KOOKSOO

Finally checked this place out after about 2 years of hearing about it, and honestly, pretty disappointed. We started with the Korean Bulgogi appetizer—it wasn’t terrible, but had a weird medicinal taste, almost like it was marinated in something to cover up a smell. I ordered the Stir-Fried Beef with Noodles, and it was the biggest letdown. The noodles and sauce didn’t mix well at all, and it tasted more like Korean jaeyuk with cheese and noodles randomly thrown in—not a combo I’d try again. Others in my party had the King Ribs Jjamppong, Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup, and Seafood Kalguksu—everyone agreed they were pretty mid. The whole setup is self-service—you order at a kiosk, pick up your food, and return your own plates. That’s fine, but seeing a tip option on the kiosk was kind of ehh considering there's no service. Was excited to try this place, but overall it fell flat. Not planning on coming back.

We had an amazing meal at KOOKSOO! We ordered a variety of noodles — Jjambbong, Jajangmyeon, seafood noodles, and more — and paired them with combo choices like galbi and bulgogi. Every dish was so flavorful and authentic. The kalguksu soup had such a rich, deep taste, and the noodles were perfectly chewy — just like the ones I’ve had in Korea. It’s a wonderful place to go with family — our whole group, from grandparents to parents to kids, all enjoyed the food and the warm, welcoming atmospher

I don’t see the point of the self-service concept at this restaurant. If we’re expected to carry our own food to the table, then why is the staff coming around to collect the carts afterward? It feels redundant and poorly thought out. As for the seafood noodles, the seafood tasted very fishy and lacked any depth of flavor. Overall, very disappointing. One star.

Tastes super yummy!! Love the texture of the noodle very chewy but soft as well. The soup base is also savory and rich! One minor suggestion is the server could tell us beforehand that everything is self served including cleaning the tray, so that we can adjust tips based on that.

i had an amazing experience at kooksoo! the way to order is easy and we sat down and they brought the food to us. very spacious and the food was delicious!!

What an interesting take on noodles and delicious soups and galbi. The price is fair, food is pretty delicious and although the restaurant is a little small because of the unit layout but they do their best to accommodate. Really glad we gave this place a try after their opening. Felt bad for the one worker manning all the tables but he gave perfect service.

Finally tried this place! Did a pickup order on a rainy day and got the beef kooksoo and chicken noodle soup. Both were very flavorful and comforting. That said, the portions felt a bit small, especially for the price. I’m not sure if the dine-in portions are bigger, but if I do takeout again, I’d definitely order a larger size and/or extra noodles. Tasty, but feels a bit overpriced for what you get.

I was shocked that there were no waiters but all a kiosk to take orders. Besides that, I ordered the Cold Kong-guksu since it was a hot day. For the price, the serving size was double the portion I normally see at other restaurants. The dish was flavorful as I did not have to add more salt and very refreshing to my mouth.

With a big banner hanging out front, its hard to miss this delicious noodle store. It is a self-service store, so you order at a kiosk right at the entrance, grab a seat, and wait for your order number to be called. I had to get the classic Beef Kooksoo while I was there, and the noodles were amazingly chewy, yet not hard nor overcooked. The soup flavor is very rich, and taking each bite with kimchi was just immaculately refreshing. The seafood noodles has a nice, cleaner taste, if you prefer a noodle dish that is less rich and heavy on the stomach. Kimchi is endless as it is also self-service, but be sure not to grab more than you can eat. At the self-service bar, you can grab water, cups, extra bowls or utensils, scissors, and the delicious kimchi. Tucked away in the corner is also the takeout containers as the regular versus large sizes are merely a few bucks difference, making it hard not to choose the larger size when your eyes are bigger than your stomach. The only critique I have is that there is only 1 kiosk for ordering, so with a big group in front of me the last time I went to order, I was almost too excited to wait! This store is part of a side lot with parking so not as big as a worry as other palisade park restaurants.

I came by with my friends around 7pm and there was only about one other group there. We ordered on the kiosk and sat down for our numbers to be called. I liked the self-service aspect of this place, it definitely made things more efficient. We all ordered a different dish and they all tasted great! The signature beef kooksoo (large) was very flavorful and a huge portion of noodles. My friend tried the galbi jjim and he said "fantastic/outstanding, I'd definitely eat again." My other friend tried the king rib jjampong and he said it had a delicious broth/noodles but the meat was alright (but still good overall). He felt that the "regular spicy" was the perfect amount of spicy. I definitely enjoyed the convenience of this spot and id definitely come back.

Kooksoo totally won us over! Right from the start, the staff was super cool, breaking down their ordering process and even lending a hand with our bags after our engagement photo shoot - major points for that! They also surprised us with these cute little hand creams as a sweet wedding gift. It's those extra touches that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The noodles were incredible as well. Chewy and not soggy at all - just the perfect texture. We basically inhaled our bowls lol It was that good. Already making plans for a comeback with the squad. Highly recommend giving it a go!

I thoroughly enjoyed the kooksoo -- huge portions, spicy and slightly thick broth, perfectly bouncy noodles. Generous with the vegetables and beef both. I got the combo with the Galbi (beef short rib) and the amount of Galbi was generous. The beef itself was delicious. Everything was well-seasoned and on point. The price can't be beat. It's a self-service establishment, but everything is quick and simple and ordering at the kiosk is pretty easy. It's a large and clean space and definitely great for a date or casual dinner.

The moment you walk in, you have to self-order on a machine and wait for your order to be called. The interior is small but very clean and modern. Although there are no waiters, they are people assisting you in giving you your food and they are so kind. I watched one of the workers give a free drink to a child which was so sweet. Not only that, the noodles are so delicious! It's perfectly chewy and I even ordered another bowl of noodles because it was so good. Would love to come back and try more noodle options next time!

Get: King Ribs Jjamppong Woah. I'm not a jjamppong fan (It's a spicy noodle soup). When my family gets this dish, I usually stick with the black bean noodles or "jja jjang myun". My friend took me here because of how delicious the King Ribs version was. The King Ribs Jjamppong dish was stellar. The broth was "art" and the meat from the ribs melted off the bone because it was so tender. The seafood utilized in the dish was all high quality vs. the cheap seafood you get at so many other Korean Chinese restaurants. I usually reserve five star reviews for a place that has something you can't get anywhere else. This is that dish! It has converted me to a Jjamppong person. Also, it's instagram perfect because of the giant rib bone that comes with your noodles. When you enter, the resturant, you're welcomes with a nice clean asthetic. With cool looking ropes (noodles?) hanging from the ceiling. It's a little confusing on what you're supposed to do. Put your name on the waitlist first and only when the hostess says you can enter your order, do you use the touch screen to put in your food selections. They do this so that the food comes out when there is seating available and assigned. I found the services to be really good even if the concept is self service. I will wholeheartedly come back to get this dish again and also try some others :)

This is a self service restaurant where you order at the kiosk and choose your table to get seated. Once your order is ready, your number will be dinged up and you go to pick up your food. For us, we had a lot of orders so they came out with a tray with all the bowls. Extra utensils, bowls, to-go containers, etc are all self service too so they're just laid out in the deeper end of the restaurant. The broth was very rich and yummy, with the noodles being very chewy! The portion size was bigger than expected so we weren't able to finish our food. Even though it's self service, there are still some workers around to help you if you are confused!! And when we went it was their one year anniversary, so the worker gave us 3 cute Korean hand lotions (':

Deliciousness! So glad I got to try this place. Came for the first time and found out they do self service now! It's super small and very clean and modern but authentic feel at the same time. I got the beef kooksoo with la galbi combo and it was delicious. The broth was so flavorful. Although I really wished they had a non spicy option. It was only regular, less, and extra spicy that you could choose from. The LA galbi definitely tasted better than the bulgogi in my opinion. Noodles had the perfect texture. Was so impressed. The tangerine tea that came with the meal was sooo good too. The owner was so nice to hand Out some hand cream to celebrate their one year anniversary of opening. I cannot wait to come back to try the rest of their menu!

This is a great place for a hot bowl of soup on a cold day. I ordered the Lobster Jjamppong and the broth was very flavorful. The lobster meat itself was quite disappointing since it was small and overcooked, as if the meat was broken down already by being in the broth for a long time (1 star off) -- maybe it is supposed to be like that? Strangely, I liked the kalbi meat that came with my soup a lot more. Unlike the lobster meat, the kalbi meat was actually all intact! I may want to try the King Ribs Jjamppong next time. The self-service machine is pretty easy to use. It is like a giant iPad where you touch what you want to order. It asks you to input the gratuity ahead of time while a worker stands behind you staring at how much you will tip. This I find awkward -- not only are you being watched, but how would you know what the service will be like before you are actually served?

This have been on my to try list for the longest. Not entirely impressed but do wanna come back to try their jambong next time! Beef kooksoo 3.5/5: broth had something in there that I don't love but could just be me and the pictures were a bit misleading because there wasn't that many beef in there than I expected. And smaller than expected to be shared with 2 people Galbi 4.5/5: love love the galbi combo with it!! This is a must get here!

Came here with high expectations which were absolutely met and exceeded. When you walk in, you're expected to order at the digital kiosk, after which the server at the front will take you to your table. There's a self-serve area where you can collect all necessary supplies you will need for your meal (plastic aprons, bowls, water, etc...). Your number will be broadcasted and announced when your food is ready, after which you can go to the back where your food is and bring it to your table. First off, everything runs so smoothly here. It's so incredibly and efficient - I have never seen anything like it before. Second, everything is so clean. It was almost as if there was a culture of keeping your own surroundings clean for the next party to use. The food was incredible. I thought the rib and seafood noodle soup would be all flash with no substance but the meat was actually incredibly flavorful and paired so well with the noodles, soup, and seafood. For the size of the dish I thought it was priced really well too. We were in and out very quickly too. I have nothing but great things to say about Kooksoo. Truly amazing!

We were in the area running errands and needed to a quick spot for lunch. Since we've been to BCD many times before, we decided to give Kooksoo a try. You order at the kiosk and then you're given a number for your order. They will call your order number when it's ready and you're given your order at the counter. If you order more dishes, it comes out on a little roller! I had the beef kooksoo with the la galbi combo, which I split. Mom had the bulgogi rice bowl. Everything was very good. The noodles were perfectly cooked and super bouncy. Would definitely come back the next time we're in the area.

A nice place to eat. Self service kiosk makes it quick and easy. The staff were very nice and pleasant. The food was delicious. The noodles and broth were very tasty. It is a little pricey but I think the combo gives u the best value.

Great spot for quick korean comfort food. The restaurant is self-serve so you place your order at a kiosk and then they bring your orders on a cute rolling cart. The combo meals are a great deal which include a big bowl of noodles, your choice of meat, a drink, and side of kimchi. My husband got the tangerine tea which was good. The staff is very friendly and were helpful in guiding us through the ordering process. The restaurant is situated in a complex with other restaurants, that has a shared parking lot.

I had been to the Kooksoo in Plano before the Fort Lee one opened, so I had been super excited to try the Fort Lee location. It's different from the Plano location in that you order off of a kiosk, and everything else is essentially self-serve. I didn't love that this wasn't clearly disclosed or that you're forced to prepay tip at the kiosk (unless you have cash, I suppose...). Knowing this, I think I'll adjust in the future. The restaurant is clean and all of the self-service stations are very organized. I don't think anyone really "waited" on us the entire time that we were there. The food was just as great as the Plano location. We got the Galbi combo with beef kalguksu. The broth was flavorful and the noodle texture was perfect. Despite being full, we already wanted it again soon after we finished eating. Food is worth taking a trip for; I would adjust expectations and tip accordingly based on "service." For what it's worth, this model is not something I necessarily consider to be a negative; just something I wish I knew.

Absolutely love the food and service. The owners did a wonderful job and the beef noodles are out of this world. Highly recommend

Mikey Chen and his food vlogs brought me to KOOKSOO --- not the one in Texas, but the one here in Fort Lee, NJ. Well first off, you can't miss the place --- there's a banner with Mikey Chen right outside! When you enter, you are greeted by the staff, and are told to self-order before being seated. Menus are located right when you enter. For us there was no wait --- it was about 1PM, and we were immediately seated. Afterwards, you receive a number and just wait till your number is called to retrieve your food/drink. My friend and I ordered two combo meals: I got the A1 - Beef Kooksoo + Korean BBQ Bulgogi + Drink ($26.85), and he had gotten the B2 - King Ribs Jjamppong + LA Galbi + Drink ($36.85). On top of all that --- we're appetizer people --- we got a small order of their Korean Fried Dumplings ($4.95). The noodles were definitely handmade, and the flavor and spice of the broth was rich and delicious. Everything comes out beautiful --- and as you can see --- everything is Instagram-worthy. The food is not just beautiful, but delicious as well.

The place is small, so they fill up quickly. If you come for dinner, arrive at 430pm to be seated promptly. Sharing the combos is the best deal and gives you the variety of noodles and bbq. Our little one loves noodles, so she's always slurping away, and she finds their high chairs very comfortable so we can enjoy our dinners. In a busy plaza but plenty of parking, including the lower parking level. Byob with a liquor store right next door.

New korean noodle spot in fort lee. I ordered the spicy kooksoo, which is a spicy noodle soup with beef and veggies. Overall, I thought that the noodles were good, and had good amounts of fresh veggies and thinly cut, slightly fatty beef. My only complaint would be that the broth tasted too much like miso. Growing up, I was used to this style of korean noodle having a soup broth having a more anchovy/fishy flavor profile but that's just my personal preference. I also liked how spicy the peppers were. I believe they put serranos! I am definitely coming back here. The service was great and they have an interesting system of getting your food. You order and pay at a kiosk at the front, get seated, and the back will comm your number and you can just pick up your food and eat and leave! Cheers!

Surprisingly yummy! Lobster is fresh and big. The beef rib is so huge and so soft! Delicious! Great combo. We also ordered the beef one which wasn't too good. The soup is Korean soy bean soup. Disappointed and not recommend to order it. Will come again for the lobster.

We got the King Rib Jjamppong LA Combo and it was sooo good - it was a lot of food, can definitely feed 3 people. It's pretty much self service which is nice. Pretty quick!

I called Kooksoo to place a takeout order and was told that I needed to arrive at the location to place an order because the restaurant was busy. Um, okay? I was thoroughly confused but understood once I entered the restaurant. For both dine in and takeout, the restaurant uses a kiosk system so it made sense that you would have to arrive to order. The kiosk is convenient to use and allows for quick customization of your order, and best of all, no tip required! I ordered the king galbi jjampong, which delivered exactly what was promised even on the takeout level. The ribs were big and well cooked (although they would have been better if they were fall off the bone), and the soup contents had seafood (mussel and shrimp) and zucchini, cabbage, and chives for vegetables. The side kimchi was a little on the sweet side, but I appreciated the sturdiness of the takeout utensils when diving into a heavy noodle dish. The spiciness of the regular spicy broth is less than Shin Ramyun hot, so if you're looking for something fiery, definitely up the spice customization on the kiosk. I am no fan of obnoxiously spicy foods and thought that I should have upped the spice level. Frankly, I am confounded by the Romanization choice for noodle in Korean, which is the name of the restaurant and actually "guksu" in both Revised Romanization and McCune-Reischauer. However, with this solid takeout order, I will be back to try other noodles in the future, despite the different Romanization.

TLDR: Very Instagram worthy plates. Noodles had wonderful texture. Lobster Jjampong is tasty but it is messy to eat. Stir-fried beef noodles was probably the favorite. Small restaurant so expect to wait for a seat. I'm always on the lookout for new places that open and when I came across Kooksoo, I was a bit curious. After seeing the pictures of all the advertising banners outside, I did remember it from the MC video. We got the fried mandoo, the combo for the stir-fried beef and the lobster jjampong. Mandoo. Kind of pricey at $5 for 4 pieces. Skins were thicker than I'd like. Cool shape but relatively bland. The shape was also not ideal for the sauce dish, barely could get any surface area dressed. Bulgogi. Garlicky, slightly sweet, solid. A bit thicker on the beef slices than I'd like but that's personal preference. Stir-fried beef noodles. Weirdly enough, this was not a perfect dish for me but it was definitely the one I enjoyed the most. It's spicy, there's richness from the beef, the noodles were bouncy, overall a very tasty dish. This was somewhere in between a stir-fried noodle and an almost Korean bolognese? They actually did top this with cheese too. The cheese I thought was unnecessary but I liked the flavors. My only issue is I think there was a bit more oil than normal. Granted these are very starchy noodles but the oil kind of pooled at the bottom which made this a bit too heavy. If it were a bit less oily, it would have been perfect. Maybe I would actually ask for some vinegar, this dish needs a bit of acidity to cut through all that richness. Lobster jjampong. This is a pretty dish to look at. Now while it is messy, they do provide gloves, scissors, a bowl for shells and aprons. It's basically a whole lobster but you don't get as much of the auxiliary seafood. Maybe 3 mussels and 2 shrimps? The problem with these kinds of dishes (lobster noodle soups) is more often than not the shellfish gets overcooked in the broth. Typically the protein is not pulled at the right moment it's cooked. So while the crustacean did soak up all those flavors, the meat basically got obliterated into an almost lobster-flavored cottage cheese texture. In short - I'd come back to Kooksoo but probably redo our order with the exception of the stir-fried noodles. I'd maybe try the king rib next time.

My husband and I love noodles (kooksoo) so we were super excited to hear that there is a new noodle place that opened in Fort Lee. Vibe & service: 5/5 Neat and simple menu and simple yet super cozy and clean interior. The wait was not too bad and servers were super friendly. They explained the menu well and even replaced cold drink to hot herbal tea for free since it was really cold out. Food: 4/5 We ordered beef kooksoo and King Ribs Jjamppong combo with Bulgogi and drink. Kimchi is typically the only side dish you get at Korean noodle places so wasn't surprised that it was the only thing on the menu. It was not too spicy and perfectly complemented the rest of our dishes. Food came out about 20 min after we were seated. 1. Beef kooksoo had so much flavor with dwenjang (korean miso). Non Koreans might find the flavor a bit pungent but if you are familiar with it, you will love the rich umami of the soup. Noodles were super chewy and worked well w the broth. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! 2. King Ribs Jjamppong was not as spicy as we expected. So much flavor with fresh seafood and ginormous ribs. Only complaint is they put too much bean sprout on top that it takes a few min before you are able to find noodles. 3. Bulgogi was a bit disappointing. It came out a bit cold and lacked flavor. It was a bit salty and was not sweet. Grilled garlic pieces were awesome and added a nice extra flavor. Overall, i would def come back to try other dishes on the menu.

Kooksoo is a great casual noodle spot! Located in the same complex as BCD, Kooksoo is a small restaurant with a handful of tables. They don't currently offer takeout but they plan to in the future. The service is very hospitable! They are kind, and you can tell they want everyone to have a good experience. Most of us ordered the jjampong but next time I would stick to the kooksoo! I had the lobster jjampong. It looks nice but maybe it isn't lobster season right now! The beef in the king rib jjampong was cooked well and a good portion as well. The beef kooksoo is the way to go! We ordered a regular and the portion was quite big. The soup tasted like doengjang and the beef was fatty too. It was a hearty and memorable meal! The BBQ meats are quite good too! The bulgogi is seasoned really well and the LA galbi is good too. They offer sodas with the set meal or tea. The herbal tea is from Osulloc and they had a few flavors including tangerine and camellia. I'd want to try their special summer items and the stir fry noodles too! I recommend coming early since you might need to wait if you come later as there's only a few tables! But you can also wait somewhere nearby in the meantime (Angel Cafe has great bungeo-ppang, or taiyaki).

Kooksoo is my new favorite restaurant in NJ. My previous favorite--the still great Myung Dong Kalguksu--has really good noodles. This place, though, tops that. The noodles themselves are on par with Myung Dong, but the spicy broth in the King Rib noodle here is otherworldly. It's self-serve, but you can get as much kimchi and tea as you want, and the proprietors are friendly and helpful.

Very homey no frills noodle soup! The workers were extremely nice even though it was majority self service. The ribs fell off the bone and the bulgogi, as part of the combo, had a sweet yet savory taste. Good price, clean restaurant and fresh noodles!

Restaurant caught me by surprise in many ways. First, it's a self-service so you order and pay through a kiosk. But there was someone that guides through the process. Price was so affordable i don't know if they would make any money 0.0 Food came out early and when I received it, i was wowed by the size of the brisket in the jjamppong. Normally there would be 1 and would cost a lot more. Meat was tender and soup was spicy. A perfect combo! This reminded me of a really famous jjamppong in jejudo korea. We'll definitely be back. They also gave me an apron to wear since i was wearing white. Gourmet food with quick service!

I decided to try this placed because I saw Mike Chen vlog about it. The seating and ordering process was a little confusing at first glance but I got it once the staff came over to tell us how everything worked. This is a self service restaurant, so you order at the kiosk, collect your food when it's ready in the back and return your bowls and trays to the clean up area when you are done. Since they don't want you to place an order until they can be sure there is a table available, they have a virtual queue system and there is usually a staff member that mans that. So when you want in, you need to skip the ordering kiosk and put yourself on the line and wait till you are called. When you are called then you will go to the kiosk and place your order and pay. The staff member will direct you to the free table and you can go to the back to collect your food when your number is called. Water and tea is also self service as is the utensils. The food was surprisingly great. The booth was deep in flavor and the ribs that I had were so tender and easily fell off the bone. The noodles were nice and firm and had the perfect consistency to absorb a good amount of broth with each slurp. It's easily become one of my favorite places for Korean knife-cut noodles!

Got a recommendation from our mutual friend. First time visiting really liked it! When you enter you get to order on the electronic machine that you can pay and self serve. Service was great you don't need to tip this place since you go pick up your own food and water, utensils are all self serve (but the service is so nice you would want to tip them lol). Literally finished the bowl so fast because it was so good! Very clean mild spicy well made dish! Must recommend when you are around in Fort Lee area. The restaurant located right in front of parking lots.

I wanted to come here to try their noodles with ribs (King Rib Jjamppong) after seeing all the advertisements! The symbol on the menu said and I was afraid it'd be too spicy for me but it was actually a good mild spice so I enjoyed it! I also tried the beef kooksoo and it had but was very very mild. Flavor was good (but not anything special) and portion was good for the price (ribs were extra large and yummy!)

An interesting concept of Korean noodles while not specifying which noodle, this place has promise, with a few caveats. First, I think they just opened... and I wanted to support local so went with wife, but we ended up waiting after writing down our name... for a good 40 minutes. There was one gent who came out to acknowledge us some 20 minutes after we had put down our name... of course he was apologetic, but yeah... soft launch so expect short staff. Food - We ordered two of their top-billed dishes: wife ordered their King ribs (wang kalbi) jjampong and I ordered their beef kooks. 1. King Rib Jjam Ppong($21.95, 5/5) - This was really impressive. Not only did it come with 2 giant bone-in ribs to pick up and eat caveman style, the broth was delicious - it was not too spicy for my wife, had addictive ever-so-slightly sweet undertone that tied the fattiness and spice together well. Noodles weren't the typical jjamppong noodle but al dente and good. 2. Beef kooksoo ($16.95, 3.5/5) - Soup had the slow-burn type spice from the peppers which made it a bit too spicy for my wife later on and the taste is a bit untraditional... it's like half dwanejang jjigae (spicy bean stew) and half spicy kalgooksoo broth put together... resulting in interesting yet slightly... off broth. knife noodle was nicely chewy and there was quite a bit of sliced beef in there, though I wished each piece was a bit more sizable. My wife wasn't too impressed with it when she tried and I agreed that her rib noodle was much better overall. A bit too watery also. After paying over $40 just for 2 noodles dishes for dinner... I'm not sure if I'd do this again. Only because for me, it doesn't quite make business sense... noodles are meant to be 1) cheap and easy to eat quick, and 2) they digest fast. Paying all that only to be hungry 3 hours later... and not to mention this rib noodle took long time to get ready due to its prep. I do believe it offers something interesting though, so I invite everyone to go try while supporting this new outfit... but not all at once because it's also quite small of a space.

Great new addition for the cold weather! Service was fantastic. We stopped by for lunch right when they opened at 11 (by the time we left after 12, there was a long line since there aren't that many tables). We ordered the beef kooksoo, which is slightly spicy but came with a generous portion (you can get regular or large but I couldn't even finish the regular). The beef was thinly sliced. Noodles and veggies were super soft. We shared the fried dumplings as an app, which is a bit small but well flavored. They're located in the same plaza as BCD Tofu so it was easy to find parking.

This spot opened fairly recently and there isn't a lot of seating, but it's well worth the visit! We got the king jjamppong + LA galbi + drink set. We paid $2 extra to get the large noodles than the regular, large meaning it's 30% more noodles. This combo was the perfect portion for two people and we were surprised at how good the galbi quality was. The jjampong broth was also delicious and not too spicy. Id definitely come again to try their lobster jjampong!

I was excited to try this new place so I went on opening night around 5 PM. I was seated right away but took some time for the waitress to take the order. I only saw one waitress and one other helper on opening night. There should have been at least one more person helping out. Anyways, order dumplings which was $5. Very cheap and I understand why. I wouldn't order it again even for $5. It looked like store bought and tasted no different than the one you get at H Mart. Bulgogi came as a combo menu. I think it is $9 if I remember correctly. This one is pretty good for $9. King rib jjamppong is $22 if you order separately. Well, not worth the money. Ribs were pretty much off the bone and I had to find them in the soup. The visuals are great but it certainly doesn't taste like jjamppong. I think it is closer to spicy kalkooksu but nothing special. It was quite greasy broth and couldn't finish it. I am curious as to how others would think about this place. I do not think the pricing is right for what they offer here. Overall, it was an average experience and I do not think I would come back here for the food they serve at their pricing. Wish them luck but they certainly need to make some improvements, otherwise I don't think people will be lining up here to eat after the first month.

**Updated to reflect 3.5 stars overall because a noodle place should have sufficient noodles in the broth which I felt like they were stingy with.** Bring a friend or eat till you fall asleep. The portions are larger sized and the price they are decent compared to a Ramen shop. If you get a combo, you can easily share the meal with another friend. I came hungry on this rainy day but I wasn't able to finish my King rib Jjamppong with bulgogi combo. The soup is very hearty and flavorful. The noodles are to the softer side. The soup base despite being "red" isn't exactly very spicy, it's got some beef with anchovies type of flavor - nice broth mix. There were 2 ribs and 2 shrimp in the mix of mussels and vegetables and noodles. I wish there was a little more noodles but it was sufficient for today. The bulgogi was standard but not my preferred. There's no take out option but you can always order extra at the table and take it to go. Service was very good, they were respectful and nice. The restaurant is clean but not as big so have a bit of a wait to be seated. Lastly, ask for an apron so your shirt doesn't end up splattered like mine!!

Little pricy, but it tastes good! I love this fried noodle. Need to use Kiosk order at entrance.

Small place with only a few tables so I think it's more meant for small parties. We went on a Thursday night around 630 and the wait was about 40 mins. Waitress/host was apologetic about the long wait. The menu is quite small which is good since I don't fare well when there's too many options. We opted for their soup and meat combo but probably should have just did the soup itself as it was way too much food for the two of us. Taste wise, honestly it was a bit bland and nothing to rave about. Price wise, it's fair for the location. Is it a place you should try? Yes bc everyone taste buds is different so while it might seem bland to me, it might be great for you.

As someone that wouldn't naturally gravitate toward Korean food, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the food at Kooksoo. The King Ribs Jjamppong was wonderful - great flavor in the broth with tender meat falling right off the large beef ribs and mussels/shrimp that tasted very fresh. The noodles were cooked well and held up the entire time I was eating. No soggy or hard noodles at all! I also got to try their BBQ dishes like the Bulgogi and LA Galbi, which didn't impress me as much but still held their own with a pretty generous serving size for the price. What put this place over the top in my view was the service. Despite being a 'self-service' shop where you order on the kiosk and pick up your utensils and drinks at the back of the store, the worker at the front was more than happy to introduce the menu to us, set up a larger table for our party of 6, and help us put our trays back onto the rack once we were done. The food was also rolled out to us on a trolley so, even though we were the ones to make the final transfer from the trolley to the table, I wouldn't say it's fully 'self-service'. For a Friday night, it didn't seem as busy as I thought the food and the service deserved so I would 100% recommend for hearty Korean noodle soups!

Highly recommend Kooksoo to anyone looking for a hardy meal, especially for a rainy day. Split one combo and a Kooksoo between two people and left waddling. Service was a little bit on the slower side but they're extremely kind. At the very end of the meal, we took the beef rib bones home to give to the dogs.

Tried this place this week. Overall it was good. Had the king rib jjampong as I saw it on YouTube and it looked pretty amazing. I'll say it was good but maybe my expectations were too high because it didn't knock my socks off either. Broth was not too spicy and the ribs in the broth did make it tastier. I got the large size for $2 dollars more and it was about the right amount of food for a hungry guy who eats an average amount. I would say that it looks better than it actually was though. Again, my expectations were sky high so take that with a grain of salt. Total was $25 for the entree and no drink. Plus tip about $30ish for one. Is that pricy for what you get? Maybe but with inflation these days I'd argue it's in line with everywhere else. I mean if you want a bowl of kalbi tang somewhere it's over $20 now and you get more with the king rib jjamppong if you add the noodles, seafood, and vegetables. The amount of meat I got was probably more than a bowl of kalbi tang anywhere as well. So I can't say it was bad value given current prices. As for the decor and service and all that, zero complaints. I'm not much of a decor guy but it was fine. Service was totally fine as well. Very pleasant. So no complaints. It was also not busy when I went there (it was a Monday night so expected) I'd definitely give it a try if you are on the fence.

Got the short rib noodle combo with Kalbi. The noodles were really good. Nice and chewy (bouncy?). The meat and broth was good but towards to the end it got a little greasy. Tasted of butter? From the broth. It could have been more spicy as well. Overall I would go again. But maybe would just opt for the regular beef noodles or chicken.

So we saw this new place opened and remembered watching YouTube about the Tx location thinking I'd like to try it. First weekend opened and son and I came to check it out... verdict? Pretty good bordering on very good given this is currently a soft launch of sorts. We ordered dumpling appetizers, bowl of original beef kalgooksoo and rib-champpong noodles. The dumplings are fine but nothing to rave about - they also do not provide any sauce for dipping. Noodle quality is top notch and the ribs are very well done. The broth of the beef kalgooksoo was very good and better than the rib noodle one (even if from same base). Actually, my son thought having the rib w his beef kalgooksoo was the best combo and I'd agree (yes we mixed and matched). Overall I'd give it 4.5 but given they just opened, I'll give the benefit of doubt and give it 5 stars. Definitely worth a try!

Overpriced simple korean dishes. I feel portion sizes are small. Not even a whole egg for protein on the cold noodle dish. For half and egg some cucumbers and not cold noodles like the dish is supposed to be presented...pass!

Self service where you order thru a kiosk and wait for your number to be called. Everyone was very nice and accommodating and even helped thru the order process. I am a hugh noodle person and this place did not disappoint. Noodles were fresh and broth was flavorful. We had the chicken noodles(not spicy) beef noodles, and the garlic beef. The garlic beef was good as well. Place is clean and modern and prices are reasonable. We went on a Saturday evening and surprised to find it not busy at all. Good food and good prices, it should be bustling busy.

This spot is a must try restaurant if you're in the Fort Lee area.They are a self service establishment where you order on a kiosk up front and someone will seat you. You would grab your utensils and water/tea at a station and once your meal, you would bring your tray to a rack. The portions are perfect for sharing. My girlfriend and I shared a combo which consisted of king ribs jjamppong with a side of LA galbi and a soft drink choice. king ribs were truly huge and had so much flavor. The meat basically came off so easily and you must dip it into the soup broth. There was plenty of shrimp and mussels in the bowl. The noodles were the perfect portions. You always have the option to get extra noodles (extra cost of course). The soup was rich in flavor and even though jjamppong is typically a seafood base, you can taste the meat in there too. The LA galbi was tender and juicy; it was easy to eat right off the bone. We left completely full and satisfied.

You enter and there is a machine where you select what you want. The host then says you can sit anywhere you would like. The food is very good. Service is very quick on preparing the food. Everything else is self service.

We went to Kooksoo to pick up some noodles on our way home from an international trip, exhausted and hungry. We were so delighted to find that they were open on New Year's Day. We ordered kooksoo, champong, binbim kooksoo, and spicy chicken noodle. All were delicious - distinct and flavorful, wholesome broths with silky yet substantial homemade noodles. We highly recommend ordering extra Kalbi - yum. The owners were delightful and attentive, too. We were thoroughly impressed. Though we live upstate, we will most definitely go back the next chance we get!!

Great service. Self serve. Staff was nice. Clean restaurant and food was so delicious. REFRESHING! Would recommend this restaurant to anyone.

More of a 4.5 out of 5 but it's an interesting concept. There's not really any service and you walk in and order from a kiosk at the front and pick up in the back once it's ready. We split the seasonal cold noodles (meh. not sure if I would get this again), beef kooksoo (solid) and galbi (rock solid). Overall, food was delicious and I'd come back for a quick noodle-based lunch.