Gyu-Kaku at Cooper Square

[weinoo]

Went to Gyu-Kaku last Saturday night and really liked it. A "grill your own" place with a super heated barbecue in your table - ceramic, not charcoal. It looked like they also have bbq's for couples along with some countertop seating.

Started with tongue (which is evidently a tradional Japanese bbq app), moved on to lots of beef, pork, etc. Very good quality proteins, and the dipping sauces and marinades were quite good. The daikon salad was also delicious.

Nice drinks as well, especially the shochu drinks.

This is a very nice space - with lots of tables and counter seating. Might not be a destination restaurant ala Per Se/Gramercy Tavern etc., but worth a trip from anywhere in the city, imho.

Check it out - Gyu-Kaku Home Page

[touaregsand]

Shochu is Japanese for Korean soju. A group of Korean restaurant owners got a law passed that allows establishments with just a wine license to serve it. Something about protecting a cultural tradition. Soju cocktails are pretty trendy in LA right now.

I've always liked Koreanized Japanese food and Japaneseized (is that a word?) Korean food, as well authentic dishes served at the same meal.

Some of the menu items are interesting like "unagi bibimba" (it's Korean sweet soy sauce seasoned eel bibimbap). I always thought of the dish as more Japanese when I had it at Korean places, but on this menu it's written as a Korean dish. The language of marketing, I guess.

Edited July 17, 2005 by touaregsand (log)

[The Little Blue House]

I was really excited that a Gyu-Kaku was opening in my area--I really liked the one in Honolulu. But somehow that "excited" hasn't translated into getting around to going. I'm happy to hear that it's good though!

[AzianBrewer]

Shochu is  Japanese for Korean soju. A group of Korean restaurant owners got a law passed that allows establishments with just a wine license to serve it. Something about protecting a cultural tradition. Soju cocktails are pretty trendy in LA right now.

I've always liked Koreanized Japanese food and Japaneseized (is that a word?) Korean food, as well authentic dishes served at the same meal.

Some of the menu items are interesting like "unagi bibimba" (it's Korean  sweet soy sauce seasoned eel bibimbap). I always thought of the dish as more Japanese when I had it at Korean places, but on this menu it's written as a Korean dish. The language of marketing, I guess.

←

The Unagi Bibimbop sounds great. I had a bugogi Peking style when I went to Taiwan couple of years ago. It is like a bugogi fajita.

[Todd36]

One of my Japanese friends ate there and came away with a favorable impression.

[alacarte]

I love that they have s'mores on the dessert menu.

[weinoo]

Haven't tried the s'mores yet, but here's my impression from our second visit:

This time two of us sat at a counter - more fun to go with a group of 4 -6 and get a table/booth - the grill heat is less intense; by the end of the meal, I felt as if I was back working the line.

The stuff that comes in aluminum foil packets to be grill/steamed is in need of seasoning. As are the plain veggies to be grilled (e.g. mushrooms). So, we took our squid out of the packet and grilled it directly - splashing it with soy/and whatever else was available. Same with veggies - much better than just plain old steamed.

Shrimp was great, as were all the usual suspects...pork sausages are quite good.

Tongue should not be cooked rare - cook it all the way through, please.

Have fun!