Cuisine:

• Barbeque, Grill
• Korean
• Lounge, club, bar
• Bar
• Californian

Gyenari Korean BBQ Description:
The Korean flower for which the restaurant is named blooms only once a year, but you may find yourself frequenting this spot well beyond an annual visit. Two Korean partners and one American chef, Robert Benson, joined together to present a Korean barbecue experience with a California twist. They transformed an industrial space in the heart of downtown Culver City into a vibrant, modern venue that retains its rustic brick walls. The vivid-yellow ten-foot mural of gyenari blossoms echoes the lighting in the bar. Nature is also recalled in a fountain at the entrance. Exposed trusses and ducts overhead playfully depict what would be an exhaust system if the mechanism didn't already exist within each tabletop gas grill, where guests cook vegetables, fresh seafood, pork and prime rib. The Korean barbecue is served with a variety of banchan (side dishes) including the traditional fermented cabbage condiment, kimchi. Larger entrées range from royal black cod simmered in a spicy garlic-infused sauce and braised short ribs to a selection of fresh noodles and rice. Prices are approachable, and a particularly good value is the $15 prix-fixe Korean barbecue special, which includes a trio of banchan, salad, soup and rice, and three choices of authentic Korean entrées. For dessert, choose from a variety of sweet treats including a homemade shaved-ice trifle and green tea cake donuts topped with buttermilk raspberry dipping glaze.


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