Dae Gee

If Dae Gee chef/owner Joseph Kim has his way, Denver diners will soon develop a nuanced appreciation for bulgogi, kimchi and gochugaru, the red-chile powder that stains everything from soups to side dishes at his four restaurants. "We're letting them know what Korean food is about," says Kim. "We're reaching the masses." The first place he reached them was in Westminster: In 2010, he bought an existing restaurant where his mother-in-law worked and renamed it Dae Gee, which means "pig" in Korean. Since then, he's opened three other outposts across the metro area; all have a modern vibe that contrasts with the very traditional food. The cooks "are doing it exactly the way they would in Korea," adds Kim. "They're not really gearing it to Americans." So a short-rib stew, listed on the menu as galbee tang, comes loaded with noodles, bean sprouts and plenty of beef (some of it still attached to big bones that most chefs would strain out), not to mention red-chile powder and jalapeño; the bee beem bhop arrives in a stone pot hot enough to transform the bottom layer of rice into crisp, chewy bits to mix with the marinated beef and salad-like goodies on top. Entrees come with unlimited banchan, a variety of side dishes. But even with all this food, you won't want to miss the kimchi pancake appetizer.