Yoon Haeundae Galbi
Every short rib here is butchered by the Haeundae Cut,
a special technique that was invented by Bobby's grandfather to tenderize even the toughest of meats.3
Why go
Bobby Yoon opened this room to carry on that grandfather's restaurant in Busan. It has run since 1964, across three generations.3 The transplant is physical. Reclaimed wood and stone tiles came from Busan, and potters in Korea throw the dishes.2 Bryan Kim reviewed it for The Infatuation in December 2024 and placed it precisely. This is the Koreatown grill that swapped beer towers for bottles of Bordeaux, in a double-decker room with leather banquettes.1 Joo Ok on 32nd Street is the other end of that argument, a Seoul tasting menu sixteen floors up.4
Order this / avoid
- Order: the unmarinated short rib, and judge the house on it.1
- Order: ribeye and New York strip alongside, which is how Kim builds the table.1
- Order: the Busan pancake, eggy and packed with beef and shrimp.1
- Avoid: arriving expecting Koreatown prices. Sets of beef and pork started around $150 when The Infatuation ate there in December 2024.1
What locals & experts say
- Bryan Kim, The Infatuation (5 December 2024, 8.2):
Like its sister restaurant founded by the owner's grandfather in Busan, Korea, the place specializes in short rib, and even the non-marinated version is lush and flavorful, with a bouncy feel thanks to all the fat.
1 - The limit: Kim is the only outside voice I have found on this room; everything else here is the family's own account.
Good to know
- Booking: essential.2
Verdict
should-visit — Bring somebody who drinks red; the list was built for it. More than six of you needs a phone call. That call buys a choice: the Anthracite Room seats twenty, or you take the whole second floor.