Erin Q.
Yelp
I want to eat local, I really do, but this place tries my patience.
Dooby's positions itself as a Korean fusion cafe, equally showing off their breakfast, lunch, and coffee inside an unassuming, yet modern decorated room, boasting a full house even in the dead heat of mid-August. I went for lunch, which is a decision I question in retrospect. Surely, though, it wouldn't be that easy to mess up a rice bowl, would it?
My food was brought to the table with not even a passing word. Sure, fine; I don't care how rude or quiet you are as long as you don't insult me or spit in my food, but this isn't the place where they'll offer you water, much less check on you, and they even ask that you bus your own table. I can expect that out of IKEA, where the prices are lower because of that, but I paid $14.50 for my build-a-bowl.
More offensively, it wasn't great.
The ghost chili sauce is an overly salty, overly reduced, pulpy affair that brings to mind mole sauce, if mole had none of its chocolate notes. It's also not as spicy as the name sounds. Don't get me wrong: The quality of the ingredients is top-notch, with fresh foods feeling fresh and pickled foods being funky, but by making the vegetables swim in this pool of sauce, you've thrown the whole balance off. Less is more sometimes. On that note, while the pork belly was fried to a golden crisp, this may be the first time I'll complain about receiving too much of something. It's like why you don't want to eat more than 4 ounces of wagyu at a time.
Remarkably dissatisfied with my experience, I wanted to give Dooby's one more shot, so I ordered a strawberry and cream scone to take with me. I couldn't stop myself from taking a bite before getting a picture, and while I was taking the picture, I wanted more. That scone changed my idea of scones. I have never seen one so fluffy and crumbly in the mouth, almost cake-like while still holding firm, and with a rich strawberry cream inside every bite, too. It had enough sugar to make all of England revolt, but you'll not find me asking what I care of the English's opinion.
If, and I do mean if you go to Dooby's, stick with the pastries. I'm told the coffee's good, too, but I don't drink the stuff.