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Driving through K-town traffic to review Ruen Pair, I caught the unforgettable scent of Korean Barbecue wafting through the air, and since I haven't reviewed a Korean place in a while, I decided to hit it up on my next meal.
Tahoe Galbi is $16.99 for all you can eat, and they specialize in beef short ribs. Indeed, out of all the items we tried, the marinated Tahoe Steak Galbi was the best. The marinade is a little sweeter than most other places, the meat is tender and juicy...
They start you off with a salad and a parade of panchan--little dishes of appetizers. Usually there's kimchee, some cucumbers, a potato salad, tonight there was something kind of special.
This is called Muk. It's a type of jelly made from konjac. It's got a very subtle flavor and light texture, and I thought the little ridges and presentation was a lot of fun.
For the hard core eater, cow tongue is especially appealing. Sliced thin and slightly more chewy than normal beef, it's full of flavor. Remember, as you're tasting it, it's tasting you.
Can't go to a Korean barbecue place without some bacon! The bacon here is the same as most anywhere else. It's not that it's bad, bacon is always pretty decent, but there are places such as Toad House if you're up for some crazy bacon. It's cut thicker than breakfast bacon and tastes great browned to a crunchy perfection.
The weakest part of Tahoe is the panchan, granted, the Muk was a little different, but none of kimchee, cucumbers, steamed eggs, or potato salad really stood out as something special, and there were not that many of them to start with.
I do like the fact that they have rice paper, which I use up very quickly to wrap the meat with a dab of bean sauce and a piece of garlic. I say it's a must, but a lot of places don't have them and I miss them sorely.
The service was good when I was there on a week night, the atmosphere was very nice for an all you can eat place, and they do have plenty of space for larger parties. I came home full and went to work the next day hung over from the meat and garlic, just like one should after a night on the K-Town.
Tahoe Galbi
3986 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Photos by KevCheng for LAist.com.
