Eat Up Havana: Dae Gee Is a Dynasty In The Making

Over a decade ago, former Westword food editor Mark Antonation began his food-writing career by eating his way up Federal Boulevard. Now, we’re turning our attention to another vibrant culinary corridor.

The four-plus-mile stretch of Havana Street between Dartmouth and Sixth Avenue in Aurora is home to the most diverse array of international cuisine available in the metro area. From restaurants and markets to take-and-go shops and stands, food lovers of nearly any ethnicity or interest can find a place that will remind them of home or open new culinary doors. In Eat Up Havana, Antony Bruno will visit them all, one by one, week by week.

Previous stops:

• Old Town Hot Pot
• Leezakaya
• Chutney Indian Cuisine
• El Tequileno
• Milkroll
• Shin Myung Gwan Korean BBQ
• Watan Restaurant & Bakery
• Las Fajitas
• Mr. Tang
• Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings
• Yemen Grill
• Tofu House
• Sushi Katsu
• Coco Loco
• Ali Restaurant & Bakery
• Thank Sool Pocha
• Taqueria Corona
• Hanyang Wang Jokbal
• Coffee Story
• Tofu Story
• Havana Street Night Markets
• Seoul BBQ & Hot Pot (the Hot Pot)
• Seoul BBQ & Hot Pot (the BBQ)
• Pho 75
• Yong Gung
• Chopsticks A GoGo
• Angry Chicken
• L Cafe & Food Court
• Gangnam GT Lounge & Karaoke
• Katsu Ramen

Next up: Dae Gee

Dae Gee founder Joseph Kim originally wanted to name his restaurant after a Korean dynasty. Instead, he created one. 

The origins of the Dae Gee dynasty begin in Westminster, when in 2010, Kim acquired the Korean Garden BBQ restaurant where his mother-in-law worked. He first aimed to call it Kaya, after a first-century Korean dynastic era, but quickly thought better of it. 

“Not too many Americans know Korean dynasties,” he says. “Most people don’t know, nor do they care. They just want to have good food and just have a good time. So we were like, ‘We gotta Americanize our name,’ and just ran with it.”

So he pivoted and instead chose the name Dae Gee, which means “pig” in Korean. It’s an interesting choice, given that most of the meat served at Korean BBQ is beef. But the pig in this case doesn’t refer to the meat — it refers to the diner. 

“Our slogan is actually Pig Out,” Kim says, pointing to the all-you-can-eat option on the menu. At the bottom of each receipt, it says, “Thank you for pigging out with us!”

Today, Dae Gee has become a dynasty of its own. From that one restaurant in Westminster, Kim has since expanded to six other locations in Colorado — the fourth of which opened on Aurora’s South Havana Street in 2017 — and has added additional franchisees out of state, with more on the way.  

And just like the name was designed to appeal to American diners, so do the locations and the menu each offers. Kim has been very intentional about walking a fine line between offering traditional Korean fare, packaged in a way that he feels is more welcoming to non-Koreans. 

“We’re definitely geared towards the American population,” he says. “Our food is still authentic. But when you come into our restaurant, the feel and vibe are different. It looks more inviting.”

Let’s be clear… Dae Gee isn’t serving Americanized dishes with Korean names. This is the real deal. 

The most popular choice (70 percent of all orders franchise-wide, according to Kim) is the all-you-can-eat option. For $38 at dinner, or $30 for lunch, you’ll get portions of sogogi bulgogi (beef ribeye), sam gyeob sal (pork belly), daegee bulgogi (spice and non-spicy pork shoulder), galbee (short ribs), dak bulgogi (marinated chicken, both spicy and non), and chadool (brisket). This also comes with fried chicken dumplings, rice, steamed egg, and the usual array of banchan side dishes

“It’s like a sampler,” says Kim. “You get all the meats we have, you have all the side dishes, and you get the dumplings. So it’s more of a variety bag that literally covers like 60 percent of our menu. That’s just the best way to go.”

But there’s no shame in ordering à la carte, cooked-for-you dishes like bee beem bhop, bulgogi, or even a grilled salted mackerel if that’s the way you want to go. 

His mother-in-law informs the menu. In addition to working in the original location before Kim acquired it, she also owned a Korean restaurant in Hawaii. In fact, to this day, she remains in charge of the kimchi production for the entire Dae Gee operation, a fact Kim is particularly proud of. 

“She does the kimchi every week,” he says. “It’s a two-to-three-week process, so you have to be doing that on a regular basis to produce it. It’s pretty taxing as far as time and how much effort is involved. A lot of Korean restaurants, because of the labor and the time that it takes, just purchase kimchi from Korean markets. I think that’s the biggest component for us.”

The chain also sells its own line of sauces, available in mild, regular and spicy, thanks to a suggestion from Guy Fieri after he featured Dae Gee on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives back in 2015.

All told, Dae Gee is a highly accessible entry point to Korean food for anyone looking to get started, or just a comforting quick fix for veterans of the cuisine. And as much as Kim would love to see repeat regulars consistently choosing Dae Gee as their go-to Korean barbecue option, he’s also happy to serve as a gateway to encourage non-Koreans to try more adventurous Korean foods as well. 

“There’s a little bit of Korean pride in me as well,” he says. “It’s not just a restaurant. We’re teaching a culture. We’re teaching American culture what Korean barbecue is about. … So I think it’s more of an education piece, and it’s kind of awesome to be in that wave right now. It’s been pretty cool.”

Dae Gee is located at 1910 South Havana Street in Aurora and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit daegee.com.