Hassle-free Korean at Hanjip

Restaurateur Stephane Bombet and Chef Chris Oh have brought new meaning to the word eating locally with the recently opened Hanjip, a Korean BBQ restaurant in Culver City which will now save Culver citizens and Sony executives the long trek to Koreatown!

The Bombet and Oh vision was to create an elevated version of Korean BBQ showcasing the best quality of meat and seafood with prices ranging from low $20’s to $120, but that’s for a Tomahawk steak with foie gras butter.

Here are some of the Hanjip highlights from my recent lunch experience.

• An ever-replenishing array of side dishes to go with your BBQ, from mashed potatoes to fish cakes.  Hard not to fill up on them at the start of the meal.

• Experienced waitstaff to make sure you don’t burn your bulgogi.

• Kimchi fried rice with brown butter from the Bonus Menu – A must have!

• Cold Barley Tea or Bo-ri-cha, delightful!
  

NAVI’S NOTES (THE SECTION OF EATDRINKLA DEVOTED TO MY SON NAVIAN’S EXPERIENCE AND THE RESTAURANT’S OVERALL BABY-CAPABILITES)

• Tables are great for accommodating strollers, while still keeping baby away from the flame
• Bathroom is equipped with a changing table

Overall Hanjip feels like Korean food for white people, and as the mother of a half Korean baby I think I say this :). If you’re looking to satisfy a craving for bulgogi beef on your lunch break, and don’t want to smell like you were at a Korean restaurant, then Hanjip is just the place for you. But if you’re looking for something more authentic, then the place to be is still Koreatown.