TimeOut

Genwa Korean BBQ Wilshire

 

Hello PuristS foodies!  Here in the City of Angles it's easy to find good restaurants to dine at.  One of my favorite places drastically changed their menu so on the advice of local PuristS I tried some new ones. I really enjoy Korean BBQ so I've been frequenting a place called Genwa.  Their first location is on Wilshire (any longtime Angeleno PuristS remember Lou Ehler's Cadillac, Carnation's, and the Mutual of Omaha buildings?   ) near La Brea.  They have convenient valet parking in the back of the restaurant.  A few things to note that the concept of Genwa is different than most Korean BBQ places.  Service is usually really good and the staff there seem genuinely friendly.   

You can order ala carte or do a set menu.  

One thing that sets Genwa apart from most places is that the grill has a built in venting system.  This helps keep the smokiness to a minimum.  After placing our order, they bring out a bunch of little dishes called Banchan.  It's usual to get the banchan but at Genwa they give you a lot of variety to sample!  The dishes are smaller than what you normally see but if there is a particular one you like you can always ask for more.  Some are staples (like the kim chi, bean sprouts, potato salad, and spicy cucumbers) others are seasonal.  They have this vegetable strips that were outstanding as was the cuttlefish.

With the Korean BBQ they serve it with sides of the hot and mild sauce.  The hot is not too spicy and it goes really well with the grilled meats.  On the pic below, the top dish on the right is the cuttlefish with a marinated beef on the bottom:

A tasty salad looks spicy but its pretty mild.  I like the dressing they used.

Since we ordered the set menu, it comes with the Steamed Egg.  

Now the reason why we came here, the beef!  If you like a well marbled cut, this is the place for you!  

Some of the beef is marinated, others are lightly seasoned.  The Rib-eye bublgogi is delicious!

Underneath the grill is a charcoal set up that gives it that extra flavor, The Wilshire location uses it but the La Cienega does not.  When we spoke to the waitress on my last visit, they will be using the charcoal in a few months at La Ceienga, woohoo!  While the grill heats up, they place a dish of garlic and jalepenos pepper slices.  As it cooks, it produces a spicy garlic oil that you can dip the beef into...YUM!  I usually like to cook Korean BBQ myself but the staff will prepare the meal for you.  Just sit back and enjoy the food and watch them grill for you.

After our first visit to Genwa we were hooked!  The quality of beef was really good and the staff was extremely pleasant.  For the dessert they have the cinnamon  punch drink...

and they give these colorful fruit theme candy lollipops!

-MW

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