A new Korean barbecue restaurant has quietly opened its doors along Lakewood's South Tacoma Way, replacing a longtime neighborhood staple with a modernized spin on tabletop grilling. Mukja Korean Barbeque now occupies 9104 South Tacoma Way, the space long known as New Gangnam BBQ, and is serving all-you-can-eat packages that include Wagyu cuts alongside Resy-booked reservations and a curated cocktail menu.
The location marks Mukja's second outpost, following its debut in Puyallup in 2025, according to The News Tribune, which billed the Puyallup restaurant as the city's first Korean barbecue destination. The original sits at 214 39th Ave SW, across from South Hill Mall. Its menu includes lunch offerings. Tim Bartz told the News Tribune the Puyallup concept was “going really well,” and that the family wanted another strong business in the area.
New Gangnam BBQ, a table-side Korean barbecue restaurant that had operated in the same shopping complex as Boo Han Market, closed just weeks before the News Tribune's report. The News Tribune notes the Bartz family updated the former space with new flooring, fresh paint, and a modernized menu. The shopping center itself was established around Boo Han Market, whose founder settled in Lakewood in 1973 and later started a grocery store on South Tacoma Way, according to the market's own account on the Boo Han Market website.
A Family Building a Multi-City Restaurant Footprint
Mukja is the latest addition to a growing portfolio run by Myong and Tim Bartz. The family has owned THEKOI Sushi & Sake in downtown Tacoma since 2018 and added a Bellevue outpost in 2024, running two sushi restaurants in the Seattle area as well, per the same News Tribune account. THEKOI has repeatedly won “Best Sushi & Japanese” honors in South Sound reader polls and features a private dining room for up to 24 guests, according to the restaurant's own site.
Earlier in 2026, the Bartz family also took over Kyoto Japanese Restaurant in Lakewood, renovating its sushi bar and private tatami rooms. Kyoto operates at 8722 S Tacoma Way, just a short stretch from the new Mukja location. The family previously ran Chosun Korean BBQ in Federal Way for about five years before selling it a few months ago, the report states. Tim Bartz said the family does not view other Korean barbecue and Korean cuisine restaurants as competition, and that its aim is to offer higher-quality products.
Wagyu Cuts and a Modern Menu Along a Historic Corridor
Mukja's Lakewood location offers all-you-can-eat packages that include some Wagyu cuts, with pork combo platters starting around $80 for two to three people and an entry-level beef combo priced at $90. Single cuts run from about $28 to $55, and the menu also includes bibimbap, kimchi stew, budae jjigae, seafood pancakes, and fried chicken. Lunch specials priced at $20 include bento boxes, bibimbap, soups, and grilled fish, according to the News Tribune's reporting.
The restaurant makes its banchan in house and equips most tables with a grill and hood for tableside cooking. Beyond Korean beer, soju, and sake, Mukja plans to offer cocktails including a lychee martini and a soju mojito. Two private rooms are available for large groups and parties, and the restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 9104 South Tacoma Way, with reservations accepted through Resy.
A grand-opening celebration is planned beginning October 1, featuring smart TVs, AYCE dinner coupons, gift cards, and goodie bags. Those looking to reach the restaurant directly can call 253-581-1200.
Part of a Deeper Korean Business Corridor
Mukja's arrival lands on a stretch of South Tacoma Way that the International Examiner reported had been designated an International Business District. The publication attributed some of the area's diversity to McChord Air Force Base and Fort Lewis. Its 2009 article cited 2008 Census figures putting Lakewood's Asian and Pacific Islander population at roughly 11 percent, compared with 6.7 percent statewide, according to the International Examiner.
Hoodline's earlier coverage reported that the former South Hill Mall Toys ‘R’ Us in Puyallup was redeveloped into the 31,000-square-foot South Hill Asian Center, featuring a grocery market and a food court with multiple Asian food stalls, including Korean dining options.
