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w i n t e r 2 0 1 8 | 4 7 ■cr UNTIL RECENTLY, perhaps the only Korean cuisine that casual foodies were familiar with is Korean barbeque, where you grill meats over a tabletop and leave smelling vaguely of smoke. Now that Korean-American chefs like Dave Chang of Momofuku and Roy Choi (Kogi taco trucks, POT, and more) have edged to the forefront of the country's dining scene, just about everyone is into Korean food, whether it's a bowl of sizzling noodles, a tofu hot pot, or a Korean-Mexican taco. Chefs and cooks are mashing up the tradi- tional with influences from Seoul's white-hot restaurant scene, as well as many other Asian locales. These three restaurants are just a small sampling of why it's such an exciting time to be discovering—or re-discovering— Korean cuisine. Young Joni In Minneapolis, the new Young Joni from veteran restaurateur Ann Kim is a must-try set in a loft-like space, with communal tables and a long bar anchored by a copper-clad pizza oven and a red oak-fueled hearth. Yes, you read that right: Young Joni is brash and fun, with a menu that marries hip Korean food with— pizza. Why not? The pies are properly blistered and pretty irresistible. Consider the Broccolini with both mozzarella and French feta, emerald Castelvetrano olives, and Calabrian chile, or the Pepe made with clams, Parmigiano, and mozzarella with a little crème fraîche and lemon. And of course, you'll also have to try the Korean BBQ pizza topped with beef short ribs in a chili vinaigrette. The menu items I loved most, though, are herded together under "Other Delights": giant grilled prawns painted with red chili-fish sauce, tender lamb kofta kebabs with charred egg- plant, and spicy clams with pork belly. There's a whole grilled fish, too, that's perfect for sharing. Also make sure to check out the hid- den Back Bar (enter through the alley), where Adam Gorski mixes up some stellar cocktails. Young Joni, 165 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis, 612-345-5719, youngjoni.com Joule Ten years ago, classically-trained (and husband-and-wife) chefs Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi opened Joule in Seattle well before contemporary Korean food made its way onto the mainstream culinary scene. Specializing in seafood, the tiny, much-lauded restaurant was on every food lover's list of where to eat in Seattle. In 2013, the duo moved into a ware- house complex next door to Renee Erickson's The Whale Wins and seized the opportunity to re-imagine the restaurant. Joule is now a Korean steakhouse, though not one where you grill your own meat. The small, precisely-calibrated menu might propose roasted bone marrow with anchovy butter or a beef tartare with Asian pear spiked with spicy cod roe aioli. A puckery chicory salad is tossed with pickled plums and an umeboshi vinaigrette. Craving some rice? The kitchen makes fried rice with geoduck, sea- weed, and pork rind. As for beef, there's a rich short rib steak with grilled kimchi, a prime bavette (the typical cut used for French bistro steak frites), or a "smokehouse" steak with a Vietnamese coffee rub. The seriously-good wine list, meanwhile, focuses on boutique wines from the Northwest. Joule, 3506 Stone Way North, Seattle, 206-632-5685, relayrestaurantgroup.com/ restaurants/joule Parks BBQ Angelenos of Korean heritage number some 250,000 people, which is why Koreatown has the most vibrant restaurant and bar scene in the city. Take your pick of tofu joints with For- mica tables, kitchens specializing in duck or pork neck, or all-you-can-eat barbeque spots. The latter category still rules: Who doesn't enjoy hungrily grilling meat over charcoal or gas right at their table? Parks BBQ is tops for its carefully-sourced meat—aged prime beef, American wagyu, and artfully- seasoned pork cuts. The force behind the restaurant, which opened in 2003, is Chef/Owner Jenee Kim. At the well- appointed Parks, you're just as likely to run into one or more of L.A.'s top chefs as the K-pop stars and Korean athletes populating the restaurant's "wall of fame." What to order? Kalbi short ribs, prime beef tongue, and special pork belly. For its finesse and variety, Kim's banchan, or small dishes, are equally impressive as the meat (she makes a killer chili paste, too). To start, you might want to put in an order for the refreshing Korean-style beef tartare and the sumptuous seafood pancake, too—it's quite the feast. Incidentally, cooking runs in the fam- ily: Kim's daughter, Elizabeth Hong, is Osteria Mozza's Executive Chef. Parks BBQ, 955 S. Vermont Ave. G, Los Angeles, 213-380-1717, parksbbq.com Korean cuisine. Young Joni In Minneapolis, the new Young Joni from veteran restaurateur Ann Kim is a must-try set in a loft-like space, with communal tables and a long bar anchored by a copper-clad pizza oven pizza. Why not? The pies are properly blistered and pretty irresistible. Consider the Broccolini with both mozzarella and French feta, emerald Castelvetrano olives, and Calabrian chile, or the Pepe made with clams, Parmigiano, and mozzarella with a little crème fraîche and lemon. And of course, you'll also have to try PHOTO COURTESY OF YOUNG JONI Seattle's Joule is a new kind of Korean steakhouse with an excellent wine list. PHOTO: CHARITY BURGGRAAF

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