Very little things in the dining world excite me more than the opportunity to pick and choose what I want on my plate. Nothing makes me happier than slowly deciding what flavors I feel like toying with and having the option to indulge myself in as little or as much as I please.

Ilcha Korean BBQ
3377 W Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019
http://ilchabbq.com/

This place is only two months in and I predict will be a happening spot for years to come!

Let me start by saying that they have a great parking lot with a valet. For this part of town, this is a huge plus.

Putting the buffet right at the entrance is a bold move! The cleanliness and beautiful display were the first things that I noticed.


Although they offer some items a la carte, we chose the all you can eat Korean bbq and buffet. The prices are reasonable considering it is ALL YOU CAN EAT. You can also pay a little more for a larger portion of unique meat selections like Kobe tartare and Kobe tongue! The buffet also has traditional Korean options like kimchi and spicy rice cakes.

The decor of Ilcha is hip, clean and is has an interactive atmosphere. I love cooking, so the Korean style BBQ is enticing to me. Just an FYI for those of you who don’t like to cook your food dining out: the servers are more than happy to do that part for you coming by often to flip the meats!

Our waiter River was on hand constantly. On his suggestion, we started with the Bulgogi and prime filet mignon. The Bulgogi was left to boil in its juices on the grill in a cute little brass pot; we slowly ate it throughout dinner. Although I don’t prefer sweeter meat, this has the perfect hint of sweetness that complimented the light slices of meat. Our filet crisped up nicely on the grill and was excellent dipped in sesame oil and salt.

For our second round of ordering, we had the lobster. The lobster, served in a tin foil container, cooked on the grill and again our excellent server River came to finish it off for us by flaming the outside to perfection!


Before we headed to the buffet for dessert, I had to try the shrimp scampi. It was also served in a tin foil container in the grill and was scrumptious in its buttery garlic yumminess!

 

Here’s one of my favorite parts… Self-serve! Oh, my! Vanilla and chocolate sauce or chocolate with caramel sauce… Um, both, please!

There was also melon, chocolate covered strawberries, mini creme brûlée, red bean squares and the most delicious almond cookies!

I’ll be back for sure with more friends and a taste for adventure… Because there’s small intestine and pork neck I need to try!