HONEY PIG (IRVINE, CA)

Honey Pig
Cypress Village Shopping Center
14171 Jeffrey Rd.
Irvine, CA 92620
www.honeypig.com
Tel: 949.651.9005
$$ ($15-$30)
Sun, 03/15/2015, 5:30pm walk-in
    (3.5 Piglets)

Honey Pig: the name says it all. They are two of my favorite words put into the branding of a restaurant that would entice any piglet like myself to try their food. The best part?  It is Korean BBQ! 

For those who reside in Orange County, you no longer have to trek to K-town to try this delicious eatery. The restaurant is fairly large with a number of grills strategically placed in the middle of the table. The wait time was virtually non-existent(probably because we ate at an early time). Waiters cater to your needs and cook the necessary condiments and meats for you.  

The grill

The menu includes all the delicious meats you expect at a Korean BBQ restaurant. One of their items is their signature meat: the Kurobuta Black Pork Belly. Kurobuta Pork is the most highly prized pork that delivers flavor and tenderness absent from most other pork meats. It is the same pork that is served at Daikokuya Ramen. 

Kimchi and banchan cooked on the grill prior to the meats

Salad and rice paper to go along with your Korean BBQ

Honey Pig is unique in the the process of how the meat and side dishes are cooked on the grill. With the meat placed tactfully on the top of the grill, the fat from the meat naturally drips to the rim, coating and flavoring every piece of banchan. Its banchan is now succulent, glistening with flavor from the fat of the meat. At this point, I would take pieces of kimchi and dip it into the rim of fat to guarantee flavor (I know, I'm a piglet)! 

Certified Angus Rib Eye Steak ($28.99): The meat was juicy, moist, and full of flavor. The marbled fat on the meat was perfect and necessary to flavor the kimchi

Cooked Angus Rib Eye Steak

Berkshire/Kurobuta Black Pork Belly ($21.99): Thick and rich cuts of Kurobuta pork belly that delivers flavor in unimaginable ways. The fat creates a moist and juicy bite. This is a must order. 

Cooked Kurobuta Black Pork Belly

Kimchi Fried Rice is offered at the end of the meal. This is the real treat: full of flavor and satisfies your everyday cravings for fried rice. If you're not a fan of kimchi, this probably would not suit your palate. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Honey Pig. The meat was of good quality. I appreciated the grill and the layer of fat that flavored the banchan and kimchi. My only complaint was that the restaurant did not have good air circulation, so it was quite hot inside with all the grills working their magic. Service can be a bit blotchy at times as well. Word of advice: come with an appetite. 


Notable dishes: Kurobuta Black Pork Belly