Sometimes we get so caught up in defining ethnic food that we miss a lot of good restaurants because of an unfamiliarity. We know Italian, so we go; we don't know Korean, so we do not. That's not always good logic. Korean BBQ House, with its roots in Buena Park, has recently moved to Newport Beach near the airport. And it's a gem. Manager Steve Kim says his family made the move because there is less competition from Korean restaurateurs in Newport than in North County. The trick now is to lure not only the large Asian population from nearby Irvine to come to dinner, but also to get nearby residents and business people to give the place a try. You may know nothing of Korean cuisine, but you will appreciate the result. For lunch, I ordered the special, -a BBQ Short Rib -and my tablemate had the Marinated Spencer BBQ. Before we could blink, little side dishes appeared to complement the meal -pan-fried noodles, bean sprouts and vegetables, spicy cucumbers -along with a small salad and turnip soup. Our chopsticks were working overtime by the time the meat portion and the rice arrived. We quickly tried everything in sight; within a few minutes we had the table spread with side dishes, main dishes and empty dishes. A side order of pan-fried dumplings was a good choice. There is much on the menu that might be reserved for a Korean palate (Eel, Baby Octopus, Tongue, Wild Boar are examples). However, as we discovered, you don't need to experiment if you don't want to.
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