HeaSun C.
Yelp
First let me start off with something good to say. The best thing I can recommend about Gen Korean BBQ is the staff. They are definitely efficient and helpful. Our server Cody was quick to serve and attentive. The ambience was lively, and it was clear people were enjoying their meal.
But here's the thing, as a Korean American, I was embarrassed that this place is calling itself a Korean BBQ house.
First to start, there were 4 sad banchan (side dishes), and then when they dropped off the dipping tray, for your meat, it was already a sign of the direction how the rest of the meal was going to go.
If you don't know Korean BBQ, it should be all about the simplicity of the grilled meat, with salt & pepper, Sesame Oil, and ssamjang (red chili paste/fermented bean paste - trust me a delicious Korean dip). We did not get sesame oil, it's some kind of cheap substitute oil, looking more like canola oil.
Next the meat and grilling experience, we didn't get a piece of lard to grease the pan, so the bulgogi we started grilling, just stuck and burned to the pan. I thought the bulgogi would be fatty enough that it wouldn't be a problem, but it still got stuck. It wasn't due to the heat, because it was low. Any lower and it would be off.
In a lot of cases, the meat quality wasn't there, with probably the premium meat ribeye being the best. One other note, we had to ask for Tongs to flip the meat and the scissors to cut the meat were so dull, it was almost worthless. The vent pipe was not working, as smoke from the grilled meat was still around us. It was low to the meat, but not sucking in the smoke.
We ordered the gyoza -- which seems off, like just call it Mandu, the Korean name, instead of a Japanese name if you're going to call yourself a Korean BBQ -- and it was not visually appealing. It looked like it was just tossed into an air fryer. At least get the bibigo frozen mandu and throw it into an oil fryer.
You could order unlimited meat, but be careful, as they will charge you $5 for every untouched meat refill.
There was no soft steamed egg, no lettuce for wraps, no onions, mushrooms or garlic to grill either.
All of this led to a less than satisfying experience.
Having said this, if you don't know good Korean BBQ, then I can see how you might be blown away. It can be a fun experience, and like I said a lot of folks seemed to be enjoying their dinner.
For this reason, I'm giving it just 3 stars. The restaurant chain may vary by location, and some may be better than others, but it's doubtful I will ever go back to this chain restaurant.