One thing which would make any foodie's appetite shoot the roof is BBQ and nothing could top the experience you could have with Korean BBQ.
"No big deal!!" You can find these restaurants plonked in every city. Certainly.
Hence, the journey to bring my readers to the best Korean BBQ led me to this city of angels. Yeah, Korean BBQ at the very best in the world, Los Angeles. I am here in Korea-town, guys!
And, in Hae Jang Chon BBQ. It is situated bang right in the middle of K-Town and I happened to visit this place around 8PM only to be welcomed with a wait of 40 minutes on a weekday. Apparently, that is decent!
Locals stated that it can go up to 1-2 hours on weekends. Golly!
There are many BBQ joints here but I chose this location as it is one of the very popular out there and also it is AYCE. (All you can eat!!!) Isn't that lovely????
Got a table and started the night by ordering some beer and meats. Ahh, you only order what you can eat guys else you ought to pay a fee of $15-20. I am down for it! A good note to avoid food wastage.
The waiter sets up the plates and the grill with some vividly appetizing banchan to go with it.
The thinly sliced pickled carrot is followed by the rice flour crepes. You could have them as is or with the grilled meats. I loved the carrots which were aptly sour. Then, came more of these.
The Kimchi, Pickled Radish, Sauteed Japanese Spinach. I am in love with these side dishes. I could have them all day long. But, hey we are here for the meats. So, lets get ahead onto them while the waiter brings my beer.
The Japanese Hite Beer. Smooth and refreshing are the perfect notes that would fit this drink and would pair well with the Korean BBQ, any-day!
The meats made their way onto the table.
Sizzling meats with the flavor infused smoke emanating from the skillet is a treat to watch and I am in a state of bliss for that precise reason!
The meat taking the center stage is Spicy BBQ Pork followed by some onions and mushrooms. Also, in the background is Shrimp but we will get to that eventually.
The marinated pork was vibrant in color and they sure don't skimp on the flavors. The server placed them right onto the skillet and advised us to cook it as needed. I could have literally taken it right there but had to control my excitement. Flipped through both sides with 5 minutes on each and popped the crackling meat into my mouth along with the banchan.
Heavenly! It can't get any better! This has to be the fastest way to get food into my mouth after cooking. The pork was spicy, tangy and a bit sweet too. It created a combination that I could certainly vouch my readers to go for!
Taste: 9.5/10
And,
The Shrimp, on the other side of this godly plate of iron is taking its time to create the perfect seafood delicacy it naturally is!
After 5-8 minutes of playing around, I cleaned the shrimp off and sucked the meat right away. Had them along with the onions which turned golden brown by now and few slices of Kimchi. The mushroom paired well with the pork but the onions did wonders with the latter. Awesome!
Taste: 8.5/10
Cleaned the skillet. Literally. Now, onto the next items.
That, my dear readers isn't a bouquet of flowers. Instead, a bouquet of thinly sliced pork belly.
"Wow!!!"
Such intricately carved meat requires expertise and the crystallization indicates the freshness of the meat. I couldn't resist but put them on the grill along with some Kimchi Pancakes, they have as one of the sides.
The aroma of the fresh meat is tantalizing to the palate and in very little time, the meat is done. About 7-8 minutes precisely.
Had it along with the Kimchi Pancake. The meat is so soft and not so chewy. Fresh meat is the best and this place knows how to serve them.
Taste: 9/10
Moving on,
Here comes the Baby Octopus. This miniature version is supposedly less chewy and more tasty and I couldn't resist but go for it. Tossed it along with chunks of BBQ Chicken Breast as well.
The Octopus hardly took time to get cooked. It was mixed with the chilli sauce and kimchi and went straight into my mouth in less than 5 minutes. Was super tender and the tentacles complemented the sauce remarkably well.
Taste: 8/10
The BBQ Chicken was a tad bit sweet but the meat was cooked to perfection. Ahem..BY ME!! So, it did actually do wonders.
Taste: 7.5/10
Finally, when you are all but done with the never ending spread of delicious goodies, the server comes up with the speciality of the location.
The Kimchi Fried Rice. He adds the rice to the meat soaked skillet and throws in a generous amount of Kimchi along with it. The end product is a perfectly charred fried rice with the best tasting Kimchi. Would never miss this and surely come back.
Taste: 9.5/10
If you want to savor the best Korean BBQ, then head out to the best of Koreatown in LA.
That should actually be a quote. What do you guys say??
Well, experience it yourself at this wonderful location.
Details
3821 W 6th St Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 389-8777
Overall
Taste: 8.5/10
Ambience: 8/10
Service: 8.5/10
Value For Money: 8.5/10
