Sura Korean BBQ unveils table-side grills, a first for Long Beach, the restaurant says

The sizzle of the grill, the scurry to flip the meat and that first off-the-grill bite is all part of a quintessential Korean barbecue experience — one that can finally be enjoyed in Long Beach at Sura Korean BBQ & Tofu House.

Over the weekend, Sura, which has been a staple in Downtown Long Beach for the last 10 years, unveiled new tabletop grills on its patio, which will allow guests to cook their own meat and vegan items table-side. It’s a first for Long Beach, owners Brandon Sugano and Claire Kim said.

Since 2014, the owners say customers have repeatedly asked whether the beloved tofu house would ever offer K-BBQ or if it would ever debut in Long Beach at all.

“It’s something we’ve been really thinking about the last 10 months,” Kim said. “We want customers to be able to share food with each other.”

Until recently, the cost of adding the necessary hoods over each table and the complexity of the remodel it would take to get the grills running has kept Kim and Sugano from moving forward on the idea.

“The concept is not something that’s been done for decades and decades,” Sugano said. “K-BBQ popped up in the late 80s, but the demand for these restaurants is really high now, especially with the rise of K-pop.”

Tabletop grills are only available on the patio tables, but in addition to the heat of the grill, the restaurant has heaters out for especially chilly nights. Seatings will be limited to one and a half hours and the menu will not be all you can eat like some K-BBQ restaurants.

“We want customers to have a really good experience and we want the focus to be on the quality of meat,” Kim said.

A small combo that feeds two costs $72 and includes angus brisket, premium pork belly, premium pork jowl and angus center cut galbi (short ribs). A large costs $122 and feeds four. Dishes included in the combo include corn cheese, steamed egg, crispy pork dumplings, beef tofu soup, banchan sides and a salad.

At most K-BBQ spots, vegans and vegetarians are limited to grilling unseasoned veggies. But at Sura, vegan bulgogi made with seitan and vegan “shrimp” are available to grill. The restaurant is considering launching an entirely vegan set as part of the experience.

“Roughly 25% of our customers are vegetarian or vegan,” Sugano said.

Grilling aside, the restaurant has an extensive vegan menu, curated by executive chef JP Kim, which includes vegan dumplings, ramen, tofu soup, fried rice and more.

Sura Korean BBQ & Tofu House is at 621 Atlantic Avenue.