At their Koreatown bar and restaurant, where Mona Lisa clocks line one wall and dance music blares, owners Jae and Kristine Lee have fun with fusion. Take the Bulldog: an enormous hot dog blanketed in bulgogi, the garlic-soy-marinated beef. The spicy-meat topping works wonderfully with the mild sausage, adding up to a surprising, delicious dish. Soft Korean-style tacos, dripping with fatty meat and chili salsa garnished with sesame seeds, are another cross-cultural mash-up that works well. Don’t miss the more traditional mandu, deep-fried dumplings stuffed with vegetables or beef and pork.
Also good: Fried chicken wings; braised beef short rib; beef sliders.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
