The Grand Tour Story
The Grand Tour stays in Seoul, but tonight we leave the fried chicken joints behind and follow Min-jun into a tiny
backstreet restaurant tucked between karaoke bars and glowing convenience stores. Inside, tabletop grills hiss
quietly while paper-thin beef caramelises in seconds, filling the room with the smell of soy, garlic, pear and sesame.
Outside, neon reflections dance across rain-soaked streets.
Inside, nobody's in a hurry.
Min-jun smiles as he turns another batch of beef.
"Bulgogi means fire meat."
"But the fire should never overpower the flavour."
After one bowl, we understood why it's one of Korea's national treasures.
You’ll Need
For the Beef
600g sirloin or rump steak, sliced paper-thin
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp grated pear (or apple if needed)
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cracked black pepper
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Rice Box
300g cooked jasmine or short-grain rice
1 small onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
To Finish
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Optional but dangerous
Kimchi
Pickled cucumber
Fried egg
Cold Korean lager
Method
Preheat your air fryer to 200°C.
In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, grated pear, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, black pepper and half
the spring onions.
Add the sliced beef and coat thoroughly. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes if possible.
Toss the onion and red pepper with the vegetable oil.
Add the vegetables to the air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
Push the vegetables to one side and spread the beef into a single layer.
Air fry for 7–9 minutes, shaking once halfway through, until the beef is beautifully caramelised around the edges
while remaining tender.
Divide the hot rice between serving boxes.
Top with the bulgogi beef and roasted vegetables.
Finish with the remaining spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.
Add kimchi or a fried egg if using and serve immediately.