Jian BBQ

The main dining room of Jian BBQ.  (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

The appetizers at Jian are more exotic than those found at your average K-town barbecue joint. A colorful offering is dol sot bi bim bap, which features a sunny-side-up egg over fresh veggies and rice. Break the yolk and you’ve got the perfect sauce.  (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

A tangy sauce is spooned over the jjookumi bokum appetizer, which features succulent baby octopus, noodles, crisp carrots, onion and zucchini.  (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

The best way to enjoy yourself at Jian is to order a wide variety of meat for the grill. From left to right at bottom: Kobe beef, tuna belly and boneless beef short ribs. Sides include radish and cucumber kimchi, anchovies and broccoli.  (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

Boneless short ribs, baby carrots, asparagus and thick slices of onions cook on a smokeless tabletop grill. Unlike the grills at many Korean barbecues, the grills at Jian suck smoke down and away from the tables so you don’t smell like barbecue when you leave.  (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

A particularly festive-looking appetizer includes sautéed kal bi kimchi with crispy du bu topped with taro root.  (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

A small bite of grilled Chilean sea bass is served on a colorful pile of crisp vegetables.  (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

The bar at Jian BBQ has a fun, relaxed vibe, with the screens of Japanese pinball machines (called pachinko) used as decoration.  (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

Giant Iron Man 28 robot statues stand guard over the dining room at Jian BBQ.  (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)