It's tempting to stick to the classics at Samwoo: kimchee, the mouth-searing pickled-cabbage condiment traditionally buried in the ground for fermenting; Korea's national dish, bulgogi, thin-sliced beef barbecued at your table; and bibim bap, a composed casserole of rice, shredded beef, vegetables, and egg to mix in a delicious jumble. But there's a world of cuisine beyond the standards in this simple Korean/Japanese dining room with shoji screens and honey-hued wood. Depending on how adventurous you are, you might try yook hoe, shredded raw beef marinated in sesame oil, or gop chang jun-gol, a brothy bowl of beef intestines with noodles and vegetables.

More accessible to Western palates is jap chae, pan-fried vermicelli with beef and mushrooms, or man-doo guk, Korean dumplings in beef broth with beef and egg. Stir-fried kimchee with pork and vegetables and codfish casserole both make for a fiery rush. Barbecue options include thin-sliced brisket and pork marinated in sesame oil. Don't ignore the little bowls of condiments--tiny deep-fried fish, pickled paper-thin cucumbers, and more spicy kimchee--that arrive before the meal. They are meant to be nibbled on before, during, and after dinner.

Samwoo Restaurant, 1054 Rockville Pike, Rockville; 301-424-0495; samwoorestaurant.com. Open daily for lunch and dinner.