Matthew Kang is the Lead Editor of the Southern California/Southwest region, and has covered dining, restaurants, food culture, and nightlife in Los Angeles since 2008. He hosted a YouTube show called K-Town, covering Korean food in America and has been featured on Netflix’s Street Food.
Korean barbecue’s steady progression in Southern California has extended into Irvine’s chain-heavy Spectrum, an outdoor mall that already boasts a Wood Ranch, Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s, and Yardhouse. A striking new Korean barbecue restaurant called Kalbi Social Club, opened in late November 2024, comes from the operators behind Robata Wasa with a specific focus on galbi — Korean marinated short ribs.
At traditional Korean barbecue spots, runners bring sliced meats, banchan, and sides to the table, with diners expected to finish the cooking at the grill, though, at certain high-end spots, servers will cook the meats for the table. At Kalbi Social Club, servers go the extra mile, shaking plastic bags with kimchi seasoning and chopped napa cabbage for a non-fermented take on kimchi and even brushing sliced beef short ribs in a sweet, savory sauce before grilling them tableside. With these two major distinctions, Kalbi Social Club tries to create an approachable experience for those who might not be as familiar with Korean barbecue…