#korean-bbq

#korean-bbq

Servers grill your food on built-in table grills in this LA transplant at Westfield Valley Fair, while well-placed fans overhead keep you from smelling smoky afterward. The boneless short rib is buttery-tender and perfectly marbled, and the beef tongue takes on a crispy char you'll be talking about the whole way home. Grilled meat is the main star, but don't overlook the kimchi stew-deeply flavorful with hunks of smoky pork belly and chewy rice cakes-or the crispy seafood pancake with the sweetest baby shrimp.

The best Korean restaurants throughout New York City are a mix of old and new: Korean-American mainstays that have been barbecuing meats or slinging bowls of soups for decades, as well as imports of hot spots straight from Korea, plus modern restaurants serving innovative riffs on classic Korean fare. As a Korean American who grew up eating my mom's home cooking and visiting Seoul every summer,

Cooking meat over fire is a primal act that is as old as time itself. The notion of Korean BBQ simply brings more communal fervor to this concept. At Korean BBQ, diners can cook the meat themselves to their tastes. It makes dinner an interactive experience as you grill, flip, and stuff thinly sliced meats into lettuce and savor your handiwork along with a wide assortment of banchan or side dishes.

One familiar name among the vendors is local Korean barbecue chain Honey Pig, which is trying out a new 'Cupbop' concept featuring grilled meats in customizable cups.