The boyfriend and I have been mostly meat-free for a few weeks (broken up by breakfast tacos at Homestate), but there are times when the only thing that will make me feel better is meat. Cooked with fire. Spicy.

Genwa, which fortunately/unfortunately is a stone’s throw from our house, is our go-to when we feel like stuffing ourselves full of Korean BBQ and kimchi. While he most enjoys the bibimbap, I tend to go carb-free with salad, kimchi, meat, and occasional bites of their various banchan.

We got the combo that included the brisket and pork, but I substituted the pork belly for kot sal. While I love me some bacon, I wasn’t in the mood to stare at pale pieces of pork waiting for the fat to render out. Instead, the kot sal, unmarinated slices of steak-like boneless short rib, was nicely marbled and perfectly juicy when cooked to medium/medium-rare.

Our favorite last night was the brisket, though – for some reason, this relatively simple cut was most flavorful this time around, and sated my boyfriend’s need for grilled meaty goodness.

Korean BBQ purists will scoff at Genwa, for its American-ized selection and banchan, and its prices that are set to make Westerners feel like they’re paying for an exotic experience, insisting that “real” Korean BBQ can be had for far less. While I tend to agree, I also love the convenience and consistent meat quality of Genwa, and I’d much rather spend the money on delicious bibimbap that’s walking distance from my house than an Uber to KTown where I’ll sit in traffic for half an hour to go two miles.