If you’ve ever had Korean BBQ in Australia, you already know the basics: raw meat, a grill in the middle of the table, and way too much food. But not all KBBQ is the same. The heat source matters. The cut matters. And honestly, the whole experience lives or dies on those two things.
What Makes Live Charcoal Different
Most Korean BBQ restaurants use gas grills. They’re easier to manage, cheaper to run, and consistent. But consistent isn’t the same as good.
Live charcoal — specifically binchotan or hardwood charcoal — burns hotter and more evenly than gas. That high, steady heat is what gives meat its char without overcooking the inside. You get that slightly smoky, slightly caramelised crust that gas just can’t replicate. The outside sears fast. The inside stays juicy. That contrast is what makes a good piece of KBBQ actually memorable.
There’s also a flavour dimension that comes from the charcoal itself. Hardwood charcoal adds a faint smokiness — nothing heavy, nothing like a Western-style BBQ — just a background note that lifts the natural taste of the meat.
Why Wagyu Works So Well Here
Wagyu is all about fat. The intramuscular marbling is what gives it that soft, almost buttery texture when cooked properly. The problem is that fat renders fast, and if your heat is inconsistent or too low, you end up with greasy, chewy meat instead of something special.
Over live charcoal, Wagyu renders exactly the way it should. The fat melts quickly into the meat as it cooks, basting itself from the inside. You don’t need heavy marinades or sauces — in fact, they’d get in the way. That’s why at good Korean BBQ restaurants, premium cuts like Wagyu short rib or Wagyu scotch fillet are served with nothing more than sea salt and maybe some sesame oil.
It’s a very different approach to the marinated cuts (like LA beef ribs or pork belly) that most people associate with KBBQ. Both have their place on the menu — but Wagyu over charcoal is the version that shows what the cooking style is actually capable of.
The Korean Tradition Behind It
This style of cooking has deep roots in Korea. Charcoal grilling (참숯구이, chamsusguwi) has been the traditional method for centuries, and it’s what most Korean BBQ restaurants in Korea still use for premium cuts. The shift to gas was largely a practical one — urban restaurants, ventilation costs, speed of service.
Bringing live charcoal back into a restaurant setting isn’t just a gimmick. It’s a return to the method that the cuisine was actually built around. When you’re paying for quality meat, it makes sense to cook it the way it was meant to be cooked.
What This Looks Like in Practice
At 789 Korean BBQ, this is the whole premise. They were the first Korean BBQ restaurant in Australia to introduce Wagyu over live charcoal — hand-selected Australian Wagyu, served simply with sea salt so nothing masks the meat.
Their menu spans both ends of the KBBQ spectrum: premium Wagyu cuts for the charcoal experience, alongside traditional marinated options like LA beef ribs, pork belly, and classic Korean sides. It’s not one or the other — it’s both, done properly.
If you’ve only had gas-grill KBBQ before, it’s worth trying the real thing at least once. Order the Wagyu. Get the sea salt. Let it cook on the charcoal and don’t rush it. The difference is immediately obvious.
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