For this month’s meet up with my parents, we decided to go to First’s Avenue’s Korean BBQ hot spot: Kook. It came well recommended by our family counsellor who went with her family and had a great experience with it. After a failed attempt at walk-in dining, we made reservations for weekend lunch. Coming in right when they opened at 12pm gave us no issue and a more lighthearted ambiance.
In the evenings the restaurant has a rowdier, lounge-like vibe. It well matches its edgy awning, graffiti splashed walls, and the up-tempo dance music that played during our visit. Unlike other Korean barbecue spots, the space is well ventilated, and you don’t get the smell of cooking and grease lingering. Plus, very minimal scent from barbecuing actually leaves the restaurant with you. This is thanks to their grill system, which includes vents that suck the smoke downwards, into the table, so it doesn’t waft up and gets absorbed into your clothes.
The setting was spacious and the staff welcoming, making it ideal for a longer stay; which the restaurant should see, given that the intention is to cook for yourself. Therefore, it was disappointing that the seats were so uncomfortable. The benches were hard and segregated, leaving little supportive comfort.
As for the menu, it can be overwhelming to order a la carte, I would suggest sticking to one of the set menus that has already been expertly curated by the knowledgeable staff. There we be more than enough food considering that any you choose comes with unlimited sides, sauces, rice, and your choice of one type of soup. There are 15 different complimentary Korean sides, all of them delivered to you to start, with as many refills as you want. My parents were quick to fill up. They tasted and nibbled as they waited for the raw meats to arrive, and later be cooked. I on the other hand, knew to pace myself and knew that the meat and sides together would make the best bites.
The menu does not run-down all or any of the small sides, nor does any of the servers go over it with you. But from what I could make out, there was mashed potato served like a scoop of ice cream; the typical Korean-style sweet boiled potato; a sweet macaroni salad with coleslaw, raisins, and loads of cream; fragrant spring onion; raw radish noodles; spicy pickled cucumber; sweet dried tofu; a corn and canned tuna mix; gelatinous konjac yam chunks with carrot seasoned in a sesame sauce; classic kimchi; seasoned beansprouts; boiled egg slices; spicy tofu,;hardly cooked broccoli drizzled with a spicy sauce; and vinegar pickled radish. You don’t get much of each per portion, to be able to carefully discern between it all. They are best served as edible aesthetics.
Today we went for Combination B that promises to serve 4, having plenty left over for our party of 3. It includes Yangnyeom Galbi, L.A Galbi, Pork Galbi, Beef Bulgogi, Chicken Bulgogi, House Salad, Gunmandoo, and Japchae for $150.
The Appetizer Salad was a green salad with house dressing, pretty standard and mostly used as a palate refresher.
Gunmando is deep-fried gyozas in your choice of beef or pork. We went with the former and found them good without issue. Crispy on the outside and stuffed well, with the sweet and salty sauce for added flavour. They give diners something more substantial to chew on as they wait for their meat to cook.
Our chosen soup was the Soondubu Jjigae, which is spicy soft tofu stew served in a clay pot. You have the choice between Beef or Seafood or a mix, we had it mixed for all of the above. It was incredibly flavourful, warming you inside and out. There was plenty in bowl to go back for a second serving. This made a nice accompaniment to our BBQ set as a way to inject additional flavour.
The Japchae, fried sweet potato noodles with meat and vegetables was our base. Tasty as is, these chewy noodles also gave our meaty bites some substance.
As for our raw meat selection to be barbecued, how they taste depends on how you prepare it. So be sure to designate the best cook of the group to oversee the grill and to ask for fresh, burn-free, residue-free grill plates to cook different cuts of meat on. Or in our case, we left it in the capable hands of the Kook staff, and I suggest you do the same for the best dining experience.
I like the show of barbecuing at the table, but do not like to be the one to do it. Or the idea that I paid to eat out at a restaurant, but have to cook for myself. Not to mention, in doing so it may not be at its optimal. Thankfully coming first thing in the day with the least number of customers in, and a larger staff to patron ratio, meant we had our very own tableside concierge.
Not only did our at table chef prepare everything perfectly, but he even cut it down to size and served it to us. He was very attentive and made sure to check in with light conversation. Only once were we left waiting and the meat burned a little. After that we knew to not to fully rely on our server, but to be attentive for ourselves as well. The following are notes on the meat’s quality and its seasoning, as you might not get the service and experience, we did, and therefore not the quality of dinner we did.
Yangnyeom Galbisal is Canadian Certified Prime Marinated Short Ribs. These were my favourite for how they were a good blend of leaner meat with fatty morsels around the bone. I wish we got more of these.
The L.A Galbi is L.A Style Marinated Short Ribs, using the same Canadian Certified Beef, Grade AAA or Higher beef. The difference between this and the short ribs above is that Korean Galbi is cut into thicker segments alongside the rib bone and this is what shapes it. Whereas the LA Galbi cut is through the rib bone, and is easily identified by their display of the 3 rib bone eyes. This cut is thinner, easier to marinate, and cooks quicker on the grill.
Pork Galbi is Marinated Pork Collar and this serving was all meat with a nice tender chew to it.
Beef Bulgogi is Canadian Certified, Grade AAA or Higher beef thinly sliced and marinaded. This cooks the fastest and with its curled cooked texture, ideal for picking up pockets of sauces.
The Chicken Bulgogi used juicy Marinated Chicken Thigh. This was not as flavourful as is, when compared to the beef and pork options. Although it was great for dunking into the sauces that I had not used or needed up to this point of the meal.
Your meal ends with a complimentary palate refresher: a cinnamon and ginger water that drank like punch. It helped to wick away any grease and was effective as a digestif for the heavier meal before.
For the well curated barbecue combo, all the sides you get, the great service, and party-rock atmosphere they are definitely my new favourite spot for Korean Barbecue. A must visit for those who like Korean BBQ, but don’t want to cook it for themselves. Just be sure to come right when they open for the same level of service I received above. Highly recommend.
Kook Korean BBQ Restaurant
2800 E 1st Ave #211A, Vancouver, BC V5M 4N9, Canada
+1 604-566-5665
kookbbq.ca
