100 Very Best Restaurants 2015: No. 63 Kogiya

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About Kogiya

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cuisines
Korean

Virginia’s Koreatown boasts no shortage of barbecue, but this hip, industrial-style eatery stands out from the competition. At inferior places, marinades can be used to mask lesser-quality cuts; here they accentuate the rich flavor of the well-marbled meats, charred on fiery tabletop grills.

Young T-shirt-clad servers snip soy/garlic short ribs with scissors and bring an endless parade of complimentary kimchee, scallion salad, pickled radishes, and other panchan (small side dishes) to the long metal tables. It’s tempting to go for one of the all-you-can-eat grill packages, but non-barbecue standouts such as crispy seafood pancakes and chilled noodles in brisket broth are worth a small act of restraint.

Don’t miss:

  • Mandu (dumplings)
  • Spicy pork belly
  • Pork ribs
  • Marinated duck

Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

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.

Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.