When it comes to AYCE Korean BBQ, most people can’t put quality and quantity in the same sentence. Gen Korean BBQ in Tustin, CA refuses to make that compromise. The moment you walk in, you get the sense that this is going to be a different kind of AYCE experience.

If Tron wanted Korean BBQ, he would feel right at home at Gen. Electrifying blue and white lights line the spacious white leather booths, and upbeat electro music plays in the background as you devour your food. Looking around, you realize that the ambience definitely caters to a younger crowd.

Left: Kobe Chadol; Right (Clockwise): Saeng Galbi, Beef Tongue, Joomulluk

This is not the place to just fill up on chadolbaegi and samgyeopsal. Gen is all about offering quality meats and ingredients while still fulfilling their customers’ desire for variety. Gen offers 25 different meat and dish selections. With each order, servers actually bring out smaller portions – not to cheat hungry eaters – but so that each table can try as many different types of cuts and flavors as possible.

Noteworthy Selections:
#1: Gen Signature Prime Steak

#4: Kobe Chadol

#6: Kobe Woosul – Beef Tongue

#9: Saeng Galbi

#12: Joomulluk

#24: Spicy Rice Cake (pictured left)

Accompaniments that go with your meats include the standard mixture of sesame oil and salt, sweetened soy sauce, and spicy chili. The standout condiment is Gen’s exclusive salt and green tea powder mixture, which hits the spot for those with a salty palate.

Gen opened in September of last year, but its huge following only continues to grow. A two-hour wait is standard for peak hours and weekends, but the time spent scuffling your feet outside is worth it. In response to the high demand, Gen is in the process of remodeling its former bar and patio area. The remodeling will double the size of space for diners, and Gen plans on finishing its expansion by the end of February or early March.

Gen is open until midnight so it is a popular destination for not only meat-hungry customers, but also those looking for a fun place to drink. Gen just started a Happy Hour, which goes from 9:30pm to closing and includes $3 beers and $6 soju cocktails.

Tips for a successful eating adventure:

1. Try to arrive during off-hours in order to minimize your wait time. Weekdays before 5pm and after 8:30pm are usually the best times to go.
2. Compared to dinner at $20, lunch is only an easy $15. Keep in mind though that Gen does offer different meats for their lunch and dinner menus.
3. Even though Gen gives a 2-hour limit for eating, pace yourself! Order small waves of plates so that you don’t get too full by the time you hit the 1-hour mark.

Gen Korean BBQ & Yakitori Bar
13741 Newport Ave.
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 505-1800

[Photos: Mindy Nguyen]

Korean Food USA is a new series that showcases Korean and Korean-inspired eateries all around the nation.

If a restaurant is featured on TV, it’s usually for a good reason. Located in Fort Lee, N.J., So Kong Dong, which translates to “soft tofu soup,” made an appearance on the famous Travel Channel show, Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, and has been gaining a lot of popularity since.

So Kong Dong specializes on a Korean favorite, Soondubu Jjigae (also known as Sundubu), which is a spicy Korean stew made of soft tofu, vegetables, and a choice of meat or seafood. And although some people are hesitant to go to a restaurant that serves only one type of cuisine, So Kong Dong serves many different kinds of soondubu jjigaes so your options are never minimal.

They have the Plain Soondubu, which is the simplest version focusing on the soft tofu as the star of the dish, however, as you move down the menu, there are options like Beef Soondubu, Seafood Soondubu, and even Oyster Soondubu, adding more flavor to the already delicious dish.

So Kong Dong also serves one non-soondubu dish called Popeye Galbi, which are Korean marinated short ribs. Galbi is the perfect compliment to soondubuo jjigae because eating a spoonful of soondubu and then taking a juicy bite of the galbi creates, as Anthony Bourdain says, a “perfect happiness.”

The Galbi is served on a cast iron plate keeping it sizzling hot

There are lines that go out the door, so hurry on and get to So Kong Dong!

So Kong Dong
130 Main Street
Fort Lee, NJ 07024-6934

[Photos: Serene T/Yelp and Pam L/Yelp]

Due to the popularity of Korean BBQ (galbi) on their seasonal menu, Harvard University’s dining services will continue to include galbi on the menu.  Y’know they’re pretty smart at Harvard and they finally validate it with their palate.

HUDS director for culinary operations Martin Breslin told the Harvard Crimson, the university’s newspaper, that he decided to bring Korean BBQ back from Tuesday based on student feedback and a survey that showed its popularity. “It’s been a great hit,” he said.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Whenever my friends and I are in the mood for some Korean food, we usually visit the bustling little strip of lighted restaurant signs on 32^nd Street, otherwise known as K-Town. The food is solid, but we seem to always end up at the same couple of places. Last month, thanks to my awesome foodie friend, I discovered a whole new land of Korean joints in Murray Hill, Flushing (not to be confused with the neighborhood in Manhattan). Home to a large Korean community, Murray Hill has over a dozen of Korean restaurants offering dishes ranging from crispy fried chicken to scrumptious BBQ meats.

After doing some due diligence, I found out that Murray Hill is supposedly best known for its meats. The popular Galbi consists of tender, marinated beef short ribs grilled over a large iron caste and served with lettuce and a sesame paste. What is perhaps less known, but equally as decadent, is the sam-gyup-sal, which quite literally translates to “three-layered meat.”

Imagine a thick strip of marbled pork belly, glistening amidst the smoke rising from a large, black iron caste and perfuming the air with its sumptuous aroma, as the waiter flips it back and forth with his tongs. This is, indeed, the fatty bacon of Korea.

Raw strip of sam-gyup-sal from Ha Jim Bach in Murray Hill

Unlike galbi, sam-gyup-sal is not marinated or seasoned, so the original flavor of the pork tends to be more pronounced. Sam-gyup-sal is typically served with two types of sauces: ssamjang, a red Korean chili paste, and gireumjiang, which is made with sesame oil, salt, and a dab of pepper.

Scrumptious sam-gyup-sal sizzling on a black iron caste

For those of you who have never been to Murray Hill in Flushing, it’s actually very easy to get to. Take the LIRR to Murray Hill from Penn Station, and once you get out, you will see the restaurants all lined up along the streets. Keep in mind that on weekends, the LIRR offers City Tickets, which are reduced to only $3.50 a ride. If you ever want to try something new to satisfy your carnivorous cravings, you know where to go.

Happy eating!

Jess