Ride the next wave of Korean fusion food

A few years ago, the Korean taco—a stupendous combination of garlicky charred beef and chili-soy shredded cabbage folded up in a corn tortilla—broke open what was possible for Korean-American food. Now, at their two Seattle restaurants, Joule and Revel, Rachel Yang and her husband, Sief Churchi, are pushing the boundaries in their own way. Both are alums of Alain Ducasse in New York, and at Joule the menu blends French technique with scintillating Korean flavors. Surprises are everywhere—ribeye with kimchi butter, lamb with sesame-leaf emulsion, red grapefruit on lime-scented tapioca pearls. Over at Revel, the room is big, bright, loud, and fun, with a vast seat-yourself counter around the open kitchen. Korean street food is the inspiration here, and you can eat yourself silly ordering short-rib dumplings, smoked pork-belly noodles, slabs of barbecue from whole wood-roasted lambs and pigs, and divine kale-and-walnut skillet pancakes. Yang and Churchi have caught the Korean-fusion torch, and it's blazing.