- Sometimes you just want something that's consistent,
that's reliable, and Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong,
to me, is the best Korean barbecue chain in the world.
They are using really high-quality ingredients.
They're serving something in a very
consistent, particular way.
And the way that they're just running their restaurants,
is really high quality.
And I like that I can depend on that.
That I can recommend, hey, even though you're in this city
or in that city, you can go to Baekjeong and have
a great Korean barbecue experience.
I'm gonna meet my friend and colleague Daniela Galarza,
who's a senior editor at Eater.
She's kind of like the restaurant business expert.
She's gonna explain to me why she thinks this chain
is so successful, why they're growing,
and why they're so good.
Alright.
Wow, I love that everything is just set out
and ready for you - It's already ready for us.
(upbeat music)
They've stripped away a lot of the extra stuff,
and yet what they do put in, they tweak it,
and then they standardize it.
So this sauce for example, they're like,
oh, it's a dipping sauce, but actually no,
it's their way of doing a Korean barbecue dipping sauce,
which has serrano chiles, it has raw onions in there
with soy, and then you have this knob of wasabi.
- Yeah.
- And I think a lot of people are gonna be like,
what the hell do I do with this?
- I've never seen that at a Korean barbecue place.
(upbeat music)
- You got your meat, and you got your sides
that come for free.
(orders in foreign language)
I got us, beef tongue,
and we got your marinated short ribs.
- [Daniela] The meat is really the big deal in consistency,
and the menu.
- [Matthew] There's only six different cuts of meat.
- Yeah, that's indicative of a chain.
You know, they all tend to use the same cuts of meat.
But this location, for example, uses dry-aged rib eye,
whereas the other ones don't.
- It's New York City, everything here is dry-aged.
- They have to cater to their clientele.
(laughing)
I feel like it's the most approachable version
of Korean barbecue in the center of the city,
because it is chain.
Everything is consistent from the banchan on the table,
to the size of the tables, to the way you're seated,
to the way you're greeted is the same as what you'll
find in every city.
Because of that, and because of this particular location's
precise location in the middle of New York City,
it attracts a lot of tourists.
And people that have not had Korean barbecue before.
(upbeat music)
- They cook for you.
I mean, I know that's a defining quality of Korean barbecue
is that you get to do it yourself, but actually
Baekjeong is insistent that they cook it.
(upbeat music)
- Oh my God, look at that fat dripping off.
You can see how this is kind of where the tongue is
right there, it's almost translucent.
I'm just gonna
have it straight. - Straight.
- So you have it with sauce, I'll have it without.
- I really like that flavor.
- It's got a chewiness to it.
How do you like it with the sauce?
- I like the sauce a lot.
I like the fresh serrano chile in there.
And I love onions in all forms, but the raw onion
adds a little bit of sweetness.
- Mmmm, there's fatty, meaty richness grilled,
and then it's coated in sweet, savory, super addictive,
and then you get the hit of that wasabi.
- The wasabi lingers kind of at the end.
- Yeah, it's heady, and it makes you want to keep eating.
- Yes.
- This is a lunchbox.
- Oooohh.
- You can see that there's a base of cooked white rice,
you have to have the fried egg.
But look, then you have the little mini anchovies,
seaweed, and then you have fish cake, black beans,
and kimchi.
(techno music)
- [Matthew] Yes.
- [Daniela] That looks good.
- This is called, dosirak, or lunch box.
When you're at school, your mom packs you lunch like this,
and you take these metal boxes, and you stack them up
on top of the heater, the stove in your school.
So the whole thing is just, all day until lunch,
it's heating up, and it's staying warm.
- It starts to smell nice while you're...
- It sure does.
- While you're learning math?
- When it's lunch time, you pull yours out,
you take your box, you shake it up, and boom,
your meal is ready to go.
- I love that.
Man, I love that the egg was soft-fried,
so some of the yolk is all mixed in there.
- It's a perfect compliment to your meal.
You have a little bit of meat, you have some of this stuff,
and you're like, I need something comforting,
and so it reminds me of growing up.
Boom, scoop it out.
(techno music)
- I really like this cut.
Actually the first time I had it in Korean barbecue,
was at Baekjeong in Los Angeles.
It's the pork jowl.
I love that they have this particular pork cut
at every one.
It's just this ring of fat and there's like a sliver
of flesh in there.
- I love watching the fat render,
and you can see.. - you can see the beads,
coming off the sides.
- Drip down the sides.
It's not overly fatty, even though it's almost pure fat,
I'm getting chewiness from the fat, but it's been rendered
and it's been cooked so that it's almost meaty texture.
- And there's that browned edge,
gives you a little extra kick.
- Yeah, I really like it dipped in the sesame.
- 'Cause it's just extra nuttiness, extra fattiness.
And just that hint of salt that's in there.
This is one were you're gonna take their signature wrap,
gonna take their pink, daikon radish wrap.
(techno music)
- Mmm, mmm.
Right?
- Oh that's so good.
- Yeah.
- It's sweet, it's salty, it's vinegary.
The acid with the fat is perfect.
(techno music)
- She's gonna scoop out the soup.
- [Daniela] What kind is this?
- So they call it a brisket (says in foreign language),
is fermented soybean paste.
They made that into a soup.
Very simple, it's like the most basic elements
of a Korean dish.
- The broth smells incredible.
You can really get different fresh and dried chilies
from it.
(techno music)
- And so they're cooking it on top of the mushrooms.
I mean, I cook meat at home, but if I had come here
and I was supposed to cook that by myself,
I would have never known to do that.
- 'Cause all of that fat is just gonna drip into
that mushroom.
(techno music)
- To me, my favorite part is always this.
When just the edge gets singed right there.
(techno music)
- When you go to a steakhouse, you want their
signature thing, with any Korean barbecue,
it's gonna be the marinated bulgogi.
- Tender, definitely getting some sugar on there.
- I want it a little more cooked.
Not necessarily in the inside, but I want a little
more sear on it.
- [Daniela] Oh okay.
Alright, I'm feeling really, really good right now.
- It's a great thing to end on.
It's very substantial.
- Yeah, oh yeah, I'm starting to get full.
(techno music)
- Thank you so much for joining me Daniela.
- Thanks so much for inviting me along.
- And if you guys want to see more of K-Town,
click right here.