Quick local restaurant review before I'm off to Vegas.
Gen Korean BBQ and Yakitori Bar is an all you can eat Korean barbeque restaurant located in Orange County, around Tustin and Irvine. Unlike Garden Grove or further Los Angeles area, there used to be zero all you can eat Korean barbeque around this neighborhood.
Years ago, finally some Koreans heard us meat mongers' outcry and opened Shik Do Rak in Irvine. This place was packed even during lunch hours. The hype gradually died down overtime...until this other all you can eat Korean barbeque opened up just few exits away - Gen Korean BBQ and Yakitori Bar.
$20 can get you a long way. I mean lonnnngggg way. Here's Gen's food menu -
Beverage menu -
Banchan/small dishes -
Kirin draft beer $14.95 on the menu but we only got charged $13.95 -
I don't remember most of the names for the upcoming array of meat. We basically ordered 90% of the items on the menu with multiple rounds. Is that too much or not enough for 5 men plus 3 women? You figure.
Kobe Woosul/Kobe beef tongue -
More meat -
I wrapped my meat well -
Steak -
Maybe some veggies will dilute a portion of our cholesterol -
Look at that marbled fat -
Underneath is thinly sliced pickled radish called "mu ssam." -
By the way, all these pictures were taken with my iphone 4. The thought of bringing my Canon T1i to a Korean barbeque place and get the grease all over my lens is just too frightening.
Chun Churum bottled soju $10.95 -
Daechang/marinated ox large intestine (before) -
Daechang/marinated ox large intestine (after) -
Gom Bae! -
How can you resist it?
Marinated selection -
Some rice cakes to end the meal -
Our bill for 8 people -
Not bad considering the amount of food and beverages we've consumed. Gen is actually pretty good for all you can eat Korean barbeque joint, might be even better compared to some of the famous ones in K-town.
If you are a brisket and mu ssam lover, Shik Do Rak does a better job. However, for all other types of dishes, especially thick cut meat, Gen is definitely the place to go.
Gen Korean BBQ and Yakitori Bar
13741 Newport Ave
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 505-1800
-Courtesy of Google Maps-
*Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 12 a.m.
*Gen do not take reservations, the wait is usually a minimum of one hour during dinner rush hours.
Cindy's Rating: 8 (this can be the best $20 you've ever spent!)
We Chinese people like to "nurture" our body with food. Parents always make chicken soup or honey ginger drinks when kids are having flu. Doctors sometimes recommend teenage boys to eat more melons when suffering from acne issues.
As for us females, we'd like to treat ourselves something "nurturing" monthly. I don't have to explain the "monthly" part in detail right? You should be bright enough to get the idea.
The ingredients for my monthly treatments usually involved with ginger, black sesame oil, pork liver, red bean, and brown sugar. I've got to have something made with some of these ingredients after the periodical thing. Believe it or not, treating myself with these type of food regularly actually relieves the pain and soreness that I used to get on the first couple days.
Black sesame oil chicken soup with rice -
Ingredients (for a medium sized pot)?
6 to 8 chicken drumsticks
4 to 6 Thai chilies
1 medium sized ginger root
1 small pack of dashi powder (I used natural katsuo/skipjack tuna dashi)
Some 100% black sesame oil
Some Chinese rice cooking wine (if preferred)
Some sea salt
Some hot water
Some steamed white rice or brown rice
How?
Roughly peel the ginger and slice it lengthwise, about 4 to 5 slices per ginger root. Remove the stems from the chilies.
Drizzle a good amount of black sesame oil into a deep pot, about double the amount compared to regular stir-fry usage. Turn to medium high heat, add in ginger slices, chilies, and a pinch of sea salt. Cook till the aroma comes out and the oil starts to bubble around the ginger slices. Turn down the heat just a little bit, continue to sear these ingredients for couple more minutes.
Add in the chicken drumsticks and sear till the skin turns slightly browned. Pour in hot water till all the drumsticks are submerged under the liquid. Turn to high heat and add in selected dashi powder. You can pour in some Chinese rice cooking wine, about 1 cup if preferred. Switch to medium heat once the mixture turns to a boil. Cover with lid and simmer till the liquid has been absorbed by 1/3 to 1/2.
Pour all over steamed rice. I used brown rice because it holds up the texture better while serving with soup. Brown rice's tougher texture won't get soggy easily compared to white rice.
Well, Chinese's saying again, if you're having pimple issues, maybe try to stay away from this recipe for now. This black sesame oil chicken soup is actually a very "heaty" dish and might cause more breakouts if your body can't handle the heat.
