10,000 People Attend KAC’s First Annual Korean BBQ Cook-Off
Subscribe![Bernie Yoo, Flip Cuddy, and Randy Sunwoo, turn barbecue on the grill. [Photo by Jenni Hwang]](http://www.kacla.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/kac-2.jpg)
Just how popular is Korean barbecue? Ask the thousands of fans who showed up to KAC's inaugural Korean BBQ Cook-off, held in partnership with Yelp, on Saturday August 8. Over 10,000 people stood in hour-long lines to try some of the Koreatown’s best barbecue.
Though the competition was close, the winning Korean BBQ dish came from Mu Dae Po with their signature “L.A.-style” galbi. Other participating restaurants included Beverly Soon Tofu, Ham Ji Park, Park's BBQ, So Hyang, and Soowon Galbi.
Judges for the event in Koreatown included Jonathan Gold, Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic for L.A. Weekly and Gourmet Magazine, as well as Los Angeles Times food editor Russ Parsons and others. They sampled entries from 10 top area restaurants.
Other judges included Evan Kleiman, restaurateur and host of Good Food on KCRW, Los Angeles Councilmember Herb J. Wesson, Jr., Chief Emile Mack of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Chief Jim McDonnell of the Los Angeles Police Department, Consul General Jae Soo Kim and California Board of Equalization member Michelle Park Steel.
The First Annual Korean BBQ Cook-Off surpassed everyone’s expectations, said Grace Yoo, executive director of the Korean American Coalition, which organized the event in partnership with Yelp, a website that offers user generated reviews of local business, including restaurants. “This is just at testament to how popular Korean barbecue has become,” said Yoo. “It really has gone mainstream.”
LINKS:
View Yelp photos of the event on Flickr.
Read a quick recap of the event on Grubstreet LA.
View some nice shots by Richard Min.
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