koryo kalbi korean bbq

this used to be our usual kalbi place for last several years. however during the last few visits we had experienced some poor food quality(kalbi ribmeatwas rubbery and chewy, and the octopus in the seafood hot pot was very hard to eat)and not so friendly service(it was a challenge to communicate with waitresses which caused some miscommunication). however today’s encounter topped the most ridiculous experience ever for us. we were asked to leave because we did not order enough entrees but got some free miso soup per manager sam. i have ordered marinated kalbi rib($21.95)(wanted try it again), seafood tofu soup($10.99)seafood pancake($12.99) and tried to order the steamed egg. we planned to eat relatively light tonight after having pilates. the waitress was very rude and indifferent and expressed unwillingness to order the steamed egg and we did not understand why. later the manager sam came to tell us that because we did not order enough entrees to order side dish(steamed egg)??. i agreed not to order it then. after that he looked our table and asked if we know that we can only get one complimentary soup per entree order. i said we did not know this. is this new rule? we have dined here for years. he said it has been some new changes since he became manager. then i questioned him that why he did not tell us last time we were here. he answered he was too busy and overlooked. then we asked him if he mentioned that rule to other customers there. he said he has not yet. so i questioned if he is discriminating against us. he immediately said he would like us to leave. we traveled a lot all over the world and dined at a lot of restaurants, this has been the strangest experience so far. for sam, i don’t think he cares at all about your dining experience, customer service, all he cares is how much you order. you might be busy enough now and do not care about losing some customers. in the near future: poor food quality + rude service = no more businesses. if you want to enjoy your meal(not in a smoky environment) with good service and quality food, go somewhere else!

interesting experience. we went in not knowing anything about how this works, and it was very difficult to enjoy because it went so fast - rather than explaining everything so that we could savor the experience, ourmeatwas cooked for us very quickly. we had fun with the new experience, but we are unlikely to return. it would have been great to know what all the foods were.

grilledmeatover real charcoal, not gas. the moment the server brought over hot, glowing coals and placed them in the grill built right into the table, i knew we were in for something very special. as an aficionado of korean barbecue for over twenty years, i have only seen that at two other places in the u.s.: soot bull jeep in los angeles, and brother's in san francisco.

it's an important distinction, because charcoal sears themeatand locks in the juices without adding the chemical aftertaste of gas. instantly, you know this meal is going to be a treat---and very authentic.

get the barbecue. what followed was a parade of high-quality meats, achingly tender and rich. the kalbi (short ribs) were among the best i have ever eaten. they are accompanied by a sesame dipping sauce, though i prefer to eat them piled in lettuce wraps imbued for gochuchang, korean sweet/hot sauce (request it).

korean meals always come with banchan, numerous small dishes of pickled or steamed vegetables. kimchee, fiery marinated cabbage, is the most well known. the others range from hot to cool to give you palate a rest. the bean paste served here is an insanely good version of that condiment (was that a touch of miso paste in there?).

overall, a stunning find in dallas, and a rare gem among korean restaurants.

very good food. the service is meh. the servers didnt explain much but it was 9:30p so maybe thats why.
started with the tofu appetizer which is phenomenal, rivaling any good agedashi tofu but with veggies and teriyaki sauce on it.
the bulgogi beef just great all around. tender, moist and sweet.
skip the hot bowl bibimbop though - not much flavor and low inmeatcontent.
would love to go back for even just the tofu.