In Irvine, an AYCE KBBQ and sushi restaurant replaces an AYCE JBBQ and sushi restaurant
Several weeks after 7 Japanese BBQ & Yakitori Bar opened in December 2024, we visited the Irvine restaurant – a former Islands, heavily renovated – and weren’t particularly impressed: The one-stop destination for all-you-can-eat Japanese grilled meats and sushi was still experimenting with its name, menu, and pricing, foundational issues that clouded the business until its closure in January 2026. Soon thereafter, temporary signs went up heralding the impending arrival of Gogi Nori Premium Sushi & KBBQ, which soft opened in mid-March 2026.
Despite the shift from Japanese to Korean BBQ, Gogi Nori has a lot in common with its predecessor. A large dining room with capacity for over 165 people is decorated primarily with large silver tubes that vent tabletop grills, rows of dark wood tables, and darker chairs, now preceded by an entryway full of redemption machines and multiple Korean soju and beer posters. Gogi has replaced 7’s wire-topped BBQ grills with curved metal plates, and each table now receives a collection of banchan side dishes that look Korean but taste like Chinese approximations. Thankfully, these little dishes were the weakest parts of an otherwise impressive experience…