Park's BBQ in Koreatown

Time to check off another restaurant from my hit list! Yes, Park's BBQ in Koreatown has been calling my name for some time and I recently had the opportunity to make a stop at this highly-rated Koreatown restaurant.

For those of you who haven't experienced eating in a Korean BBQ restaurant, allow me to describe: you order large platters of marinated or un-marinated raw meats, cook the meats on a table-top grill, and then eat the cooked pieces either on their own or with one of the many prepared side-dishes that are brought to your table. Throw all of this together with soju, beer, and good company, and it becomes clear as to why Korean BBQ is one of my favorite cuisines.

Like most of the surrounding Korean BBQ restaurants, Park's has cooking grills--charcoal in this case--at each table with vents above to draw out the smoke. I learn later that Park's is actually a chain in South Korea, however this spot appears to be only one in the greater Los Angeles area. Park's carries the usual assortment of kalbi (short rib) and bulgogi (finely sliced beef), and is also known for decadent slabs of raw pork belly.

We drove here on a Wednesday night and the rush hour traffic from the west side was typical, but we arrive just before our 7pm reservation. We have our car parked (valet-only lot) and then step inside to our assigned table along a window. The interior is very nice, clean, and modern. Polished stainless steel glistens from the overhead vents, and a large plasma TV beams Korean news in case you need to catch up on what's happening in Seoul.

Driving in traffic tends to make me thirsty, so I do the obvious thing and order a bottle of Chum-Churum soju to kick off the night:



Now I've ordered Chum-Churum many times from other places, but I've never seen it packaged like this. I'm told this girl is an incredibly famous pop-star in South Korea. The soju itself is like a milder version of vodka, which makes it all the more dangerous. A few years ago I and I alone downed two bottles of this same liquor during a party at our house. Let's just say my wife wasn't thrilled that I missed most of the following day's activities.

Soju. It's not just for breakfast anymore.

Our friend Linda arrives and joins the party. Let the feasting begin!



Linda and I take care of the food ordering. She insists on a platter of Kobe beef and I insist on a platter of marinated pork belly, and since we're in a Korean BBQ establishment, it would be criminal if we didn't order a platter of kalbi. We also request a platter of assorted mushrooms which have received high praises from the Yelp crowd.

Top left to bottom right: Kobe beef, marinated kalbi, marinated pork belly, and mushrooms.

Along with the platters of meat and mushrooms, small dishes of assorted cooked and fresh foods are brought to the table. Referred to as banchan, these items are eaten as is or can be combined with the cooked meats to add flavor and texture. Of course ample quantities of kimchi are also brought out, as are small bowls of shredded greens to go with the cooked meats.





Grilling time! Here's the Kobe beef:



We're given tongs to flip the meat, but I found it to be easier to just use chopsticks. With our soju bottle running on fumes, we decide to order a bottle of Korean beer to keep our thirsts quenched:



OB beer is a light pale lager which goes down easily and pairs ever so nicely with grilled meats. With the Kobe beef and kalbi cooked, it's time to lay on the pork:


As for the taste of the meats, the Kobe beef is my favorite as it has a incredibly rich, meaty taste that holds up on its own and needs no help from any of the banchan. It's served un-marinated and thinly sliced, and only needs a minute or two to cook for a resulting taste that is so satisfying. The marinated kalbi was almost equally delicious and mated nicely with the banchan, particularly with the shredded greens and with some type of pungent garlic paste. Although heavily seasoned, the kalbi was cut thicker to provide additional texture for that solid, meaty taste. Linda instructs Fonda and I to grill the kimchi and wrap around the grilled meats, to be eaten together. I happily oblige and the resulting taste has me swimming in a sea of smokey, savory, pungent flavors.

Huge slabs of pork belly were last to go on the grill and were by far the fattiest of the meats. The taste is pure richness and the texture is quite fatty; whatever diet you're on is officially shot to hell once you start devouring this stuff. The mushrooms were also very good and I loved the earthy, fresh taste of the different varieties.

At the end of our meal, the server brings us fresh watermelon which was absolutely delicious and crisp:


They're a nice, sweet conclusion to our intensely savory dinner. Total for the three us of was about $100 before tip, which is a little more expensive than at other BBQ places in the area, but the high quality of the meats at Park's makes it worth the extra cost. Service was quite decent and I had no complaints; our server tended to the grill throughout our meal and refilled some of our banchan on request. I'll also add that the overhead vents did a commendable job with keeping the room relatively smoke-free; I didn't come home smelling like a chimney like I do when returning from other places.

With dinner accomplished, we decide to continue the night's degustation with dessert, so we head over to Haus Dessert Boutique located just a few miles away. Upon arrival I notice that Haus has valet parking; yes, valet parking for a dessert shop. Should I even be surprised? We're quickly seated in the patio and are each given menus. Fonda and Linda inspect the menus while I take in the scene. Now here's something you don't see too often in restaurants:


And this really works. Within seconds of pushing a button, the server is summoned to our table. We order drinks and Linda goes for a fruit drink while I try the Clover coffee. I'm not sure this is really "Clover" coffee because it tasted nothing like the Clover variety I've had at La Mill in Silverlake. It was was served warm, not scalding hot like I prefer, and the flavor wasn't anything special. Linda seemed to really enjoy her beverage; that's what I should have ordered.


Our dessert picks end up being tiramisu and a chocolate souffle:



The tiramisu was actually quite good with a nice consistency and a rich coffee taste. The souffle however was very dry and lacked that deep, dark chocolaty flavor you'd expect from a decent souffle. The accompanying ice cream had a shaved-ice consistency and taste, which is to say it didn't come close to Diary Queen's rich, creamy offerings. Needless to say, we finished both desserts and called it a night in Koreatown. I left very happy and very full, ready for the remainder of the work week.



Park's BBQ
955 S Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005








Haus Dessert Boutique
3826 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020