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WHILE NOT ESSENTIAL for making great Korean barbecue, the tabletop grill is a fun, innovative, and ultimately practical manner of cooking marinated cuts of meat and vegetables to order. Each diner can modify the cooking time according to his or her tastes, and the act of participating is quite enjoyable—not to mention the wonderful aromas that waft through the dining room. This method of cooking is so popular in Korea that many restaurant dining tables have grills built into the table itself. In the United States, it has become increasingly easy to find Korean restaurants who offer this kind of cooking via a portable tabletop grill, and a home cook interested in diving into the glories of Korean grilling would make great use of such a specialty tool. Bulgogi and galbi are two popular dishes that are often prepared this way (see Chapter 4 for recipes).
