A Reuben sandwich at Beer Store in Busan / Courtesy of Beer Store
BUSAN — Tucked away down an alleyway in Jeonpo-dong, Busan’s hippest neighborhood, is Beer Store, a restaurant serving considered one of Korea’s finest sandwiches.
Owned by Gorilla Brewing co-founder Andy Inexperienced and Park Ju-hee, Beer Store initially opened in Gorilla’s (now defunct) Gwangalli taproom location on the primary ground. It functioned as a bottle store for a lot of completely different breweries and had some meals for visitors, too. This ultimately morphed into leaving the seaside district fully and organising store in Jeonpo, with the intention of opening “a spot much like again house,” in line with Inexperienced, “a classy, trendy pub that catered to craft drinkers and common drinkers, too.”
In 2021, Inexperienced watched Jeonpo changing into extra stylish and, with its proximity to Seomyeon’s nightlife, he determined to tug the set off and open a restaurant right here in what was once somebody’s home. With the redesign work completed, it’s fully unimaginable to inform {that a} household used to dwell right here.
Having fun with a beer at Busan’s Beer Store / Courtesy of Kevin Grabb
Beer Store’s signature dish is the pastrami sandwich. What makes good pastrami? “Good meat, good bread, good sauce,” Inexperienced stated. “Don’t overcomplicate it.”
For the readers of The Korea Instances, I requested him to complicate it.
“We use a beef brisket after which soak it in a moist brine,” he stated. “It’s salt water with sugar, pickling spices and garlic. The brisket sits within the brine for 10 days. You will get away with seven, however I do 10. Rinse it and do a 50/50 dry rub of black pepper and coriander seeds. It’s smoked to the specified temperature and I steam it to order within the restaurant.”
It have to be famous that that is what separates pastrami from corned beef. Corned beef is boiled and it isn’t the identical when it comes to taste.
Beer Store’s Reuben sandwich is a sight to behold. Heat, moist pastrami on native bread with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and selfmade Russian dressing. I’ve had dozens of Reubens throughout this Earth and Beer Store’s is among the many finest as a result of Inexperienced’s care of the brisket all through the method. No shortcuts and a gradual brine.
I want I may let you know what the Basic Pastrami sandwich is like, however I’ve solely ever had the Reuben right here in my 5 visits. That stated, the Basic is analogous however with yellow mustard and dill pickle. I’m positive it’s simply as spectacular.
Beer Store’s patio have to be talked about. It’s bigger than even the indoor space and appears like a cocoon, void of any outdoors interference or distress. With Busan’s temperate climate, one may take pleasure in a drink right here properly into November and as early as April.
The outside patio at Busan’s Beer Store / Courtesy of Kevin Grabb
I haven’t even begun to cowl the eponymous delights of Beer Store: A easy draft Jeonpo Lager and combined highballs for the newcomers to get them snug after which 9 extra faucets filled with Korea’s best spherical out their draft craft beer choice. There are additionally three giant fridges filled with every thing from nonalcoholic beers to a wide array of English ales and extra Korean craft beer.
This can be a must-go place in Busan. Nice meals and nice beer on an incredible patio with good firm.
Beer Store is open Thursdays and Fridays from 6 p.m. to midnight, Saturdays from 1 p.m. to midnight and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. It’s closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Comply with @beershop.busan on Instagram for extra data.
Kevin Grabb is a Canadian homebrewer and YouTuber. His channel Korea Brewing Journey covers Korean alcohol from manufacturing to consumption.
