21 April 27th–MAy 3rd, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | cONTeNTs | feeDBacK | OPiNiON | NeWs | feaTuRe | NighT+Day | culTuRe | film | cafe | music | Those who are up for some raw beef, however, will find an excellent rendition of yukhoe — Korean beef tartare. Sliced into thick matchsticks and served icy cold, it’s dressed with honey, sesame oil, and egg yolk and accompanied by crisp batons of Korean pear. Here’s a dish that might win over some neophytes, and it’s the one I’ll come back for when it’s 115 degrees outside. Best Supporting Role We all know why you came, but please, do yourself a favor and give the rest of the menu a gander, too. The supporting dishes are some of Smoking Tiger’s best, starting with a dynamite seafood pancake. One of my favorites in town, this is an extra robust and crispy variety, strewn with griddled green onions and loaded with sweet shrimp and tender squid. I wish I could say the same of the spicy squid stir-fry, which spent too much time in the wok and might as well have been vulcanized. But the toppoki — Dukboki? Tteokbokki? — is a great pick, however you Anglicize it — slippery and supple cylin- drical rice cakes swimming in a deep red sauce of fermented chile paste. Corn cheese, speaking broadly, holds the dubious distinction of somehow working magic with canned corn, and this one’s an unusually good specimen, served bubbling hot on a cast iron plate smothered with mayonnaise, mozzarella, and plenty of sweet onion. And the bibimbap — a chaotic tossed mix of rice, meat, and vegetables — is pretty much my platonic ideal of the form. I let it rest for nearly 10 minutes, hoping the rice would develop a golden, crunchy crust. Indeed it did, and when I finally added the sauce to mix it up, the granite platter was still sizzling hot, lending a nice, smoky char to the vegetable-heavy mix. My favorite dish, sadly, has already disappeared from the menu. Back in December, every combo order came with a tureen of “spicy soup” — a fiery, velvety, achingly deep gochujang jjigae brimming with morsels of pork and zucchini, its thickened texture courtesy of liquefied potatoes. It was complex and aggressive and soothing at the same time, the kind of soup that could instantly restore you after a three-hour trudge through subzero weather. Or, to translate that into Phoenix speak, a quick walk across the parking lot on a rainy day. It pains me to report that Kim pulled it in favor of a standard-issue kimchi soup shortly after launch. Why? Customers complained that the “spicy soup” was too spicy. In fairness, when Phoenix isn’t breaking my heart, it’s slowly unfurling its proverbial wings, and fire-licked meat sometimes seems as good an entry point as any. The fact that there’s room for upscale Korean barbecue like Smoking Tiger says a lot about how far things have come, and while I can’t recommend it without reservations, I feel comfortable saying that it’s one of the few KBBQ joints in town that is worth your attention. Put another way, I maintain that Phoenix needs to get over its laser-focused meat lust. There are too many Korean BBQ restaurants in the Valley, but I’m glad Smoking Tiger is one of them. Smoking Tiger Korean BBQ 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday 1919 South Gilbert Road, Mesa 602-851-1877 www.smokingtigerbbq.com Appetizers $10-$18; Meats $25-$48; Meat Combos (2-4 diners) $65- $135; Other Mains $11-$19. Corn cheese might seem gimmicky, but this sizzling mix of canned corn, mayonnaise, mozzarella, and onions is awfully satisfying. Dominic Armato
