They didn’t used to take reservations. They do now. It’s hard to get one. But sometimes you can go in and wait for a spot for the extra tables they have or for no shows.

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That corn and cheese looks very good. I am now fixated on that.

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It comes out bubbling hot. I would never have guessed that cheese and corn would be so good together.

This is a basic recipe. Some recipes use bell pepper or spicy sauce of some sort. But we had no extras . https://www.spoonforkbacon.com/korean-cheesy-corn/

Thanks for the report. I’ve eaten at a fair number of Korean restaurants, but Koreans always have doe the ordering, rightly confident that I would enjoy it. Beyond bulgogi, the cuisine is largely a mystery. I welcome the tips