Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2011

Courtesy of Tonchang

Koreatown’s most popular bulgogi chain restaurant is far from kosher. Rather than the beef cuts associated with Japanese-style yakiniku, the signature dish at the two branches along Okubo Dori (with six others around Tokyo) is sandanbara: pork belly strips, cut with scissors and cooked at your table on a circular grill pan, the fat streaming away to leave succulent, fleshy meat. The basic set includes a wide array of side dishes—kimchi, kakuteki (kimchi with daikon radish), garlic, chilies, sesame oil, pungent scallion salad and lettuce leaves to wrap it all up in—for just ¥980 a head.

Other menu highlights include an array of chijimi pancakes (from ¥980) and steaming-hot kimchi nabe (¥980), but make sure you leave room for an order of yaki-meshi (fried rice; ¥525). Served at the end of the meal and cooked on the same grill till crispy, the rice is mixed with sesame oil, kimchi, pepper, scallion and your choice of toppings—cheese (¥210) and shredded pork (¥315) make an ideal combination. The light fizz of a creamy makgeolli (from ¥450), served over ice in a joki glass, should help lubricate the atmosphere as well as your larynx.

With their pumping K-pop soundtrack and bold graphics on the walls, Tonchang restaurants pull a lively young crowd in great numbers. So ardent is their fan base that they even sell original goods—from T-shirts to socks—and lines stretch around the block, starting as early as 5pm on weekends. You can hang back and visit at 9-ish for the fast track, but make no mistake: a visit to Tonchang is well worth the wait. Just don’t tell my Jewish grandmother you heard it from me…