Mountain BBQ, a new restaurant in Koreatown Plaza, is continuing the 50-year tradition of Mountain and Mountain Noodles by serving authentic Korean BBQ grounded in clean, traditional flavors. The new restaurant retains the founding philosophy of its predecessor—no artificial ingredients, just carefully selected natural ingredients for honest, uncompromised Korean food.
Sam Lee, the owner who led the relaunch, is clear about the motivation behind the new venture. “This is not just a business. It’s about pride in Korean food,” he said. “If it contains artificial seasoning, I won’t eat it—and I won’t serve it.”
Lee’s conviction comes from years of experience in the food supply industry, where he witnessed firsthand the widespread use of artificial flavor enhancers. That exposure solidified his commitment to serving only what he personally trusts and eats.
Mountain’s signature dishes, now featured at Mountain BBQ, are all rooted in rich, traditional broths. Lee highlights the restaurant’s house-made base stock made from premium natural ingredients like katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). This versatile broth is used across many dishes, including customer favorites like Korean-style steamed eggs. “Others might just use anchovy seasoning or MSG with water. We don’t. We use real broth—it tastes completely different,” Lee explained.
A standout new offering is the Mapo-style jumulleok, a marinated grilled beef dish inspired by Lee’s childhood in the Mapo district of Seoul. “After school, the smell of jumulleok filled the streets. I always wanted to recreate that memory,” he said.
But recreating the dish wasn’t about shortcuts. “A lot of places just throw soy sauce on scraps and call it jumulleok. Real Mapo-style uses high-quality cuts seasoned only with salt and sesame oil,” said Lee. His version uses thicker cuts of beef, including galbisal (boneless short rib), prepared with minimal trimming to maximize flavor rather than margin.
Beyond food, Lee has emphasized the importance of service and comfort. The restaurant moved to a new location with ample parking, recognizing that convenience is part of hospitality. Wide spacing between tables and modern smoke ventilation systems also enhance the dining experience, keeping clothing free from lingering BBQ odors.
Lee said Mountain BBQ is not relying on promotional discounts or marketing gimmicks. “We believe the flavor speaks for itself. Our goal is to be the kind of place that real food lovers respect.”
While the strong reception has led to inquiries about franchising or opening additional locations, Lee is firm: “A lot of people want to license the name. But I always say no—because they can’t recreate this taste. This tradition and stubborn authenticity is what defines us, and we’re going to protect that.”
BY HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
