I just had lunch with my family at Lani Sot, located in the former Butcher and Bird location at Salt Kaka'ako. They're in the process of a soft opening so the menu is currently limited to 2 different appetizers and 6 different hot pot style entrees. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating with table service. The decor is fairly elegant and upscale although the chairs aren't as comfortable as they looked. They also didn't have any high chairs for my granddaughter, so she stayed in her stroller at the table. Service was good, with all the dishes being explained in detail. We ordered the Tteokgalbi to start and then one each of the Garlic shrimp, Spicy pork, and Teri pork pot rice entrees. Although the Tteokgalbi didn't look anything like the menu picture, it tasted very good, albiet a bit dry. Instead of meat wrapped around asparagus spears, it was 3 small patties with very skinny asparagus draped over them, covered in sauce. All the dishes were very tasty and came with the traditional banchan side dishes. It also included a chopped meat soup with daikon and a dish much like chawanmushi (steamed savory egg custard). The Garlic shrimp rice was my favorite, although everything was delicious and filling. The spicy pork was fairly mild and, along with the Teri pork (and even the Tteokgalbi) were on the sweeter side. After scooping out the rice bowl ingredients and mixing them up to eat in a separate bowl, they will fill your hot pot with tea to allow you to scrape the sticky, crunchy last bite of rice from the bottom of the bowl to eat. **Pro tip** When scraping your bowl with the spoon, do it away from you rather than scraping towards you. This will prevent accidentally splashing hot tea over yourself. It would also help if they provided a larger soup spoon, much like you'd use for ramen, rather than the standard sized teaspoon. It would make it so much easier to finish the tea. Hopefully they will add more dishes and get things smoothed out in the near future, but all in all, the food and service were good. On a side note, the new parking system at Salt leaves much to be desired. It's completely app driven and they've raised parking prices in addition to charging a service fee for using it! It almost doubled what we used to pay before. ‍ read more

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Checked out Lani Sot during their soft opening and had a good first experience. The menu is limited, but worth checking out if you're in the area. We ordered the spicy pork pot rice and the mushroom pot rice sets. The spicy pork had a nice kick without being overwhelming, super flavorful and satisfying. The mushroom pot rice reminded me of a lighter, sweeter mushroom risotto, comforting but not too heavy. At the end, they pour in some barley tea so you can enjoy the leftover rice in the pot like a soup. They give a variety of banchan; our set came with kimchi, potato salad, japchae, chawanmushi, and spicy beef radish soup. It's $24.99 for each pot set and $3.50 for drinks, which felt fair for the portions and quality. We got there around 11:30am and it wasn't too busy, but by noon it started to fill up fast, which is good sign! We were in and out in under an hour. Parking was free with no validation needed, but there's a QR code on the exit door if you need it for a longer stay. Definitely planning to come back when the full menu is up! read more

Lani Sot - Spicy pork pot rice set - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I was super excited to try this place and went for their soft opening. Food was really good but they have a long way to go with customer service. The food took way too long to come out and we were all very famished. I say maybe have a snack before you go. Our lunch ended up taking almost 3 hrs... We also had to cancel the dduk galbi appetizer because they forgot about it and we didn't want to wait longer for it. We really enjoyed the food though! Maybe when they hire more people in the kitchen and more servers, it'll be a better experience! read more

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Food was amazing! The service was quicker than usual. The ambiance is chill, and they do take reservations for groups. read more

Lani Sot - Front of Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We ordered the hinoki wood steamed dish (only 25 served a day, $99, and suggested for 2-3 people) and two rice bowl meals (eggplant and bulgogi) and easily fed 5 adults. The hinoki steamed dish was so cool! The top tier consisted of a big squid, some clams, shumai, mandoo, eggplant slices, mushrooms slices and a cabbage flower. The bottom tier was comprised of thinly sliced beef and pork separated by asparagus all on a thin bed of cabbage. It is left to steam tableside over a pot of soy based stock. It was served with three dipping sauces: 1) citrus soy 2) miso vinegar? And 3) peanut chili. Afterwards they cook somen in the stock that has the drippings from both tiers in it. Delicious! The rice meals were so beautiful as they were served with a side of savory egg custard, a soup, and three ban chan. The eggplant was delicious. We also ordered the bulgogi. Afterwards they pour barley tea into the stainless steel bowl to loosen the hard baked on rice from the sides. The flavor made me nostalgic for Japan in the summer time. It is very mild so don't expect a "soup." The server was newer but did a god job explaining what to expect and how and when to eat things. (You need to wait for the hinoki steamer food to cook which took around 11 minutes? And for the hard rice to loosen from the bowl at the end). read more

Lani Sot - Eggplant rice bowl meal - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I was excited to see a Korean "sotbap" pot rice restaurant open here in Hawaii! After seeing their sign on the second floor of SALT, I visited Lani Sot during their soft opening. The interior is modern and clean with additional seating outside. The varieties of pot rice sets they offer include: Spicy pork, teri pork, eggplant, spicy eggplant, and garlic shrimp. Each set comes with a freshly steamed cast iron pot of rice topped with the main dish. Sides include banchan, bone broth with beef slices inside, and soymilk noodles. The menu also included ala carte orders of tteokgalbi (Korean meatball) and ribs. I love this style of meal because you get to scoop out everything from the rice pot, leaving only the crispy rice edges (nurungji) behind. Then, the staff will pour barley tea into the pot, creating a warm, comforting crispy rice soup to finish off the meal. I thoroughly enjoyed everything that came with the spicy pork set I got. The meat was flavorful, plentiful, and decently spicy. The variety of side dishes was honestly impressive considering the price of $25 for the set. I especially loved the addition of the soymilk noodles and bone broth. Needless to say, I was very full by the time I finished. I recently visited a restaurant similar to this one in LA, and I have to say this meal from Lani Sot was just as good, if not better. I am looking forward to trying them again when they fully open! read more

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Eel and bulgogi bowls were good, liked that the bulgogi wasn't too sweet. Free refills of the sides! Service was very friendly. read more

Lani Sot - Eel and pollock roe rice bowl - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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No offense, but I have tasted better Korean food elsewhere. Their food is standard and I think the only standout was the spicy eggplant, but other than that I feel like a lot of this place is just window dressing. First and foremost I think the prep for the rice bowl was a bit lacking as I noticed the rice was a bit soggy upon eating our rice sets. Side dishes were standard but nothing to scream about. I understand SALT Kakaako is a more upscale sort of area - so they have the decor set up to be inviting upon entrance. My water was never refilled and they forced us to switch seats for another party. It also seemed as if they really want to just get you out of there to appease more customers coming in. I will pass but the rest of these reviewers that think this is the best place to eat can have it lol. read more

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Delicious Korean lunch specials featuring stone bowls with a fusion/Japanese twist. At noon on a weekday the restaurant was pretty full, with lots of Korean aunties too, which seemed promising. For $25 per person you can pick from 8 different lunch special sets which include one stone bowl filled with rice, veggies, your choice of meat, and sides including steamed egg custard (chawanmushi), soup of the day, kimchi, seaweed/cucumber, and mac salad. They also fill up your stone bowl with barley tea so you can drink it as a post-meal refreshment. The meal was very filling, I thought it was worth the $25 with the variety and freshness of all the items. We had the teri chicken and the spicy pork- the spicy pork was both of our favorites- super tender and some pieces of pork belly, too. The marinade from the spicy pork coated the rice and it made for a very delicious mixed-rice meal. The egg custard was silky and savory, the soup was a beef/seaweed soup and very comforting, the kim chi and seaweed were both decent, the mac salad was disappointing. We also saw another table order their special for 2- two huge steamed wooden boxes filled with veggies and meat (Hikori wood steam box) which was $99. They have limited quantities per day and you can call ahead to reserve it. Service was fast and polite. They offer validated parking for the attached garage using QR codes at the cashier stand. Would return. read more

The food here is so good and the price is worth it! You get so much food for a reasonable amount and can add as needed. I recommend getting the meat jun and the spicy pork sets. read more

Lani Sot - Spicy Pork - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Wife and I happen upon Lani Sot while walking around salt. We were hungry so we stepped in and boy am I glad we did. The staff there are so friendly. They informed us they just open and was having a soft opening. Very cozy place with about six tables, nice warm, wood accents, and amazing food!. They have a set price menu and you have your choice of around six different types of meals. We settled on the spicy eggplant for my wife and I had the spicy pork. The star of the dishes is the rice. It comes cooked in this stainless steel pressure cooker that crisp up the edges of the rice so nicely. It is served with a bunch of Bachchan! My spicy pork was the perfect blend of spicy and a little sweet. The pork was very tender. My wife had the spicy eggplant that was cooked to perfection. We will definitely be back. read more

Lani Sot - Inside - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Brand new Korean restaurant! Big portions for the price, it was definitely comfort food, delicious, and everything tasted fresh! Because of my allergies, I stuck to the kimchi + rice (which they gave me a lot of), but my friends devoured their entrees and said everything was delicious. Definitely coming back to try more soon! read more

Lani Sot - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

First time here and it's a cute little place on the second floor in Salt in Kaka'ako. The lady that sat us was really sweet and explained the menu. Never seen this type of cooking but definitely love it and it's very unique. After we were done eating if you still have some rice left in the pot she offer us some barley tea and mixed it in the pot. That was a different way to drink tea but it hit the spot! She also gave us a side of the barley tea and it was so yummy. Definitely will go back to try another dish. read more

Lani Sot - Spicy chicken and garlic shrimp - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Was Still eating and was greeted with a bill already. Food was decent but with the portions here, you'll still be hungry after. I guess if you're an introvert you don't need to ask for a check , they'll just show it to your face. read more

We love the dinner sets with choice of protein with superb rice and sides. Always served with a hospital manner and smile. Appetizers are good too! read more

Lani Sot is in the old Butcher & Bird space at SALT. I believe they're still in their soft opening phase so with an expanded menu to come soon. But I do like their menu as it stands right now. It's pretty much different Korean pot rice sets....i chose the Teri Pork for my first time here. The set comes with various banchan and a bowl of soup. I forget what the soup was but it was surprisingly good. So before you go, let me put you on game so you know what you're doing once your pot rice set comes....so you're gonna scoop your pot rice set into the bigger empty bowl...and then later on the wait staff will pour hot water into the left over pot rice and you can drink that after your meal like a tea. I tried it and it kinda wasn't my cup of tea. Haha. But you might like it, so try it at least. I'll be back to try the other dishes. read more

Service was great. The inside of the restaurant was clean. Food is a bit pricy. The special meat Jun was just okay. The meat was thicker than I had expected and a bit chewy. The sauce that came with the Jun was good, although they don't give you much. The sets come with side dishes, the potato salad was warm (which threw me off). The cucumbers and kimchi were nothing special. The egg custard that comes with the set was nice. Overall, friendly staff but the food is just okay. read more

While this restaurant may still be soft opening it did so well! The customer service was wonderful so nice and attentive while at the same time very patient with explaining how everything is suppose to be consumed. I 1000 percent enjoyed the experience alongside the quaint location. I would bring friends back to try it's such a filling meal and very satisfying and delicious. read more

Lani Sot - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The food was amazing!!! Omg it was very much authentic Korean food. The service was amazing. Since it was our first time eating there the owner walked us through the steps of how to eat the food and cleanse your palate. It's a very classy place and the ambiance was all super cute. Perfect place for a girls lunch read more

Lani Sot - The presentation was beautiful - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Went to the restaurant around 12pm. There were a few parties eating inside & maybe around 8 tables in total. We shared the tteokgalbi, garlic shrimp pot rice, & teri pork pot rice. I would recommend the tteokgalbi & the teri pork pot rice, as both were really saucy & delicious. The shrimp was pretty good too, but could've used more garlic sauce. The service was just ok. There was only one server working, so it was difficult to flag her down for more kimchi & the check. I think their POS system was down too, so they only took cash, which was pretty unfortunate. Overall, I would come back again if I'm in the mood for a nice set meal. read more

Lani Sot - Garlic shrimp pot rice, teri pork pot rice, tteokgalbi - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Food was tasty, not too spicy and service was excellent. We each had the set which comes with your choice of entree on rice in a hot bowl with soup, a chawan mushi kind of custard and three sides for $24.99. They poured tea in your rice bowl afterwards to eat chazuke style. My only confusion/disappointment was the parking system changed since the last time I visited SALT. I scanned the QR code inside the restaurant. The system didn't give any receipt, no attendant and I discovered later that I was charged $2.99 for about one hour and ten minutes total time with restaurant discount. read more

Lani Sot - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Clean and cute little Korean restaurant upstairs at SALT Kaka'ako. The staff, although minimal, is friendly and helpful enough. The food was great taste, quality, and portion control which leaves you full. I got the spicy pork which was seasoned to perfection. The rice was perfectly cooked, not too mushy or overdone. The banchan assortment of the day were decent (Kim Chee/Bean sprouts/potato salad) but what I found to be most comforting and satisfying were both the steamed egg custard or gyeran jjim and the beef squash soup- they were simply delightful and completed the entire experience for me! I would advise getting an approximate estimate on how long your food might take as it might not be the best choice when you're on a time constraint. I decided to go on a busy Sunday morning for brunch which, in retrospect, was probably not the best time to go but the server did acknowledge and apologized for my food taking so long (+30 min). She offered me a slight discount for the long wait which I must say, is the primary reason they earned 5 stars rather than 4, from me. The fact that they were the ones to acknowledge and offer me the discount without me having to mention anything, meant more to me than they realize. When it comes to dining out, especially at a new restaurant, it's only expected for there to be some kinks. The key is how staff and management anticipates, acknowledges, and responds to their guests in these situations. Lani Sot is THE spot for good Korean food and service! read more

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Lani Sot is a great option if you don't have to cook on the table. The price is right around $25 at Salt area for a set dinner. I didn't try other appetizers but will try that next time for sure. The food was good and the service was good. Each set comes with rice in a hot bowl so you could enjoy the crusty rice at the end. It is a nice addition to the Salt area. read more

Great service, the food is very tasty with lots of flavor, and the ambiance outside is nice because you're up on a loft area at Salt. Definitely a restaurant that I will be recommending to friends. read more

Lani Sot - Garlic shrimp with rice - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My friend and I stumbled upon this eatery while walking around Salt. Was curious so we checked it out. Found a nice breezy table outside and parked ourselves. The eatery was empty at 5. The woman who attended to us was very kind, patient, and knowledgeable- I suspect she's the owner. We ordered mushroom pot rice set and bibim dumplings. When the food arrived, we were blown away: the presentation was upscale. What a treat for the two of us. And most importantly, the food was delicious. It tastes like everything was homemade from scratch using quality ingredients. The woman said each rice order is made to order, it's not from a huge pot of rice that's been sitting around. The soup from the rice set was good too- it's the side items that signal if the eatery cuts corners on quality, and here they do not. After the meal, she brought us small cups of a fancy orange slush (I forget what it's called)- citrusy, not sugary. It was a nice ending to an amazing meal. I'm glad we found this place because now I have another exciting dining option at Salt to look forward to. Truly can't wait to be back! read more

This restaurant is amazing! I really like the food and service. I recommend to order eggplant! read more

Lani Sot - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Stumbled upon this place walking around Salt. I saw a couple reviews online and thought it was a great time to check it out for myself. Inside was clean and spacious. I went during their soft opening but we got seated pretty quickly. I got spicy pork pot and my friend got the garlic shrimp. The set itself was a really good size. It came with some banchans and soup. One of the workers also came out to explain how it was meant to be eaten. Overall really good experience. The portions were good and the meal has good flavors. Taste I would rate maybe 8 out of 10. read more

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The food was excellent. The soup cooled off too fast but it was tasty. Just the right amount of spice. The steam egg was excellent. Flavorful, not sweet, and great texture. The barley tea was brewed to the right flavor to go with the rice. I just wish the rice was a little more scorched. Service was a little slow but it is a soft opening. Would definitely come here again. read more

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Let's start with the good. Located at Salt in Kaka'ako. Nice and clean area. Good vibes. Street parking or park at the lot, which the 1st hour is free with validation. Then a lot of other places after to get a drink or dessert right down stairs. You can sit outside and inside. Restaurant is very clean and ambiance is nice. Now the food. We got the Sotteok Sotteok, Bulgogi, Eel & Pollock, and side of the Kalbi. I've seen and read people say it's comparable to the food in Korea. I beg to differ. The Sotteok Sotteok could've been a bit sweeter, it was more on the salty side. The Bulgogi was bland and plain. All the sot-bap definitely needed something extra like gochujang or even soy sauce. I know it'll became just more like bibimbap at that point, it just needed something to help it - more seasoning? The Eel was better, but the portion size of the pollock was really small. The side LA kalbi was on the drier side and was bland as well. Overall, even if Sot-bap isn't intended to be eaten with gochujang, the flavor and seasoning was bland. The marinade on the meats was lacking as well. It's not what I would paint as authentic Korean food as others would put it. A twist is more like it. I've been pretty critical, but I'll say the food is alright for what it is. I will also say there was refills of side dishes, tea, and soup. The service was good too. And at the end, they give you a little cup of slush that tastes like Tang (powered orange drink). Now you're here at the end. You guys might be thinking, what does he know about Korean food or Sot-bap? I was born in Korea, been to Korea multiple times. And I went with my full Korean family who all had things to say. As with my other reviews, I'm just being real about the food. read more

Restaurant is very new and you can tell, they only had one server most of the time we were there and he was helping over 10 tables at once! Even with this he was nice and helpful but you could tell he was tired and therefore not the friendliest. The food was very tasty we had the hamburger patty and short rib appetizers to share they were tasty! I had the spicy eggplant set and others with me had the spicy pork set. Flavors were all really good and even the ban chan side dishes were good! The cucumber and yuzu was my favorite! read more

Lani Sot - Spicy Eggplant Rice Pot Set - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Lani sot is a nice twist to a modern Korean dish. I got the spicy garlic shrimp pot that was packed with so much flavor of goodness. The meal pot came with side banchan, egg, and soup. I personally think the price is reasonable for the amount of food that was given. The wait staff was very friendly and described each dish to us. The place was clean and well set. Highly recommend read more

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Great Korean food. Get the bulgolgi stew. Not the rice one. Just the classic bulgolgi beef in the soy sauce. Would come back again. read more

The food was AMAZING. We ordered the spicy pork pot rice and the garlic shrimp pot rice. We also ordered the tteokgalbi which I've been wanting to try but I haven't seen it on any other menus. The rice was perfectly cooked and the meat was tender and flavorful. But I have to say my favorite part was the steamed egg on the side. It was delicious on its own but after mixing it in, I was blown away. The place is simply designed and clean, but we sat outside on the balcony which was so nice and cool (also convenient for people watching) The owner came outside to show us how to eat the dishes as well as to check on us. The prices are reasonable and the portions are perfect, we will definitely be back. *I had to add that this new concept of the food being cooked in the pot and brought out was refreshing and so fun to experience. read more

Our cruise ship port was right next to that plaza. Food was amazing and service was very friendly. Banchan set was amazingly yummy and flavors of the food were great. Even though they didn't have any kids options they kindly made a special egg katsu and everyone enjoyed it. They also treated our kid with ice cream. Would definitely come back when we are back in Honolulu read more

Lani Sot - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I went here for lunch on a Friday. I called and made a reservation in advance just in case it was busy. The ambiance was beautiful and the restaurant was super clean. My friend and I each ordered a garlic shrimp pot rice set and a side of the lanisot fusion meat jun to share. Everything was so yummy and $25 for the set was such a good deal for the amount of food you get. Service was 10/10. They explained how to eat the pot rice and poured tea into the pot to scrape the remaining rice (similar to ochazuke). Just fyi- the meat jun reminded me more of a korean pancake meat jun, not your normal meat jun. (hence fusion.. but it was super yummy!) Will be back to try the other foods. read more

Lani Sot - lanisot fusion meat jun - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This is a hidden gem in Honolulu for Korean food! Being typical Koreans, my husband and I were craving some Korean food after eating heavy foods and came across Lani Sot. I ordered the spicy pork and my husband ordered the spicy garlic shrimp. Both were delicious and the side dishes were really yummy too! Tea broth was poured into the rice pot afterwards, which was soothing to eat. The lady who was our server was soo nice and attentive, constantly asking if we wanted a refill on banchan. She also gave us a tangerine sorbet at the end and it was one of the most refreshing desserts I've had! Don't sleep on this place. We will be back when we're in Hawaii again! read more

Lani Sot - Tangerine sorbet - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Food was decent as everything came in a timely manner despite going around lunch hours. We got two sets (garlic shrimp and teri pork pot rice). The garlic shrimp and teri pork was well seasoned and side dishes were good as well. The sides come with asparagus, potatoes, kimchi (not very spicy which is good for non spicy eaters), steamed egg, and a soup for the day (so I assume changes frequently). Overall the food was homey and the rice came out hot but not piping hot where you get the crispy rice effect from a hot stone pot. Towards the end of our meal, the waitress also came to our table providing us the traditional way of eating the meal where you scoop all the rice out to the bowl and tea was poured into the steel pot to steam. Personally I thought the tea was a little bland and preferred the soup provided on the side instead. I understand this place is still doing soft opening so they aren't fully fleshed out just yet but thought they were a little stingy on the water refills (only fills up half the glass and doesn't pour to the top or 3/4) and at the time we went, there are no ticket validations offered despite their location is at SALT with the parking right next door. I also noticed in the menu pictures, it seems like a lot of the sets come with what looks like seaweed but didn't get that so was just slightly disappointed. The interior of the restaurant is definitely a clean and a modern look with outside seating as well. I would say it's a decent place for catching up with a friend as the environment isn't too loud. read more

Lani Sot - Garlic shrimp pot rice - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This spot has quickly become our absolute favorite! My husband and I are huge fans of Korean food, and everything here, from the side dishes to the soup of the day is incredibly flavorful and satisfying. Every bite tastes like heaven!! Even though they're still in their soft opening, we're already hooked. The menu is just right! so well-curated that I wouldn't mind if they didn't add a single thing. Since discovering this new place near home we've made it our weekly thing to come in after work and treat ourselves to a delicious and hearty meal. The food, the atmosphere, and the experience are all top-tier. We also love their patio seating. Customer service is outstanding and everyone is so welcoming and friendly! Especially the owner, you can tell her passion and care for the restaurant. Highly recommend!! read more

Lani Sot - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Good addition to salt serving rice made in a metal sot - you can enjoy the scorched rice with tea at the end of the meal. Service was friendly but seemed to rush the bill - I had finished eating but my friend still had food on his tray and they asked us a couple times if we were ready for the check. People weren't waiting and we had been there thirty minutes. My friend said it was prolly bc I had wolfed down my food so quickly. It was tasty and I enjoyed the steamed egg and the little banchans. I hope they expand their menu a bit - right now it's limited. There's plenty of food on the tray and I ended up having leftovers. For about $25-30 per tray I think that's about right. It's upstairs where butcher and bird used to be. The space itself is small and there are some outdoor tables as well. Seemed to be a group of Korean ajushis there after playing golf so prolly pretty legit. read more

Food is hearty, healthy, and delicious here. The set comes with a lot of things and the soup changes frequently; I think the price is reasonable for the amount and quality. Restaurant is super clean. This is a great spot for business and social meals. I hope the place thrives and stays. read more