It's extremely small and limited space. I could see it getting packed real quick but apparently even on a late Sunday evening. When you come into the restaurant they were playing these Korean rappers video's and of course I didn't know what they were actually saying, so I just moved to the beat lol. The staff to start off with was some kind of nothing(not one person was helpful). We had to keep asking the guy on the grill for water while we were waiting for him to finish our food. Which I could understand he has to concentrate on cooking the meet but in reality we asked another girl for water and she brushed it off like whatever. The food, we started off with the (rice balls): I've actually had them before but the cook suggested them. They bring it out in a wooden container with food handler gloves for you to roll up for my first experience this was weird for me I felt like I was inspecting my food. I ordered the Doobu kimchi I think that is what its called. basically its chicken that is spicy but sweet. In my opinion the chicken is way spicier than sweet. The chicken was cooked really well, however I don't know what this white sauce/fat substance was on the bottom of the plate it looked like lard or something. My mom had the fire chicken when I say that chicken was so damn hot it caused my sinuses to flare up get extremely irritated that went on for three days. It was so hot it distracted me from how the chicken actually tasted. I don't think I will be back to this restaurant ever again. read more

Mmmm late night korean bar food. Small easy to navigate menu without descriptions. All you need to do is just look at what other people are getting though and you can tell that Fire Chicken with Cheese is what you're probably ordering. And a few other things like crispy pork skins if you have the stomach for it. Food is good, and atmosphere is very much like a smokey loud korean bar. Food prices may seem a bit steep at first(Fire Chicken + Cheese is $16), but most stuff comes in large shareable portions which can feed 2, especially if you order some rice on the side. Though it already comes with a small cabbage salad and pickled radish which add some much needed freshness to cleanse your palate for more spicy cheesy goodness, so you certainly don't need another side dish to fill you up. When I order for just myself, i end up taking half of it home as leftovers anyhow to guiltily eat at midnight later on. read more

Great place to come in small groups. Small place with roughly 10 tables or so. So definitely come early. I'd say it's worth the wait. I got pork skin, fire chicken and some soup my friend ordered. All tasted phenomenal. This place is family owned. You can tell their cooking is unique to their roots. They have a cook that will grill at the bar. So be prepared to leave this place smelling like delicious Korean food. We came on a weekday. Def was busy around 6pm. Then got less busy around 9/10. Definitely would come back. Great to have drinks with your group. The owners were super friend and engaging. They made sure we were taken cared of. Very welcoming environment. read more

Dancen - Fire chicken - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Try their fresh fruit rice wine cocktail. Music: weird techno Korean pop (?) I don't know. Food: yummy. Most of the food I had here had been pretty good. They even have "exotic" Korean fares like grilled pig intestine. It tasted.... good! You just gotta make sure it's cooked crisp. Drinks: delicious Service: Korean-style so you have to call out to them when YOU need service. Otherwise, very friendly. I miss this place since I've moved and am closer to all the Korean bars in Niles. read more

Visiting Chicago and I found this little hole in the wall Korean restaurant. We came at the right time and got seats at the bar because 30 minutes later, this 32 capacity restaurant was packed. The decor was outdated but the food is great. People kept ordering the Fire Chicken but I wanted Donkatsu. The food takes a while to come out of the kitchen and the same goes to the grill but the quality is damn good. The Katsu was breaded perfectly and cook well. The intestines and Chicken gizzards from the grill was grilled correctly and not burned. We just ate a lot and drank Soju. It was a chill dinner and drinks. The service was good and they were really nice. read more

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Fire chicken. So good. So unbelievably good. One of the top chicken preparations anywhere in the city. And bring some friends so you can get the Budae Jjigae too. read more

If you're looking for a hole in the wall bar that serves up good Korean food, look no further. Enjoy and make sure to get the fire chicken with cheese read more

Dancen - Fire chicken with cheese. A must have here - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The cheese grill chicken is amazing! I would recommend this dish to everyone. But if you have a party for more than 4 then you need to realize this is a tiny place. read more

FIRE CHEESE CHICKEN!!! A must order! If you can't handle spicy, too bad. You gotta try what fire chicken means! It's a small Korean bar with about 7 tables- some for small groups; some for larger groups. There's also space on the counter where the grill is. Dancen has a good variety of Korean food from soups, skewers to charcoal grilled food that's cooked in the same space, meaning your clothes will SMELL when you leave this place. BUT you're at a bar, c'on, do you really care how you smell afterwards? Just in case, if you're planning to get more drinks elsewhere after Dancen, beware, you will smell like charcoal grilled food! Food always tastes the same. They have limited drink menu because people don't typically drink cocktails at Korean bars. It's usually hard liquor (whiskey), beer, or soju. This place also sells mokguli which is Korean rice wine and they will make it in different flavors listed on the menu. Don't expect a type of bar where you meet people; people typically hang out with their own group. The last time I visited, it looked like a one man show with one guy working that: takes orders, clean & prepares tables, cooks food on charcoal grill, and ring up the check. He did 3 people's job in one: waiter, cook, and busboy. Oh, he probably did bartending as well! Service wasn't as slow compared to just one man doing the work. It was quite impressive actually. I suggest you try it out & have a good time! read more

Dancen - Spicy pork skin - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Small and dark. Definitely a late night bar atmosphere. Tiny round tables with limited space to put your legs underneath made it pretty uncomfortable to dine in for a long time. Food is cooked right at the bar for all diners to see. Lots of flame, heat and aroma. You'll definitely be leaving with your hair and clothes smelling like Korean BBQ. We got water bottles filled with warm water for our table, so we could refill our water cups ourselves. The 2 servers rarely came to check back on us or clear the table as we dined. We actually had to wait til they were done cooking to order food and ask for our check. Sweet Marinated Pork was charred just right and delicious. They cut off most of the meat from the bone and serve the bones so you can get every last piece of meat. Fried chicken had a good addicting salty taste. It came with a small saucer with more salt. Hubby was loving the Fire Chicken. Great char and spicy flavor. Easy metered street parking. Also, small parking lot in rear of restaurant. read more

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Has one of the best fried rice cakes I have had in a long time .. small place .. very cosy and they are super fast with the service . read more

Dancen - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My friend recommended me this place about two weeks ago and the food was so good i came back again last night. We had the spicy kimchi and pork stew. Spicy pork skin and fire chicken. Everything was great! Especially the spicy pork skin. Ive never tried anything like that before. And the fire chicken went so well with the cabbage and thousand island dressing. Both two times i was there werent as busy either so that was a plus. But the fire chicken did take a bit as there was only 1 person cooking each order. Overall i would be back and i definitely would recommend my friends to come here. They also serve alcohol too so thats a plus. read more

Dancen - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wish there were more korean gastropubs here, but so glad we have at least one! Def try the buldak chicken, pork skin and yogurt makgeolli. Going w/ a couple of good friends makes the experience even better read more

Limited seating. Prepare for a long wait! You will smell like smoked chicken after you leave the restaurant because they cook/grill the food out in the open instead of a kitchen area in the back. Dinner and a show! Fire chicken with cheese is a popular dish and a must try! The cheese balances out the spice. The fried pork skins are extremely crunchy! Beware! When you're chewing, it sounds like your jaw is breaking. The taste somehow makes up for it. My friend and I shared a huge cauldron of strawberry and pineapple smoothie/makgeolli. I wouldn't recommend sharing between two people. Maybe 3-4 people! The smoothie definitely overpowers the alcohol taste. Save yourself the trouble and don't buy the seasoned rice with seaweed! Overpriced and not worth the $8 for the amount given! read more

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Been here so many times. Food is always consistent. Great place to chill and chat with friends while have some soju. Servers are quite attentive. Limited seating, don't come with more than 6ppl. It can get too crowded. Cozy little place. read more

The place itself is a seedy looking bar from the outside with tinted windows; however, when you walk in, it's just a dark sports bar type of place, but clean. The waiter/cook was awesome. He gave us plenty of time to check over the menu, which was decorated in great origami-type of paper (that he mentioned was purchased from Blick's in Evanston). We received a small cheese and onion omelet when we sat down with a pair of chopsticks - I liked this place already! We ordered the kimchi jun (thin and crispy along the edges - yum yum good with good ripened kimchi pieces); the ddukboki (thick slices of ricecake, pieces of odeng (fishcake), bits of chopchae noodles here and there, two deliciously-fried mandoos, and one hardboiled egg in a somewhat spicy sauce (I don't get the hardboiled egg, but I didn't complain about it); the yangnyum dwegigogi galbi (solidly-seasoned pork ribs - the meat were sliced off for those who didn't want to deal with the bones, and the bones with bits of meat were on the bottom for the gnawers - perfectly served on a sizzling platter; and donkatsu (the fried skin just slid off and it was okay), and the side of thinly-sliced cabbage with the Thousand Island dressing that was refreshing and good. I would come back here for all the dishes besides the donkatsu. They had some rocking Korean pop songs playing a bit loudly, but overall, the scene was comfortable and laid back. Great to come by after work to have your own little 'happy hour' or to munch on some Korean dishes that you're craving for. The prices are a bit steep (about $10-12 per dish), and you can't really share much more than 2 people per dish. +small cheese & onion omelet (complimentary) +kimchi jun +chop chae +mandoos +ddukboki +yangmyun dwegigoi galbi read more

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We came here on a Friday night, a gathering of 11 people. We had to wait a bit and pluck a few chairs from other tables, but if you read what people say about a place beforehand (Yelp reviews, of course), you should have an idea of what you're getting into. The goal was to celebrate two birthdays, nothing fancy, eat, drink, and laugh. Dancen was the perfect first stop in our bar-hopping night. Luckily, I have great friends who can read the menu, and I'm not picky, so I left the ordering up to them. Crammed into the corner with some distance between us and that hot grill, someone put in the order for Makgeolli / Mak Gul Li and it came relatively quickly. It was strawberry or some -berry flavor, and was delicious. We had several rounds, very good. The two things that people made note of were the fire chicken and the crispy pork skin. I'm not sure what words were exchanged between the server and the friends who could speak Korean, but all I know is two orders of it came out, which, for 11 people, is reasonable. Some pieces were a little tough but it was a good textural compliment to the sweet drink. I don't argue with anything crispy and salty - those are a few of my favorite things. The fire chicken was indeed FIRE. Korean spicy is a good, layered spicy, and the first few bites of this made me break into a sweat. After that, with the help of water and a few radish cubes, I was good to go and digging in with the rest of them. The service was quicker than expected for a Saturday night with a full restaurant. Dancen is what dancen does - it doesn't promise anything except good drinks and good bar snacks / shareables, and it does that with aplomb. If you're wanting to be waited on hand and foot, not ready to order unfamiliar food, or generally wanting a full service dinner, come back late at night when you've had a few and you want a snack. read more

I really love the food here BUT their service suck. Severs mostly ignored customers. We need to get their attention when we need anything. Never fill up water and check if we are okay with food. read more

Dancen is a nice, small Korean restaurant with a great atmosphere. The food was wonderful, though I don't have any way to guage its authenticity. We started out with their sujo and scallion pancakes. The pancakes were tender with scallions, shrimp, and calamari, delicious on its own or with the accompanying ssamjang (dipping sauce). Then came out the pork skins. They were intensely flavored with the right amount of succulent fat on them. The only problem with them was the skin was more tough than crispy. The best and last part of the meal was their fire chicken. It was dark meat, well-charred, and spicy. Not for the weak-tongued in terms of spice, it was flavorful with a pleasant burn. My main concern was the service. Our waiter gave us good recommendations, but completely ignored us after he brought out the food. I didn't mind much that he didn't check to see how the food was, since everything was delicious. But after the meal we were waiting too long for him to return to us. It was at least 20 minutes, which normally wouldn't be so bad. But since it was a small place, and he was serving tables right next to us, it was frustrating that I couldn't even wave him over. I had to get up and walk over to him just to get his attention. Granted, it's a holiday weekend and the 8 tables in the place were filled. We'll give Dancen another chance since the food was so good. Hopefully the service will get better. read more

Best kept secret in Lincoln square. Cool Korean pub atmosphere. Recommend the seafood pancake, bbq chicken and spicy pork rib. The fire chicken is incredible...if you can handle it. Friendly staff, good prices. One of my favorite winter places. Just go! read more

So many people write about Cho Sun OK just a couple miles down the road as the besrt Korean in Chicago, but this place is the true hidden gem winner. If you're looking for the grill your own meat at the table option, you won't find that here, but what you will find is the best food for the best price. As many others have mentioned- get the fire chicken. My other favorite dishes include the crispy fried pork skin and the DIY season rice balls (they give you food prep gloves so you can make your own). The cheesy fire chicken is good but I think it takes away from the flavor of the chicken so I recommend sticking with the original. And how can you go wrong with a cauldron pot of warm sake? Trust me..order exactly what I just mentioned and you will have plenty of food for two and be nice and tipsy by the time you leave. Yes- the place looks a little sketchy from the outside, especially with it's tinted windows and the area has a strange feel to it..but get over that, go inside and enjoy the amazing food and drink specials. I have been a handful of times and the service has always been polite. There are no language barriers here and they will actually take the time to explain things if you have questions. I have noticed that it's up to someone at the table to go and get the check when the table is ready to leave which can be confusing to some if they just sit there and wait. read more

Dancen - Crispy pork skin and seasoned rice balls- the perfect start before you dive into the fire chicken. - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Absolutely terrible. They'll tell you there will be a table soon, but 90 minutes later you'll still be standing outside. Even if you are "lucky" enough to get seated the food will be cold and rubbery. Avoid like the plague. read more

Authentic korean food, late night restaurant. Service sometimes can be better. I was happy with the food. It tasted good and portions are ok. I was not so much fan of the ambiance as it felt too dark and tables and chairs were uncomfortable. But regardless I would hive 5 star for food. read more

Picture an overlooked neighborhood bar with a few glorified card tables for dining. Although Dancen doesn't win points for style, the food alone is worth a visit. Or multiple visits. A friend and I met for dinner on a cold, blustering night without a wait; we'd heard the restaurant gets packed outside of hibernation season. Since we're not familiar with Korean food, the waiter helped us navigate the menu. Of course we ordered the "fire chicken," marinated in chile, gochuchang, soy, and rice syrup, charred on the grill, and smothered in melted cheese to cut the heat. (We didn't find the dish too spicy, but our American palettes did wish for some rice to accompany it.) In any case, we liked pairing the chicken with the Thousand Island-topped cabbage that comes on the side. We also tried the seafood pancake, addictive with its dipping sauce. I wasn't as obsessed with the spicy rice cake, which--to our surprise--came stewed with assorted seafood and hard-boiled eggs. Maybe if I'd had the right expectations? The soju cocktail comes frozen in a pitcher, reminiscent of a margarita. Although I wasn't expecting a frozen drink, my friend and I had no problem polishing it off. No problem at all! read more

We got the fire chicken, the seasoned rice balls, and the Makgeolli. Everything was delicious.

Great little spot off the beaten path. This place is definitely more of a bar than a sitdown restaurant. If you are in a rush or are expecting a typical restaurant experience you probably want to go elsewhere. If you want great food while your hanging out with friends and getting a few drinks, you should definitely put this place on your list. Friendly staff but they definitely run a bare bone operation. We were there on a Saturday night. They had two in the kitchen, one on the grill and one guy running drinks/serving/waiting tables. They are attentive but also limited. The menu is easy to navigate. Drinks are a bit trickier. I wasn't expecting our Soju pitcher to be a blended frozen drink. It was better once the ice melted. Kimchi pancake might have been my favorite thing. We ordered some kabobs but nothing else from the grill. That was a mistake. We also got a soup that could feed 6 and a dish that was cooked on our table. All great. Looking forward to going back on a cold winter day. read more

Very unique Korean bar! Tiny place&looks a bit scary from the outside, but my local friend strongly suggested the place. Had a good selection of snack bar food!! And they grill the food in front of you! BBQ chicken was delicious, great seasoning. We had rice wine cocktail(soju), it was enough for 3 people. The only downside is hard to find a parking spot! read more

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So disappointed with this joint. And that's what it is, a hole. A few mismatched tables and counter service "bar". We came in, was acknowledged by the cook behind the bar with a head nod, and we we sat down. Then we waited for service that never came. I finally got up myself, found a menu and brought it back to our table. We waited and waited for service. Nothing. Since our attention was not on any drinks yet, we proceeded to watch the cook behind the counter area which serves as a makeshift Bbq area and witnessed this guy drop his cooking Tongs on the ground, pick them up and go right on using them with food he was grilling. What??? Yeah, that's as far as we got. We all looked at each other, and without saying a word, got up to leave in sync. Money spent, $4 on the parking meter outside. Not getting sick from eating there, $priceless. read more

This is a rating I do not want to give. The food here is phenomenal. My favorite Korean bar food all over America. The fire chicken with cheese is amazing. The pork skin is fantastic. And everything else is as good as advertised. Definitely my go to spot. But our food experience can't always be dependent on the food right? Unfortunately this is where the review goes south. Service is awful. And the best part of the terrible service is that they charge you an automatic 20% tip on your bill. So be careful and make sure to check your tab at the end. You ask for beer, 10 minutes later still no beer. Ask for soju, 10 minutes later still no soju. They might be under staffed but if you are going to give us crappy service at least let the people decide how much we should put down as gratuity instead of being forced by our necks by your ridiculous 20% mandatory tips on the check. read more

Yesterday,(Tuesday May 09, 2017) I went to have dinner in pretty big group. The waiter had very bad manner and bad service. I have never seen the way he acted. He went go to have some food with his friend while he was working as the server. By the way, the food from this restaurant is very good. P.S. If you meet another server (Mr. Kim) from this restaurant, you will be very lucky because his service is very good. Good take care his customers. read more

This place is truly amazing the food is amazing the workers are super freindly and environment is great read more

Dancen - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Welcome to Dancen, here, have an omelet! This was my first impression of Dancen. I found it in contrast to the blacked-out windows, and therefore low-lit, mysterious feeling atmosphere. Picture an omelet just floating randomly through space. My visit felt more like an initiation into Korean food. I had lived in a Korean household, and my Korean dinner companion seemed to find that intriguing. So he brought me here. Glad he did! Now I am addicted to the Fire Chicken! Every dish I've had is amazing. Stay in a Korean household and you end up eating lots of rice, salmon, kimchi, dumplings, and mild-flavored soup. I looked at Korean culture differently once I sampled what Dancen had to offer. Other favorites include the Fire Squid, Clam Soup, Pork Cutlets, Webfoot Octopus and Pork, and reheated Tteokbokki leftovers. I'd eat anything on this menu. I love spicy food! My least favorite food here? Daikon cubes. They are served along with the Fire Chicken in order to cut the heat if you find it unbearable. Good thing I don't need it! There won't be a myriad of bowls when you sit down at these cramped tables. Which is awesome. I can't stand a traffic jam at my table, with almost no room for a Hite beer. Sacrilege! Dancen is known as Korean BBQ, but really I have heard it referred to as Korean Bar Food. The dishes you order are brought to your table cooked, and any side dishes, such as white rice, must be ordered as an addition to the meal itself. Yes, that means an additional charge. Last night I swung by Dancen and took my Fire Chicken to go. When I walked in for the first time alone, the entire place got quiet. Curious. I find the Fire Chicken pairs well with a Cabernet Sauvignon. If you take your food to go, I strongly suggest you try it. read more

Dancen - Preparing the Fire Chicken - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I know Dancen seriously looks like a vampire layer from the outside - its windows are blocked and there are usually Korean guys smoking on the sidewalk who will side-eye you as you go in. And to be honest it kind of looks like a vampire layer on the inside too. It's small and dark, with little "decorative" multi-colored lights around the restaurant. It's a strange vibe. To people who have never been to Korea - no, Korea is not like this. Mostly. The servers look like emo kids that started drinking soju and smoking cigarettes at 13, and they're not the friendliest bunch, but they took our order and brought us our food, which was enough for me. The cook that I saw that day looked so much like a legit Korean mom that I almost took off my shoes so I wouldn't get yelled at. But the food. Oh, the food. Seafood pancakes and kimchi jigae just like my mom makes it! Everything was perfect. The fire chicken was perfection. If you're not familiar with Korean food, I would say the fire chicken is a safe bet, just be warned that it's pretty spicy. They have some TVs that were playing Sports Center when we went in for dinner, which is a negative for date night. Note to the boyfriend, eyes on ME, and not the TV behind me! Last time I checked, you weren't dating Jay Cutler, thanks. The prices are the icing on the cake - we ordered a bunch of dishes and the check was under $50. Kamsamnida, Dancen! read more

OMG so I was thinking about what review to write for my visit to Chi- Town and this place was the first that popped into my mind.. So being from LA and being used to eating Korean food nearly every day.. my gf's and I got a mad craving for korean food after only the second day visitng Chicago. So we did what any other korean food craving girls would do, looked up "korean food" near "chicago" on yelp~ hopped on the L till it ended, got lost, took a cab and finally ended up at this bar that has blacked out windows. Me being the cool girl I am tried to peer inside waving my arms all about shouting " i think i see people! I think I see people!" only to have the waiter come out a second later and say.. "uhhh do you girls want to come in?" (from the inside you can see everything on the outside) *cheeks flush* Anyway, Dancen is reallly small, but their altang and soju saved my life. It was so good and all that i really needed to make me feel at ease again andd we made friends with the bartender Jay Ahjushi. hahaha Ahjushi if your reading this I hope you remember who this is!~ he and his friend were really cool and made night 2 in Chi-town extra fun for us! I know they miss us dearly~ =P till our next adventure in chicago.. where we will Dancen the night away! read more

Came here for some food and drinks and had a great time. The place is tiny and service is slow but the food makes up for it. My friends and I had tofu kimchi, crispy pork skin, sweet and sour chicken, spicy rice cake, strawberry rice wine, and soju. All the food was really good but the standout was the crispy pork skin. It was crispy, fatty, and had a really good red paste marinade on it. It was different but really good. The strawberry makkoli (rice wine) was sweet for my taste but the strawberry they used to flavor it was really good. Not fake flavoring and it was a great chaser to my soju. read more

Dancen - Crispy pork skin - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food is good but the waiter is unreasonable and difficult. they also have a hidden 10% surcharge placed on everything that is added after tax that is NOT disclosed anywhere on website, menu or in restaurant. sketchy practices. read more

One of my new late night obsessions! We had the dduk bokki (spicy rice cakes) and fire chicken and I was very pleased. I'm a huge fan of dduk bokki and Dancen delivered on their version. The fire chicken was well flavored and had a great smokiness to it (the bartender was grilling it right at the bar). Not to mention that the prices are really reasonable (both dishes were $10 each). We went on a Thursday night and they were open til 2 AM so another plus. I was debating between 4 and 5 stars for this place as the service isn't the best but their delicious well-priced food won me over. I will be back Dancen! read more

They do business like scumbags. They don't wear mask. They make up fees and taxes. They don't wear gloves. Stay away

Their fire chicken is super spicy. I always tell people that I can handle Korean spicy (which is totally different from Mexican spicy or Chinese spicy, know what I mean??) but this place is on a totally different level. I only had about 5 pieces before I had to switch over to the pork ribs. Super small restaurant and very dark on the inside. I wish that they had banchan (side dishes) like most Korean restaurants. They have cocktail soju here, which makes it one of the few Korean restaurants in Chicago that serve it up--- my go to is Yeowoosai, but it's good to know that this is an option. read more

Decent food, but most of the dishes were pretty underwhelming. I do want to point out that their dukbokki tasted amazing. The rice cakes were very soft, and the sauce was delicious. The fire chicken, although a bit cold, was also great. The spicy flavor was excellent. Although the chicken would have been even better if it had been served hot. These two were definitely the best dishes of the night. I found the rest of the dishes to be average or below average. The pork skin was alright. I was not a fan of the chicken gizzards, squid, or seafood pancakes. I also thought the large ramen noodles with spam, hot dogs, etc. was pretty underwhelming. If you come here, you definitely have to order the dukbokki and the fire chicken. I think you could have a great meal here if you order the right things. read more