Located in the thick of the now very much thriving heart of Culver City, across from Akasha, Gyenari does not have the typical vibe of Korean eateries. Glossy, polished and dare I say, TRENDY, Gyenari reminds me of Crustacean. Not in that it's over the top decadent, but there are similarities in water features and over priced Asian cuisine.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I have the Asian rule (being Asian, I can say this): if the crowd is predominantly Asian, yay! If the crowd is predominantly CAUCAsian: BEWARE! Asian style eateries have this tendency to dumb down the cuisine for the masses. This is all well and good in Idaho, but I dare say in California, the melting pot, it's totally unnecessary. Here at Gyenari, my table was the only one seating anyone of Asian descent, and the staff was 80:20 Caucasian.
To that end, is Gyenari good? Yes, the meat was delicious and there was plenty of it. Was it safe? Absolutely! And by safe, I mean not palate challenging. Did I feel like my wallet got raped? Of course! Someone has to pay for the decor. Would I go again? Ehhhh...if I was one voice in 10 that didn't want to, I would give in. But of my own choice, no.
Dinner was with new friends Catty Critic, I Flip for Food and Princess Gourmet along with various significant others and my Mini Me. We ordered the Crispy Ginger Chicken and appetizer and the prix fixe:
G2: Gyenari Galbee, Bulgogi, Aged Pork Belly, Spicy Pork, Gyenari Flower Chicken, Spicy Seoul Chicken, Japchae, Mandoo and Asian vegetables.
G4 (not pictured as it was on the other end of the table): Gyenari Galbee, Filet Mignon, Wagyu Beef, Tiger Prawns, Lobster Tail, Sea Scallops, Japchae, Mandoo and more vegetables.
Personally, I could have done without G4, there wasn't really anything 'Korean' about the lobster, prawns or scallops. And I never even got to try the filet, wagyu, or prawns. Everything was good. Nothing turned me off, per se. It was just all so tame. Dessert was a chocolate creme brulee that tasted like jell-o pudding, and the banana creme pie was still frozen. I still feel so 'whatever' about the whole thing. What a bummer.
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| Crispy Ginger Chicken |
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| Pork Mandoo |
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| G2 - Gyenari® Galbee, Bulgogi, Aged Pork Belly, Spicy Pork, Gyenari® Flower Chicken, Spicy Seoul Chicken, Japchae, Mandoo and Seasonal Asian Vegetables |
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| G2 on the grill |
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| Japchae-Sweet Potato Glass Noodles wok tossed with Assorted Vegetables, Soy, and Beef |
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| Various Banchan |
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| Spicy Chocolate Creme Brulee - Bacon shortbread, almond cream |
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| Banana Creme Pie - Graham cracker crust with a light vanilla banana custard topped with fresh bananas and homemade whipped cream, served chilled (FROZEN) |
9540 Washington Blvd. Culver City CA 90232 | P: 310.838.3131
@GyenariLA
People think P.F. Chang's is good?
ReplyDeletehaha! My dad LOVES it! And his father in law is CHINESE! You'd think he'd go for the real deal, but whatever. I tolerate it for him.
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