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Bad Hair Bash: Hot On Yelp Launch Party @ Gyenari
Category: Local Flavor Local Flavor [Edit]
9540 Washington BlvdCulver City, CA 90232
Neighborhood: Culver City
- Good for Kids:
- No
64 reviews for Bad Hair Bash: Hot On Yelp Launch Party @ Gyenari
64 reviews in English
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Review from Johan T.
Los Angeles, CA
12/21/2011
My friend Chris B invited me to this event in a effort to get me out after a breakup. I was not in my best at the time but seeing all the interesting hair do's, enjoying delicious appetizers, and meeting new individuals definitely place a smile on my face. I must say that due to my lack of excitement during those days, I did not come up with a funny hair do; however, I did try to take advantage of my long hair and tied my hair up into a "non-orthodox" manner.
The event was organized at Gyenary, a contemporary and chic Korean fusion barbecue restaurant and bar in the heart of downtown Culver City. During the event small plates of delicious flavors were catered. Some of the plates included kimchi fried rice, crispy ginger chicken and sizzling bibimbap. Each plate was accompanied by a drink which (a) encourage my happy-self to be exposed and (b) provided for a bit of a hangover the morning after. Good tunes enhance the experience and the photo captured the great moments and smiles.
It was fun to meet and interact with the Yelp crowd and it was surprising to Christina, whom I met through my friend Cody, at the event and learn she, amongst other yelp staff, had organized that great event. -
Review from Leslie P.
8/16/2011
KOREAN BBQ BUFFET = AWESOME SAUCE!
I can't believe I never reviewed this event until now!!!Listed in: Pley Time!
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Review from Michelle T.
Torrance, CA
10/27/2010 4 photos
Aqua Net== Check!!!
Scrunchie== Check!!!
Thank you Christina and Katie for another fabulous event and taking me back to my jr high days when i thought parting my bangs and creating the perfect "tidal wave" was a necessary morning ritual. It was the perfect event for finally wearing my off the one shoulder Harajuku top that was sitting in my closet and kuromi pink scrunchie!
It was great seeing all the sexy and ridiculous dos!!! My faves were the crimp dos, joe dirts, and best hair IMO was Andrea V!!! I had such a good time seeing many familiar faces, finally meeting some comp buds and making new yelp friends! Snappy Joe photobooth was AWESOME and so much fun!-- Thanks for posting the photos so quicky!! I look forward to Velveteen photos. Loved the DJ!!! He definitely got my date groovin- Katie B- he's ready to showdown with you next event!
Thanks to Gyenari and staff for upping the light eats with a BUFFET!!!
Loved the salad, beef, steak sushi and boys loved the ginger ribs. The tiny green tea donuts were yum.
Prizes galore-congrats to the lucky winners!! Hugo C, i think your lucky charm is Isabel since u didn't win lastnight!
*Gyenari plug= $30.00 for 3 course meals!!!
(if i'm not mistaken tho, i think u will need to bring your own rice paper--- something i would love to see included!)Listed in: Let's get Yelpy!
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Review from Ciara G.
10/27/2010
Was it as good for you as it was for me?
I took an array of yelpers home with me after this event. Via name tags that is.
A Big Bad Hair Hoot and Holla to our Awesome LA West CM Christina Y. who in my opinion rocked the most awesomely bad hair and still looked hot rod rad!
Smooches to Katie B for manning the door and handing us our raffle tix with a smile.
Gyenari, watch out as I will be returning to you soon as you offer my favorite 1,000 point resies on OT and I'm now dying to cook up some KBBQ on your grills. Amy B. can we come here for my 113th bday dinner?? (;
The space was bad ass with a dash of zen and a twist of loungy. The staff kept up with all us yelpers without missing a beat. I was totally impressed with all the TVs so we could cheer on the Lake Show with a WIN for the 10/11 season opener. 82-0 Ron N!!
The DJ had me groovin the whole night and my photo booth cherry was popped thanks to Snappy Joe Photo Booth as I hammed it up in 2 photo sessions with fab yelpers. Erin and Andrea next event = photo booth first for us 3. Velveteen Studios was our roaming photogs for the night and was eager to snap pics of all.
The first round of tray passed pan fried dumplings were ever so yummy. I never knew which ones I was eating but all were nomalicious; even the shrimp and I am not a shrimp fan. Veggie one though was my least fav.
The buffet line of never ending eats was insane! I have never seen this much food at an event. This was defiantly not "light bites" as it was a full on feast.
The tray passed Cho Pomerita by Hong Cho cocktails never stopped and as I was about to snag one away from Travis I. and a tray full appeared. Lucky him and lucky me. I also took part in the cocktail specials at the bar and the Blackberry Lemonade was quite tasty and made me quite tipsy.
I would have to say 91.5% rocked the theme. Could not get enough of Miss Kwirilicious clown puff, Amy B. had the best "last minute hair" (she whipped it back and forth in the parking lot right before entering the event), Mary C. was my crimped hair sister, Tara C. had a creative birds nest updo, Andrea V's long luscious locks of ARM PIT HAIR was so sexy, I loved Michelle T's Harajuku Uh updo and it made me want a master juku crepe and Hugo C's greasy Cubano wig was hilarious.
A great space with a feast fit for yelpers and a fountain of cocktails to wash it all down with while photogs were snapping memories left and right all while groovin to the spins from the DJ watching the Lake Show win Game 1.
Damn it feels good to be a yelper.Listed in: In the name of YELP I come out…
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Review from Jenny B.
10/27/2010 2 photos
Salute to both Katie B and Christina Y for putting this event together! and for the first time ever, they're not serving just nibblets, but food buffets with servers standing by to fulfill your request. From salad to desserts, everything was laid out for everyone to enjoy.
SnappyJoe's photobooth was a lot of fun and the props were just endless, especially the wigs. I might not arrived with bad hair, but I certainly went home with it. I even won a prize, for the first time EVER!!! Woohoo!!! Thanks for picking my ruffle ticket #, Xtina!!!
Shoutout to Amy W & Shawn, Michelle T, Tony, Ken, Andrew, Andrea V, Erin, Matt P, Christine, Janelle, Kwiri Y, Michael C, Alvin V, Mary C, Karey, Eduardo, Jessica A, Stephanie H, Justin, Anthony N (Pirate), Anthony N (blue shirt), Jacq, Bobby, Cynthia L, Ryan I, Minh D (my plus 1), Travis, Amber B, and everyone else that I forgot to mention, it was a blast!!!
Katie B and Christina Y, once again you guys ROCK!!! Thanks to the photographers who were busy walking around too, can't wait to see the pics!!! -
Review from Mary C.
10/27/2010 3 photos
First of all, for those of you who don't know, St Louis had a bad hair situation recently, (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and their pictures were all like "BRING IT ON," and now I am all like "OH IT'S ALREADY BEEN BROUGHTEN." WHAT.
Anyhoo, there is a most important point that needs to be discussed first. KATIE B.! I tried so much to tell you that I was Team Kristina B. and Team Catie Y., but my point got drowned in those cocktails and came out all wrong. Friends?
Okay, so although a bad hair bash was the best idea ever! Someone should have warned me:
A.) bad hair takes longer than good hair
B.) people won't always believe that that IS your real crimped hair and so tugging on my dear locks and asking "is that real?" will ensue
C.) if you don't plan on entirely restyling your hair the next day you are gonna look a little crazy
Other than A-C, D.) it was awesome! I was more thirsty than hungry, so I could tell you a little more about how awesome the drinks were than the food was, but I would come back for both, so you should too. E.) photobooths are way too much fun. Hugo, you are forever my photo director, as you have a talent for something other than winning raffles.
F.) is for FOOD! So after a fabulous evening, Karey R., Vannessa R., and I hit up that taco truck off of PCH. After I checked in I got TWO badges. Count 'em TWO! Crosstown Magic and Mexi-Can, cause I am no Mexi-Can't.
G.)... I just wanted to keep lettering things. Thank you so much Christina Y. and Katie B.!Listed in: YELP
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Review from andrea v.
10/27/2010 23 photos
How do you turn something so incredibly BAD into something so amazingly GOOD? I think I am starting to figure out the answer to that question.
Bad hair sure did make for a great party theme!
A 5 star night for sure! I have said it before, and I'll say it again. I rate things based on my (realistic) expectations. My expectation for the night: Hang out with some cool Yelpers, take some fun pictures, have a drink or two, check out the bad hair, get more info about Hot on Yelp, maybe just maybe have a bite to eat (I never go to events hungry or expecting many vegetarian offerings). My expectations were definitely met and exceeded!
I'm going to get this part out of the way first because the most AWESOME part of the night was the FOOD! After all, isn't that what most Yelpers are all about? Considering that I was not planning on eating anything, I was pleasantly surprised. To start with, appetizer platters were being passed around all night. Then, all of a sudden, there are two long tables with a long buffet selection! "Selection of nibbles"? HA! This was seriously a full on meal! No kidding! And while there weren't a lot of vegetarian options (as totally expected), I was very happy to have a nice plate of salad and vegetarian noodles. The salad had a great variety of chopped peppers, mandarin oranges, pears, walnuts and all kinds of goodies I love. Yum!
If I wasn't impressed already, while we sat at our table enjoying our food and watching everyone in line, I noticed that servers were walking back and forth offering even more appetizers to those at tables as well as those in line. How nice! Even waiting in line, there was still service! Gyenari did a fabulous job of hosting this event. I am always impressed with places that under promise and over deliver (much better than the alternative!). Whether I could eat it or not, I was truly amazed at the overflowing and generous selection they provided!
But wait, there's more! Dessert! Dessert was their famous green tea donuts, in donut hole form! Served hot and fresh with a raspberry dipping glaze and chocolate sauce, I seemed to keep bringing little plates of these over to my table to share!
Drinks! Is it just me or were those some pretty strong drinks? The Cho Pomerita was tasty, but I only had two and felt them later on!
As always, it's wonderful hanging out with some of the coolest people on Yelp, and meeting even more new cool people! So many Yelpers did such awesome things with their hair; I don't think I could have picked a single favorite. From a bird's nest to beard trimming, initial shaped head shaving, a huge rainbow afro, crimping, bad mullets, bad wigs, and so much more, I was laughing at every turn!
The Snappy Joe Photography photo booth was great, can't wait to see everyone's shots!
Huge thanks to Christina for making this awesome night happen, Katie for (wo)manning the check in table all night and Gyenari for putting it all on for us! Also thanks to all the salons who gave away prizes during the raffle! Hugo didn't win (sorry, man), but there were so many winners that night, including the birthday girl of the night!Listed in: Awesome Yelp Elite Events!
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Review from Michael P.
Long Beach, CA
10/27/2010 1 photo
I had a blast at this very appropriate event! Yes, my hair does get bad but of course today it was great and I had to make it look bad....Bad Hair Day Bash!
The DJ, the drinks, the food, the drinks, the drinks, the food, the Yelpers and the creative Yelpers who really went all out to theme base this event!
Erin & Andrea V., were as always my girls for the night and we just had so much fun with our get ups and interacting with other weaves, tracks and Crimpers...yes you Mary C., and company!
I decided since I have tin foil in my hair once a month and sit looking in the mirror while the color and highlights make me look like Christina Aguilara, I'd do it as a BAD HAIR experience (since while I'm waiting it looks that way). Oh, my real hair color? Just like Christina A's-Jet Black-Spanish/Argentinine blood will do that for 'ya!
The photo booth as always didn't disappoint and, as always I took full advantage of it with Erin and Andrea.
So much good vibe with everyone getting into the spirit that precedes Halloween!
Yea!......I won a $15 gift certificate as did my friend Ty and Debbie; guess we three will be coming back here soon. Also props to Kyle for best Bad Hair Day look.
Hey Mr. DJ, thanks for playing my girls TLC-No Scrubs and 702-Where My Girls At? I used to spin in the '70s & '80s and you have got it down!
Christiana Y., DAHLINK, you did a FA-BOO job jumping this Loreal Moment for me and Katie B., I wished I had caught your look when I walked in on camera!
To ALL of my fellow Yelpers', Aqua-Net Kisses galore!
Christina one more thing, Wendy Williams ain't no threat to you GF:
http://www.youtube.com...Listed in: Yelp Elite Events, CMYES,&…
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Review from Christine Y.
Los Angeles, CA
10/27/2010
I came, I ate...ate...ate...drank...ate...oh and ate.
Thanks so much Katie B and Christina Y!!!! Awesome job girls! Thanks to Gyenari for rolling out a marvelous buffet of delicious food and being super nice!
Fun night of stuffing myself full of tasty food and drinks, taking photos at the photo booth, and seeing all the people with their bad hairdos! Those ginger glazed ribs were so amazingly good...I really need to go back for those.
I'm not sure what else to say...yeaahh it was fun!!! -
Review from Karey R.
10/27/2010
Knock Knock
Who's there !
Hair !
Hair who ?
Hair today, gone tomorrow !
Knock Knock
Who's there !
Hairdo !
Hairdo who ?
Hairdo some weird stuff, can I borrow your brush !
Well I can check, "Start a yelp review with bad knock knock jokes" off of my life list. Whew. That was a close one.
So Bad Hair Bash was super fun! I was not expecting the Vegas style buffet, but hey we are yelpers, we adapt. My favorites were the salad, beef and the seasoned rice. I liked the beef/pork postickers as well. The drank was flippin fantastic! I almost felt all nutritional with the juice and "vinegreat" mixer. The photobooth was a huge hit (when is it NOT a huge hit?). We took a couple pics, one proclaiming our love for Christina Y. and Katie B., those girls work so hard. There were so many raffle prizes, I didn't win, but as with every yelp event, I walked away a winner. I even walked away alive...thanks to Hugo C. =)
FYI Lights are an essential part of driving at night.Listed in: Yelp Events!
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Review from Cynthia L.
Pasadena, CA
11/9/2010
Another 5 star event. This is what being ELITE is all about!
Highlights included:
* Korean BBQ buffet. Bulgogi, spicy pork, crispy ginger ribs, japchae, fried rice, and more. I loved it all, especially those ginger ribs. Scrumptious and tender!
* Unlimited Cho Pomeritas. Sweet, but potent vodka cocktails.
* Snappy Joe Photography photobooth with crazy wigs and hats for props.
* Live DJ.
...and most of all, good company! It was great to see old friends and meet new people. I'm so glad my boyfriend was available to be my +1, too. We had so much fun! A million thanks to Jenny B. for telling me about this event!
I love Yelp. -
Review from pauline c.
Los Angeles, CA
10/27/2010
Umm hellooo if you didn't come last night you totally missed out. Though we were promised light bites, it was actually a freakin' buffet. Meat, meat, and more meat. Holy crap. Spicy bulgogi, regular bulgogi, chicken, salad, rice, dumplings, kim bap sushi of the bulgogi flavor... And it was all delicious. It's too bad we already ate beforehand, though that didn't really stop us from eating like monsters anyway.
There were also delicious drinks made of hong cho wine concoctions that kept coming. The raffle was also like a buffet going on for forever and we did manage to snag a $15 off for dinner @ Gyenari for two. Yummm.
Oh did I mention the crazy hair? Corrraaazy indeed. I saw armpit hair, unibrows, rainbow fros and mullets and 'staches galore. Halloween came early to this part of town.
Thank you to Christina and Katie!! I love youuuu. -
Review from Matt P.
12/2/2010
There hasn't been any time in my life, save for that hazy weekend spent in Atlantic City, that I've been able to get away with rocking a fu-man-chu. Before the event I debated sporting the beard (boring) or the mustache (funny) though ended up deciding on the fu (ridiculous).
I won't lie, I was a little apprehensive when I first walked into Gyenari, though within the a few minutes, there was something that just felt so right about such wrong facial hair.
Unfortunately, I don't know if I can trust an event description anymore. It was posted that light fare was to be had...and if a massive buffet is considered light bites, I can only wonder what large, heavy portions would amount to. The food was great, and there was so much with a good variety of options.
It was a great event to catch up, mingle and eat, all the while looking really, really, really ridiculous. -
Review from Travis I.
11/3/2010
HOW DO THEY DO IT?!? How do our CMs have the ability to constantly surprise us with totally AWESOME events?!? Because much like Jesus, Christina and Katie are magic.
Gyenari Korean BBQ graciously opened its doors to us Elite Yelpers, and offered an epically generous buffet spread. They dedicated the ENTIRE restaurant to us and it didn't take us long to all find a spot to sit, munch, and catch up with our fellow Yelpers. Now, that would have been enough, but NO!.... Get this:
- Snappy Joe's Photo Booth: I think it's official... I'm now a photo-whore. Apologies to Tara... I got a little over-animated during our shoot and spilled some cocktail on her shoes. Ooops :)
- Bar service with the friendliest and most entertaining bartenders I've met at any event yet.
- Shared Appetizers, taken around the restaurant on trays, to make sure EVERYONE (even those in the photo line) were served.
- Sick tracks provided by our DJ all night.
When I think back on the event, I can only say "Way to go Yelpers!!!" We all seemed to embrace the hair theme, and I saw some awesomely bad do's... Although I still can't shake the image of Andrea's waist-length armpit hair. ((shudder))
My hat goes off to our bright, sexy and generous CMs, without whom we'd all likely sit in our offices/bedrooms/dens typing Yelp reviews, becoming more embittered by the day. And thanks to Gyenari for offering their beautiful restaurant to host our event and keeping us fat and happy. This event was the most perfect 30th Birthday present EVER. :) Can't wait to see y'all again!!! -
Review from Angela O.
10/28/2010
Thanks, West Side Yelpers for putting on this fab event ... it ALMOST rivaled our East Side events! Kidding, I kid. It definitely rivaled them, at least. The service was PERFECT at Gyenari, and even though I didn't win the raffle, the Lake Show kept me super duper occupied, and we didn't get kicked out (all good things). Also I didn't fall in the pond. Also the dj was mad hot, if forced to spin crowd pleasers (I'm sure his repertoire is more diverse than that ... sure would like to test it!). Also, being simultaneously "elite" and a plus-one is weird. Also I got to meet Ciara (finally) and to see Dee D. ... all told, a highly successful hour-and-a-half. And the drinks were great!
But y'all have to learn to tip servers walking around with trays. C'mon Yelpers! Bad hair or no, WHERE ARE YOUR MANNERS? -
Review from Justin N.
10/27/2010
You KNOW I loves me some Yelp parties, always. Photobooth + food + booze = Good time, every time.
This was actually my first LA elite gig and I was not let down. Sure the food was heavy with meat which I passed on but that just gave me more of an excuse to get my drink on. The servers at Gyenari didn't skimp either, I lost count on my cocktailing. Somewhere in there I ended up with a huge wine glass and the bartenders just kept on refilling it to the top. Not exactly sure how I got the glass, they were serving via plastic cups. All of a sudden *poof*, a giant ass wine glass was in my hands. I believe they called it my pimp cup which I agreed with, much better than plastic.
Wigs everywhere, people happily munching away, I didn't see a frown in the house. I find it hilarious the event was labeled as having "a selection of nibbles" to eat when in reality I saw PILES of food on everyone's plate. Those weren't no damn "nibbles", those were some straight up serving platters full of food for each person. Crazy.
Raffles too? Get out of here.... So much fun I almost jumped in the little fountain at the front of the restaurant. My lady frowned when I said I was going to do a few laps... Ah well, next time.
Thank you Yelp, as always, I tip my hat to you.Listed in: Party time! Yelp events.
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Review from Amy B.
Los Angeles, CA
10/27/2010
I was blown away by how many Yelpers still looked good with their bad hair. Its really not fair. LA West CM Christina Y. looked hot in her bleached out wave, I still have no idea how she pulled that off.
Great party last night, thanks Gyenari! I was too stuffed from dinner to try the food, but it looked great. Those freebie Pom not-martinis were pretty strong and trays of them were passed around the entire party, I never had an empty hand.
Thanks for another great night out! -
Review from Eduardo G.
Los Angeles, CA
10/28/2010
1st Elite event!!! WOW!!!!!
WOW!!!! This was way better than anything I could've imagined! Free drinks going around. Cheap drinks at the bar. A buffet of Gyenari's delicious food!!! A lot of new and familiar faces enjoying each others company, watchin the lakers game, enjoying the music!
Had lots of fun acting like fools in the photobooth!!! & at the end of the night I even won a gift certificate!!!!
Wooooooo!! Can't wait for the next elite event! Thanks Christina, Katie, Gyenari! -
Review from Ty D.
10/27/2010 1 photo
Does Yelp know how to through a great party or what? Never seen Bad Hair in one venue!
Drinks and the Korean food rocked! And it sure wasn't "lite bites" for the evening that's fo sho! That was a full blown meal! I regretted we had Happy Hour appetizers and cocktails across the street at Ugo before the event.
Woohoo! I scored a $15 gift certificate to Gyenari! As did my BFFF Debbie W. and my Yelp bud Michael P!
Katie B and Christina Y, you are The Best Ambassadors in the Yelp Network! Christina, it was nice to finally meet you! And Katie, I didn't get enough of you last night! mmmmwahhhh! -
Review from Trina D.
10/26/2010 6 photos
Can I say wow?! This event was awesome. It's 11:00 pm, I'm dead tired but I just wanted to write that this event was AWESOME. It was worth the trip from the OC to the west side. Sometimes LA does it better. Free parking at the lot next to Bof A? Score! Thanks to the awesomely bad hair do's and don'ts at the party.
Ummm, Mike C. and Michael P. Definitely bad hair. Mike C. said to me, is that you're real hair? Damn straight, it is.
Thanks to Gyenari for hosting the wonderful party just for Yelpers. The food was fantastic. We were able to taste quite a bit from their new 3 course menu. I was able to try everything from the kimchi fried rice to the ginger pork ribs and spicy chicken. The bulgogi was good. I'll definitely be back in the future. The green tea donut holes were tasty but a tad overcooked. I also liked the tofu potstickers. The bulgogi sushi rolls were delicious! I really enjoyed the fact that the food did not run out. There was enough and then some for everyone which rocks my world. Gyenari was a great space. The zen modern vibe was very chic.
Thanks to Snappy Joe Photobooth for the cool pics and props (http://client.snappyjo...). We had a great time taking random shots. I love the props. How many people can you really fit into a photo booth?
Thanks to Gyenari, Hong Cho, and Krome for the Cho Pomeritas. Those drinks were yummy. The bartender was super friendly every time I tipped him.
Thanks to LA CMs, Christina Y. and Katie B. for hosting such a wonderful event. My elite friend Joa K. (she popped her elite event cherry, folks) and I had a great time. Yay for my friend Grace C. who won a gift certificate to Gyenari for a future visit. I hope she invites me next time because I do want to return and try out their 3-course menu.Listed in: Why I Yelp...
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Review from Mimi C.
10/27/2010
Wow. I was super impressed- EASILY 5 STARS. Many thanks to Mary C. for telling me about this event! This event was so cool, it makes me want to vote "cool" on this entry (but of course..we can't self vote =D)
Hubby and I put on our wigs...I had on a blue one and he put on "male pattern baldness". :D And we were on our way!!!
I had not expected to come here for a full on dinner, buffet style no less!
AND the photobooth, pictures and rockin' DJ! Loved every single song and even danced to them! =)
The food was EXCELLENT and service was SUPERB (didn't even have to wait!)! We even got seating in the crowded room. Green tea donuts dipped in chocolate, crispy ginger ribs, bulgogi, spicy chicken... and even free cocktail drinks, my my my were delicious! We ate home prior to the party but couldn't resist the food here!!! This was good stuff.
The staff even gave us extra rice from the kitchen when they were closing down the buffet station.
Plus...we were all watching the Laker's game on the big screens..made for an even more exciting party!
My only wish was that we arrived earlier! :D -
Review from Jeanie C.
2/12/2011
I know it has been like FOREVER since this event but I have to add just one more five-star review so I can be saved forever in my list of awesomeness (aka Yelp Events!)
This was one of the larger events that I have been to, and damn did Christina and Katie BRING IT! There was so much yummy food I stuffed myself silly. And, there were waiters continually circling to replenish our drinks.. so continually I had to cut myself off pretty quickly! The photobooth - awesome idea! I'm totally suggesting it to my friends for their weddings/events. And of course, there were tons of raffle prizes, which I appreciated jealously as other people won.
It was really fun to see everyone getting in the spirit of the party with their awesomely bad hair - I felt awkward walking to the party from my car but once I got in, I realized I had one of the less-outrageous hairdos. I can't wait for more events! :)Listed in: Yelp Events!
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Review from Amber B.
11/22/2010
How did "light bites" end up being tray after tray of passed apps and a HUGE buffet that had left over food after all the Yelpers had their way with it. There are NEVER leftovers!!! (ok, maybe not true, the one other time there were leftovers was at Yelp Noir and there were like 2 trays of meat still left)
Sucks for my OG +1 who opted to stay home and catch up on work since he thought he'd leave the event hungry....this meant I got to bring a NEW +1 - Monica B. who had never been to an event before.
While I found it a bit difficult to track down booze I think this was mostly because my lazy ass just stayed in one of the booths in the back and didn't wander and mingle...and it seems I missed out on seeing some of my fave Yelpers because of this too. =(
This was the first event in quite a while where I actually took part in the photobooth and boy did I abuse this privilege!! After taking 2 sets of pics with my 2 gal pals we snuck back in line with Tim C. to take another 2 sets so we'd all have a print out to take home.Listed in: Yelp Elite Events and CMYEs
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Review from Brian F.
10/27/2010
I don't think I can say enough good things about Yelp or Gyenari for having such an awesome event here.
This was my first Yelp Elite event. I came with a small amount of apprehension since I don't know too many Yelpers and have never been to this part of LA / Culver City. When I arrived really early at 7:00pm, the staff were warm and friendly telling me about what was going on and pointed out that the place was shut down to the general public. So, I waited for my +1 to arrive and enjoyed the night outside.
The restaurant itself is beautiful, inside and out. Lots of room on a normal restaurant night, but in a "club-like" configuration, it was densely crowded and little seating. Really, it didn't matter.
Immediately upon walking in, we're already being handed appetizers and drinks. Amazing and friendly staff, including the front of house employee Kanna. She was one awesome chick! She kept me company until my +1 arrived. Thanks Kanna!
The food was buffet style and super delicious. I am a huge fan of bulgogi and they delivered! Perfectly marinated and juicy. Even the salad with mandarin oranges rocked.
Alcohol was also flowing freely, and being passed out by lovely ladies in red. My only REAL reservation about this night was the bartender. He seemed a little self-absorbed and, dare I say, douchey. He wouldn't say a word, and when you asked for something or bought a drink, he would just look at you and look away. Just "blegh". Not cool - but then again, it might have just been the night.
Lots of great Yelp swag on the tables! I love "stuff". Buttons, name tags, Snapfish gift cards, Yelpstick... it just went on forever.
The best part of the night - the photobooth provided by Snappy Joe. It was awesome to take pics with my Yelp cohort Jess. Great photo quality, and they're already posted which was a great thing to wake up to. Jeez, those Digital SLR's are super high quality.
Overall, this event was easily 5 stars. I definitely will return to Gyenari to try their delicious foodstuffs.
Yelp - you done good. -
Review from Carrie D.
10/27/2010
Thank you Christina Y. for yet another awesome event! Who would have thought bad hair could be so much fun. I swear I saw many of my old hairstyles in the room...but I rocked those...at the time...so don't judge.
Katie B, thanks for manning the door and giving me a winning raffle ticket. Remember who was holding the "Team Katie B." sign...coincidence??? Just sayin'
Thank you Gyenari for the fabulous and abundant buffet. This glutton left fat and happy. The passed appetizers were also delicious and the staff could not have been nicer or more efficient.
It was awesome hanging out with all of my favorite Yelpers and meeting new ones. Mary C. you are a hoot and you rocked that crimp-alicious, crimp-tastic hair. The other Karey, always a pleasure to see you.
Thanks again Christina and Katie for always going above and beyond! You guys rock! -
Review from Emily S.
11/12/2010
Great event! Just in time for Halloween! I seriously considered showing up in my costume.
Lucky for me I didn't. However, I crimped, teased, and messed the F around with my hair. There were even braids in it. :)
The event was GREAT. Parking was easy to find of course! We parked in the structure. And it was free.
The food Gyenari had out was buffet style. There was so much food. Most of it was alright.
The photo booths were fun, and I was digging the music by the DJ! -
Review from Frank M.
12/1/2010
Wow, a yelp event were you get full and they still have plenty of food left over! crazy i know. The alcohol was a bit harder to find but i think it was because i spent the great deal of the time in the eating area and not the bar.
We had free range of the photobooth. The food was A-OK. nothing to get to excited about. -
Review from Justin R.
10/27/2010
This was my very first Yelp Event! It was absolutely great! I came by myself not knowing what to expect. By the end of the night I had made plenty of new friends. Many of my fellow Elites were in costume and looked great!
I really enjoyed the food, drinks and being able to watch the Laker game. The chicken, bulgogi, bulgogi rolls, seafood dumplings and pomegranate cocktail were my favorite! On top of all that, the photo booth helped create these captured moments last a lifetime. The Dj I thought, did an exceptional job with the choice of music. He played a lot of todays current and recent hits. I heard some Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Drake!
I'd like to thank Yelp, they really know how to throw a party! I also want to thank the other Elites, for making me feel welcomed. I look forward, to enjoying more Yelp events really soon. -
Review from Hugh M.
10/27/2010 1 photo
This event was tons of fun, a great party! Glad to have been invited by my good Jennifer and to have met with so many awesome people at the Yelp elite event.
I would have liked to have seen more people participate, but those that did were amazing! I had on as Jennifer called it a "hipster douchebag" wig and my silver 'two-guns' glasses, which were extremely popular and fun to wear. The crowd was hyped, the music worked. Had tons of fun with the photobooth.
Gyenari has been a neighborhood favorite of mine for a long time, it isn't an authentic Korean BBQ venue, but enjoyable all the same.
The buffet style food was either over spiced or under spiced so that it had either little to no flavor or too much of the spice. The salad was the best part a mix of greens and fruit. The drinks were wet and kept coming thanks to the amazingly red dressed wait staff.
All in all the Gyenari staff had the event well handled, quickly clearing plates and other "mess's" and providing chairs on an as needed basis. Though the lack of sufficient seating was a bit of a detractor from the event, but was made up for by the social aspect.
I'll definitely come here again as I said its a local favorite of mine and some friends/coworkers. -
Review from Joa K.
10/27/2010
West siiyyyiiiide!
I've been a Yelp Elite and a pretty good reviewer for a little over a year and I finally went to an Elite event. I know, I'm way behind....but I made up for it this time by gracing everyone with my presence, purple hair and all. HA! Thanks to Trina D for jump-starting me! Woohoo!
The event was great - Well organized, tons of free food, lots of prizes, things to do, people to see. It was pretty packed and alive. Lakers game was going on (two large screen TVs, awesome) so it added to the fun vibe.
Lots of great, er, bad, hair......Who was the guy with foil in his hair? That was my favorite!!
Gyenari is a nice venue, good layout and modern decor. Food was pretty good, though honestly I thought that the mandoo wrapping was kind of tough to chew - I think they baked it instead of steaming/frying? Thankfully, the inside of the mandoo, the meat of it, was yummy. The Pomerita drink was pretty tasty! It was not overly sweet and was pretty refreshing.
The service was great - the hostess/waiters were on top of things and real cool - pleasant people. It seems like a good place to have a special dinner, like a birthday party.
I'm totally going to more Elite events. -
Review from Emily R.
El Segundo, CA
10/29/2010
My first Elite event and it rocked! The hair dos? Lovely. Light bites? Hmm..more like buffet status. Wasn't expecting that! The food was fantastic, drinks were great, vibe was rockin'...and a photobooth? With PROPS!? Ohhhhkay, now we're talkin.
Great times were had by all!Listed in: Yelp, Yelp, Hooray!
-
Review from Neely M.
10/27/2010
So much fun, yet again, Yelp! Thanks, Katie B and Christina Y for putting together a great night of bad hair and good fun. :)
We loved the meat-stravaganza, the fab drinks and the Laker game on in the background - it made it way easier to keep the hubby out a little longer. We didn't make it into the photobooth - we were way too busy shoveling food into our faces to stand for any period of time.
Thanks to the amazing waitstaff for the delicious goodies (appetizers and drinks while we were still in line? Awesome!)
And next time you tell me lite bites, I will not eat all day - I was so fat and happy when I left last night! -
Review from Pam S.
11/18/2010 2 photos
I am so late with this review please blame my DAY JOB :) lol
Great location... parking can be a challenge but there is a parking garage across the street take advantage of it TRUST ME!
Trendy interior design, Tasty beverages, DJ was KICKING! What a blast we had my girl Terri and I took advantage of the photo booth with our flashbacks of "Angela Davis" wigs and "Black Panther Party" circa Forrest Gump body gestures LMAO
Crowd was fun and lively (as usual and expected) Plenty of buffets this evening and roaming delicious Hors D' oeuvres. If you like the Asian flair the meats were tender and the sauces potent!
It was a chilly windy evening but the outside patio looked inviting and I would guess on a nice day would be perfect to scope out peeps walking around Culver City.
Respectfully Reviewed -
Review from Winnie J.
Temple City, CA
10/29/2010 1 photo
The Bad Hair Bash was really a blast! :o) This was my 3rd Yelp Event (2 of them were as +1 courtesy of my brother Andrew F.) but this time we got to go as ourselves: SnappyJoe!
Let's talk about the hair first: awesome afros, sassy sideburns, unique unibrows, tufts of teased hair, and adventurous armpit growth. ;) My favorites were the rainbow afro complete with gift wrap bow, Christina Y's gravity defying bangs, Ken C's star sideburn, and the tin foil color treatment.
Though we were told to eat dinner beforehand, Gyenari was generous enough to provide a full AYCE buffet spread with the most unbelievable Ginger Ribs I've ever had. Pregnant lady happy with meat. ;)
It was a pleasure seeing familiar faces and meeting new friends at such a fun setting. It was also nice finally seeing Christina Y. in person and meeting Jenny from Velveteen Studios.
The SnappyBooth? I loved seeing everyone have fun with our booth and laugh at the silly printed shots. For those who want to download their pics, go to http://snappyjoe.com and click on Photobooth under Client Galleries. Or, try this link: http://client.snappyjo...
Thanks for letting us be a part of this fun evening! -
Review from Denis S.
11/8/2010
This was an awesome event! For once the venue was large enough to actually hold everyone without squishing us all in. The introduction to Gyenari was great since I had passed the restaurant easily a dozen times and never even knew it existed. Always love the photo-booth with weird hats, can't go wrong there.
My only complaint -- more at myself than at the organizers -- was that I thought there wouldn't be a lot of food here so I ate dinner beforehand. The reality was just the opposite because Gyenari generously fed us buffet style off their menu. Man I wish I came hungry! -
Review from Jena S.
11/7/2010
It was an invasion of 80s as our parlay entered Gyenari. My partner in the nights festivities was NOT my boyfriend despite much the confusion. (I guess that means he looked douchebag-tastic enough for people to believe so with the emo/hipster/kickback kid hair he donned.)
Playing the role of my hair, I recruited a poodle and added a bow. There were no animals harmed as it was already dead. I made a valiant extra effort to hide its eyeballs with said bow. Dead fluffy poodle carcasses have a purpose too right? JK
We were fashionably late to the soiree but were not disappointed in the amount of food still available to meet our carnivorous needs.
After the feast, was the table where a majority of the my known friends were all sitting. We sat and imbibed. It seemed as the night progressed, the better mixed the drinks were.
In the back was a photobooth with mass shennigans. I was very happy to see that this event was also supporting Movember.
I do have one nay say about the event: there were too many people there with fabulous hair at this party. I mean, I walked in and saw Marlon... and then Kwiri made the rainbow afro look like it should be in style again. Ok maybe not that far. But perhaps the Scott Pilgrim movie helped in the "revamp" of making multicolor hair not only fashionable but the stuff that everyone should be rockin'. -
Review from Minh D.
10/27/2010
Yo, yo, Gyenari was packed full of Yelp Elite
Buffet food trays filled with spicy and barbequed meat
SnappyJoe's provided an entertaining photo booth
They even got cocktails and dessert to satisfy yo' sweet tooth
Got introduced to some new friends
Smilin' and posin' for the zoom lens
Thanks to Jenny B. for makin' me her plus one
I didn't anticipate it being this fun
Rafflin' off hair and beauty prizes
Everyone looking fly in their mindblowin' disguises
Nail files and Yelpsticks fillin' up my pockets
The Lakers beat the Rockets -
Review from Sonia T.
12/2/2010
Woo Hoo! My first elite event!
Right off the bat, I will tell you why I deducted 1 star. I followed directions and made sure to eat dinner before hand only to realize there would be enough food to fee an army. So I didnt get taste any of the food but I guess I'd rather be full than hungry! Not sure if this food situation is the norm or not
I loved the photo booth and I though the DJ was great too. I got both of their cards to possibly use their services at upcoming event!
Can't wait for the next one! -
Review from Francesca L.
Colorado Springs, CO
11/1/2010
Great food, fun, and friends! Cheesy? Yes, but it's true! Parking was easy, space was welcoming, food was plentiful. Only downside for me was that it was during a basketball game and most people were intent on watching tv instead of shakin' their booties with me! The music was great! Props to the dj.
Also loved he photo booth. So fun and the pics turned out great!
Anyway, I had a blast! Can't wait til the next event! -
Review from Teresa R.
11/1/2010 2 photos
The most fun I have had at an event... maybe ever! I had a blast checking out all the bad hair and partaking in the awesome photo booth! The photo booth was probably my favorite highlight of the evening.
Props to Gyenari for lending out the sweet digs! Very cute restaurant that I look forward to checking out on a regular night. Unfortunately, I ate before the event thinking I might miss out on the "light bites", but come to find out there was plenty to go around! I did hear from numerous other yelpers though that the food was fantastic.
Thank you Christina Y and yelp for helping me channel my inner child. I had fun bouncing around with my fellow yelpers in my hair-do-from-1992.Listed in: Brought to you by Yelp
