ABSteak (Los Angeles, CA)
AB Steak by Chef Akira Back at Beverly Center
8500 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
424-286-9900
www.absteakla.com
Fri 01/16/2026, 08:35p-11:00p
A recent need for a meat-centric dinner brought me to ABSteak, a Korean BBQ spot that comes to us from Akira Back (아키라백), a Korean-American chef most known for his contemporary versions of Korean-influenced Japanese cuisine. The restaurant grand-opened in February 2020 with none other than Brian Huskey running the day-to-day, and initially, was more of a standard steakhouse concept, but with Korean touches. However, ABSteak ceased operations just weeks later as a result of the pandemic shutdowns. The place reopened on December 3rd, 2021 with Robert Kim (Mama Lion) now on board as a partner and a new menu much more in line with what you'd expect from a high-end KBBQ joint.
About the Chef: Back Seung-wook (백승욱) was born in November 1974, and hails from Seoul, South Korea. He was a promising baseball player in his youth, but that potential career was taken off the table when, as a result of his father's work, the family moved to the US in 1989, when he was 15. They settled in Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley, in the Aspen area, and Back enrolled at the Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale, where he immediately discovered the joys of snowboarding. He got quite good at the sport, and was actually boarding at a professional level for seven years before being sidelined by an injury.
After graduating from CRMS in 1993, he needed to supplement his snowboarding income, and thus began working at Kenichi in Aspen, training under Kenichi Kanada. Back eventually rose up the ranks, and later assisted in the openings of Kenichi locations in Austin, Texas (2001) and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (2003).
During this period, he also attended the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Colorado in Denver, in addition to training in Europe and Japan (where he earned the moniker "Akira"). In 2003, Back became Executive Chef of the Matsuhisa outpost in Aspen. At the 2006 Food & Wine Classic, he was tapped to appear on Iron Chef, and shortly after, was recruited by the Light Group to open Yellowtail at Las Vegas' famed Bellagio hotel.
He thus started work on the fusion-y Japanese concept in April 2007, and filmed his Iron Chef episode that September, where he competed against and lost to Bobby Flay in a spinach battle (the episode aired on March 16th, 2008 as part of the show's sixth season). Yellowtail ended up debuting in July 2008 and was largely a success, evening spawning a follow-up called Kumi at Mandalay Bay.
However, disagreements with his partners about the restaurants' futures caused the Chef to strike out on his own, resulting in the launch of Akira Back in New Delhi in 2013. After this, Back went on a restaurant-opening spree, and I've tried to capture an exhaustive list below:
ABSteak resides in a space that was made available as part of Beverly Center's 2016-era renovation that added a number of street-level eateries. Pictured above is the bar/lounge area, which doesn't seem to be utilized at the moment.
And here we see the restaurant's rather linear dining room, which features tabletop grills that do a good job of keeping any potential smokiness in check.
ABSteak's menu is pleasingly compact, and lists a number of familiar KBBQ tropes, but also plenty of novel dishes. No combos are available, though you do have the option of going with the hansang (한상) prix fixe. To drink, you'll find a half-dozen cocktails, soju, beer, a full spirits selection, and a wine list that's better than what you find at most Korean barbeque places. Corkage is $40, limit two, though we were allowed three BYOB bottles through prior arrangement with the GM. Click for larger versions.
AB Pizza 아키라백 피자 [$28.00] | Thinly sliced raw wagyu beef, crispy tortilla, truffle oil
The signature Akira Back pizza normally features tuna, but beef is employed at ABSteak, which seems fitting. The combo of wagyu and truffle certainly made sense, and I reveled in the sheer crunch of that tortilla base, though I would've liked to have gotten more of a kick from the various toppings, those chili peppers in particular.
Of course, a proper gogi-gui meal includes a number of banchan, and an octet was provided tonight. We'll start with the compulsory napa cabbage kimchi, a pretty prototypical presentation that fit the bill nicely.
As mentioned in my recent twentieth anniversary post, I'm focusing on drinking 2006 wines in 2026, and decided to commence the effort with three of the most iconic bottles around: the Pauillac First Growths. We'll begin with the 2006 Château Lafite Rothschild, composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Woo Sul 우설구이 [$64.00] | USDA beef tongue, 6oz
When it comes to KBBQ meats, hyeomitgui is one that I tend to gravitate towards, and tonight was no different. The offal had the deep, almost earthy flavors I was looking for, and worked especially well with a dab of salt, though a rather potent citrus sauce was also provided. My gripe here was that the tongue ate a bit chewier than I would've liked, so perhaps less time on the grill may be called for.
Four condiments were provided: garlic chips, Maldon salt, freshly-grated wasabi with radish, and barley bean paste (essentially a version of doenjang I'm assuming).
Kimchi Fried Rice 김치볶음밥 - Pork Belly 삼겹살 [$22.00] | Green onions, onions, cold-pressed sesame oil, sunny side up egg
I feel like we had to order some rice, and I'm glad we did, since this just might be the best samgyeopsal kimchi bokkeumbap I've ever had. Often times, I find the kimchi domineering in the dish, but here, everything just melded together flawlessly. I was especially impressed by how well the pork and egg were incorporated, as well as how the enveloping nuttiness from the sesame helped tie everything together.
The requisite salad featured a piquant, sweeter-than-usual dressing.
Snow Flower Kkotsal 꽃살 [$70.00] | USDA prime boneless short rib, 8oz
Kkotsal is usually a crowd-pleaser, and that was certainly the case here, the short rib cooking up tender and fatty, with a plethora of heady, unabashedly savory flavors. The beef easily stood alone on its own merits--no condiments necessary with this one.
Yukkhea : Korean Beef Tartare 육회 [$32.00] | Wagyu beef tartare, garlic chips, pine nuts, onion, bell pepper, sesame oil, Korean pear, sesame seed, quail egg, kizami wasabi
We were wavering on whether or not to order the yukhoe, but I'm glad we did, since it's a contender for the best I've tried, largely thanks to how cohesively all the ingredients meshed together, making for a multifaceted dish overarched by the toasty-nuttiness of chamgireum. I also appreciated the textural interplay between the supple dices of beef and its various accoutrements.
My favorite of the banchans was this dish of refreshingly crunchy cabbage paired with a delightfully tangy soy-vinegar dressing.
Our second Premier Cru selection was the 2006 Château Latour, which I believe to be the 2018 ex-Chateau release, comprised of 91.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.5% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc, and 0.5% Petit Verdot.
Picanha 설깃머리 [$74.00] | Australian wagyu sirloin cap, 8oz
Seolgit-meori is pretty uncommon to encounter at Korean BBQ spots in Southern California, so I was happy to see it on the menu tonight. The rump cap showed off a satisfying chew, while flavors were rich and overtly buttery, but with a palpable ribbon of minerality running throughout.
The danggeun namul brought crunchy, sweeter-than-expected juliennes of carrot.
Ssamjang Green Onion Salad 파절이 [$6.00] | house made korean green onion salad
The pajeori was pretty much perfect, the scallion's sheer zestiness on proud display, yet countered by the dish's palpably sweet base.
Soy-pickled jangajji highlighted pleasingly crisp cuts of radish and onion imbued with plenty of savoriness and a trace of heat on the back end.
A5 NY Striploin [$98.00] | Kagoshima Prefecture, 6oz
I don't think I've had real-deal Japanese wagyu in Korean barbecue format before, which I suppose is a shame, because it works out swimmingly. Compared with the cuts above, this was a noticeable step up in terms of lusciousness and luxuriousness. The beef's richness and meltingly fatty mouthfeel were well represented, and I really appreciated the contrast provided by the meat's well-seared, almost crispy exterior.
Shroom Fries 버섯튀김 [$12.00] | Battered & fried shimeji and oyster mushrooms
The mushroom fries turned out better than I expected. I liked their lightly-fried exteriors, while the woodsiness of the 'shrooms was deftly conveyed. I actually preferred to eat the beoseot twigim alone, as the provided dipping sauce was a tad too much for my tastes.
I had no complaints with the zucchini, which came in the form of a light, bright, vegetal aehobak namul.
Our final First Growth brought the 2006 Château Mouton Rothschild, an amalgam of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot.
Chadol Bulgogi 불고기 [$62.00] | Australian wagyu brisket bulgogi, 8oz
I usually shy away from ordering bulgogi, as I tend to find it overly sweet. Thankfully, that wasn't the case tonight. The beef's sweetness was smartly juxtaposed with plenty of savoriness and the dish's touches of bitter char, and I quite enjoyed the included batons of mushroom, too.
The sukjunamul served as a pretty textbook preparation of mung bean sprouts, which was just fine with me.
Pyongyang Cold Noodle 평양냉면 [$21.00] | North Korean style buckwheat cold noodle with beef broth
Mul naengmyeon featured a lovely chew on its memil noodles, which were set in a light beef broth and joined by a welcomed undercurrent of sweetness. Given the dish's general mildness, it actually functioned as a nice palate cleanser for all the heavier flavors going on.
Our final banchan was the gamja jorim, a dish of tender, pleasingly savory-sweet braised potatoes.
Shrimp 왕새우 [$38.00] | Black tiger shrimp
Last up were the prawns, which demonstrated a firm, substantial consistency and a potent salinity well-matched by the liberal amounts of butter utilized.
Sorbet - Sikhye [$6.00] | House-made Korean traditional sweet rice sorbet with pumpkin puree and pinenut
A shikhye sorbet showcased sweet, ricey, slightly herbaceous flavors, offset by the somewhat more overt sugariness of the dessert's pumpkin base.
Chocolate Valrhona Lava Cake [$16.00] | misutgaru crumble, white chocolate powder, vanilla ice cream
Somewhat surprisingly, this ended up as one of the best molten chocolate cakes I've sampled. The cake itself was pretty much spot-on, as was the ice cream, and I'm guessing what made this special was the incorporation of both nutty misugaru and white mocha powder in lieu of the usual powdered sugar.
I was quite happy with the food tonight, which is clearly based on the familiar ideas of KBBQ, but with non-traditional flourishes incorporated pretty seamlessly, while ingredient quality was clearly a notch above most. Service, overseen by General Manager Steven Kwon and rendered by our server Gloria Kim, was on point as well. This all makes me wonder: does ABSteak represent the best Korean barbecue experience in the Southland? In a way, that doesn't feel right to me. I mean, you'd think that the top gogigui spot would be in Koreatown, not Beverly Grove, but at the same time, I can't think of a K-town spot that's clearly better. Can you? If so, let me know.
8500 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
424-286-9900
www.absteakla.com
Fri 01/16/2026, 08:35p-11:00p
A recent need for a meat-centric dinner brought me to ABSteak, a Korean BBQ spot that comes to us from Akira Back (아키라백), a Korean-American chef most known for his contemporary versions of Korean-influenced Japanese cuisine. The restaurant grand-opened in February 2020 with none other than Brian Huskey running the day-to-day, and initially, was more of a standard steakhouse concept, but with Korean touches. However, ABSteak ceased operations just weeks later as a result of the pandemic shutdowns. The place reopened on December 3rd, 2021 with Robert Kim (Mama Lion) now on board as a partner and a new menu much more in line with what you'd expect from a high-end KBBQ joint.
About the Chef: Back Seung-wook (백승욱) was born in November 1974, and hails from Seoul, South Korea. He was a promising baseball player in his youth, but that potential career was taken off the table when, as a result of his father's work, the family moved to the US in 1989, when he was 15. They settled in Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley, in the Aspen area, and Back enrolled at the Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale, where he immediately discovered the joys of snowboarding. He got quite good at the sport, and was actually boarding at a professional level for seven years before being sidelined by an injury.
After graduating from CRMS in 1993, he needed to supplement his snowboarding income, and thus began working at Kenichi in Aspen, training under Kenichi Kanada. Back eventually rose up the ranks, and later assisted in the openings of Kenichi locations in Austin, Texas (2001) and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (2003).
During this period, he also attended the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Colorado in Denver, in addition to training in Europe and Japan (where he earned the moniker "Akira"). In 2003, Back became Executive Chef of the Matsuhisa outpost in Aspen. At the 2006 Food & Wine Classic, he was tapped to appear on Iron Chef, and shortly after, was recruited by the Light Group to open Yellowtail at Las Vegas' famed Bellagio hotel.
He thus started work on the fusion-y Japanese concept in April 2007, and filmed his Iron Chef episode that September, where he competed against and lost to Bobby Flay in a spinach battle (the episode aired on March 16th, 2008 as part of the show's sixth season). Yellowtail ended up debuting in July 2008 and was largely a success, evening spawning a follow-up called Kumi at Mandalay Bay.
However, disagreements with his partners about the restaurants' futures caused the Chef to strike out on his own, resulting in the launch of Akira Back in New Delhi in 2013. After this, Back went on a restaurant-opening spree, and I've tried to capture an exhaustive list below:
- Jul 2008: Yellowtail @ Bellagio | Las Vegas, NV
- Jul 2013: Kumi @ Mandalay Bay | Las Vegas, NV
- Nov 2013: Akira Back @ JW Marriott | New Delhi, India (closed 2019)
- Oct 2014: Yellowtail | West Hollywood, CA (closed Apr 2015)
- Jul 2016: Dosa | Seoul, South Korea (Michelin-starred, closed ~2019)
- Dec 2016: Akira Back @ JW Marriott | Singapore
- Apr 2017: ABSteak @ MD Place | Jakarta, Indonesia (closed)
- Dec 2017: Akira Back @ Bisha Hotel | Toronto, ON
- Dec 2017: Akira Back @ Marriott Marquis | Bangkok, Thailand
- Dec 2017: ABar Rooftop @ Marriott Marquis | Bangkok, Thailand
- Jan 2018: Mister C @ Bisha Hotel | Toronto, ON
- Jul 2018: Akira Back @ JW Marriott | Hanoi, Vietnam (closed)
- Feb 2019: Akira Back @ W Dubai | Dubai, UAE
- Mar 2019: Akira Back @ Four Seasons | Seoul, South Korea
- May 2019: Paru @ Caesars Bluewaters | Dubai, UAE
- Oct 2019: Dasha | Toronto, ON (closed Dec 2024)
- Dec 2019: Piazza & Sunset Beach Bar @ North Island | Seychelles (closed)
- Feb 2020: ABSteak @ Beverly Center | Los Angeles, CA
- Jun 2020: Lumi | San Diego, CA
- Jan 2022: Akira Back @ Prince de Galles | Paris, France
- Mar 2022: Akira Back @ The Ray Hotel | Delray Beach, FL
- May 2022: Akira Back @ Grandscape | The Colony, TX (closed May 2024)
- May 2022: Salt & The Cellar @ Ette Hotel | Kissimmee, FL
- May 2022: Lipa @ Ette Hotel | Kissimmee, FL
- Oct 2022: Akira Back The Rooftop @ Pestana CR7 | Marrakech, Morocco
- Nov 2022: Akira Back @ JW Marriott | Istanbul, Türkiye
- Mar 2023: Dasha @ Esplanade Mall | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (closed May 2024)
- Sep 2023: Namu @ Esplanade Mall | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Jan 2024: ABSteak & ABar Jakarta @ Senayan City | Jakarta, Indonesia
- Mar 2024: Tono @ The Pearl Island | Doha, Qatar
- Mar 2024: Akira Back @ Ritz-Carlton Abama | Tenerife, Spain
- Jun 2024: Akira Back @ Mandarin Oriental Mayfair | London, UK (closed Aug 2025)
- Jun 2024: ABar Lounge @ Mandarin Oriental Mayfair | London, UK (closed Aug 2025)
- Aug 2024: Norikaya | Los Angeles, CA
- Sep 2024: Dosa @ Mandarin Oriental Mayfair | London, UK (Michelin-starred, closed Aug 2025)
- Oct 2024: Akira Back @ Diplomatic Quarter | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Oct 2024: ABSteak @ Hotel Fusion | San Francisco, CA
- Nov 2024: ABar Rooftop @ Mandarin Oriental Mayfair | London, UK (closed Aug 2025)
- Apr 2025: Lilli @ Montcalm Mayfair | London, UK
- Apr 2025: Akira Back @ The St. Regis | Noord, Aruba
- Sep 2025: Akira Back @ The Henderson | Hong Kong
- Oct 2025: Tono @ W Toronto | Toronto, ON
- Nov 2025: Akira Back @ One&Only Moonlight Basin | Big Sky, MT
- Dec 2025: Akira Back @ W Florence | Firenze, Italy
ABSteak resides in a space that was made available as part of Beverly Center's 2016-era renovation that added a number of street-level eateries. Pictured above is the bar/lounge area, which doesn't seem to be utilized at the moment.
And here we see the restaurant's rather linear dining room, which features tabletop grills that do a good job of keeping any potential smokiness in check.
ABSteak's menu is pleasingly compact, and lists a number of familiar KBBQ tropes, but also plenty of novel dishes. No combos are available, though you do have the option of going with the hansang (한상) prix fixe. To drink, you'll find a half-dozen cocktails, soju, beer, a full spirits selection, and a wine list that's better than what you find at most Korean barbeque places. Corkage is $40, limit two, though we were allowed three BYOB bottles through prior arrangement with the GM. Click for larger versions.
AB Pizza 아키라백 피자 [$28.00] | Thinly sliced raw wagyu beef, crispy tortilla, truffle oil
The signature Akira Back pizza normally features tuna, but beef is employed at ABSteak, which seems fitting. The combo of wagyu and truffle certainly made sense, and I reveled in the sheer crunch of that tortilla base, though I would've liked to have gotten more of a kick from the various toppings, those chili peppers in particular.
Of course, a proper gogi-gui meal includes a number of banchan, and an octet was provided tonight. We'll start with the compulsory napa cabbage kimchi, a pretty prototypical presentation that fit the bill nicely.
As mentioned in my recent twentieth anniversary post, I'm focusing on drinking 2006 wines in 2026, and decided to commence the effort with three of the most iconic bottles around: the Pauillac First Growths. We'll begin with the 2006 Château Lafite Rothschild, composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.
- Initial Impressions – This had the most appealing nose of the threesome initially, and perhaps overall. What struck me first was the wine's aromas of warm, sweet spices, surrounded by flowers, leather, and barnyard. However, the palate didn't quite live up to the nose, as I found it lacking in tannic structure, with more acidity and less fruit than I'd anticipated, but still plenty of that aforementioned barnyard.
- Mid-Meal – Following the beef tongue, the bouquet was noticeably sweeter, juicier, more perfumed, while in the mouth, things opened up as well, with notes of herb, cassis, and earth rendered in a silken package.
- End of the Night – Post-bulgogi, the Bordeaux's plummy, dark fruit nuances were even more evident, almost veering candied at times, while there was still a marked leatheriness underpinning it all. The claret continued to improve through the conclusion of dinner, and I have an inkling that it would've gotten even better with a couple more hours of breathing time.
Woo Sul 우설구이 [$64.00] | USDA beef tongue, 6oz
When it comes to KBBQ meats, hyeomitgui is one that I tend to gravitate towards, and tonight was no different. The offal had the deep, almost earthy flavors I was looking for, and worked especially well with a dab of salt, though a rather potent citrus sauce was also provided. My gripe here was that the tongue ate a bit chewier than I would've liked, so perhaps less time on the grill may be called for.
Four condiments were provided: garlic chips, Maldon salt, freshly-grated wasabi with radish, and barley bean paste (essentially a version of doenjang I'm assuming).
Kimchi Fried Rice 김치볶음밥 - Pork Belly 삼겹살 [$22.00] | Green onions, onions, cold-pressed sesame oil, sunny side up egg
I feel like we had to order some rice, and I'm glad we did, since this just might be the best samgyeopsal kimchi bokkeumbap I've ever had. Often times, I find the kimchi domineering in the dish, but here, everything just melded together flawlessly. I was especially impressed by how well the pork and egg were incorporated, as well as how the enveloping nuttiness from the sesame helped tie everything together.
The requisite salad featured a piquant, sweeter-than-usual dressing.
Snow Flower Kkotsal 꽃살 [$70.00] | USDA prime boneless short rib, 8oz
Kkotsal is usually a crowd-pleaser, and that was certainly the case here, the short rib cooking up tender and fatty, with a plethora of heady, unabashedly savory flavors. The beef easily stood alone on its own merits--no condiments necessary with this one.
Yukkhea : Korean Beef Tartare 육회 [$32.00] | Wagyu beef tartare, garlic chips, pine nuts, onion, bell pepper, sesame oil, Korean pear, sesame seed, quail egg, kizami wasabi
We were wavering on whether or not to order the yukhoe, but I'm glad we did, since it's a contender for the best I've tried, largely thanks to how cohesively all the ingredients meshed together, making for a multifaceted dish overarched by the toasty-nuttiness of chamgireum. I also appreciated the textural interplay between the supple dices of beef and its various accoutrements.
My favorite of the banchans was this dish of refreshingly crunchy cabbage paired with a delightfully tangy soy-vinegar dressing.
Our second Premier Cru selection was the 2006 Château Latour, which I believe to be the 2018 ex-Chateau release, comprised of 91.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.5% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc, and 0.5% Petit Verdot.
- Initial Impressions – Surprisingly muted nose offering notes of strawberry and cacao. The wine was soft on the palate, though with bit more tannic grip compared to the Lafite above, and demonstrated a surprising amount of woodsiness.
- Mid-Meal – The Grand Vin's bouquet really blossomed, delivering much deeper, darker aromas of violets and berries. On the tongue, the Bordeaux was superbly balanced, and probably the best of the trio at this point, with the sweetness of the fruit really coming alive, but also countered by just enough tertiary complexity.
- End of the Night – Toward the close of the meal, the claret smelled primarily of jammy fruit, and palate-wise, sweet spices began to appear, foiled by a smidge of medicinal character.
Picanha 설깃머리 [$74.00] | Australian wagyu sirloin cap, 8oz
Seolgit-meori is pretty uncommon to encounter at Korean BBQ spots in Southern California, so I was happy to see it on the menu tonight. The rump cap showed off a satisfying chew, while flavors were rich and overtly buttery, but with a palpable ribbon of minerality running throughout.
The danggeun namul brought crunchy, sweeter-than-expected juliennes of carrot.
Ssamjang Green Onion Salad 파절이 [$6.00] | house made korean green onion salad
The pajeori was pretty much perfect, the scallion's sheer zestiness on proud display, yet countered by the dish's palpably sweet base.
Soy-pickled jangajji highlighted pleasingly crisp cuts of radish and onion imbued with plenty of savoriness and a trace of heat on the back end.
A5 NY Striploin [$98.00] | Kagoshima Prefecture, 6oz
I don't think I've had real-deal Japanese wagyu in Korean barbecue format before, which I suppose is a shame, because it works out swimmingly. Compared with the cuts above, this was a noticeable step up in terms of lusciousness and luxuriousness. The beef's richness and meltingly fatty mouthfeel were well represented, and I really appreciated the contrast provided by the meat's well-seared, almost crispy exterior.
Shroom Fries 버섯튀김 [$12.00] | Battered & fried shimeji and oyster mushrooms
The mushroom fries turned out better than I expected. I liked their lightly-fried exteriors, while the woodsiness of the 'shrooms was deftly conveyed. I actually preferred to eat the beoseot twigim alone, as the provided dipping sauce was a tad too much for my tastes.
I had no complaints with the zucchini, which came in the form of a light, bright, vegetal aehobak namul.
Our final First Growth brought the 2006 Château Mouton Rothschild, an amalgam of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot.
- Initial Impressions – The wine smelled intensely of barnyard commixed with zingy herbs, while on the palate, this was easily the most tannic and tertiary of the troika, with heady notes of leather abound.
- Mid-Meal – The Bordeaux's aroma developed into something deeper, funkier, and even more leathery, and on the tongue, things evolved in a similar manner, with a rather agreeable sauvage character and softer tannins.
- End of the Night – The claret concluded the evening with a lovely bouquet brimming with tea, flowers, and cedar-y spice, all juxtaposed with flavors of earthen black fruit. Probably my favorite of the three by meal's end.
Chadol Bulgogi 불고기 [$62.00] | Australian wagyu brisket bulgogi, 8oz
I usually shy away from ordering bulgogi, as I tend to find it overly sweet. Thankfully, that wasn't the case tonight. The beef's sweetness was smartly juxtaposed with plenty of savoriness and the dish's touches of bitter char, and I quite enjoyed the included batons of mushroom, too.
The sukjunamul served as a pretty textbook preparation of mung bean sprouts, which was just fine with me.
Pyongyang Cold Noodle 평양냉면 [$21.00] | North Korean style buckwheat cold noodle with beef broth
Mul naengmyeon featured a lovely chew on its memil noodles, which were set in a light beef broth and joined by a welcomed undercurrent of sweetness. Given the dish's general mildness, it actually functioned as a nice palate cleanser for all the heavier flavors going on.
Our final banchan was the gamja jorim, a dish of tender, pleasingly savory-sweet braised potatoes.
Shrimp 왕새우 [$38.00] | Black tiger shrimp
Last up were the prawns, which demonstrated a firm, substantial consistency and a potent salinity well-matched by the liberal amounts of butter utilized.
Sorbet - Sikhye [$6.00] | House-made Korean traditional sweet rice sorbet with pumpkin puree and pinenut
A shikhye sorbet showcased sweet, ricey, slightly herbaceous flavors, offset by the somewhat more overt sugariness of the dessert's pumpkin base.
Chocolate Valrhona Lava Cake [$16.00] | misutgaru crumble, white chocolate powder, vanilla ice cream
Somewhat surprisingly, this ended up as one of the best molten chocolate cakes I've sampled. The cake itself was pretty much spot-on, as was the ice cream, and I'm guessing what made this special was the incorporation of both nutty misugaru and white mocha powder in lieu of the usual powdered sugar.
I was quite happy with the food tonight, which is clearly based on the familiar ideas of KBBQ, but with non-traditional flourishes incorporated pretty seamlessly, while ingredient quality was clearly a notch above most. Service, overseen by General Manager Steven Kwon and rendered by our server Gloria Kim, was on point as well. This all makes me wonder: does ABSteak represent the best Korean barbecue experience in the Southland? In a way, that doesn't feel right to me. I mean, you'd think that the top gogigui spot would be in Koreatown, not Beverly Grove, but at the same time, I can't think of a K-town spot that's clearly better. Can you? If so, let me know.
posted by kevinEats at
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