Hong Galbi BBQ House - Los Angeles (Koreatown)

I had driven past Hong Galbi BBQ House many times and mentally made a note to check it out some day. So, when Jin of Seeking Food uploaded some yummy-looking pictures of Korean pork ribs, I insisted we go for lunch next time she had a craving. This was not one of the ubiquitous all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurants dotting Koreatown. Not that there's anything wrong with that; as you know, I'm a frequent customer at such establishments.

Hong Galbi BBQ House specializes in broiled pork ribs. Lunch specials feature the ribs with rice pots or stew for about $30. Not all-you-can-eat prices, but enough to feed two people so it evens out.

Jaengban Gooksu (Korean Cold Buckwheat Noodle Salad)

I liked the Korean cold noodle salad at Young Dong Tofu - San Gabriel so much that I recreated it later at home. After recently coming across the photos of Ding's Garden - Alhambra and the noodle dishes there, I decided to add shredded roast chicken to my version. Not that you need to add meat, this cold noodle salad works well if you keep it all vegetarian too.

A perfect light dinner for those long hot summer days.

I used green tea buckwheat noodles because that's what I had in the pantry, but regular soba noodles or Korean arrowroot noodles will work too.

Young Dong Tofu - San Gabriel

Earlier this summer, I met up with Pink Candles at Ridgemont High and her family, who were up to check out the Harry Potter Tribute Exhibition at Nucleus Art Gallery & Store - Alhambra. She wanted to eat cold noodles for lunch. After running through Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cold noodle options, she decided on Korean.

I suggested Young Dong Tofu in San Gabriel because the menu specifically has a dish called Korean cold noodles. I know, so generic-sounding, but it was exactly what she asked. :P

Young Dong Tofu is located in a strip mall on Las Tunas Drive where Tokyo Lobby and Sam Woo BBQ are also. Unfortunately, ever since the Albertson's grocery store closed and got boarded up, the area has a rather desolate feel.

Pork Ribs with Gochujang and Samjang (Korean Chile and Soy Bean Pastes)

I feel a little guilty posting this recipe since it really consists of just combining two items -- gochujang and samjang (Korean chile and soy bean pastes). But really, the beauty of this simple recipe is that both the chile and soy bean pastes are already seasoned so you don't need to add anything extra.

I like to bake my ribs for tender, fall-off-the-bones ribs, but if you want to grill them, you can easily start them off in the oven first. This recipe is perfect for when you're in the mood for some Korean barbecue or for flavorful ribs, but don't want to mess with fussy marinades.

Coffee House Heyri - Los Angeles (Koreatown)

The day after my lunch at Soot Bul Gui Rim 2 Korean BBQ - Los Angeles (Koreatown), my friend Ivan came into town and was staying in Koreatown. He wanted to meet up for coffee in the late afternoon. Phew! Because I'm not sure if I was up for another round of Korean barbecue so soon. Oh who am I kidding? I'm usually up for Korean barbecue, just not that particular day. :P

In the past few years, there has been a slew of higher-end coffee shops opening in Koreatown charging premium prices for so-so coffee. They've been popular because the coffee shops themselves are much nicer than average, sometimes with private rooms, they're open late, and they have free Wi-Fi. I remembered a post on Coffee House Heyri that Jeannie of The World is My Oyster so I suggested it to my friend. Turned out, he was staying just a few blocks away.

Coffee House Heyri was in a really nice converted house. But it was much too nice of a day to stay indoors so I walked straight through to the backyard. Plus, I figured it'd be easier for my friend to locate me than to wander around inside.

Soot Bul Gui Rim 2 Korean BBQ - Los Angeles (Koreatown)

These pictures have been sitting around since July 2008. So since I just blogged Scoops - Los Angeles, where we stopped off after lunch at Soot Bul Gui Rim 2 Korean BBQ, might as well get this off the queue.

Lil' sis, the oldest '87, and I decided to try out a new-to-us all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurant. For $16.99, we got a choice of 14 meats including pork ribs, sliced brisket, marinated ribs, pork belly, barbecued chicken, boneless short ribs, tongue, grilled squid, barbecued beef, tripe, large and small intestine, and beef heart.

Hae Jang Chon Korean Barbecue Restaurant - Los Angeles (Koreatown)

On my actual birthday, I opted for a tried and true favorite, Korean barbecue with the oldest '87 and her middle sister at Hae Jang Chon Korean Barbecue Restaurant in Koreatown. The photos for this post were actually taken back in February, during my first visit when my dad's friend's daughter was in town.

I guess it does pay to advertise. I noticed the restaurant's ad on LA Weekly's website and clicked over. All you can eat Korean barbecue, including 19 items, for $16.99? And open until 2 a.m. every day? Definitely worth checking out.

So on my dad's friend's daughter's last night in town, we decided to go there for dinner. When I got there, I realized that I actually had tried to go once before with lil' sis, after noticing it during a visit to Kyochon Chicken - Los Angeles (Koreatown). But the restaurant looked empty so early in the day, so we defaulted to Tahoe Galbi Restaurant - Los Angeles (Koreatown) for lunch.

It was an hour wait on a Saturday night, but we stopped off at Scoops - Los Angeles for gelato beforehand so we didn't mind.

Part of the reason I wanted to try Hae Jang Chon was for the rock slab grill. You'll see why later in the post. The waiter immediately started bringing out all the panchan (Korean side dishes). The Baechu Kimchee (Korean Pickled Napa Cabbage) and the Kong Namul (Korean Seasoned Soy Bean Sprouts) were the overly fermented kind intended for the grill.

Gui Il Bun Ji BBQ Restaurant - Los Angeles (Koreatown)

I felt like I did so much that day after making Feta Cheeseburgers for breakfast for oldest nephew and then departing from San Diego, I stopped off to see the "Images at War's End" exhibit at Camp Pendleton, then lunch with my friend at Banh Cuon Tay Ho 4 - Westminster (Little Saigon) and drinks at TeaZone Lollicup - Westminster (Little Saigon), then work, then I met up with WeezerMonkey and Starchy Marie at Gui Il Bun Ji BBQ Restaurant in Koreatown. All in one day! Really!

We had been meaning to get together for a while and were trying to decide between an all-you-can-eat or regular Korean restaurant. I suggested Gui Il Bun Ji after seeing Christine of Folie a Choisauce tweet about it. The Yelp reviews seemed pretty good and $16.99 for a choice of more than a dozen meats, plus tons of panchan (Korean side dishes) seemed good to me.

Pork Ribs with Korean Gochujang and Indonesian Kecap Manis

This is my newest rib recipe. Well, not in terms of being posted, because it always takes me forever to get around to anything, but newest in creating the recipe. I made these ribs in April and even got around to blogging it before the year is up! What is the world coming to?

And can I say, these are the best photos yet? My ribs are almost always succulent and fall-off-the-bone tender, but these photos really, really show it.

San Ya Restaurant Korean BBQ & Noodle - Los Angeles (Koreatown)

Before our dinner at Little Fat Sheep - Monterey Park, the boys had asked me to take them out for Korean barbecue.




Yup. That sign was the dinner price.

A while back, Tony of SinoSoul told me he stuffed himself on $9.99 all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue with a choice of eight meats. Whoa! That beats the $9.99 all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue with a choice of four meats offered at Hwang Hae Do Korean BBQ - Artesia.

So I mentioned it to my trusty Korean barbecue sidekick, the oldest '87, and off we went to check it out.

Ong Ga Nae Korean BBQ - Rowland Heights

After picking up that ratty armchair off the street for me to DIY later, cousin Q and I headed to my brother's house. I forgot why because these photos have been sitting around since April 2008.

Sigh.

That's what happens when things sit too long in the queue. I just forget everything if the photos didn't remind me it happened.




This was the second visit to Ong Ga Nae Korean BBQ in Rowland Heights. The first time was a few years back when cousin Q's older brother suggested it for a big cousins' meet-up. I enjoyed it for the variety of side dishes and because it worked out to be pretty economical for a big group. My cousin says it like what it looks like in Vietnamese. Swap the E with a Y and in Vietnamese, "Ong ga nay" is "This old chicken man." :P

Park's Barbeque - Los Angeles (Koreatown)

Wow.

So I teased about Park's Barbeque back in March 2008, which was when I dined here with my high school friend, her husband, and his brother. We didn't know it at the time, but Jonathan Gold had just reviewed it in LA Weekly so the place was packed. Still, it wasn't too long of a wait before we were seated.




In contrast to many of the other Korean barbecue restaurants I've dined at, the waiters here wore all black and looked hip. There were also pictures on the wall of Korean baseball players who had dined here. Oh dear, you know me and trendy places.

Gyenari Korean BBQ & Lounge - Culver City (Closed)

When I was invited to dine at Gyenari Korean BBQ & Lounge in Culver City, I was a little wary. I'm used to going to Los Angeles' Koreatown to get my fix. I wondered how good the restaurant could be when I noticed that the menu featured "Seoulful" dishes combining Korean and Southern cuisine designed by "The Next Food Network Star" season 5 finalist Debbie Lee. Hmmm. That intrigued me enough to try it out.

Hwang Hae Do Korean BBQ - Artesia

Back in January 2008, I had met up with one of my college friends who was in town. It had rained all day so we decided to meet each other halfway in Artesia. Unfortunately, all the restaurants I could think of in the area were Indian (It is Little India after all.), which was too spicy a cuisine for her.

A quick Google search for Korean restaurants in Artesia turned up an article by Linda Burum in the Los Angeles Times on Hwang Hae Do. She wrote about their dumplings and how they were the best around. Hmm. I've never had any mandu that really knocked my socks off, so if these were the best, I had to try.




The article was in 2004, so I called to confirm that the restaurant was still in business and tried to ask what else they served besides dumplings, but couldn't really understand what the person on the phone said. So it was quite a surprise when I pulled up and saw the Korean BBQ sign. It was an even better surprise when we were told there were three tiers on the all-you-can-eat menu.

The $9.99 option included beef brisket, pork belly, and Daeji Bulgogi (Korean Spicy Pork). Add marinated chicken for $11.99. And six meats including Galbi (Korean Marinated and Barbecued Beef Short Ribs) is $14.99.

$9.99 Korean barbecue? For dinner? Pretty awesome deal, yeah?

Manna Korean Restaurant - Rosemead (Closed)

Not to be confused with the other all-you-can-eat Manna Korean BBQ - Los Angeles (Koreatown). I had driven past this Manna several times and only noticed it because it was a little unusual to have a Korean barbecue restaurant on this lonely stretch of road.

I finally tried it out when I joined the oldest '87's family for dinner to celebrate her oldest sister's birthday. I told them to start without me since I was coming from work and would be late. My cousins said they were in a private room inside.

Sura Korean Cuisine - Oakland

The middle '87's oldest brother had come home from work a little early to take us out for dinner. How nice! He mentioned once that the Korean barbecue restaurants in LA don't give us as many banchan (Korean side dishes) as his favorite place, Sura Korean Cuisine in Oakland, so that's where we decided to have dinner.

I think this has to be the most colorful array of panchan I've ever had.

Korean BBQ Corner (Farmers' Market) - Alhambra (Closed)

Recently, I was browsing the Farmers' Market - Alhambra when I noticed a new stall. Korean BBQ Corner. BBQ ribs. BBQ beef. BBQ Chicken. Wait, pitas? Wraps?

Curious, I came closer and saw...




Whoa! Korean/Middle Eastern fusion. Pitas and lavash wraps stuffed with Korean barbecue. Genius!

Regional Recipes #9 (Korea)

My introduction to Korean food started with buffets in college. I know, everyone turns up their noses at buffets. But honestly, that's where I first ate a lot of Korean food without really knowing what I was eating. Later, I graduated to dining at non-buffet restaurants and began to pay attention to what each dish was called. Luckily, the participants in the Korean round-up of Regional Recipes are much better educated than I was about Korean food. The recipes included meat, stew, noodles, and vegetarian dishes.

The first dish is...

*****

Chap Jae (Korean Stir-Fried Noodles) by Christine of Kits Chow in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The package of sweet potato vermicelli noodles was purchased by accident. I'll gladly take such accidents if they result in this happy melange of colorful vegetables and beef.

*****

Vegetarian Soon Dubu Jjigae (Korean Tofu Stew)

On cold winter nights, or even hot summer nights when I don't want to eat anything too heavy, a soon dubu chigae (Korean tofu stew) almost always hits the spot. Of course, as long as there's tofu and Baechu Kimchee (Korean Pickled Napa Cabbage), I'm happy.

It's not that I can't put whatever I want into a Korean stew, but there are a few vegetables that I like in a vegetarian version that just makes it taste a little heartier. Mushrooms and squash just fill me up a little more. Also, I like to add a dollop of miso paste to bring out the flavor more since there isn't any meat in the soup.

Oriental Food Value Supermarket - Portland - Oregon

On my last night in town, my mom asked me to pick up some cilantro and bean sprouts because she was making Bun Bo Hue (Vietnamese Hue-Style Beef Noodle Soup) for dinner.

For quick Asian grocery store trips, I go to Oriental Food Value. It's owned by a Chinese husband and Korean wife, so there are Chinese and Korean groceries, as well as Vietnamese. But located just off SE 82nd Avenue and Foster Road, in a heavily Russian area, there are Russian and Polish groceries as well. Kinda cool, eh?

(I won't even go into how much I hate the word Oriental and how behind the times it seems that it's still used in Portland. See the last few paragraphs of this post for the more detailed explanation about why the word Oriental is offensive.)

Look! There's even an aisle dedicated to Russian food.