Baekjeong, One LA’s Best Korean BBQ Restaurants, Opens at San Jose’s Westfield Valley Fair | Eater SF

"I learned that Baekjeong, one of the world’s finest Korean barbecue chains, opened its first Bay Area outpost at Westfield Valley Fair on August 16, occupying about 9,000 square feet over two levels with seating for more than 200. The restaurant aims to recreate a boisterous night‑market atmosphere—staff cook high‑quality, house‑marinated galbi and bulgogi at the table—and the menu carries combos for groups plus appetizers like japchae and fried dumplings, a selection of noodles and stews, and various bowls and rice dishes. For San Jose the team has gone more ambitious, adding premium ingredients such as caviar, uni, and truffles and debuting its first full bar in a U.S. outpost with Korean‑inspired drinks like a dongchimi martini and bar‑only small plates including a burger topped with kimchi‑bacon jam, bulgogi grilled cheese on milk bread, a galbi Scotch egg with caviar, and a bone‑in slow‑roasted short rib. The space, designed by Sang Kim of Sun Creative, nods to Korean roots with mother‑of‑pearl accents, antique woodwork, and folk paintings, and the restaurant balances Resy reservations with roughly half of its 58 tables held for mall walk‑ins; it serves lunch and dinner with weekday hours starting at 11:30 a.m. and extended weekend hours." - Lauren Saria