The sounds of indistinct chatter and laughter fills the halls of the restaurant, as the smell of barbecue sauce drifts through the air. As we walked through the restaurant, tongs clashed and beef sizzled. At each table in the Korean barbecue restaurant Superhot located in Mountain View, a grill separates diners, but their interpersonal connection remains closer than ever.
The act of cooking one’s food with family and friends is deeply woven into the fabric of Korean dining culture, allowing for social endeavors centered around food. Korean Barbecue, or “gogi-gui,” has roots spanning back centuries, evolving from various grilling customs. Historically, these communal meals strengthen social bonds between people, a trait that continues at Superhot.
Starting at $36.95, patrons begin by choosing from a variety of soup bases for their hotpot. From here, diners have 90 minutes to eat and are presented with a menu of a vast variety of meat choices. Diners choose from plates of uncooked marinated beef, chicken, pork, and fish, which they cook themselves in the center of the table. Alongside this uncooked food, the restaurant offers many options of cooked dimsum and desserts.
To learn more about the cultural significance of Korean barbecue, we interviewed Palo Alto High School senior Christopher Choi.
“In Korean culture, we generally consider Korean barbecue as food for celebration or coming together on special occasions,” Choi said. “It’s not something that we have as an everyday meal, because eating a large amount of meat in a single sitting gets expensive very quickly.”
Choi remembers those meals less for the occasion and more for the feeling of cooking side by side with his family.
“Despite the cost, though, I have good memories of special occasions throughout my life where I’ve spent an hour or two grilling at the table with my family, and I think that the communal aspect makes it worth it,” Choi said. “I think that a key way that Koreans bond is through food, and cooking at the table is just about the purest way that you can do that.”
