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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT KBBQ, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS KOREAN FOODS
Korean BBQ, also called KBBQ, is a communal Korean dining experience in which diners grill thinly sliced, often marinated meat over a charcoal or gas grill built into the table. It is served with an array of side dishes known as banchan, dipping sauces, rice, and leaves for wrapping. Equal parts meal and social event, Korean BBQ is as fun to cook as it is to eat. Here is everything you need to know about KBBQ, plus how to enjoy it at home.
What Does Korean BBQ Consist of?
Korean BBQ consists of thinly sliced meat grilled at the table, served with an array of side dishes, sauces, and wraps that let each diner build their own bites. A typical spread includes:
- Meat: thinly sliced beef most commonly, plus pork and chicken
- Sauces: ssamjang (soybean and chili paste) and gochujang (spicy chili paste)
- Wraps: lettuce or perilla leaves for eating “ssam” style
- Garnishes: sliced garlic, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds
- Banchan: small side dishes like kimchi, marinated vegetables, spicy cucumbers, bean sprouts, and sautéed spinach
- Rice: served alongside as a staple
- Soup: doenjang jjigae, a savory fermented soybean paste stew
Read More: Types of BBQ: Regional American Barbecue Styles Explained
What Does Korean BBQ Taste Like?
Korean BBQ tastes like delicious barbecue. This Korean-style grilling has the hallmarks of other barbecue types. KBBQ’s marinated meats are juicy, tender, smoky, and slightly charred. The thinly sliced meats with the perfect amount of fat melt in your mouth.
The marinades and dipping sauces are rich and filled with umami. It’s the perfect marriage of meat, marinate, and fat. A Korean barbecue feast includes all kinds of textures — chewy and crunchy — and tastes: sweet, savory, spicy, sour, and bitter.
Korean barbecue is a feast for the senses. Freshly grilled meat can be eaten straight after grilling. It is also commonly dunked in sauce or served ssam (wrapped in leaves like lettuce and perilla leaves).
Why is Korean BBQ so Popular?
Korean BBQ is popular because it combines great food with an interactive, social dining experience. Diners don’t just eat the meal, they cook it together at the table, which turns dinner into an event. A few reasons it has such wide appeal:
- It’s interactive: diners grill their own marinated meat at the table using chopsticks and scissors, making the meal hands-on and fun
- It’s endlessly customizable: meat can be eaten off the grill, dipped in sauce, or wrapped ssam-style in a leaf with garnishes
- It has something for everyone: a wide variety of meats and flavor profiles, from sweet to savory to spicy, plus a generous spread of banchan
- It’s social: the communal, tableside setup is often paired with Korean drinking games like Sam Yuk Gu (3-6-9), a counting game where players avoid any number containing 3, 6, or 9
Is Korean BBQ Always Beef?
No, Korean BBQ is not always beef, though beef is the most common choice, especially cuts like short rib. Beef, pork, and chicken are the three most popular KBBQ meats, and more adventurous eaters can also grill specialty cuts:
- Gopchang: beef or pork intestines
- Gyutan: beef tongue
- Makchang: beef stomach
Most Famous Korean BBQ
You don’t have to travel to Korea to enjoy some of the world’s most famous Korean BBQ.
Antoya Korean BBQ
Since 2018, Antoya Korean BBQ has been serving some of the finest Korean barbecue in New York City’s Koreatown. The Michelin Bib Gourmand winner has a famous marinated, diamond-cut Galbi recipe that has been made for generations.
Chris Oh’s Korean BBQ Kit
Chef Oh’s Korean BBQ Kits was founded in Los Angeles in 2020. Celebrity chef Chris Oh assembles and ships boxes of exceptional Korean meats. Chef Oh’s Korean BBQ Kits are oh-so-perfect for having your own KBBQ at home.
COTE Korean Steakhouse
COTE Korean Steakhouse is the world’s only Michelin-starred Korean tabletop barbecue restaurant. Founded in 2017 in New York City, Simon Kim’s restaurant combines the classic KBBQ experience with American steakhouse prime cuts. The result is grilling perfection you won’t soon forget.
Korean BBQ FAQs
Grill the meat at the table using chopsticks, then cut larger pieces with scissors. Eat the meat straight off the grill, dip it in sauce, or wrap it “ssam” style in a lettuce or perilla leaf with rice, garlic, and a dab of ssamjang.
Beef is the most common, especially galbi (short rib) and bulgogi (thin marinated beef). Pork belly and chicken are also popular, along with adventurous cuts like beef tongue, intestines, and stomach.
Banchan are the small Korean side dishes served alongside the grilled meat. Common banchan include kimchi, marinated vegetables, spicy cucumbers, bean sprouts, and sautéed spinach, and they are typically refillable.
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Korean BBQ is in my opinion the most fun you can have in a restaurant. Being able to grill all the meats yourself makes it super fun and interactive, and all the banchan on the side is so much fun to eat, especially when you mix and match with the meats and wrap it all up in a lettuce leaf! So cool that this experience can be replicated at home now.