We live in the Bay Area where Korean BBQ spots are everywhere, and we've tried a lot of them over…read morethe years. We've also eaten at many places in LA, which is known for having some of the best Korean food. We saw this place had pretty solid reviews, especially on Google, and even saw comments from people claiming they were Korean and from LA saying this place rivaled KBBQ spots there. Because of that, we came in with really high expectations. Unfortunately, we left disappointed.
The restaurant is located upstairs, and the elevator ride alone almost made us turn around. It was extremely shaky and honestly felt unsafe at times. There were moments we thought it might actually drop. I would definitely recommend taking the stairs instead.
We ordered the mixed combo with beef, chicken, and pork, along with soybean soup and steamed egg. The banchan selection was limited and overall the flavors were pretty underwhelming. The biggest issue though was the meat quality. Most of the meats were chewy, including the pork belly, which should have been much more tender because of the fat content.
One thing we've noticed in Mexico compared to the US is that the meat quality in general often isn't quite the same, and this place really highlighted that for us. Honestly, Gen BBQ back in California is much better than this spot.
I understand some people love this place because they cook over charcoal, but the cooking process took forever. Each meat took a long time to cook, and they had to replace the coals multiple times during the meal.
The one thing that really stood out in a positive way was the steamed egg. It was honestly one of the best steamed eggs we've had. Super fluffy, airy, and cooked perfectly.
If you're someone who really loves Korean food or Korean BBQ, I personally wouldn't recommend going out of your way for this place. There are much better options out there worth spending your money on.