The first time we ate heart was at a Korean-style Yakiniku joint in a Japanese coastal town called Akashi. It was delicious and surprisingly crispy like a leathery chew with bacon edges. It was a great experience and it sounds like we may be able to repeat it right here in the Valley.

Food Critic Michele Laudig on Ewha Korean Restaurant:

You need to order a minimum of two grill items to do the cook-it-yourself tabletop barbecue, or else the kitchen will prepare it for you. Just for sheer entertainment, it's worth it to go for the tabletop, but it's also fun to cook things the way you like them -- sear your beef and keep it medium rare, or let the fatty pieces cook down and get crispy.

Plates heaped with crisp, frilly lettuce and tiny dishes of miso paste accompany the barbecue -- tear off a cool green piece, dab it with miso, and wrap up a chunk of hot meat before you pop it into your mouth. Somehow the fresh vegetable component makes it so much easier to eat an obscene amount...full story

• Chow Bella