girin seattle
Courtesy of Girim Steakhouse & Ssam Bar
Courtesy of Girim Steakhouse & Ssam Bar

Girin Steakhouse & Ssam Bar

Seattle

PERMANENTLY CLOSED

Helmed by whole-butchery-trained chef Brandon Kirksey, this Seattle-based Korean steakhouse takes meat very seriously. The trendy Pioneer Square eatery features a street-facing glass-encased meat locker with fleshy pink flanks hanging in rows from the ceiling, a wood-framed open kitchen, and delicate floor cushions for cross-legged dining (while there's traditional seating, as well). The majority of the menu items are modern derivatives of traditional Korean dishes, like the popular Girin rendition of yukwhe (Korean beef tartare), prepared with thinly sliced NY strip loin, cured in Asian pear-infused sesame oil, and topped with a quail egg. The drink roster is an equally impressive amalgam of niche Korean spirits, offering various iterations of makgeolli (a small-batch Korean liquor made from rice and wheat), soju, and sake, along with house cocktails crafted with things like ginseng and Korean chili.

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