In the South, the word “barbecue” conjures up images of smoked pork or beef that falls off the bone, savory racks of ribs and sauce with a vinegary or tomato-y tang. But in many east Asian cultures, BBQ means something wholly different.
In Japanese and Korean cultures, barbecue means small cuts of meat—usually beef or pork, sometimes chicken—often marinated for hours in a sweet or spicy soy sauce, cooked on a small grill. Like American cookouts, the act of grilling the meat can be communal. Family and friends gather, taking turns flipping slices of kalbi or pork belly, careful not to get the smoke in their eyes.
The first time I had proper yakiniku—“grilled meat” in Japanese—was two decades ago on a summer visit to Japan. My mom’s side of the family settled on a popular chain where my cousin was working at the time. We scooched into booths, circled around a single grill set into the table, and got to work rattling off the cuts of meat we wanted from the menu.
In Japanese barbecue, grilled vegetables and sides are just as important as the meat. (Sayaka Matsuoka for The Thread)
Short ribs soaked in soy sauce, aged strips of skirt steak, slices of beef so thin they would cook in just seconds. Then there were the sides. Packets of chopped veggies, like enoki, shiitake, king oyster mushrooms, zucchini, and onion rounded out the meal. Glasses of beer clinked as the adults chuckled and took turns manning the grill. It was a feast, a gathering, a proper barbecue.
In recent years, similar Asian BBQ joints have become more common in the U.S. Korean versions, often offering all-you-can-eat (AYCE) options, served with banchan, or sides consisting of pickled veggies and the popular cheese corn. My favorite of these recent offerings is Gyukaku, a Japanese BBQ chain. It has two locations in North Carolina, one right here in Greensboro.
When the spot first opened in the old Libby Hill location off North Battleground Avenue a few years ago, it only had an à la carte menu. That could get pricey pretty quickly. Asians love to eat. Maybe more than Americans. Our love language is food. Have you seen our buffets? In keeping with trends, Gyukaku expanded its menu, offering an all-you-can-eat option in the last year. It’s still pricey compared to other competitors, but truly a meat lover’s dream come true.
While other BBQ spots like K Pot and the newly opened The One in High Point also offer AYCE, my preference for Gyukaku lies in some specifics. First, many KBBQ (Korean BBQ) spots don’t offer much outside of meat. That, of course, makes it difficult to bring anyone who wants to try something different. But the thing that draws me to Gyukaku, and other JBBQ joints, has got to be the marinades. Many of the cuts are pre-flavored, their offerings sitting for hours in concoctions of soy sauce, mirin, garlic, and other spices. That means when you grill them and pop them in your mouth, they’re the perfect balance of umami and flavor. The meat melts in your mouth as the sauce slowly coats your tongue. Ecstasy and bliss.
Recently, we took my mom to Gyukaku, the first time she’s been to a yakiniku place in North Carolina. She loved it. So much so that she contemplated going by herself—what we call “hitori yakiniku” or “solo grilled meat”—in her free time. And while any kind of BBQ—Southern or Asian—is perhaps best enjoyed in the company of others, there’s a certain intimacy of having a grill all to yourself, too.
Just be sure to eat your fill so you can say, onaka ippai—“my stomach is full!” by the end of it.
Sayaka Matsuoka is a Greensboro-based reporter for The Assembly. She was formerly the managing editor for Triad City Beat.
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