My affection for bulgogi subs (or as I like to call them, gogi hoagies) is well-documented. Really, anything you can think of to do with bulgogi is likely to hit my sweet spot. Put it in a burrito? Sold. Throw it on top of fries? Sure. Incorporate the marinade into a burger? Genius!
Each of these strokes of inspiration is available at Bebop Korean-Mexican Grill, located steps away from the 99 Ranch Market on Fairfax Boulevard. There are currently some empty spaces in the market’s food hall, including one left by Kusina by Eggkarne, so diners who want neither barbecued meats nor hand-pulled noodles may prefer to go elsewhere in the shopping center. Options include Uyghur restaurant Kiroran and Bebop. Both are appropriate choices for Meaty Monday, but if you’re craving a burger, the latter is your destination.
Yes, a bulgogi burger. And there isn’t just one version. It starts with a gogi single, but diners are invited to add cheese, extra patties, or choose to go spicy with their sandwich. I, of course, did all of those things. At least I tried. Though I ordered my burger with cheese, it arrived without. No matter–two patties of beef, piled with shredded lettuce and onion on a griddled bun spread with mayo, provided me with more than sufficient calories.
But more importantly, the duo of patties is akin to hot, greasy meat candy. When I say “hot,” I refer both to temperature and spice level. The red-tinged burger, which approximates the flavor of spicy pork dwaeji bulgogi, but with juicy beef, is spicier than I expected. I paired it with a cup of sliced cucumbers, which, to my surprise, were not pickled. But they were just an infusion of fiber and water. The reason to visit Bebop is for bulgogi in all its forms–including a burger that stands apart in a crowded field.
10730 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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