Seattle’s Korean Barbecue Scene Heats Up This Summer

The restaurant that’s been hailed as Los Angeles’ finest Korean barbecue chain has confirmed current rumors of a northward enlargement. Baekjeong Korean Barbecue — recognized for its consistency, high quality, and distinctive spins on traditional accoutrements to the favored Korean barbecue eating type — plans to open its eighth U.S. location in Lynnwood’s Alderwood Mall in July, and its second outdoors of Southern California, after New York.

Baekjeong was began by a Korean skilled wrestler turned actuality present star in 2003, and delivered to Los Angeles in 2012 by Michael Chon and the Kijung Hospitality Group. A decade later, the restaurant that legendary Los Angeles Occasions meals author Jonathan Gold listed on his famously aggressive 101 Greatest Eating places checklist begins a brand new period of progress because it involves the Seattle space. A ninth location will observe in San Jose this fall.

As Baekjeong thought-about branching out from LA, Seattle was excessive on the checklist for areas, just because Chon and his spouse liked the town and the realm. “The greenery all over the place, the crisp air, the out of doors actions, and particularly the individuals,” he mentioned. “We wish to proceed to enter cities that we take pleasure in visiting and might image ourselves residing in.”

Plans have lengthy been within the works however had been delayed by the pandemic. Now that the July opening has been confirmed, the Lynnwood restaurant would be the first within the model’s historical past to have a bigger menu, which incorporates new lunch and bar menus. These additions had been developed by the Senior Director of Culinary Operations, Samuel Kim. The bodily area is designed by South Korean agency Solar Artistic to “seize the ambiance and vibrance of a typical avenue in metropolitan Seoul and convey it to life inside,” Chon defined.

Regardless of these new additions, a lot concerning the new location will stay the identical as the opposite eating places. Chon promised they continue to be dedicated to consistency, will use solely USDA Prime grade meats and higher, and carry buyer favourite dishes just like the a number of kinds of brief ribs, the pork jowl, and Chon’s alternative for a sleeper hit — the thinly sliced spicy pork stomach. Hungry diners be warned: most Baekjeong areas draw lengthy wait occasions, which regularly develop to a number of hours on weekends.