K TownRestaurant

Aberdeen Street's Korean barbecue anchor works over charcoal rather than gas, and that choice sets the tone for everything that follows. Diners grill their own at the table, the coals throwing real smoke across marinated beef and pork while a spread of banchan keeps the pace. The kitchen leans on recipes it says have been carried down three generations, and the evidence turns up away from the grill too: handmade noodles pulled for soups and broths, dumplings folded in-house, and a seafood pancake crisp at its lacy edges. Bulgogi and bibimbap round out the more familiar Korean repertoire, while set and buffet options bring pork, chicken, prawns and scallops within reach of a hungry table. The room is casual and unpretentious, geared to groups who settle in for the long, sociable ritual that Korean barbecue demands, and it keeps late hours towards the weekend. In a Northbridge crowded with Asian dining, it has held a loyal following by doing the fundamentals well: good meat, live coals, proper sides and the sort of hands-on cooking that turns dinner into an event. The smoke, the sizzle and the shared tongs are the whole appeal, and here they are done with conviction.