A guide to Koreatown in Garden Grove: Mo Ran Gak

Mo Ran Gak is nominally a barbecue restaurant, but the thin, blushing slivers of thoroughly marbled brisket and buttery slabs of short rib are just a precursor for the true showstopper: bowls of the finest naengmyeon available anywhere.

Beef brisket ready to be cooked on the grill at Mo Ran Gak in Garden Grove’s Koreatown. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Nov. 26, 2019 4:11 PM PT

Mo Ran Gak, a Korean barbecue restaurant in Garden Grove’s Koreatown. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

In the foreground, bowls of bibim naengmyeon, left, and mul-naengmyeon, a North Korean-style cold noodle dish. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Cooked beef brisket at Mo Ran Gak. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Samgyupsal, or pork belly, cooks on the grill. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Customers dine at Mo Ran Gak in Garden Grove’s Koreatown. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)