diary of a MAD HUNGRY WOMAN

The adventures of a Mad Hungry Woman

Gwang Yang Korean BBQ

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On a recent trip to LA, some friends invited us to visited a new-ish restaurant in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. Gwang Yang is expansive, with a large dining room, as well as individual ones for private parties. However, new-ish might not be the correct term when it comes to describing Gwang Yang. The restaurant may be new in the United States, but it has a long history in Korea, spanning three generations. It is a name any Korean of my parents’ generation will be familiar with and its success is in the secret recipe which has been handed down the generations, now brought to California.

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As with any Asian food, it is best eaten with many people because it is meant for sharing. There are six of us at the table this evening and we start off with some appetizers, including Kobe Yukhwoe (고베육회$29.99), a Kobe beef tartare using julienne strips of beef and Asian pear, mixed with a guchujang (Korean red pepper paste) seasoning. This dish is new to me, and although I love the flavors, it is the first time I’ve eaten raw beef in strips, so the texture takes a little getting used to.

tartare

Next is Yukjeon  (육전 $29.99), described as meat pancakes but are really meat and egg crepes. I really loved this dish and it took me a while to realize (not until days later) that this is “meat jun”, something I used to eat a lot of when living in Hawaii. The ones here are a lot more sophisticated than the ones I would order from mom and pop restaurants in Honolulu, but nevertheless, I’m thrilled Gwang Yang has it. I have not found it at any of the Orange County Korean restaurants I frequent. At $30, it may sound rather pricey, but remember this is a really big platter, sufficient enough to feed a minimum of 8 as a shared appetizer.

yukjeon

Once that was over, our table is inundated with plates and plates of banchan (반찬 ), the little side dishes which accompany every Korean meal. There is burdock root, several salads, japchae (glass noodles), potato salad, broccoli, some dried fish of sorts. We didn’t initially get any kimchi, but I asked for both kimchi and kkakduggi (marinated cubed daikon), vital to any respectable Korean meal.
banchan
Of course, when dining at a Korean barbecue restaurant, there’s going to be a lot of meat involved. We start with Gwangyang Bulgogi  (광양불고기 $33.99) which is marinated beef, offered in two styles — Gangnam and LA. We started with Gangnam style bulgogi which is some of the most tender beef I have ever tasted. The marinade is not intense which allows the natural flavors of the beef to shine through.
gangnam
The best part about eating here is that you won’t have to lift a finger to cook the meat yourself. I always end up cooking everything which is one of the reasons I don’t go to KBBQ much. Here, your server will cook everything for you, the only thing you’ll have to do it take the meat off the grill when it’s ready.
Moving on to the LA style bulgogi, the same high quality meat is used with a slightly different marinade. LA style is slightly sweeter than Gangnam style, but again, not too sweet. It was very pleasant even to my non-sweet palate.
Our last meat item is Yangnyeom Galbi (양념갈비 $35.99), marinated short-ribs. Usually when I eat with Korean friends, this is a cut of meat not to be missed. A strip of beef is rolled out on to the grill with its bone attached. It cooks for a few minutes before the server will cut it off the bone into small pieces, allowing more thorough cooking throughout. The galbi is tender and ever so flavorful.
galbi
When the meal comes to an end, I like to finish with a bowl of noorongi, or, burnt rice porridge, while others prefer something more substantial, such as Mul Naengmyun (물냉면 $9.99) cold noodles served in a chilled beef broth. Hard boiled egg, poached beef slices, pickled daikon and cucumber accompany. The broth is stellar, and the texture of the noodles, absolute perfection.
neangmyun
While there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of Korean barbecue restaurants to choose from in southern California, they are not always going to garner the same experience. From all-you-can-eat options to your local mom and pop restaurants, it is hard to choose. My advice is to always frequent a restaurant which does not offer all-you-can-eat — unless you’re in college and have an abyss for a stomach. The price you pay at the end of the meal will not be that much of a difference, but you will definitely recognize the difference in quality.

 

Gwang Yang BBQ
3435 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Tel: 213-385-5600

Gwang Yang BBQ on Urbanspoon

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