Hongdae 33 Korean BBQ

FOOD

Beef lovers have plenty to consider on the All Day Deluxe menu. Black Angus LA-galbi short ribs and marinated ribeye bulgogi are joined by brisket, Texas Wagyu sliced beef belly and a spicy beef belly option. Rather than committing dinner to one steak, you can try several cuts and find out which ones your table wants again. That is a fairly convincing argument for sharing the grill.

The garlic and miso flat iron options are worth comparing, especially if you enjoy the savory flavor of miso with beef. Texas Wagyu beef tongue adds another cut for the more adventurous order, while a New York steak or ribeye steak option will suit someone with a familiar favorite in mind. There’s enough variety to explore both cuts and seasonings without making every round another order of bulgogi, tempting as that may be.

Pork belly is available plain or galbi-marinated. The plain version makes a good match for the garlic, pickled vegetables and lettuce offered alongside the barbecue; the marinated version gives you another way to enjoy the same rich cut. Spicy pork bulgogi and tamari-seasoned pork jowl broaden the choices. If poultry is more your thing, chicken comes with soy seasoning, garlic butter or the Gangnam spicy marinade, so the beef enthusiasts don’t have to make every decision.

Seafood brings its own choice of seasonings. Jumbo shrimp can be ordered with sea salt, garlic butter or Cajun seasoning, while spicy baby octopus and spicy ika squid offer more for diners who like heat. You can keep the shrimp simply seasoned and add stronger flavors through the accompaniments, or choose a seasoned order straight away. Sweet onion, zucchini and king oyster mushrooms are available for the grill too, along with sweet potato and pineapple.

The banchan deserve more than a quick glance before the meat arrives. Cabbage kimchi, spicy pickled cucumber and sliced pickled radish offer a sharp contrast to pork belly and marinated beef, with bean sprouts and fish cakes adding to the small dishes. Lettuce, fresh garlic and jalapeño give you the makings of a wrap. A little meat, a little pickle, perhaps some pepper: each bite can be different without ordering another full dish.

Then there are the kitchen dishes, which could easily get overlooked in all that discussion of beef. Japchae glass noodles and scallion pancake are ready to share while the next batch cooks. Spicy tteokbokki rice cakes offer another filling choice, and corn cheese provides a mild, sweet-and-savory accompaniment. Yes, the grill is the reason you came. A little corn cheese is still a perfectly reasonable addition.

A hot bowl of kimchi jjigae or doenjang jjigae rounds out the meal with kimchi or soybean stew. Steamed rice is available alongside them, with ramyeon another option. These dishes make dinner feel more complete than a succession of meat orders, especially when the table gives the soups, noodles and banchan as much consideration as its favorite cut.