Korean barbecue has been around for hundreds of years as a dish, but as a dining format, it's still a relatively new addition to the cuisine. That's because the abundance of meats available to the masses didn't come about until after the country's industrialization.
Koreans started emigrating to the United States en masse during the 1970s and 1980s, and places like Soot Bull Jeep in Los Angeles opened shortly afterwards, offering a specialized look at Korean barbecue with an emphasis on charcoal tabletop grilling. The name of the place itself even literally translates to: "Charcoal House."
In the first part of a four-part series on Korean barbecue, Eater LA editor Matthew Kang takes us through the basics of tabletop grilling, including the main components and grilling techniques.
