Jane C
Google
Holy heavenly pork. My husband and I came for our first visit tonight and thanked the social media algorithm that put this place on our radar. The restaurant is on the second floor of the building and the stairwell leading up is so quiet and eerie that we wondered if it might be closed. But as soon as we stepped inside, it was clear that good eats were ahead.
The air inside was thick with the smell of smoke and barbecued meats, and every table was littered with all kinds of side dishes (which come free with meat orders). I was happily surprised by the premium side dishes, like tteokbokki, steamed egg, raw marinated crab, and choice of stew (either kimchi or fermented soybean).
Before long, it was time for meat. As far as the cooking goes, this is a full service meal, with servers prepping the grill, cooking and cutting the meat, and refilling things as needed. I love the taste of Korean barbecue but I don't love smelling like it for hours later, so we definitely appreciated the retractable exhaust hoods that sucked up most of the smoke. The grill is cleverly tilted to allow most of the rendered fats to drip away, and the servers place finished meats on an offset pan to avoid overcooking. They've got meat preparation to an art form here, and the taste of that dry aged pork was outstanding.
Service was fantastic throughout our meal, with servers stopping to prep, cook, or refill things on our table as we noshed our way through the meal. Few things were amiss. We had to ask for the lettuce that comes standard with meats, and we never got our cutlery. But we made out fine with the buckets of disposable cutlery
At the end of the meal, my husband leaned back in his chair, patted his belly contentedly, and declared, “That was the best meal I’ve had in months.”
I couldn't agree more.
