July 25, 2008

Up in Smoke

Gyenari Korean BBQ & Lounge Opens

Korean barbecue gets you all fired up — and you’ve got the chesty cough, holey shirt, and smokey hair to prove it.

Now that Gyenari is open, we’ll just have to take your word for it. The new KBBQ restaurant and lounge takes a more modern, less Rescue Me approach to traditional Korean cuisine.

For lunch or dinner, hit the patio, lounge, or main dining room, with its massive saffron-hued blossom mountainscape mural, booths, and 32 grill tables with individual downdraft systems.

The menu features family recipes for japchae (soy garlic-sauced glass noodles with prime rib and veggies); jeon jeon (crispy pancake with shrimp, calamari, and kimchee); marinated bulgogi, wagyu beef, free-range chicken, and kurobuta pork belly; and fresh tastes like Seoul tacos and garlicky black cod.

Sparks will fly.

Fortunately, not in your direction.

Gyenari, 9540 Culver Boulevard, between Irving Place and Main Street, Culver City (310-838-3131 or gyenari.com).