With an interactive, grill-at-your-table experience surrounded by stacks of sweet and savory plates, Korean barbecue has exploded in popularity across the United States in recent years.
In Central Jersey, there’s no better place to get it than Edison, which has several Korean barbecue restaurants, as well as other Asian restaurants and grocery stores.
Apparently, that word has spread, as one of the biggest Asian casual dining chains in the country just opened its first New Jersey location in the township.
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GEN Korean BBQ, a Korean barbecue chain with 40 locations across the country, recently opened at 1763 State Route 27 in Festival Plaza, the former home of Picnic Garden.
Founded in 2011 by two Korean immigrants in Los Angeles, GEN Korean BBQ serves authentic Korean and Korean-American fusion food including meats, poultry, seafood and vegetables.
Customers can choose from a long list of fare including beef belly with Korean spicy sauce, pork cheek, honey chicken marinated in a sweet and savory sauce, and calamari steak with green tea salt to be cooked on grills at the center of their tables.
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GEN Korean BBQ’s chic, lounge-like ambiance gives the cuisine a modern kick with exposed ceilings, color-changing orb lighting, plush black and white seating, and neon-lit walls.
The new Edison eatery is open 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to Sunday.
Go: 1763 State Route 27, Edison; genkoreanbbq.com.
Jenna Intersimone.
Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, although she’s a lifetime Jersey girl who considers herself an expert in everything from the Jersey Shore to the Garden State’s buzzing downtowns. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: GEN Korean BBQ opens first NJ restaurant in Edison
