Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Dining

05/07/2008 Posted by kitanohara

Encouraged by all the fanfares in the media about Gyu-Kaku, I decided to check one out in Los Angeles. We were a group of 8, and was seated right across from the Men's rest room, that was a bummer. But with enthusiasm, we ordered beef, salmon, shrimp, vegies, and so on. Many knows that almost all of the foods served in Gyu-Kaku are of Korean cuisine, and not Japanese. But that misrepresentation is perfectly OK as long as the food tast good. To everyone's disappointment, the food was completely "Americanized" for mass consumption by the locals (who rated the food as excellent). Every meat and seafood pieces were heavily marinated in soy sauce and way too much sugar, Even the Bibimba tasted the same- nothing like the real one with a zing of hot pepper sauce. If you truly loved the Korean BBQ, skip Gyu-Kaku and look for many excellent eateries around the city.

Pros: Good service

Cons: Char coal did not light properly for the first 30 minutes.

05/06/2008 Posted by kanpachipachi

okay this is a big chain place for bbq. that doesn't mean it is the best. i've been to two locations. wla and san fernando. had to wait twice. ambiance is good. service is good too. pricing might be a little high. but i just can't get over the way they cut their meat! they are all so uneven! sometimes i get a chunk and sometimes i can't even pick them up with my chopsticks! i like the meat simple. they are too sauced up to figure out the quality of the meat.

Pros: fun place to go once in a while

Cons: pricing and the over crowded tables

11/20/2007 Posted by toessies

japanese bbq at it's best. Plus its an extra "fun"bonus that you cook your own food. Everything always tasted so fresh and is always promptly. Staples are avocado and ahi salad app., garlic shrimp, miso steak, ahi tuna, and the signature rice....you can't go wrong!

Pros: fresh food, great menu. try the signature rice dishes!

Cons: entrance is tiny so if there is a wait, you stand outside

04/01/2007 Posted by sausage0321

We looked forward to this experience based upon other reviews and web info and we weren't disappointed! Gyu-Kaku is a cute restaurant offering a great variety of items to grill on your own table top grill. We tried a variety of beef items with different marinades, garlic shrimp, vegetables and sukiyake style rice. The quality was great, grilling was fun and we really enjoyed the whole experience. Service was prompt and very helpful with provided suggestions and recommendations. I wish we had saved room for the S'Mores dessert. I wish we had one of the restaurants at home! Give it a try, you won't be dissapointed.

Pros: Quality, Service, Variety, Fun!

Cons: Table was a little small for all the dishes..

02/15/2007 Posted by ashelmire

Gyu-kaku is a favorite among my group of friends. The food is excellent, very well prepared, and the do-it-yourself factor means you can cook the food however you like it. They have excellent, large salads, good soups, and a variety of quality beef, chicken, seafood and vegetable dishes. The key to this place is in the sauces they use to marinate the tender meats they prepare for you. The service is generally good (I've had mixed experiences), and you can order periodically throughout your meal if you want to try new dishes. Small groups (4-6 people) that can fit in the isolated booths seem to be the best fit here.

Pros: Great food, lots of fun, inexpensive

Cons: Slow service for large groups, noisy, can take a while to get seated

11/27/2006 Posted by vicvic

This do-it-yourself Japanese grill is above and beyond the favorite restaurant in my friend circles. Attentive service, fair portions for the price. One serving of their most popular Hirami Miso beef is about $8 and you'll still have room for some seafood or veggies. Try the garlic spinach or sweet potatoes (not yams...sweet white potatoes) they're surprisingly good. If you want a dessert to remember, go for the S'mores. We've had so much fun roasting marshmellows over our in-table grill. Reservations or an early dinner walk-in are recommended as the wait can be rather long in a very crowded front hallway-sized entry way or a usually chilly Pico Blvd. Definitely a great place to celebrate or to treat an out-of-town guest.

Pros: fun and different, excellent flavors, attentive service

Cons: small waiting area, long wait times

11/19/2006 Posted by sanseiryu

This is a Japanese BBQ restaurant that is patterned after Korean BBQ restaurants. You cook your food in front of you on a charcoal grill at the table. The main difference I have found between the two is simply service. I refuse to go to Korean BBQ's anymore because of the lack of, or just plain rude service. Sure they may be cheap but why go where you end up feeling as if they're doing you a favor by serving you food. Gyu-Kaku has a very friendly, polite and informative staff. Always nearby to take additional orders and/or explain about the dishes. We ordered like you would at a sushi bar, several different dishes of sliced meats seafood and vegetables to share among us. Between the four of us at dinner, we had tofu salad, two orders of garlic shrimp, a prime kalbi, a regular kalbi, a ribeye, a double order of tongue, a order of pork sausage, miso butterfish, lettuce wraps, foil wrapped asparagus and mixed mushrooms with a bowl of rice each. Ice teas for beverages and two orders of yaki-mochi icecream and one order of Gyu-kaku ice-cream.for dessert. All of this with tax and tip, $35.00 each. That's ridiculous for a dinner in Beverly Hills. And for those complaining about having to pay for kim-chee. Unless you want to have offensive breath for the rest of the evening, despite the chewing gum provided with your check, just say NO! to kim-chee.

Pros: service and food

Cons: can be busy, probably because it's good

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

11/13/2006 Posted by dmenkes

Gyu-kaku is a fun, romantic place where you cook your food in their mini bbq pits with aluminum foil-wrapped meats and vegetables. Their service was good and the meat quality was above average to excellent. I even found myself trying some vegetables that I normally wouldn't eat but had so much fun cooking that I enjoyed eating them as well! I'd definitely go back.

Cons: street parking

11/13/2006 Posted by noahmck81

This place is really fun -- I love cooking my own food at the table, even though I always feel like it should be cheaper because I am doing half the work. Portions could be much bigger for the price, but overall I think the quality of the food is worth it.

Pros: fun, engaging dining experience

Cons: small portions, expensive

10/14/2006 Posted by roboticsquid

I don't understand why people keep thinking this place serves Korean food. The words "Japanese BBQ" is everywhere! The food is good. I don't know anything about authentic Japanese meat-cooking but I really loved the whole experience overall. It's very yummy, I guess it's the marinade since you cook it by yourself on the hotness in the middle of your table - and I guess marinading takes a long time, because the one problem I find is that the waiters take a long time to deliver this uncooked meat. I recommend going at lunch because it's not crowded then; also, the tuna avocado salad was super tastey.