I've had plenty of "first" reviews for a restaurant, but I was just too lazy to enter in the business's information. This place already had the entry, it just needed the first review, so I can mark this off on finally getting a "first" review of a restaurant on Yelp. Now onto the food! I grew up most of my life in Annandale (aka K-town), short of living in Korea, I've had my share of good and authentic Korean food. I had a craving for a sour dish, and all of a sudden a light bulb went on, kim-chi would satisfy my taste buds. I've been reading about BUL for a few days, there's buzz about it being the first pojangmacha in DC (Korean street food). Asian street food is my favorite, I wish there were more DC places that served Asian street food, so I was excited to hear this one was opening up in my neighborhood. Adam's Morgan is becoming less and less of a bar scene, a place where you drink until bad things happen, into more of an authentic ethnic dining cuisine neighborhood. It's heavily Ethiopian, South American, with some good Asian spots (Donburi, Sakuramen, Perrys, and now BUL). BUL was opened by the same chefs/owner of Sakuramen, so you know the chef's know how to make good food. I knew I had to get something with kimchi in it, so I got the K-Pork Fried Rice, which is the Chef's signature fried rice dish. It has chashu, scallions, roasted kimchi fried in sticky rice. This was exactly the dish I was looking for, a perfect balance of sourness, spicyness, flavor, and stickyness (texture of the rice). You would think the chashu would be really fatty, but the pork was actually mostly more on the meaty end rather than the fatty end of pork belly. It had nice flavors and the kim-chi wasn't overpowering or too sour, it was just right. This was definitely one of the more flavorful fried rices I have had. One thing that would really mix in well with this dish is a squid version. Zengo has one that is delicious, and I think this one would be better than Zengo's if they switched out the pork for grilled squid instead, I would definitely get this bowl again if that was the case. I didn't get anything else, but the Korean patrons next to me at the bar got the Angry Fisherman Soup. I saw a big bowl of broth, and another bowl full of empty big clam shells and a blue crab shell as well. They really looked like they were enjoying their meal, and I asked them how it was. They said it was delicious and enjoyed it. On the other side of me, was someone who ordered the BUL's Hangover Soup. He said he also really liked this soup, but noted it's on the mild side which he preferred. He studied abroad in Korea, and I asked him how authentic it was. He said it was authentic and tasted like the Hangover Soup he has had in Korea, although the ones in Korea were much spicier. Next time, I plan on trying the Yakitori sticks, and the Seafood Pancake. The Dulbokki seems kind of a ripoff at $14 here, that's quintessential Korean street food and back at Lotte you can get this dish for $6. The interior itself is pretty nicely decorated, the picture of the interior doesn't really capture it but it does have a different feel and they play good music. The server and staff are also really nice and accommodating. There were hiccups here and there, but it's a new business so that's what you pretty much have to expect. Also note that they do not have their liquor license yet! Overall, it was a good experience and I plan on being back to try their other dishes! read more

Bul - K pork fried rice, the chef's signature fried rice dish. - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I was pretty excited to check out Bul, as it's supposed to be regarded as the first 'pojangmacha' (refers to the tented restaurants/street stalls in Korea that serves up street food, but obviously, this is a brick-and-mortar establishment) in DC. Opened up by the same owner of Sakuramen (yes, the ramen shop), the menu offers yakitori and anjus (Korean-esque tapas that you eat with alcohol). The menu, which was not too extensive, still had a variety of items that we were curious about, and ordered a good handful (!!!): Chicken Wing yakitori (was not a fan of this; it looked juicy, but it wasn't cooked to our specifications and not all the way through); Asparagus Bacon yakitori (not salted, but I'm assuming the salt from the bacon was to be sufficient? This was still tasty, as the asparagus was still crunchy); Gingko Nuts yakitori (definitely different; never saw gingko nuts as part of the yakitori menu, so this was a treat); Dukbokki (pleasantly surprised with this dish, as the sauce was thicker than usual, and the rice cakes were not overly done and still soft and sticky); Spicy Popcorn Chicken (one of our least favorites; the sauce was just not tasty; I did appreciate the small bits of chicken chunks, though); O-Dari (I had to giggle at this, as this literally translates to 'Oh, leg' :D These were crispy fried squid 'legs' - one of my favorites, as it was deep-fried battered squid tentacles - yum! No need for the small dollop of tartar sauce it came with, as the squid was lovely on its own!); Crispy Flying Fish (3 pieces of shishamo (smelt); could have been crispier, but I liked these all the same; eat it all, including the head and tail! No need for the tartar sauce); Potato Shrimp (kind of reminded me of a Chinese dim sum option; it was a battered shrimp that was laced with shoe-string potato); Tofu & Roasted Kimchi (we both were not fans of this dish, as the tofu was the 'soft' version, and there was this odd cream sauce to it that did not complement the dish at all; we would have been happier if the tofu was pan-fried, or even a 'medium' in terms of texture with the roasted kimchi - we thought they should have stuck with simple, as the name intended it to be); DC Galbi Ssam (marinated beef short ribs on a cast iron - came with a side of rice and gochujang; the meat was definitely flavored well, so we were both pleasantly surprised; however, it could have been more tender!); Pork Belly Ssam (thin slices of samgyuhpsahl; I personally didn't think it was worth the $20 price tag with the amount that they gave you as well as the size of the cuts that were offered); K-Pork Fried Rice (the hubsters wasn't a fan, but I thought it was pretty okay - no need for the fried egg on top (which was an additional charge)); Three Shroom Bibimbop (shiitake, oyster, and portabella mushrooms with bean sprouts, carrots, zucchini; we also opted to add bulgogi, roasted kimchi, and a fried egg - the bulgogi was okay in terms of flavor; the kimchi didn't really add much to it as the other banchans were just way too overpowering (but, definitely would be a favorite among the vegs out there!), and the fried egg was way under easy; I would request it to be 'over medium' next time; we thought the dish was forgettable); and, the Hangover Soup (fish cakes and enoki mushrooms in a kombu broth - I wasn't a fan of the soup, but the hubs thought it was okay; it had a slight kick to it, but I didn't think it was soothing or tasty; I did appreciate the ample amount of ohdengs in there). We were seated right away by Simone, as we made reservations (just in case); there was also seating upstairs as well, which I thought was a smart way to use the space. Our server was Diane, who was cordial, but did not have an open/friendly personality; there were other servers who served our dishes who were more welcoming and seemed more attentive; she also didn't really check up on us as much, as we would have brought up some of the dishes we weren't that happy with (and, to avoid such a sticky/uncomfortable situation at the end) T___T In addition, there was a couple who sat next to us, who seemed confused and had many questions about the menu, so we actually had to help them out and offer them explanations/our suggestions (we definitely didn't mind, since the server was MIA). I don't regret trying such a Korean eatery in DC (as Korean eats is quite limited in the District), and I'd love to see if their menu expands or makes some changes; the price is definitely on the steep end, so keep that in mind. Limited metered-parking and restricted permit parking can also be found around the area. +O-Dari (deep-fried battered squid legs; no need for tartar sauce) +Crispy Flying Fish (request it to be extra crispy; no need for tartar sauce) +Dukbboki (solid!) +DC Galbi Ssam (flavorful; would prefer it to be more tender!) +K-Pork Fried Rice (pretty okay; no need for the fried egg) +inconsistent customer service throughout the evening T___T read more

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This is as good as korean food gets in DC, after being surrounded by the bulgogi taco craze and the korean bbq addicts, it was refreshing to see a place that served more authentic food here. Of course you can find better, more authentic food in Virginia or Maryland but if you want a good feel for genuine korean food without leaving the city, Bul is the place to go. I came here two times - my first was to taste all of their small bites with soju and Makgeolli (korean rice liquor). To be fair, their drinks were EXPENSIVE. $12 for a Makgeolli that is only 6% was totally not worth it but it complimented nicely with their Seafood and Kimchii Pancake. We then ordered some Kloud beer (fairly priced at $6) and ordered some Dak DDong Jib, Ramen-Dukbokki, and ended it with Honey Butter Fries. My opinion, don't get the fries, they are just glorified fries with honey and mayo. There are so many better appetizers to get on their list. The Dak DDong Jib was the best I have had in my life - it was tender yet crunchy in all the right places. Their Ramen-Dukbokki was standard but it was pretty damn nice when you have a few drinks in. And I guess we went on a whim by ordering these Honey Butter fries after hearing about the "honey butter" craze in Korea. I then came again here a second time, this time, completely sober. We ordered the dolsot bibimbap and the Spicy Squid Rice. Both were really well-made and filled us both us. The only downside to this place is that they didn't bring out any side dishes (aka banchan) that is usually given in more traditional korean restaurants. These side dishes are meant to compliment the main courses and the food would have tasted so much better if they included this into the meal. But overall, a great eat if you want to try something new! read more

Put away those sundresses and get your stretchy pants out - it's time for good Korean food in DC. I am always a little hesitant to review Korean restaurants because 1) my mom cooks the best Korean food in the world and every restaurant's food really pales in comparison 2) I don't eat much of it in the first place because it's so heavy for me... I know, what kind of a Korean am I? Nonetheless, I found it quite shameful that we don't have more great Korean restaurants in D.C. What's a girl without a car to do?? Enter Bul. It's kind of like a Korean pojangmacha, which is like a tent-makeshift restaurant that is quite common in Korea. The tables and seats are all dark wood. The decor is minimal. The drink menu boasts the best of Korea - Korean soju and makgeolli (both types of rice liquor) and Korean bokboonja (Korean wine). My friend and I partook in the rice lager of Japan (forgot the name) which pairs very nicely with all the spicy Korean food. HOWEVER, I was very jealous of the watermelon soju drink, in which apparently the soju is served in an actual watermelon. While I am not a fan of soju, I would definitely try this for an instagrammable picture the next time I visit. We shared a seafood soondooboo (tofu spicy stew in a stone pot) and a bulgogi dolsot (mixed vegetables and marinated beef in a cast iron pot). The seafood soondooboo had a great kick to it, the kind of kick that will make you cough if you inhale the soup because of the chili pepper flakes but also cleanses your palette and warms up your core. I did miss the runny egg, though, to coat the soup with extra creaminess. In addition, the bulgogi dolsot had too much emphasis on the shitake mushrooms and very scant bulgogi. However, the seasoning was just right - not too salty but full of umami flavor - that I was appeased. Finally, I judge a Korean restaurant by how upset my stomach feels afterward. I was thankfully content and full the rest of the night and until lunch time the next day. Overall, a great addition to Adams Morgan and to DC. One star off because of the absence of the runny egg and the scant bulgogi as well as the lack of wine (except for Korean wine, which I find to be far too sweet). But I would recommend Bul for your Korean cuisine cravings. read more

My friends and I spotted this new restaurant while walking down 18th street and we were intrigued. Because the restaurant we planned to go to had a one hour wait (no points for guessing which one), we decided to try this out (the 40 reviews on yelp seemed promising). The menu is pretty small and because we were three of us, we were able to try quite a few items. We had a yummy start to our meal with the seafood pancake. For entrees we ordered the K-pork fried rice, chicken ssal, and bibimbap. The chicken dish had a slight kick to it, but none of us found it unbearably spicy. The bibimbap was actually quite sweet. The fried rice was my favorite, and I particularly enjoyed the little pieces of pork belly in the rice. I have found traditional Korean food to be pretty spicy, and the food at this restaurant it not, so maybe that is the 'modern' Korean aspect of this place. Overall this place is definitely worth a visit. The servers are courteous and the interior is chic. Check it out before it gets too popular! read more

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Really glad this place opened up as we need more legit Korean places in DC. Food: The portions are big and everything we had was pretty good. My favorite item was the "Angry Fisherman's Soup"which was a spicy kombu-based soup with plenty of seafood, by plenty I mean over a dozen clams and mussels, topped with a blue crab. Don't forget to ask for rice with this. It's a big serving, with rice it's enough for 2 to get full with an appetizer. We also got the K-pork fried rice, their take on kimchi fried rice with bits of pork in it. Savory, tangy, umami - this rice was an excellent combination of flavors. For appetizers we had a prawn, chicken meatball, and chicken thigh skewer. The meatball was the most flavorful of the three though the grilled jumbo prawn was delicious as well. The chicken thigh was cooked well but could use a tad more salt. For dessert we had the taiyaki - red bean fish waffles. Drink: No alcohol license yet (probably by the end of the month). But they had a good selection of drinks including traditional ginger tea which really hit the spot on a cold day. Staff: Everyone was extremely friendly. Our waitress was very attentive and cleared our plate every time it got full with mussel and clam shells. Ambiance: Nice decor, good music. The place has 2 floors and while it got pretty busy while we were there the noise level was minimal. Can't wait to come back and try the rest of their menu. It's a small menu but from what we tried everything was very solid. It'll definitely tide you over if you can't make it out to Annandale for authentic Korean food. read more

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Korean food/restaurants are very limited in Washington DC! But this is not your typical Korean restaurant. Very Americanized, no korean writing on the menus and definitely no side dishes (). My friend and I ordered the KIMCHI fries and I wasn't very satisfied with the food. First of all, at least make the effort to make some French fries. The fries were definitely from the frozen section of a market. The kimchi proportion to the fries were very low. The kimchi fried rice was also not that satisfying either. I think what I tasted the most was the oil saturation of the dish. A lot more rice than actual vegetables+protein. My friend also ordered the PLAIN CHICKEN WINGS. We had to send them back because they smelled like fish. read more

Bul - Kimchi fries - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This probably my fourth or fifth time coming to BUL and I always leave more than satisfied. Tonight we tried the sunduboo jjiggae. It's the perfect condition of spices and condiments. The soup itself is spicy and extremely flavorful, and I love the fresh soft tofu and veggies inside of the stew. The soup also comes with a choice of protein, we added the beef. The beef was soft and had no fat whatsoever, it made the stew even more delicious. It also comes with rice! My favorite :) and at $12, it's a steal. We also ordered the seafood pancake, which is an old time favorite. The pancake batter was great, so fluffy on the inside, but crispy on the outside. I love the random mix of seafood they add each time, and it's perfect dipped in the sweet soy sauce. I recommend to split the dishes here family style, as the portions are quite large and it will allow for more variety! The service - always 5 stars. Our server was so attentive and checked up on us at just the right times. He was also very warm and pleasant to our party. This is probably the best Korean food in DC, hands down. Thanks BUL, can't wait to be back! P.S. your playlist is ON POINT - i meant to ask if it's on spotify. love all the 90s rap, so old school! my friend and i loved it! read more

Bul - Sunduboo with rice and edamame - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I don't believe there are any authentic Korean spots in DC. Bul, however, knows how to dish out traditional pojangmacha (bar)-style staples to a tee. Overall, we (including Seoul natives) were surprisingly impressed with the flavors found in the majority of our dishes. We will definitely be back for some drinks and awesome bar food. 3 - Spicy "Popcorn" Chicken (good but not great. definitely prefer the Taiwanese ver w that succulent basil kick) 4 - Okonomiyaki 4 - Budae JJigae (perfectly flavored!) 4 - Odeng Soup (nurungji would have been a nice added touch) 4 - Spicy K.F.C. (surprisingly good but could have been spicier) read more

Great addition to Adams Morgan. I had been meaning to try this place for a while and I am glad I did. As far as drinks go, soju is by the bottle, and just okay. I really enjoyed the warm sake, and that was just $5 per carafe. We got the fried squid legs for an appetizer, which were good, but not good enough for me to order again. I ended up getting the bimbimbap for my entree, and it was fantastic. The veggies were fresh and crispy, the bulgogi was tender and flavorful, the rice was warm, and the fried egg which was runny was a delightful topper. The flavored blended together perfectly, and was really enjoyable. I also heard that the project fried rice was phenomenal, but I didn't have any of that. So glad to have a great Korean place in the neighborhood. It's not on the cheap side, but the food is good enough that it doesn't matter read more

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Visited during summer. Overall not an authentic Korean restaurant and taste wise not comparable to NY/NJ/Boston areas. Food 2 stars but perhaps DC doesn't have good, authentic Asian food. Pros: large portion of food. Location is in a popular bar/restaurant location. Cons: table was a bit sticky. Kimchi Jjigae was too thick, too spicy, and a blend compared to all the Korean restaurants I've been to. Ramen with rice cake was also too spicy and blend. read more

I want to support this cute little Korean restaurant, but the food we ate here was pretty average. Seafood pancake too doughy and bland, spicy popcorn chicken not extra crispy as Korean fried chicken should be, kimchi not ripe enough, and champong soup just lacking somehow. Shout out to our server (idk her name) for being really helpful about recommending the right amount of food to order, since their portions seem on the bigger side. Did love the ambiance and the service. Maybe we ordered the wrong things off the menu?? I would definitely give this place another chance if back in DC! read more

Bul - Seafood pancake, tofu kimchi, and spicy popcorn chicken - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I called few days earlier to inquire about a large party and simone, the gm, was super accommodating and communicative. Both simone and owner jonathan came to greet us as well. Major plus! The food was surprisingly delicious. I went with low expectations since mandu set such a low bar for Korean fare in dc. But the egg jjim, hangover (fish cake) soup, ddukbokki, pork belly ssam, kalbi ssam, fried rice, pajun... all were pretty good. And appropriate pocha food. For all that plus few large bottles of sake came out to less than 400, much less than we expected for a group of 8. Will definitely be back for more! read more

Bul - steam eggs and hangover soup - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A Korean restaurant in D.C.?! Sign me up! ATMOSPHERE/SERVICE - Super hip, décor is very rustic - They have a TV playing Korean dramas! - There's no podium for a hostess or anything, so you sort of walk into the restaurant and stand there until a waiter notices you to seat you - Service was mediocre. Our waiter made plenty of recommendations (which is great for indecisive people like me), but didn't we see him at all after he took our order (without writing it down which is my pet peeve - and he almost got it wrong had he not repeated it) which made it really hard to get any servers' attentions to grab our check FOOD: - Comes out pretty quick, 10-15 minutes - There are small plates for ~$5-11 so you could try a variety of dishes - Had a great selection of drinks (Asian and American) -- Sweet & Spicy KFC (Korean Fried Chicken): Their fried chicken is really good! And if you're afraid of the sauce being too spicy, you can get it on the side so you can taste the deliciousness of the regular KFC too -- Seafood Pancake: You'd be missing out if you've never tried a Korean pancake, because they are heavenly! Overall, I haven't met a Korean restaurant I didn't like and I will definitely be back! read more

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Ambience was ok. Very causal place to be. The food was good and everything came out fairly quickly. The place is pretty small but they're two floors. Decent place to be if you're just having a quick hangout with a small group of friends. Other than that I don't think it's a good place for a big group of people read more

Bul - Tacos beef and bulgogi. You can ask for one of each to try! - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I really wanted to like Bul. I was with two of my favorite people. They had chosen the restaurant. I hadn't gotten the full Adams-Morgan in years and thanks to Uber I didn't waste time looking for parking. But . . . While the food at Bul was perfectly fine, it wasn't great. This is Korean fusion prepared with gringos in mind. The KFC (Korean fried chicken) was ok. The soju was fun. Tofu stew was more interesting. Beer was excellent. The waitperson was kind of diffident. She took the order and delivered the food. Service was not personalized. Bottom line: Korean food in a suburban strip mall is way more interesting, challenging and tasty. Not to mention Annandale is the mother lode of Korean cuisine. Bul is Korea-ish. It's a nice place to spend an evening and you can count on a good meal. Note: the sign outside is hidden. read more

We got takeout here recently and it was overall pretty good. We split some KFC and then I had the bulgogi bibimbap and my fiancé had the DC kalbi ssam. The KFC was almost perfection. It was crispy and flavorful and juicy. My only complaint is that some pieces had bones, some were boneless, and some were wings. I don't mind any of those things, but it made it slightly difficult to know what I was biting into. The bulgogi bowl was really good. It had plenty of veggies and the meat was still hot and flavorful. My fiancé said he liked his too, but in this case I think I ordered better than he did. This place is close by so I'd get takeout again. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in DC (possibly one of my favorite restaurants ever, no joke). I've always been seated right away without a reservation, even on weekends. The Kimchi Jjigae, Jjampong, and K-Fried rice are fantastic. If I lived closer and could afford it, I would literally eat here everyday. read more

I feel like this place is seriously overpriced for the quantity and quality of food that you get. Granted there's not much Korean options in that part of DC so ofc a price hike but it's kinda not worth it. The food is really underwhelming if you've had Korean food before. The seafood pancake is the most doughy and least crunchy pancake I have ever had in my life and didn't have much seafood in it. The half chicken comes with only 7 small pieces (small like chikfila small nuggets) and the full is apparently 14 pieces? Sweet and sour tasted kinda boring, Like it wasn't sour at all it just tasted sweet. The normal salt and pepper KFC was super crunchy but lacked flavor. The pork belly ssam is enough to feed 1 person if you're wondering on portion size. It wasn't crunchy, comes with caramelized onions, rice, garlic, kimchi and 4 pieces of lettuce. Kimchi fries were alright but the potato shrimp was just literally shrimp with a spiral of potato around it. I just feel like the place is overrated from the reviews and the price isn't worth for something so mediocre in comparison to other Korean restaurants. I originally was going to give a 2 but the service is genuinely fantastic hence 3 stars. read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Bul is a surprise find in the heart of Adams Morgan. The food is actually pretty good, and one of the better Korean restaurants here in DC. The atmosphere is rustic, yet feels modern that plays a whole mix of music from kpop to r&b. The servers were in a rush and weren't as cordial as they should have been, but it was an hour before closing, so I could understand. They have great patio seating if you want some air while you eat as you look onto the people moving around the bar district. Definitely a good place to eat before you go out. I'd return. read more

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DC definitely needs more authentic Asian food for those who cannot drive out to VA & MD suburbs. Too bad Yoon Ha's Kitchen is only open for lunch during weekdays. BUL is your typical DC new restaurant: overpriced, trendy but unoriginal decor (think Toki Underground & Daikaya), shorter menu with a decent alcohol selection. Appetizers: Dukbokki & spicy popcorn chicken were definitely the worst. Both lacked flavor and the rice cakes weren't even chewy. The popcorn chicken actually didnt really taste much like chicken...The steamed egg stew and odeng soup were both solid, great for chilly days! The portions are reasonable, you can probably just order a few of these to share and forgo the big dishes. Entree: The beef short ribs were overcooked and extra chewy, but flavor was on point. Also for $24, I expect to get more than just 3 pieces of lettuce...consider its a kalbi ssam. The pork belly entree & fried rice were definitely the best overall. But seriously, even for DC this place is OVERPRICED. You get about half the amount of meat and that fried rice was not in a big bowl. Street-style foods but clearly not street prices. The food came out quite fast and the service was friendly. Overall, a welcome addition to the district. read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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What an amazing addition to the Adam's Morgan area and overall city! This is Korean done right and a bit different. I just fell in love with the street food section - all small bites on skewers, but still a good portion. The dipping plate with sauces and salt (yes, salt!) that came with it added unique flavors making the experience even more memorable. I had the chicken meatballs (so juicy) and the thighs/scallions. The crab starters were also delicious. The bulgogi rice I wish I had now. The flavors were all there, simple, fresh, delicate but still powerful. The rice, onions, beef ratio was right on and that fried egg over the top ... took it over the top. YUMMM! Not to mention all the staff is amazing -- extremely welcoming, warm and knowledgeable about the cuisine. I cannot wait to go again soon! read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Came here on a friday night. it was very busy but got seated quickly. Tried the kimchi fries, egg mari, and bulgogi bibimbop. Everything was very good! Servers were also super attentive and nice. read more

Great food hands down! Must visit! The owner was very sweet and courteous too!Korean Fried Chicken, spicy chicken BBB, kimchi jjampong is what we had! read more

Came here for a dinner after work. It's one of the few Korean places in DC but it has a lot of pocha (street stalls in Korea that sell food) style foods. It's a little bit out of the way from metros, but we scootered there from the Zoo metro stop and it was pretty quick/easy. We had the pork belly ssam, corn cheese, and budae jjigae. All pretty classic Korean foods and they were good and super filling. We also got the makgeolli (sparking rice wine). They didn't have any flavored ones but the non-flavored is still good to me. It just comes in the bottles that you can buy at Asian grocery stores. I really want to try the watermelon soju tho! They have a lot of bar type foods that are good to snack on while drinking! The food came out really fast (which is good since no one else was in there lol). Service was pretty average, but I don't really care that much. I'll def comeback for the watermelon soju and other foods I want to try! read more

Came here for after dinner drinks and food on a Thursday night. Parking in this area is terrible, so I don't suggest you drive here during dinner hours. The interior is chill and casual. We ordered the korean fried chicken (kfc) with sauce on the side and the pork belly ssam. The kfc was nice and crispy, but the chicken was still juicy inside. I liked the option of putting the sauce on the side so the chicken wouldn't get soggy, and so I would get the option of plain or with sauce. I also liked that we could order the half chicken portion. The pork belly ssam was flavorful was great with the cooked kimchi. We also got the kimchi pancake. It was okay but nothing great. I enjoyed my experience and bul and would come back. read more

Bul - KFC with sauce on the side. Half portion - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I appreciate what Bul has to offer, but I'm not overly impressed. There's a good selection of drinks as well as a food menu that does a little bit of everything. Nothing really wowed except for the fried chicken, which was the highlight of the meal. The decor is nice, and there's a decent amount of seating. Service is also quick. Probably a pleasant venue for late night drinks and appetizers. read more

Everything we ordered was delicious. Husband said Fried spicy Half chicken was "might be best fried chicken I've ever had". The sesame glass noodles were FIRE. Service was super nice and COVID safe. Only complaint is our entrees came before the dumpling appetizer, but forgivable bc we got them steamed which always takes a little longer. read more

Such great service! Food is scrumptious!

Great place with great atmosphere. Our server was the best around the area and was very humorous. The food was actually quite cheap, as we ordered food for five people, with tons of sojus and only came down to 200$ bill. It was a bargain and the food was great. The Korean fries is a definite recommend read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The Korean hype is real. Entertaining how people will overlook basic balance of flavors and accept everything being sweet. This bothers me because most Korean food is not sweet, it is not how real Korean cuisine is. Korean tacos - A soggy mess is the nicest way to put it. These contraptions fell apart after the second bite and sat in there own sauce and craptastic iceberg lettuce. Beef - bulgogi 3/5. The sauce and the iceberg lettuce was the star of the dish. Not the beef. Unbalanced and tasted more sweet then beef. Spicy pork 4/5 - Well balanced. Good flavors and with another soggy soft taco. Just go light on the sauce and veggies, toast your shells and you will be golden. Unexperienced kitchen staff really shows here Duk buk ki 4/5. Close to being authentic and similar to what you will get off a street vendor. Well done, raise the spice level or have a spicy option. Spicy chicken wings 3/5. To be honest this is the reason why i came here and sadly they came up short. Medium grade chicken, thick panco shell. Just to sweet and the chicken inside was dry. Decent attempt but more of a Korean general soas chicken with sweet and spicy sauce. Yogurt soju 5/5. - expensive at 17 but it was mixed well and with a full bottle of soju Overall decent experience with modern twists of Korean food but its hard to say, it was great. read more

I could not be happier that a korean place has finally opened in Adams Morgan, and Bul satisfies in every way. As soon as we entered, I was impressed with the trendy decor, all brick with really cool art to admire. They have a small bar on the first level with tables for dining, and a loft with additional seating slightly above the rest. We started with the spicy popcorn chicken, an interesting americanized appetizer that is great - very moist chicken with delicious spices and sweet spicy sauce, but not overpoweringly spicy. For entrees, I tried a standard, the dolsot bulgogi, served in the classic stone bowl and sizzling to perfection with beef, rice, and veggies. My date had the bibimbap, and it also satisfied. She said it was probably the best she has had in DC without having to trek out to the suburbs. Who wants to make that trip? It used to be necessary if you had to satisfy a korean craving, but no more. Bul is where it's at. I had the great fortune of dining a second time, and I went all new with the options. Bulgogi tacos to start, and oh baby. These are not only some of the best korean tacos in town, they are some of the best tacos period. Amazingly flavorful corn tortilla packed full with beef, I cannot recommend it higher. Next up was the k-pork fried rice, a kimchee fried rice that is very flavorful with cubes of tender pork. On this second visit, it was a Friday night, and the place was packed and teeming with life. Definitely make a reservation. The energy is great in the place, so it's a perfect location to start a long night out. Bonus points for the echigo stout on the menu. Good stuff. I need to give them huge bonus points for high re-visitability. They have a large and varied drink menu with sake, shoju, and korean wines, all on top of your standard beers and liquors. They also advertised regularly scheduled karaoke nights. I don't have the confidence to do it myself, but it seems like it would be a really fun time. read more

Delicious Korean food. It's always pretty packed on the weekend and it's because the food is soooo good. The kick factor is there so if you're not into spicy food I suggest staying away from anything spicy. I always order the squid legs because the green sauce is so yummy. I frequent this place because of the great food and great prices. read more

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The Bul spicy fried chicken is GENUINELY spicy. The server warned us, and for once, they were right to do so. It's even a little spicier than the extra hot at Nando's so proceed with due caution. My friend wasn't a huge fan of the kimchi fries, but I was kinda into the unusual flavor combination. The dolsot bimbibap was pretty averagely good - I would've welcomed a greater variety of veggies. The service was a bit lacking. While our server was nice and friendly, she would rush back and forth between tables and never make eye contact with us, so it was nearly impossible to flag her down for anything else after she dropped off our food. Same with all the other servers and runners. We really had to watch them like a hawk and work to flag one down to just request a spoon or more water. read more

A small little Korean restaurant in Adams Morgan. The food was so good. Bul kfc is very spicy. I wish they were open more during the day but that is the only complaint. read more

Bul - KFC - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Bul is honestly going to be a hit or miss for people in search of a "Korean" restaurant. It's a cozy little spot right in the middle of Adams Morgan and only a few stores away from Dan's Cafe (The "best" bar in D.C.). I wouldn't say the food at Bul is mind blowing or that it is horrendously fake Korean food. The food at Bul is fair. Of course they have some Americanized/Modernized dishes that are tasty but don't expect them to be traditional "Korean" food. WITH THAT SAID. I usually go to Bul for happy hour and their green bottles (aka soju). As a Korean, I just can't stay too far away from my soju and cass (a Korean light beer). I have heard some people have problems with the servers/service, but my 20+ times there, I have yet to have any issues with service of drinks or food. They have a very small patio that may sit roughly 10 people at most (where I usually sit) and when you walk inside they have a tiny bar to the right and dining seating to the left; and a loft with additional seating. If you're looking for a chill night to sit, eat, and drink, this isn't a bad choice. Maybe you'll see me =P read more

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The food I had tasted amazing but the overall service was horrible. We had to wait 25 mins just for our cards after we paid. I tend to eat quite a bit of Asian food so I wouldn't say my body isn't used to it. However, for the next week I suffered with horrible food poisoning. I loved the Bulgogi bibimbap bowl but I don't think I'll ever be able to get it again after the food poisoning. read more

Size-able portions, but a little overpriced. Overall a good place to grab a meal with friends after work.

Definitely a great atmosphere but the portions were quite small. We sat outside and our water glass was only filled once. Other than that everyone was lovely! We ordered the DC Kalbi Ssam (picture 2) it was mostly onions and not flavorful. read more

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Chill little spot, perfect for pre game or even if you wanted to just chill and have some dinner with drinks. I thought the food selection was pretty cool a lot of drinking food, I got the gizzards and the spicy popcorn chicken (not spicy) but it was delicious, I stop for some soju and sake and these guys did not disappoint they have a medium size selection there's definitely something on there you haven't tried, the service was cool too pretty laid back and chill people that have good recommendations to what's good and what's not overall experience was awesome I will be revisiting this place. read more