Tabletop-grilled Korean barbecue and banchan, served at Doraville and Duluth strip-mall rooms along Buford Highway. Yet Tuh and Iron Age anchor the corridor.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
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.
Common allergens: Soy, Sesame, Gluten
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.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
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 and twelve banchan.
Signature: Charcoal-grill galbi, Banchan spread, Soondubu jjigae
Order: Galbi (marinated short rib) cooked at the table, with the full banchan service.
Tip: Reservations recommended on weekends. The charcoal-grill (sutpul) is the upgrade over gas tables; ask at booking.
So Kong Dong in Doraville, Atlanta's Buford Highway corridor, runs Korean comfort food: soondubu (silken tofu stew) at clay-pot temperature, galbi and bulgogi.
Signature: Soondubu jjigae, Galbi, Bulgogi
Order: The soondubu jjigae with seafood or beef. Order an egg on the side; crack it into the bubbling stew.
Tip: Lunch is busy with H Mart shoppers; dinner is quieter. Cash and card; family-friendly with high chairs.
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