Sun Ha Jang: Korean Duck BBQ

March 13th, 2018

My friend Ben has been raving about Sun Ha Jang- a Korean BBQ place that serves only duck. At first, I was skeptical about how much is it worth to eat a $30 ++ Korean BBQ with only duck as their specialty. Why not just go to Hae Jang Chon, wait 2 hours in line, and get served one of the best Korean BBQs in LA, for the same price?

Ben insisted that Sun Ha Jang’s duck specialty is what makes it worth it, and he convinced me, Sunaina and Andrea to try.

The menu at Sun Ha Jang had two lengthy columns on why duck fat is so beneficial to our health. Clearly, duck is the star winner here and I wanted to see if duck lives up to its hype. There are a few options for duck. The cheaper duck is frozen while the more expensive duck is freshly sliced meat. The duck comes served all sliced and rolled up:

As you can see in the picture, the only sauces they serve is salt (speckled with pepper) and chili paste. Just in case you get a mild culture shock (which I did), Sun Ha Jang does not serve sesame oil with salt. In an authentic Korean BBQ restaurant, you will not be served sesame oil with salt. Apparently, one of my most favorite sauces has been another American invention, just like the fortune cookies and chop suey of Chinese cuisine.

They have four side dishes (from left clockwise): pickled onions, pickled radish, fresh Chinese chives, and bean sprouts.

 

My favorite of those side dishes was the pickled onions. I liked them so much that I placed some of them on the hot grill (which you’re not supposed to do either – it’s not authentically Korean).

Ben was right about the duck.  

The quality of the duck meat speaks for itself.  You don’t need that many variety of meats to satisfy your taste buds. The duck melted right in your mouth.  Best part yet is when the older Korean lady comes over to make fried rice. And it’s not just any regular fried rice. It’s fried rice in rendered duck fat.  She mixes in the pickled radishes, Chinese chives and bean sprouts to the hot grill (Andrea and I were hoping she would put in the pickled onions but she did not).

And finally, she flattens the rice out on the grill and leaves a little slice of opening to allow the extra rendered duck fat to drain. At the same time, the grill crisps up the bottom of the rice. 

                                     Can you hear that satisfying sizzle? 

The duck fat fried rice was mind blowing. It was surprisingly rich and luscious, but not over-cloying at the same time. The rendered duck fat just elevated fried rice to another whole new level of deliciousness. We scraped the bottom of the grill clean til the last grain:

You don’t get overly stuffed like other Korean BBQs, but you are left with a feeling of having eaten well. 

Sun Ha Jang 4032 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90019