My family has been going to Kimchi Grandma for years and I remember that this is the spot we would frequent whenever we were craving legit Korean food. However, on my last visit to this establishment, the standards have dropped considerably, and sad to say, nothing on the menu tonight really stood out for me. The price was acceptable for Melbourne, service was okay, tho a little odd that we were served tea in a teapot a la Chinese restaurant style.
The banchan came first and it was very basic: just some kimchi, mashed potatoes, bean sprouts and fish cakes. None of them tasted good!
We ordered:
+ Hae-Mul pajeon: the pancake was not bad, a little soggy but it was packed with chunks of oysters and veggies, which I like.
+ Spicy squid: this was probably my favorite dish of the night. Delicious and fresh squid and the spiciness was on point.
+ Spicy pork: ugh, this tasted foul...pork had a weird smell and slimy texture. Skip!
+ Kalbi: not a fan of this kalbi. Again, slimy texture and if you can't tell from the picture, there is puddle of water underneath the meat. Yuck~
+ Dolsot bibimbap: quite yummy! The rice was on the mushier side, though. I did enjoy the sauce that it comes with tho...hella spicy!
+ Dae-ji galbi gui: huge slab of spicy pork ribs, but again with the porky smell. I think I'm going to avoid all porky dishes from this place from now on.
+ Jap Chae: delicious and flavors were on point.
Overall, everything was just ok for me. This place can get super busy even on weekdays night, so reservation (esp for bigger groups) is recommended. read more