Restaurant Review – Mun’s the word at Corner Pub
Gal Bi, served with vegetables and a sphere of rice. Photo
Sometimes a business opens and I wonder what the owner could possibly be thinking. When I see two pizzerias a short distance from another and notice that a third place serving pizza is opening between them, I’m bemused. What does the new place think they have to offer that the existing places don’t? It is a puzzlement.
I had that same reaction on first hearing that a place called Corner Pub was opening next door to Naja’s. I like ‘Merrie Olde England’ as much as anybody, but it would be crazy for a place to focus on selling beer next door to the place with the largest selection in miles.
When I visited Corner Pub I found that they have no such business plan – they don’t serve the British or Irish menu that might be suggested by the name. The Corner Pub is the former Halibut Corners, which was Lou-E-Luey’s for several years before that, and the menu has some specialties from the previous restaurants along with sushi and Korean items. The ambiance has changed very little from the previous establishments, and your first impression is of a pleasant little waterside dive.
Your second impression of Corner Pub is of Mun, who is hostess, server, co-owner, and everything else but cook and dishwasher. She’s a small, bustling woman with a gift for hospitality – she greets returning customers effusively, describes the specials, and generally makes you feel like a welcome guest.
On my first visit I tried an item that was a holdover from the previous restaurant, salmon sautéed in lemon butter with white wine and shallots. It had been good at Halibut Corners and was still well made here, a bit of stylish French cooking in modest surroundings. I was impressed enough that I came back with my wife to sample some of the new items on the menu. We ordered a fish taco, tempura appetizer, fish and chips, and a rice bowl topped with Korean spicy chicken called Maeundak Gogi. Mun offered a selection of California microbrews or a few selections of wine by the glass or bottle. The beer selection was better than the wine (Green Flash and West Coast IPAs, among others), but we were in a wine mood. The Kinderwood merlot wasn’t a memorably good wine, but at twelve bucks for the bottle I wasn’t expecting one – it was good for the price.
The tempura was soft rather than crisp – something that often happens when you’re tempura-cooking seafood and moist vegetables, since the water inside steams them a bit. It was properly made and we waited to finish it before it got soggy, so we chowed it down before turning our attention to the fish taco. I am not usually a fish taco fan but liked this one – plenty of fish hot from the grill, the cabbage was slightly tart like a mild cole slaw, and the pico de gallo added interest. I might have liked it a bit spicier, but some hot sauce was available to amp up the heat.
The main courses arrived as we finished the starters – the Korean chicken and the fish in the same tempura batter as the starters along with fries and slaw. Though it was tasty and moist, the chicken was very mild and served without any of the kimchi or condiments that I expected. It was a simple stir-fry with broccoli, green and white onion, and carrot dusted with sesame seeds, a hearty meal. I enjoy traditional Korean food and found this quite tame, but my wife who is a self-proclaimed spice wimp found it delightful and well balanced.
The experience was pleasant and the bill modest, so I returned a few days later to try a sushi roll and another Korean specialty, the barbecued short ribs called Gal Bi. The list here is short, just six different rolls, and since I was in Redondo I ordered a Redondo Roll. It’s a simple thing – spicy tuna and avocado with rice inside, salmon on top – and this one was well-executed.
The Gal Bi was served in an ample portion – 20 ounces according to the menu, and even though some of that was bones, it was still a massive amount of meat for eighteen bucks. I prefer Gal Bi grilled over open flame rather than fried, but didn’t see any grill marks or taste the char here. The texture was right – a bit chewy, accented with the taste of the mild marinade that includes fruit, garlic, and sesame, and it was a good fast food version of the old favorite. Once again I wished for kimchi, but made do with the rice and mix of broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms.
Corner Pub has muted some of the traditional flavors of Korean food, but that’s probably the proper decision to make in this location. What they do, they do well and graciously, and I plan to stop by on a weekend when they make the Korean seafood pancakes that I can’t find elsewhere in the area. They’re a pub of an Asian kind, a cheerful local hangout for good inexpensive food, and I hope they make it in this hidden location.
Corner Pub is at 160 North International Boardwalk in Redondo Beach. Hours, daily from noon, closing at 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at 9 p.m. on Sunday. Parking in nearby lots, children welcome, beer and wine only. (310) 937-7044.