Hanjip: Seoulful Elevated Korean BBQ in Culver City

With the largest Korean community outside of Seoul, Los Angeles food lovers are spoiled in the best way by the abundance of amazing restaurants concentrated in Ktown.

While I definitely have my much beloved 'everyday' type restaurants on regular rotation, few have tried to elevate the cuisine to more of a luxury dining experience.

Now, two brilliant minds have paired up to bring fine dining korean bbq westward to Culver City.

Chef Chris Oh, who brought playful inventive Korean to Westsiders in the form of Seoul Sausage (and now to Little Tokyo with Seoul Sausage Company), and restauranteur extraordinaire Stephane Bombet, who is responsible for one of my absolute favorite restaurants in the city (Faith and Flower) as well as many successful launches including Picca, Paiche and the newly opened Viviane are even taking it a step further - creating new sure-to-be-staple dishes while paying homage to the classics.

Even the banchan (complimentary side dishes) that are first to arrive at the table were impressive: high quality, fresh ingredients for familiar dishes like kimchi, potato salad, fish cakes, and inventive ones like marinated octopus tentacles in thin tasty slivers, and acorn jelly which is typically topped with just a spicy sauce, with crisp nori as well.

Then to the main attraction: the meat menu is carnivore nirvana with beautifully marbled staples like ribeye, skirt steak, short ribs and sliced brisket in prime cuts, pork belly ($23-$31 a platter) and - this I love - options that are more unusual to see this side of town, for the more adventurous, like pork neck / jowl, tongue, intestines and baby octopus. 

Hanjip like many others offers their meats both marinated or not - the latter so that you can control the intensity of flavor if you wish, using their dipping sauces.  I personally always prefer pre-marinated, for even flavor that has infused throughout the meat, and trust the chef here - the flavors are skillfully controlled and well balanced.

Definitely try the hamachi (yellowtail fish) collar as well - an item more familiar on Japanese menus than Korean ones - with its fatty juicy tender meat, and wake-up-the-next-day-with-a-need-for-another-fix delicious marinade, made addictively smokey over the grill.

As another fun element that makes every guest feel VIP - Hanjip will break out gold grillz for you to cook the meats on.

The award for most dramatic cut of meat - that is sure to become Hanjip's signature - is the gargantuan Tomahawk steak ($120) that is on a bone so big it looked like it came from a pterodactyl, cooked sous vide with FOIE GRAS BUTTER for the most luscious tender texture and earthy umami, captured within a light and crisp char when seared on the grill.

Part of the reason I love Korean barbecue so much is for the very interactive, social aspect of the dining experience.  While the chef of course does all the prep for you, you get the chance to actually finish the cooking yourself, with your dining companions, as a shared activity.  The fun of it is in working together to complete your meal, alternating roles of cook / server/ eater all while at the dining table.

The tomahawk takes that to the next level and will definitely make for a very memorable night out (for up to 4 people to feed on, I would say!) - and one that will have people reminiscing for weeks after. (Read again: FOIE GRAS BUTTER!!!)

Beyond the amazing meats, the 'Bonus' section dishes are stars in their own right as well.

As with his other restaurants, Stephane's team really pays attention to every detail here: even the humble Kimchi Fried Rice ($10), ubiquitous to most korean restaurants, gets an upgrade in taste sauteed in brown butter with lovely runny egg + seaweed toppings, and in presentation in an elevated version of the lunch tin (shikdorak).

A bonus dish that was not only a fun photo opp, but an example of Chef Oh's creativity, is the Bone Marrow Corn Cheese ($15) with shaved parmesan and bonito flakes.  The luxe 'meat butter' is scraped down and mixed up into the sweet kernels of corn punctuated by counterbalancing textures and intensity of savory with bonito flakes, and creamier with parmesan.

My favorite of the Bonuses was officially called Uni Steamed Egg ($15), but what I like to call Egg on Egg on Egg Trifecta.  Chef Oh takes the steamed egg that is commonly found in korean restaurants, and adds bright creamy umami sea urchin on top, with salmon roe for additional bursts of brine, and tops the whole thing with furikake in a steamy, fluffy cloud of foodgasmic eggporn deliciousness.  Seafood lovers will defnitely have their dishes to love beyond meats as well!!!

(If for some bizarre and unfathomable reason you do not like sea urchin, this dish is offered sans uni as well, for a very good deal of $5.)

Which reminds me...my actual favorite of the 'mains' was the Carabineros Prawns ($88 for 3).  These prawns - some of the biggest in the world - typically come from Morocco, and I haven't seen this on very many menus in LA yet at all.  They are the MOST delicious prawns I've ever had. With intense, concentrated flavorful meat that is in perfect balance between savory and sweet, with texture more robust and meaty than shrimp but softer and less muscular than lobster, these divine sea creatures are a MUST get whenever you encounter them, and definitely at Hanjip.  Foodies who are also shrimp/prawn-head lovers will appreciate the giant treasure troves here, of precious roe, tomalley, and clean structured dark orange flavor bombs that had me disregarding all sense of decorum and going all in, juices dripping down to both elbows or not.  Even other food bloggers used to seeing all kinds of gluttonous debauchery were slightly (or majorly) appalled at the spectacle - but these were SO GOOD that I didn't care one bit.

Besides the luxe food offerings, another point of difference with Hanjip from most other KBBQs is that you can get great wines to pair with your meal. I don't know anything about wines but expert @pleasethepalate was happy with the list!

All in all, Stephane can count this as another hit in his portfolio of super successful dining destinations.  It's become an instant favorite for me at least, and I will be back again as soon as I possible can.

Til then, I will remain in severe #foodenvy mode with all the Sony employees who have Hanjip right in their backyard.

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Hanjip
3829 Main Street, Culver City, CA 90232
Ph: 323.720.8804

Website: hanjip.com

Parking:  Structure on Cardiff next to Bank of America.  First 2 hours free.

Look for reservations (and rewards points!) at OpenTable.

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*Disclaimer: this meal was hosted. 

Yellow Cow: A Happy Surprise KBBQ Hotspot in the South Bay !!!

When you've lived long enough, you realize that not all surprises are of the pleasant sort.  (Cue violins).

It's so easy to become cynical.  Even with food.  And when an invite to try a Korean BBQ spot, way out in Gardena, arrived in my inbox, I was...skeptical.  Especially when Ktown, with its treasure trove of mouthwatering and affordable korean eateries, is so accessible on an everyday basis.  Especially at the part where there was mention of "combo #1"...which immediately brings to mind "quick service restaurant".

But then scuba class brought us to the South Bay, so we decided to give Yellow Cow a try.

A small, cozy space in a non-descript strip mall was actually the first sign that we might love this place.  And owner Monica, a Korean mom who opened the restaurant 13 years ago, when her kids were young - and named the place after their favorite animal, plus the cheeriest color.  Who, in a sight unfamiliar to non-Korean diners in Korean restaurants: gregariously flits around the dining room like a mother hen, making sure everyone was being fed well, and having a good time. 

We were treated to a kaleidoscope of banchan as soon as we sat down. Monica explained that the banchan varies from day to day depending on what's fresh in market, or if inspiration strikes to do a certain special.  We loved every item that we had that night.
 

The picture heavy menu clearly caters to a community that may not be as familiar with more...ethnic cuisine.  There were step-by-step instructions in English of how to enjoy a korean bbq meal.

And first to appear on the list were set meals or the aforementioned "combo"s, presumably to make it easier for newbies to put appropriate dinners together. These combos mainly varied in the number of plates of proteins (choose from pre-set options) and all came with free rice cakes, steamed egg, steamed rice, and soju (or beer or soda) and of course the side dishes without which no korean meal would be complete.

Monica kindly offered us combo #2 ($68), which comes with 2 Meats + 1 Seafood + 1 Soup + 2 drinks.

Those used to AYCE meals in Ktown that average $25 per person might get a bit sticker shocked at first, but realize that $68 is for two people, with plentiful portions of quality ingredients that easily fed two average sized ladies past the point of satiation - plus alcohol.

On that note, we started with the Kalbi ("Marinated Beef Ribs" on menu, requires supplement of $5) which came as beautifully marbled, hefty, tender, juicy slabs that we could cut up with a pair of scissors and grill ourselves.  We loved this flavorful kalbi, toasted with our glasses of Hite beer.

Then came items that you don't see on every KBBQ menu: kurobuta pork belly ("Black Pork Belly" on menu, requires supplement of $3), known for being super fatty, flavorful, juicy and tender.  This also was presented as giant slabs of thick bacon strips, beautifully arranged on a wooden tray, that you get to cut up yourself so you can adjust to the size you want to grill.  Also provided is a cross section of onion that you use to 'rest' the pork on the grill if the cooking speed is exceeding your face-stuffing speed.

And if you were thinking that the protein offerings might be limited to what appeals to the masses: we just selected the heartier options as we were super hungry after scuba class - Yellow Cow actually features options for the more adventurous eater too, from beef tongue to intestines to tripe to duck breast.

For the seafood item included in our combo: we selected shrimp, which wasn't spectacular, but still fairly tasty.

Yellow Cow offers other items that you don't see everywhere either:  there was the free side that comes with any combo, a plate of thinly sliced radish in two colors, with jalapenos, garlic cloves and a fermented bean paste.  The pink radish slices were dyed with beet, while the white radish was flavored with vinegar and wasabi.

You use the radish to wrap up meat that's hot off the grill, and stuff it with the jalapeno, garlic (grill it too to release flavor) and bean paste.  The radish adds refreshing crunch that perfectly balances the smokey char and juiciness of the meat.  We really loved this: and korean bbq may not feel right without it again!

Of course, you can also put the meat on the mountain of slaw provided and pick some of that up with each bite of meat to add textural contrast while soaking up the lovely meaty juices.

This side of kimchi was some of the best I've ever had (disclaimer: obviously NOT a Korean food expert here, but personally I loved the balance of sweet, sour and heat, softness and crunch in Yellow Cow's version)

Every combo also comes with a side of Steamed Egg, which comes in a stone pot piping hot, a smooth and milder tasting side dish to balance out the bold flavors of the mains and other spiced-up sides.

Lastly, also included in the combo meals is your choice of soup: Miso, Kimchi or Ramen.  We went for the ramen, which came in a large kimchi chigae like, beautifully Day-Glo orange broth - enough to serve two.

For the uninitiated, Yellow Cow has the very 'authentic'ally Korean device of the tabletop call button, which you can use to get service on demand. We never had to use this during our dinner though, as Monica and her team were so attentive.

Aside from Combo #2, we also got to try Fried Dumplings (8pcs for $10) topped with a slaw of onion, cilantro and gochujang (pungent paste made primarily of chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans).

To finish, we tried Monica's original creation: Seaweed pancake - fried with sesame leaf - delicious and one of our favs of the meal!

All in all, the authentic korean barbecue, plus western style hospitality, plus bonus dishes showing creativity all make for a kind of surprise that also delights in Gardena.  Would I drive out to Yellow Cow if I lived in Ktown?  Probably not.  But Yellow Cow is definitely a great place for those in the South Bay, craving good Korean food and not willing to drive up to Ktown.  I know that if I ever find myself in the South Bay again and hungry for Korean, Yellow Cow would now be first to come to mind.

*Disclaimer: This meal was hosted

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Yellow Cow

1835 W Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena, CA 90247

Ph: 310.329.7343

Website: myyellowcow.com

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Sun Ha Jang: DUCK Season 365 on the KBBQ

As a massive fan of every part and preparation of duck - it was exciting to read TheJGold's review of a place that served it BBQ'd, Korean style. With the abundance of korean barbecue spots in Ktown, grilling up not only your standard issue protein (beef) but squid, tongue & innards, this surprisingly may be one of the few to serve duck meat...

I knew the minute I saw this unrepentantly evil banner, with flames crowding in on an adorable little innocent, that I would love this place (sorry, Donald/Daisy...RIP)

As advised by the Pulitzer-winning one, I got the roast duck ($23.99), which came in beautiful round slices with a plate of salad greens, scallions, pickled radish, kimchi, bean sprouts, sliced cabbage with (miso?) sauce, and shredded radish.

There was a special pan used just for the duck, which cooks in its own fat - there's a 'drain' at one side of the pan, but that is plugged with a bunch of kimchi to prevent the delicious fat from escaping. My server threw the discs onto the pan with tons of whole garlic cloves - when these two started to sizzle on the grill together, the smells were intoxicating (like any other kbbq joint, definitely do not wear any dry clean only clothing...). Though the duck was fairly thinly sliced, it took way longer than I was used to, with bulgogi or even galbi beef. Trying to be self sufficient, I used the tongs to spread the pieces out so they each had their own surface area of the pan to cook on - and was promptly chastised (in a friendly way) by my server. Apparently with duck you should keep it in a sort of pile to avoid burning the pieces? So once the duck is nice and browned with bit of caramelization, I was instructed to throw it into the salad greens, pile some scallions and pickled radish on top, and eat together in one bite. Loved how the sweet/gamey juiciness of the duck is counterbalanced by the crunchy mildness of the greens, subtle bite of scallions, with the sweet/tart pickled radish crunch & juice to cut through it all. I also had some Korean raspberry wine, which went fantastic with the duck.

After you're done with the meat - while all the delicious duck fat and slightly charred meat bits and garlic cloves are still sizzling on the grill - your server will add purple rice, chopped up kimchi, sesame and bit of salt and pepper, and stir fry up a batch of fresh fried rice for you, right on the same pan. This results in the most fragrant and beautifully crusted kimchi fried rice ever.

After the heat of the kbbq meal, I was presented with a free bowl of cooling bean sprout/spring onion broth as chaser.

Others have commented on the lack of good service here, but on my visit, I felt well taken care of - almost like having a home cooked meal hosted by a Korean friend's mom. There was a language barrier, but we still managed to communicate well enough to get through the meal, and all of it was friendly.

The only drawback to all this is the price - it's quite a bit more than your average kbbq joint, so not an everyday kind of place, but the duck was decadent and delicious.

As a duck (for dinner) lover, it's great that I can now have it prepared on the Korean barbecue grill, year round. 

Will definitely look to be back soon!!


On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 5.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 

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Sun Ha Jang
4032 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90006

Ph: 323.634.9292

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