Park's BBQ is undoubtedly a family title to these well-versed in Los Angeles' Korean barbecue scene, celebrated for its high-quality cuts of meat like prime rib and wagyu brisket. The workforce behind the well-regarded restaurant opened a extra informal, pork-focused restaurant known as Okay-TEAM BBQ in February.

The concept for Okay-TEAM took place after Jenee Kim, the proprietor of Park's BBQ, and Ryan Park, the restaurant's operations supervisor, traveled to Seoul and skilled the recognition of naengdong samgyeopsal. Usually shortened to simply naengsam, the Korean barbecue pattern focuses on thinly sliced ​​frozen pork for optimum freshness. “We seen it was an enormous pattern in Korea, however hadn't seen it within the Korean barbecue scene in LA,” says Park.

The desire for skinny pork stomach is a blast from the previous for some Koreans. Right now, nearly all Korean barbecue locations serve thicker cuts of recent pork stomach, however nearly all Korean barbecue eating places – even these in South Korea – serve frozen pork till the start of the 12 months 2000

Main dining area with red and white tile tables with metal hoods.

Major eating space of ​​Okay-TEAM BBQ.

Inside a Korean barbecue restaurant with some patrons sitting on black stools with vintage signs.

Brick partitions inside and extra tiled tables and black seats.

At Okay-TEAM, positioned throughout the road from Park's BBQ on Vermont Avenue, naengsam is the star. Along with frozen pork stomach, the restaurant additionally serves recent cuts of pork together with stomach, neck and cheek – all cooked on the desk on an oblong forged iron grill. The menu additionally gives three cuts of beef, together with the identical ribeye from Park's BBQ, beef tongue and brisket. Not one of the meats are marinated, however the servers sprinkle black pepper on the pork for an additional kick.

The accompaniments and number of sauces supplied at Okay-TEAM are exceptional. “When folks eat pork stomach, they often dip it in an oil-based sauce, however now we have particular sauces impressed by what we've seen in Korea,” says Park. A sauce of salty fermented shrimp and fermented humpback sausage provides each mouthful a salty punch. This sauce and the home ssamjang – fermented bean sauce – are greatest loved as spreads in wraps with recent lettuce or perilla leaves. One other distinctive accompaniment is the grilled herbaceous minari alongside the meat; take a bunch and blend it with the pork for a aromatic chunk that contrasts with the fatty grilled meat.

Okay-TEAM doesn’t supply mounted menus or particular mixtures. Varied kinds of meat can be found a la carte and embody banchan, a steamed egg, ssam and bean paste stew. Kim says the stew has a stronger soy taste in comparison with the model served at Park's due to the addition of cheonggukjang, a spicy fermented bean paste. Fried rice ready on the new pan with any leftover meat, kimchi and bean sprouts is optionally available on the finish of the meal.

An array of colorful Korean dishes with a bowl of spicy rice cakes at K-TEAM BBQ.

Tteokbokki with ssamjang, sauces, kimchi and inexperienced onion salad on steel cups and board.

Okay-TEAM is taking on the previous Ong Ga Nae house, one other beloved Korean barbecue spot that closed final 12 months. Okay-TEAM's quirky inside is markedly completely different from its sleeker predecessor, with tiled tables and vintage-looking Korean indicators. “We noticed that there have been so many stylish locations in Korea serving naengsam and we actually beloved the ambiance,” says Kim. “We needed to make Okay-TEAM really feel old-school in each design and idea, and remind folks of eating places in Korea in the course of the '70s and '80s.” Oldies Okay-pop tunes blaring over the audio system and steel trays used to ship banchan additional add to the throwback ambiance.

“Okay-TEAM could be very upbeat and full of life and that has attracted a variety of youthful folks,” says Kim. “Most older guests say they really feel nostalgic after they eat right here and keep in mind the eating places of their childhood.”

BBQ Okay-TEAM is positioned at 936 S. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90006 and is open from 5 am to 12 pm Monday by way of Thursday, and from 4 am to 12 pm Friday by way of Sunday.

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