Tabletop grilling of marinated short rib (galbi) and pork belly in Koreatown. The LA cut of galbi, sliced thin across the bone, was perfected here in the 1980s.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
The LA galbi cut, beef short rib sliced across the bone 1cm thick so each piece holds three bones in cross-section, was a butcher innovation that started in Koreatown in the 1970s and 80s. Korean butchers wanted a quick-grill format that suited the tabletop charcoal grills imported with the first wave of post-1965 Korean immigrants. The thin cross-cut format spread back to Korea and is now standard. The Koreatown grill room emerged as a category at the same time: Park's BBQ since 2003, Quarters since the 1990s, Chosun Galbee since 1989. The marinade, soy, pear, garlic and sugar, soaks 4 to 6 hours and the rib hits the grill for under three minutes a side.
Common allergens: Soy, Sesame, Gluten
Tip from the editors. If your butcher won't cut flanken-style, Korean and Japanese markets in any major US city carry pre-cut LA galbi by the kilo on weekends.
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.
Jenee Kim's Park's BBQ in Los Angeles Koreatown grills USDA Prime short rib over real charcoal in a buttoned-up dining room with reliable banchan.
Signature: LA galbi, Marinated short rib
Order: Marinated boneless short rib (yangnyum galbi) and the seafood pancake to share.
Tip: Banchan refills are free and generous; ask for the live abalone if it's on the spec sheet by the door.
Quarters Korean BBQ in Chapman Plaza, Koreatown, serves marinated and unmarinated cuts in quarter-pound portions, encouraging diners to sample widely.
Order: A platter of marinated short rib, brisket and pork belly, plus a soju cocktail.
Tip: Quarter-pound portions let two people taste eight cuts; the staff manages the grill so you do not over-char the galbi.
Soowon Galbi on Vermont Avenue, Koreatown, grills charcoal short rib galbi as the house specialty in a 2000s-era room beloved by Korean families.
Order: The charcoal galbi set with banchan and a pot of doenjang jjigae for the table.
Tip: Soowon uses real charcoal, not gas; arrive before 19:00 on weekends or expect a 60 minute wait.
Chosun Galbee on Olympic Boulevard has grilled charcoal galbi in Koreatown since 1989, in a large patio-and-hall room that seats up to 300 guests.
Order: Marinated kalbi short rib over hardwood charcoal and a portion of dwenjang jjigae.
Tip: Patio tables are the local order; ask for charcoal not gas, and book at least a week ahead on a weekend.
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