Korean BBQ is always a great choice for lunch and/0r dinner. BBQ itself is fun, but being able to do so at the table with your family and friends while you eat can be even more fun. One thing that Korean BBQ can offer that is different from others (I think) is the way they marinate the meat. Not all the meat comes marinated, but they have a great flavor on the ones they do.
There are not many Korean BBQ spot in TriBeCa, so I am sure this restaurant opening up was a great joy to those Korean BBQ lovers… The exterior of this restaurant is very chic and modern, suitable for its location.
The interior has exposed red brick throughout, and I always like red brick walls. They have table seating from the entrance door, a bit narrow, but it has more space in the back by the kitchen. I also liked the chandelier that had hanging from the ceiling, simple, modern design, keeping the interior design to be nice and clean.
We were there for an event which was held downstairs where they have a bar and karaoke rooms. The bar area is not that large, but I feel that it is more of a “waiting area” before going to get some karaoke time! The exposed red brick wall is present here at the bar as well, keeping the same feel/design from upstairs. The bartender was really nice, she made me Sex on the Beach cocktail, and also, her own creation of sweet, fruity drink. It was not water down either, it was a nice, strong drink!
We got to sample some of their food, and they were really great. They had kimchi, fried rice with wagyu beef, tofu, kale, and of course, BBQ meats. Everything was really delicious, the marinate was spicy and tasty, meat was tender and juicy… Really enjoyed every bite of everything! You can tell by our first place, really just “sampling” them (we were sharing a plate) to going back for a whole lot more! Well, they didn’t have BBQ meats at first, so that was also the reason why our second plate was so much more… I believe the kale had sesame dressing, it was delicious! The kimchi was really spicy, you know they don’t play around with spiciness. The rice had really great flavor, with that wagyu beef, it was awesome! The BBQ meat had some kalbi, bulgogi, and few other Korean BBQ meats, and they were all tender, juicy, and tasty.
They have several karaoke rooms in the back, which can also be used as game room or media room (football game party, anyone?). Each room was really large, enough to entertain around 20 people I think. They have Korean, American, and Japanese songs, so those Karaoke fans can now go to this place and have some Korean BBQ, drinks, and hit the microphone!
Their karaoke machine can be used with traditional karaoke books, and also touch screen device as well, so you don’t have to wait around to get the book while someone else is looking through the book. It seems like a fun place for food and/or karaoke, they unfortunately close at midnight, but maybe in the future, they can extend the hours… So, if you are in the mood for some Korean BBQ, or wanting to try your new song you have been practicing in your shower, head over to Gun Bae (which means “cheers” in Korean) and let the fun time begin!
Gunbae Tribeca – 67 Murray Street, New York, NY 10007