02 Aug Pork Lovers Heaven at 8 Korean BBQ

Eight Korean BBQ may sound like a strange name for a Korean BBQ spot but it is named after its main attraction – 8 curated flavors of Mangalitza pork belly. Of course Eight Korean BBQ offers premium cuts of beef and pork but the pork belly eight ways is what sets them apart! Tucked in the back of strip mall in Koreatown, Eight Korean BBQ is a modern style Korean BBQ restaurant. The tables, which have large air vents over them to keep the restaurant from filling with smoke, each come with two gas burners. Most Korean BBQ restaurants only offer a single stove per table but with two stoves, a stew pot can simmer on one while a flat rectangular griddle sits on the other. The seats are round cushioned stools that actually serve as storage areas for purses and jackets. And, all chopsticks, spoons and napkins can be found in a hidden drawer underneath the table. We sat down to a table filled with traditional banchan, as well as kimchi, bean sprouts and pineapple on the griddle. As it was our first time to Eight Korean BBQ, we had to chose the signature “Combo A”. The thick and fatty cuts of Mangalitza pork belly are marinated for hours in eight different flavors – wine, original, black sesame, garlic, herb, curry, miso paste and red pepper paste. Eight Korean BBQ is a full-service restaurant in that our server cooked everything for us. We just sat back and enjoyed watching as he checked the temperatures, cooked the meat and cut it up for us to eat. The marinades are not overpowering but the meats were cooked from most subtle flavor to the strongest. My favorites were the garlic, curry, miso paste and red pepper paste. If you aren’t a pork fan, 8 Korean BBQ also has an array of Argentinian grass fed beef, USDA Prime, and Japanese Wagyu beef! We ordered the Premium Prime Brisket. While the meat cooked, we enjoyed the banchan and the mild Seafood Bean Paste Stew.  At the end of the meal, not that we had any room left, it was time for Eight Korean BBQ’s signature kimchi fried rice. Made at the table using drippings from the griddle where the meat was cooked, what sets this kimchi fried rice apart from others is that Eight Korean BBQ tops it with mozzarella, a twist on kimchi fried rice.The mozzarella melts into the rice, making it creamy and almost risotto-like.  Two locations can be found in Southern California, in Koreatown (LA) and Buena Park. Eight Korean BBQ 863 S Western Ave Los Angeles, CA 90005