Eric H.
Yelp
We decided to try the place out on a whim, arriving at 8:06pm on a Saturday. We first observed that it was swamped at that time (they close at 9pm). When you enter, there is a single circular table on the left for a large group, past the wooden divider. Additionally, just after the "Please Wait to Be Seated" sign, there is a whiteboard, where it seems folks are encouraged to write their name and their party size down, using the dry erase marker, as a make shift waiting list.
While we stood at the front waiting, we perused their online menu, deciding what to order. After about 6 minutes, someone came by to let us know they were cleaning and prepping a two-top.
We decided on Galbitang, Bibimbap with beef in stoneware, and Mugwart Injeolmi.
The banchan was rather disappointing. It has significant room for improvement. Most of them are under-seasoned, or they have a rather weird flavor profile. The potatoes were in a sweet, sour, slightly spicy sauce (but mostly sweet). They were cooked, but certain parts of some potatoes had that slight undercooked crisp to them. The japchae was not what I would describe as savory. It lacked garlic-soy-sauce-sesame-oil goodness. The mayo noodles (kelp noodles?) were pretty much just slathered in mayo. The soybean sprouts were pretty much unseasoned (imagine just boiling them in some water, and then serving it). There was no salt. The kimchi was neither spicy, sour, or salty. It seemed like a very quick, minimal ferment.
However, their purple rice seemed to be cooked well. Portions are well-sized.
Galbi Tang -- when it arrived, it was emitting beefy stench. There was also quite a bit of foam on top. The broth however, had a nice flavor. The radishes were thickly cut and well cooked, but some were stringy on the outside. The beef short ribs were tender, and seasoned well enough for the soup, but it did not exhibit their own flavor. The meat easily separated from the bone and was cut and serrated in a way such that you could break off individual rectangles with your chopsticks. Best part was the broth and mixing the rice in. It also came with tongs and a shallow metal bowl for placing the rib bones onto.
Bibimbap -- plenty of veggies, topped with some beef, and a raw egg yolk. Carrot, radish, zucchini, soybean sprouts, fernbrake/royal fern/braken fiddleheads, spinach. Larger quantity of toppings compared to rice (which is good). They used purple rice, and the bowl was the right temperature to crisp up the rice. Sauce came in a red squeeze bottle.
Mugwart Injeolmi -- basically a very hard, chewy mugwart brownie. The brownie was not super sweet; it had a nice herbal-like flavor. The vanilla ice cream was some flavorless ice cream. The almonds only added crunch and did not impart anything extra. The roasted soybean powder was a nice touch, but didn't seem to add anything to the dessert. I think if they emphasized the brownie, and amped up the vanilla and almond flavors a bit more, it might be a more interesting dessert. But the brownie itself had some very serious chew and toughness to it.
Service: I'd say a part of it needs work. The tables seem to be bussed only after everyone has left the table (makes sense). They don't seem to have a protocol for serving dessert after the main meal. Whatever is on the table stays there, and they will simply hand you your dessert if there is lack of space to place the plate. On the other hand, they do check around if you'd like more banchan, refills, or anything else that you might need. Everyone working there seems pretty hospitable.
Conclusion: Seems to be a popular place. If it's busy, they have a waitlist system. Don't come here for their banchan, it's pretty subpar. Broth flavor was nice, but the smell and foam was not. Certain parts of service could be improved. Filling portions, but not super flavorful. Better Korean cuisine exists (outside of Austin).