Tony S.
Yelp
As my first Korean BBQ experience in Arizona, it did me proud. First, the decor is fantastic. It could have easily passed as a Michelin restaurant in a New York Four Seasons hotel, or at the Aria in Vegas. It was simply.... cool AF.
The food presentation and layout also delivers. Someone clearly spent time with the visual experience. This is what I call a restaurant designed for the 'Gram.
However, a couple things that didn't quite full send. First, the service is incredibly slow. Staff was friendly, but "nice" doesn't equate to the textbook definition of hospitality. Things were slow, and unlike top end Korean restaurants I'm used to in NY and LA, where any floating staff can assist with cooking, things just took unnecessarily long. This is a pain point they really need to address, especially as a Korean restaurant. As a half-Korean, service and efficiency is part of our cultural pride, so this disappointed.
The marinated beef ribs ("kalbi") were perfect. I grew up with this my whole life, and Sizzle's quality is right up there with kalbi royalty. If you've never had Korean bbq, and have only one chance to eat it THIS is the dish you want.
The beef brisket ("chadol") was good too, but what makes this dish popular is the sauce. There are places in Korea and LA that people line up for specifically because of the chadol sauce. They didn't have a dedicated sauce, so if you've ordered and liked it, you're only getting half the picture. Dedicated chadol sauce is THE key, instead of the rudimentary salt or sesame oil. HUGELY disappointed! It's like trying pizza for the first time without tomato sauce, no matter HOW good the crust and cheese is.
Other than that, like I said, they represented. However, I'd elevate on my 2 critical points, because someone could easily open up a competing restaurant, and wreck this place on service and sauce.
Sizzle, you're very good, but you could be great!