History

Atlanta hosts the South's largest Korean population, concentrated north along Buford Highway and into Duluth's H Mart corridor. Korean immigration peaked in the 1990s after the Olympics drew international attention. Yet Tuh, opened in Doraville in 2008, runs the classic charcoal-grill tabletop format. Iron Age in Duluth franchised the AYCE banchan-heavy version. The corridor's depth makes Atlanta the strongest Korean food destination east of LA.

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Common allergens: Soy, Sesame, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg thinly sliced ribeye or short rib
  • For the marinade: 120ml soy sauce
  • 80ml mirin
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 Asian pear (grated)
  • 6 cloves garlic (grated)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp gochugaru
  • Steamed short-grain rice
  • Lettuce leaves for wrapping
  • Ssamjang (Korean dipping paste)
  • Banchan: kimchi, pickled radish, bean sprouts, seasoned spinach

Method

  1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add beef and toss; marinate 3 hours.
  2. Heat a heavy cast-iron pan or grill pan over high heat until smoking.
  3. Cook beef in batches, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until charred at the edges.
  4. Place beef on a platter. Set out lettuce leaves, rice, ssamjang and banchan.
  5. Wrap a slice of beef with a spoonful of rice, ssamjang and a piece of banchan in a lettuce leaf. Eat in one bite.

Tip from the editors. Slice the beef paper-thin against the grain; a partially frozen ribeye is easier to slice. Banchan from H Mart skips the prep entirely.

Where to eat buford highway korean barbecue

Buford Highway Korean barbecue in Atlanta

Yet Tuh ★ 4.6

$$$ Korean BarbecueBuford Highway

Yet Tuh on Old Chamblee Tucker Road in Doraville, Atlanta is the corridor's canonical Korean barbecue room since 2008, with charcoal-grill tabletop service.

OrderGalbi (marinated short rib) cooked at the table, with the full banchan service.

TipReservations recommended on weekends. The charcoal-grill (sutpul) is the upgrade over gas tables; ask at booking.

Directions

So Kong Dong Tofu House ★ 4.3

$$ KoreanBuford Highway

So Kong Dong in Doraville, Atlanta's Buford Highway corridor, runs Korean comfort food: soondubu (silken tofu stew) at clay-pot temperature.

OrderThe soondubu jjigae with seafood or beef. Order an egg on the side; crack it into the bubbling stew.

TipLunch is busy with H Mart shoppers; dinner is quieter. Cash and card; family-friendly with high chairs.

Directions

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