First impressions: Gyenari

Consider Gyenari a primer on Korean barbecue—training wheels for the rare L.A. diner who has yet to hang with the grill masters along Western Avenue or Olympic Boulevard. How else to define the appeal of the new Culver City restaurant that touts itself as authentically Korean and California-inspired all at once?

Comparison with Beverly Boulevard’s Jian BBQ, the other bedazzled Korean eatery that recently wandered westward, is inevitable. Gyenari is decidedly swankier, as it should be—it is also a “lounge,” after all. Sexy backlighting, moody tunes, oversize booths and a rock pool promote such nightlife ambitions. The fleet of good-looking servers doesn’t hurt either.

Items on the menu (which was created by Robert Benson of Jack n' Jills) are decidedly more American, and connoisseurs of Korean cuisine might raise an eyebrow. The bottomless banchan don’t seem so special. Is that butter on my grill? (Calm down—it’s become commonplace in K-town too.) But such critical tongues might be stilled because the straightforward Korean dishes fare best. The less Asian spinoffs, not so much.

Jeon jeon, a large (and slightly too salty) rice flour pancake with bits of applewood bacon and white cheddar, would have been more at home next to a glass of O.J. and the morning paper. (A more traditional version with seafood and kimchee is also available and, most likely, better suited for dinner.) A plate of seasonal vegetables sauteed in butter is overwhelmed by the bold Asian flavors of sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar and red pepper.

Things improve on the grill. The prime rib bulgogi, galbi, free-range chicken and aged pork belly are undeniably high-quality, and all are quite flavorful without much additional seasoning. The pork in particular—when rendered to an umami-sweet crispness—is better than any maple-basted bacon we‘ve ever had. A heaping side of japchae (Korean glass noodles) gets gussied up a bit with roasted garlic cloves and eryngii mushrooms. The accompanying dipping sauces (miso aioli, soy ponzu and sweet-and-spicy sambal) are even more creative—and very successful.

This Cal-Asian union does manage to produce something extraordinary in the dessert of green tea doughnuts. Matcha, a concentrated green tea powder, is primarily a Japanese ingredient, but it works beautifully in deep-fried, sweetened gluten (surprise, surprise). The made-to-order fritters come out warm with a light crust encasing a fluffy core. A slightly grassy flavor gives these rustic-looking fry guys a subtle sophistication. And subtlety is hard to come by in Koreatown.

Food: Excellent meats, unnecessary American accessories and one fantastic hybrid of a dessert.

Scene: People who want to be adventurous but aren't quite ready for K-town prime time.

Insider tip: Go for the prix fixe. The smallest option, G1, is enough to feed four (even though the menu reads “good for two”) on $70.

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