K-Team BBQ

K-Team BBQ is useful because it’s a Goldilocks Korean barbecue restaurant: not quite a smoke-filled party full of soju and cheap bulgogi, not quite a full-on meat temple parading around high-end ribeyes, but something perfectly in between. This casual, pork-centric Ktown spot from the Park’s BBQ team delivers the energy its iconic sibling sometimes lacks, plus you can order a la carte without blowing out your budget (i.e., spending $100+ per person).

photo credit: Kim Fox

photo credit: Kim Fox

photo credit: Kim Fox

photo credit: Kim Fox

photo credit: Kim Fox

Most a la carte meat options here float around half the price of their higher-end equivalent at Park’s, but the larger difference between these two siblings is the ordering experience. Park’s menu can be overwhelming for a first-timer, whereas K-Team offers just three cuts of beef, five pork options, and a handful of soups and rice dishes. Focus on the various cuts of piggy if it’s your first go-around. There’s marbled pork jowl that chars up beautifully, thin slices of frozen pork belly that render tiny pools of delicious fat, and thicker pork belly that’s great for building ssam with sweet perilla leaf, raw garlic, and spicy soybean paste. There is admittedly a lot of bacon going on, even for a pork enthusiast, so a side of their refreshingly cold, spicy acorn noodles comes in handy halfway through the hearty meal.

Remember K-Team when you want to go “out-out” without feeling like you’ve stumbled into a college bar blasting trap hits. Orange tile tables add a splash of color, vintage posters line the brick walls, and the soundtrack is loud enough to set the tone but not force you to shout across the table. 

Food Rundown

photo credit: Kim Fox

Ssam

Orders of meat come with K-Team’s bountiful ssam platter, which might be our favorite thing about eating here. You get perilla leaves, lettuce, rice paper, a zippy scallion salad, and a handful of little bowls with sliced chiles, crunchy pickles, raw garlic, and various salty and spicy sauces to dress up your grilled piggy as desired. Refills do cost $5, but they’re worth it.

photo credit: Kim Fox

Thin Frozen Pork Belly

Words like “thin” and “frozen” don’t usually equate to delicious, but think again. These pork belly slices nearly melt on the grill and release lots of rendered fat that coats the kimchi and bean sprouts sizzling next to the meat. They need only a little dab of salt and pepper.

photo credit: Kim Fox

Pork Jowl Meat

This cut is so fatty it looks white as a sheet once it’s cooked. But that thick layer of fat is soft and sweet and tastes even better when wrapped ssam-style with perilla leaf, ssamjang, and raw garlic.

Spicy Acorn Noodles

A pork-themed meal can be heavy, to say the least, so order this bowl of spicy chilled noodles to lighten things up. The salty-sweet broth feels like a cold towel across the forehead after dining in front of a hot grill, and it’s really not that spicy. More like a pleasant tickle at most.

Kimchi Fried Rice

The optional fried rice at the end of a meal here is the grand finale you don’t want to miss. Kimchi-stained rice is mixed with lots of shredded nori and spread thinly on the greasy cast iron skillet. And the best parts are the leftover meat bits and kimchi get crispy as the rice sizzles.