Center of a new Korean spot or off the middle a bit?
I was going to do up a reservation to invite all my good friends for some tasty Korean food but backed out last minute after reading some not so stellar reviews. However after reading a recent review on how good their gamja tang is, I just have to give them a try myself. Yes I am a sucker for a good Gamja tang in a Korean restaurant.
This restaurant took over Potter's Korean restaurant which has been around for quite a long time. It is conveniently located on Kingsway with a decent amount of parking at the back parking lot. Inside is simple with a clean renovation; One side with divided sections for bbq'ing and one side for diners who preferred dining without bbq'ing.
I opted out of the bbq'ing section after scanning their bbq menu, somewhat a bit limited compared to most Korean BBQ places.
After being seated and a cup of tea served, here were the food I ordered;
1. 7 complimented side dishes. Pretty good and fresh. But, let's not overly exaggerate like a couple of noobs said, it came with sooooo many side dishes that couldn't take a pic of them all with one shot. What are you? A midget with a midget camera? (Roll eyes)
2. Tako wasabi. The tako could improve on a better seasoned wasabi sauce plus a more appealing look too.
3. Corn cheese. The top layer of cheese was nice but once lifted that up, you can see the corn swimming in an ocean of mayo. Rule# 1 please drained the excessive water or moisture from the corn! Or maybe I am wrong, this is the Korean Chinese version of cream corn soup?
4. Steamed dumplings (made in house). I like dumplings whether it's Chinese, mangolian, Korean, etc... but these little deflated guys were quite flat, dry and wrinkly. They need to sign up for the senior home.
5. Deep fried creamy shrimps. They were okay, taste wise wasn't bad and the batter was a bit stretchy to prevent the sauce from making the shrimps soggy. The shrimps were also filleted in halves to maybe make it easier to eat or looked like a bigger portion (hehehe, it's a little trick by the Chinese Western restaurants back in the days).
6. Galbi tang (beef rib soup). The meat on the beef rib was a bit dry and tough. And the soup was quite light.
7. Gamja tang. I can see all the ingredients I like in the Gamja tang, the meat was very tender and fresh. The soup was really tasty and came steaming hot as it should be. I really love how fresh the meat was. I would say meat is better than Jang Mo Jib but the broth itself, Jang Mo Jib is better. Overall, this was the saving grace of the entire meal.
Overall, the place is pretty clean and well ventilated with a comfortable casual atmosphere. The only thing that bugs me and I am sure others too; the inside of the men's washroom is literally in your face when someone opens it if you are sitting at those tables have a view of the washroom area. Perhaps add a door or something to the entrance of the washrooms? I am not interested in seeing what lil jim is doing inside the men's washroom while eating.
The food can be improved according to what I have tried so far. I know sometime it takes time to adjust but keep in mind there are quite a bit of choices when it comes to Korean cuisine
As for the service, I think it needs to step up its game a bit such as engaging with the customers more; asking how are the food, everything okay, NEED MORE TEA, saying thank you and please come again. Maybe during this cold winter, hot water and tea are scarce? Only got a cup of tea from the start till the end. And I did tipped 18% which I think it was okay.
In conclusion, I would say 2 stars is fair given my experience here. When its a bit off centered? read more