Upping the Umami in Korean BBQ

Losa Yi

Korean barbecue found a happy home on American menus years ago, igniting widespread fascination with this regional cuisine that continues to spark menu innovation today. At Genesis House, a modern Korean restaurant, flavor discovery is encouraged, finding a successful balance between authenticity, seasonality and modernity.

Losa Yi, executive chef, threads the needle beautifully. “While our mission at Genesis House is to introduce guests to unique, time-honored Korean cuisine crafted with modern techniques, we also recognize the importance that Korean barbecue plays in the cultural history and experience of Korea, and we wanted to represent that on our menu,” says Yi. Her grilled pork rib dish, the Deoji Yangnyeom Gui, is the restaurant’s take on iconic Korean barbecue. “It’s infused with doenjang, one of the key sauces in Korean cooking, alongside ganjang [Korean soy sauce] and gochujang,” says Yi. “The use of doenjang in the marinade adds intense earthy notes to the pork, creating a flavorful and aromatic experience. This dish is by far the most popular item on our spring menu. Complemented with a selection of fresh seasonal vegetables, our savory, marinated pork ribs serve as a tribute to the traditional cuisine and have been said to invoke a sense of nostalgia for our guests who grew up enjoying barbecue dishes around their tables in Korea as well as a sense of familiarity and comfort for those who were born here.”

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