The only ‘premium’ soju is Andong soju and as far as I know it’s not available here. It’s much higher proof, and doesn’t taste like watered-down nail polish remover. Maybe they have some in back at Park’s. Anyone have experience with this?
You could step up your game byob’ing Japanese imo-shochu’s but then you best be prepared to explain why Dokdo doesn’t belong to Korea. I have imo shochu with Korean food a lot - but only within the safe confines of my own kitchen.
If you’re bored with soju you can always order maekkoli - god help you the next morning.
Great blurb about maekkoli in “Koreatown, A Cookbook”. Highly recommended resource, @Nemroz you will love it. Read an article in one of the cooking magazines recently echoing @mrgreenbeenz information. I like soju, but I am new to it. On my first visit to Parks we were lucky enough to have the emo wait on us personally (pity I think - we were all newbies). When I tried to order the expensive soju she waved me off and said it was the same as the standard stuff in a fancier bottle and priced higher. It was a lovely meal.
Also Gwang Yang has a far more extensive additional menu that might fit Vegetarians. Some examples include:
Kimchi Jeon (Kimchi Korean Pancake)
YaChae Dol-Sot Bibimbap - Stone Pot Rice Bowl (with @J_L’s beloved socarrat crispy rice at the bottom of each bowl).
Doen Jang Jjigae - Korean Soybean Paste Stew with Tofu and Vegetables (this was quite tasty for a non-specialist).
Nurungji - Korean Roasted Rice Soup with Soybean Paste Stew
If they’re OK with seafood (pescatarian), there’s even more options.
Also Gwang Yang BBQ has more Private Rooms that you can book than Park’s.
That being said, Park’s will always have a special place in my heart (it was my favorite KBBQ for years), but Gwang Yang is just a touch better (for us) for the meats / flavors.
Also Park’s BBQ has one of the best Banchan spreads in L.A. (90% of those complimentary side dishes are Vegetarian, and bottomless), so that will delight your Vegetarian friends as well.
I’m not sure about the big red wines with KBBQ thing. Big generally means lush cabs oaky with tannins, which would clash with the sweetness of the meat marinade and spiciness of banchan like kimchi. Better to try low-tannin lighter reds like gamay/Beaujolais or typical Mourvèdre, or Zinfandel, Grenache/southern Rhône varietals, etc. Best is probably champagne and Riesling, tho.
One word of caution: if they’re truly vegetarian, even dishes like doen jang jjigae and kimchi jeon likely won’t be appropriate since most kimchi and doen jang jjigae includes seafood (e.g., baby shrimp and/or fish sauce for kimchi, anchovy broth and shellfish for the jjigae). Unless it’s Buddhist temple cuisine, it’s hard to find truly vegetarian Korean food. Pescatarian would be much easier
You’re only thinking of marinaded galbi or bulgogi. That’s a small part of KBBQ. In fact, you’ll rarely see koreans eating bulgogi at a KBBQ restaurant such as Park’s. Most of KBBQ is not marinaded and simply seasoned with some salt and sesame oil.
? confused. Maybe this is just personal taste/experience, but I was always under the impression that marinated meat was a big part of KBBQ. Just as a data point, I grew up in a Korean family and have been going to Korean bbq all my life in many different areas, my relatives from fobs to 2nd generation ppl have always ordered at least some marinated beef whenever we went out for kbbq; some people prefer unmarinated meat at times but that’s personal preference and varies. There’s a reason why LA Galbi has its name.
Anyways, going back to the topic at hand, both Park’s and Gwangyang specialize at least in part in marinated beef. Park’s for the galbi, and Gwangyang for the bulgogi (one of the few places where it’s worth ordering since it’s one of their specialties and they use good quality beef for it). It’d be strange to go to either and not order marinated beef, but whatever floats your boat. And regardless, wine pairing is ultimately a personal choice/preference.
went to Park’s today, really great meat quality, especially the unmarinated cuts which were better there haha than Gwangyang. Still think the kangnam-style bulgogi at Gwangyang is the best, though. corkage at Park’s was only $15 per bottle (versus $25 at GY) and they had better (or at least larger) stems than Gwangyang, though that isn’t saying much. had a Lambrusco and kabinett-level riesling which were perfect for what we ordered; could see a cab going well with the unmarinated cuts though still iffy with some of the banchan. The banchan at Park’s is still the best that I’ve seen in LA overall.
Thanks for pointing that out; although most of the banchan I had at Park’s (and at places like Soban that have like 14 - 16 little dishes) tasted nothing of shrimp paste? But perhaps it’s just a backnote. I’ll try and find out which ones are “100% vegetarian” next time.
