Banjoo Korean BBQ Bangkok Celebrates 11 Years Around the Korean Table
The aroma of beef meeting charcoal set the tone for Banjoo Korean BBQ Bangkok's 11th-anniversary celebration with Chef Injin Kim. Beautifully marbled cuts arrived ready for the grill, surrounded by fresh leaves, homemade sauces and the promise of a generous Korean meal. The beef was the main attraction, but raw crab, Yukhoe, hot stone rice and seafood noodles ensured there was plenty to hold attention between rounds of barbecue.
Chef-owner Injin Kim brings together her Le Cordon Bleu training and recipes rooted in her family's restaurant background in Korea. At Banjoo, that combination finds expression in carefully selected meats, homemade jang and familiar Korean dishes prepared with attention to their individual character. Her presence at the anniversary gave the occasion a personal warmth, celebrating eleven years of a restaurant shaped by both professional training and a close connection to the food of home.
The occasion introduced L'Grow Wagyu from meat supplier JAGOTA. Raised in Australia under LOTTE's production programme, the beef combines Wagyu genetics with Korean feeding expertise, including a finishing approach inspired by traditional Hanwoo practices and incorporating fermented ingredients. It brought a fitting Korean connection to the anniversary, with its quality put to a straightforward test over the restaurant's charcoal grill.
The beef selection brought together Dry-Aged Rib-Eye, Wet-Aged Oyster Blade and Wet-Aged Intercostal on a long dark platter. The rib-eye's generous marbling and broad seam of fat contrasted with the smaller, thick portions of oyster blade and the loose strips of intercostal meat. A large mushroom and sliced onion completed the platter, while lettuce, perilla leaves and vegetable batons waited nearby for wrapping.
L'Grow Wagyu and Australian Black Angus were the highlights of the barbecue. Grilled until the surfaces took on colour, the thick cuts remained wonderfully juicy, carrying the unmistakable aroma of charcoal. The pleasure lay in that combination of rich beef, rendered fat and careful cooking, with the substantial cuts giving each mouthful a satisfying presence.
Wrapping the warm meat in fresh perilla leaves or lettuce was half the fun. Their fragrance paired well with the beef, adding freshness without overwhelming its richness. Lettuce offered another way to assemble a mouthful, while the vegetables and small dishes surrounding the grill kept the table varied. Each round of beef offered a chance to try a different combination.
Banjoo's six-flavour Jang Tasting Set made those combinations even more engaging. The homemade sauces and pastes were served in small portions, ready to be paired with the meat as it came off the grill. Switching jang gave the next bite a different emphasis, encouraging a little experimentation throughout the meal. With beef this enjoyable, the temptation was to keep testing another pairing.
The jang are Banjoo's own, fermented in traditional earthenware jars from Pak Kret. That local connection adds another layer to the restaurant's Korean table, though their most immediate contribution was the variety they brought to the beef. Alongside the perilla leaves, they made the accompaniments an essential part of the barbecue.
Gochujang Yukhoe offered a different way to enjoy beef, pairing the raw meat with gochujang and a central egg yolk, finished with spring onion and black and white sesame seeds. Golden triangular crisps surrounded it, ready to scoop up the mixture once the yolk had been worked through. The arrangement brought together soft beef, rich yolk, and a crisp accompaniment in a dish that deserved a pause away from the grill.
Yangnyeom Gejang was equally arresting. The spicy marinated raw crab arrived piled over perilla leaves, coated in a glossy red seasoning and scattered with sesame seeds, sliced chilli and spring onion. Its vivid appearance and generous coating gave it a character entirely different from the grilled beef. This was a dish to spend time with, working through the crab pieces between other bites.
Hot Stone Bibimbap brought another moment of tableside preparation. Beef, carrot, courgette, mushrooms, leafy greens, and bean sprouts were arranged around a sous-vide egg, topped with sesame seeds and spring onion. Mixed at the table with homemade gochujang, the separate sections came together as a colourful rice dish. The process added to the meal's conviviality, briefly drawing attention from the charcoal to the hot bowl.
Kwangjang Fresh-Market Style Kalguksu arrived in a broad metal pot, with clam shells and sliced vegetables beneath a generous topping of dark seaweed. The noodles were served in a seafood stock made with fresh clams, fresh crab, and dried Korean fish. Its pale broth and abundance of shellfish added another dimension, with a substantial pot to share alongside the meat and rice.
Kimchi Jjigae brought together aged sour kimchi, pork belly and house stock, with pieces of tofu and onion in the vivid red broth. Finished with sliced red chilli and spring onion, the stew arrived in a black earthenware bowl. Its traditionally sour character offered another dimension alongside the richness of the grilled beef.
Cold makgeolli and kombucha provided welcome refreshment between the richer bites. Banjoo Korean BBQ Bangkok's anniversary was most enjoyable in these movements around the table: beef lifted from the charcoal, a perilla leaf or lettuce leaf folded around it, another jang tasted, then a return to crab, rice or noodles. With Chef Injin there to celebrate the milestone, the generous meal made eleven years feel like a very good reason to gather.
Banjoo Korean BBQ Bangkok
Tel: +666 5518 5166
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/banjoo.bkk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BanjooBBQ/
Location: 2nd Floor, Mille Malle, 66/4 Sukhumvit Soi 20, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110
Credits
Article: Wariya Intreyonk
Photos: Wariya Intreyonk
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