Earlier this winter, Grand Rapids’ first Korean barbecue and karaoke joint opened at 169 Louis Campau Promenade within the coronary heart of downtown.
Okay-ROK’s proprietor and operator, Rob Yoon, opened the brand new hotspot with hopes of bringing extra pop to Grand Rapids’ nightlife whereas sharing Korean meals and tradition with the neighborhood.
“There’s not a lot of a Korean presence within the space, so after we have been blessed with the chance to open downtown, I figured we should always begin it off and make it occur,” Yoon stated.
For these unfamiliar with the idea, Korean barbecue is the expertise of cooking meat over a scorching grill discovered within the heart of the desk.
“It’s much like American-style barbecue in that we work with a lot of several types of meat like pork stomach, brisket and ribeye,” Yoon stated. “What’s completely different are the flavors of our marinade, the cuts of meat, and that it’s extra of a collective expertise.”
For Yoon, the act of constructing Korean barbecue proper on the desk may be simply as essential as the flavour of the dish itself: “Korean barbecue is communal. Everyone seems to be on the desk whereas the meals is cooking on the heart on the grill, having some banchan (facet dishes), and ingesting soju. It’s like an enormous Thanksgiving feast each time!”
The Okay-ROK expertise contains chrome steel grills constructed proper into the tables, a full bar, a number of televisions that includes Korean music movies, and personal karaoke rooms obtainable by reservation.
What’s in a reputation?
The Okay in Okay-ROK merely stands for Korea. The ROK has just a little extra backstory. “Lots of people assume I sound like Sylvester Stallone. So, my buddy, Chef Jenna Arcidiacono from Amore, gave me the nickname KOCKY for Korean Rocky,” Yoon defined. “R-O-Okay additionally stands for the Republic of Korea.”
Meat the primary occasion
Okay-ROK’s menu options quite a few cuts of meat ready in a wide range of methods. Some meats are seasoned, some are marinated, and others are served unmarinated earlier than grilling. Marinated meats are available flavors comparable to soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, gochujang (daring candy/spicy/umami taste), and plenty of others.
For newbies, Yoon recommends ordering a mixture of beef and pork with marinated and unmarinated preparations. Kalbi (marinated brief rib) and samgyeopsal (unmarinated pork stomach) at all times are a secure wager.
When grilling, preserve your eye on the meat. Flip the meat occasionally for even cooking. If a chunk appears to be like accomplished, place it to the facet so it doesn’t overcook. Or higher but, eat it. You possibly can minimize bigger items of meat with particular scissors (normally offered) for simple distribution.
Lettuce or perilla leaves are offered on the home and could also be used to wrap the grilled meat.
Don’t overlook to make use of the completely different dipping sauces!
The banchan
These free small plates are supposed to complement the primary meal. They’re present in small bowls set on the heart of the desk. You’ll normally discover kimchi, seasoned sprouts, daikon radish and potato salad. Be happy to ask for refills!
The soups and stews
Like all the pieces else on the desk, soups and stews are supposed to be eaten with rice. My private favorites are kimchi jjigae (a stew that includes fermented cabbage and different substances, comparable to pork or seafood, tofu, scallions, onions) and budae jjigae (often known as military stew).
“Again within the Korean Conflict, the Koreans and People would don’t have anything to eat, so that they’d throw collectively no matter that they had — like Spam, kimchi, sausage, ramen noodles, rice truffles, tofu, garlic and even American cheese — and made a stew out of it to feed everyone,” stated Yoon. “That finally turned the spicy, easy consolation meals generally known as budae jjigae. I like to consider it as Korean chili.”
The drinks
Wash down your barbecue with a conventional Korean beverage like soju (distilled spirit constituted of numerous starchy crops). My favourite taste is plum.
In the event you actually need to social gathering, order a soju bomb, which is a shot of soju dropped right into a glass of beer.
In conventional Korean tradition, it is best to by no means pour your individual drink; the youngest is in control of ensuring everybody’s glasses are full, and it is best to at all times obtain your drink with each arms.
Different must-try dishes
Not within the temper for barbecue or stew? Attempt japchae, which is a stir-fry dish that includes candy potato noodles with seasoned meat and loads of greens. One other well-known dish is bibimbap, which is a rice bowl topped with sautéed greens, marinated meat (normally beef), a fried egg, and completed with a sprinkle of sesame and a beneficiant dollop of a sweet-spicy-savory sauce.
Asian karaoke vs. Western karaoke
The right Korean barbecue expertise is ideally adopted by stylish private-room karaoke. “Western karaoke is on a stage in entrance of your complete bar. Some individuals don’t take pleasure in that. Asian karaoke is extra of an intimate celebration,” Yoon defined. “The non-public rooms make it so as to sing and drink with simply your pals and also you don’t have to fret about embarrassing your self in entrance of strangers. There’s even a TV display that shows the lyrics of the tune, so that you received’t mess up the phrases.”
At Okay-ROK’s karaoke rooms, friends have entry to bottle service and might have any non-barbecue merchandise on the menu despatched straight to their non-public social gathering.
Household origins
In keeping with Yoon, Okay-ROK wouldn’t exist with out the affect of his mom, Myong Solar Holloway, who got here up with all the unique recipes.
“She has a present and doesn’t know tips on how to unfold it,” stated Yoon. “I don’t understand how both, however I’m studying. I hope that by way of Okay-ROK, individuals in Grand Rapids will study that Korean meals and tradition is right here to remain.”
Yoon’s mom grew up as certainly one of eight siblings. Her mom died at a younger age, leaving her in control of cooking for the household whereas her father tended to their rice farm. From there, her recipes have been born.
Finally, Holloway migrated to the USA, taught herself tips on how to communicate English, and acquired her highschool GED — all whereas doing jobs like cleansing bogs and dealing at factories. All through that journey, she by no means stopped dreaming of opening her personal restaurant. At the moment, she oversees the cooks at Okay-ROK to maintain her recipes alive.
For that reason and plenty of others, Yoon selected to not whitewash his menu.
“I need individuals to grasp that Asian delicacies is numerous. Chinese language meals, Vietnamese meals, Filipino meals and Korean meals are all very completely different,” he stated. “As soon as upon a time, I used to be scared and wished to adapt, so I put issues like teriyaki rooster, crab rangoons, and fried rice on the menu of Emonae (the household’s restaurant close to twenty eighth Avenue and Cascade Highway). For Okay-ROK, I’ve purposefully taken off these objects … and I hope individuals will give it a shot anyway.”
