Halfway through a recent meal at Little B.B.Q. House on DeBarr, one of our dinner guests, an avid cook and a Korean cuisine gourmand by appetite and birthright alike, made a telling confession: "I will drive across town to eat here because it's like being in my grandmother's kitchen."

An hour earlier, I had my first introduction to the restaurant as a lone, loitering and increasingly hungry would-be diner, waiting for my very late dining party to arrive. A man behind the counter warmly asked if I'd like a cup of hot tea as I waited. I accepted, and the polite gesture set the tone for the family-like attention we were about to enjoy throughout our stay.

Husband and wife team Jung and Haesoo Kim opened Little B.B.Q. House about six years ago. They moved to Alaska in the 1980's from Korea, and with help from their daughters run the small operation entirely themselves -- seating guests, taking orders, cooking and serving the food, and cashing out the tabs.

The Kims make each meal to order, and from scratch. Even the kim (seaweed paper) is freshly made. Mrs. Kim pan-fries seaweed purchased at a local store with salt and sesame oil to make the paper, which is brought to the table with rice and banchan -- Korean side dishes, predominately a variety of pickled vegetables seasoned with hot chili pepper -- that accompany every meal.

Being homemade means the meals are free of additives like MSG, but there's another reason the Kims make the extra effort. "I'd rather do it like we do at home than cut corners," Mrs. Kim said. "Customers are like family, and they should be treated the exact same way."

If you decide to give their restaurant a try, and you should, you'll have the opportunity to be treated to a variety of fantastic foods. And if you have enough people along, my advice is to order family-style so you

can share.

Our meal began with bohreecha (barley tea) and yaki mandu (pan-fried dumplings stuffed with minced meat, $11.99). Then, came our feast in celebration of a friend's birthday: galbi (barbeque beef short ribs, $11.99), dweji bulgogi (spicy barbeque pork, $10.99), dahk bulgogi (barbequed boneless chicken, $10.99), dohlsoat bibimbap (rice mixed with meat, vegetables, and seasonings in a hot stone pot, $14.99), and yukgaejang (spicy beef soup with various relishes and green onion, $11.99).

Everything came to the table direct from the stove or grill, still sizzling and steamy hot. The meat in the barbeque dishes was tender, and seasoned with a gently sweet sugar and soy sauce glaze, and garlic and chili pepper added depth to many of the dishes.

Asked which dishes they liked best, the group came to a unanimous refrain as we pointed individually to near-empty plates (we had leftovers thanks to the generous portions): "I love this, and I love this, and I love this."

Contact Jill Burke at jill@alaskadispatch.com