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| - Kookminhakgyo supposedly means "national school" in Korean, and you can tell it's the theme that they were going for once you step inside this small restaurant. The walls are decked out with grade school drawings and you can even find a makeshift classroom desk with an abacus on it. The 80's Korean hipster vibe is how most would describe their decor here.
The cuisine is traditional Korean BBQ that is cooked by patrons on a round drum table. The seats themselves are barrels too-you can lift the seat covers to store your belongings in them. A good idea since the place is small and the seating arrangements here are often cramped.
The menu options are mostly comprised of different cuts of pork-belly, jowl, shoulder butt, and skirt meat. The only non pork options are beef skirt and beef finger ribs. Definitely not a place for non-pork lovers.
The quality of the cuts were good, however. I was especially impressed with the thick cuts of pork belly that cooked great on the grill. The meat here does not come pre-marinated, so you'll have to rely on the two sauces that they provide for extra flavoring. I preferred the red soybean paste sauce over the salty oil one.
All orders come with a set of side dishes that include kimchi, picked radish, pickled onions/jalapeños, spicy soup, and steamed egg. They also provide you with unlimited lettuce wraps and diced spring onion to make ssäm wraps with your meat. The servers were very attentive as well and often checked in to make sure we never ran out of lettuce/side dishes.
Overall, a very good spot to experience some authentic Korean BBQ. The place seems popular and does not take reservations, so plan accordingly in order to get a table/find parking. It's often hot and steamy in the restaurant too, so dress lightly and prepare to smell like food on your way out =)
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