Korean Restaurant Iru Is Now Open in Brookline Village | Eater Boston

"A new Korean dinner spot in Brookline Village from prolific restaurateur Hajime Yamazaki, who draws directly on his mother’s recipes and decades of family practice to present homestyle dishes with historical roots. The centerpiece is a samgyetang—a ginseng chicken soup traditionally served individually—that here uses the mother’s method and ingredients (young chicken or quail, rice, garlic, jujube, ginseng) but is presented as a hearty, shared prix-fixe for the table, with glutinous rice tucked into a well-seasoned broth (prix fixe starting around $60 per person). Unlike many Korean restaurants, the extensive banchan selection (Napa cabbage kimchi, radish kimchi, bean sprout namul, etc.) is not complimentary and can be ordered a la carte or as part of the set; the menu also includes classics like beef bulgogi, japchae, and seafood pancakes. The intimate, roughly 22-seat dining room is spare and focused—clean wooden tables, rice-paper lights, pale walls with a few framed images—and reservations fill quickly (books nearly full through the end of May, with limited walk-in seating nightly); the restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner. Yamazaki chose Boston for his first U.S. opening partly because of personal connections and climate, and emphasizes that he wants guests to experience the historical value and stories behind each dish rather than judging food solely by price." - Tanya Edwards