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| - Pro: The owners had a specific clientele in mind and have adapted their theme to fit that. Well-to-do Middle Class who have yet to experience Korean BBQ and would like to experience some diversity in their meals, but have no idea how to do it and are scared of it. They've elevated the experience and stand out with constant table side service and overall, a refined and higher quality.
Con: The entire thing I just wrote above.
My biggest gripe is the way they've laid out their service.The place is smaller than you'd expect with just 15 tables. If your entire party isn't here at once, they won't seat you - even though place is half empty. We had a party of 6 and was waiting just for one person.There is no room for you to stand in the front, so whether it's freezing in the winter or scalding in the summer, you have to wait outside. On top of that, then they will make you wait even longer so they can set up the banchan and fancy table settings. My people are hangry, there's 8 empty tables in front of our very eyes and yet we're reduced to standing outside waiting for something we can't logically understand. Is this what it's like to be Charlie looking longingly at the Chocolate Factory?
Prices are extreme and portions are a tad smaller than average. Average of $30 per meat plate and the price of their soju will make you do a double take because you thought they charged you for sake instead. They've simplified the menu and don't have a lot of the normal things you'd see on a Korean menu like japchae, etc. Servers don't write down anything so they're bound to forget a couple of things you ordered, especially if you go down the combo route like we did. We ordered the large beef and the large pork and Kimchi Fried Rice. It was juuuust enough for 3 people and our bill came out to $160. Yikes, I'm still internally crying about that.
Here's the catch: When the raw meat finally comes to your grill/table, you're not allowed to touch it. They cook it for you, which is fine if you're a novice and have no idea what you're doing but for our party, we asked if we could take over and do it ourselves. The moment we put our hands on the tongs though, our server internally freaked out and looked like we had done something wrong. Her eyes went straight to her manager like she was going to get in trouble, so we awkwardly backed off. So now, you have a server constantly by your side with her hand stretched across the table while you try to make some conversation with your friends. It definitely felt forced and intrusive. Also, because they're stuck to your table, if you want to order something extra, you have to wait a while because they're afraid the meat will burn while they're away nor can they attend to the other tables they've been assigned to so other guests have to just gawk and wait. Makes me wonder how this works when they're actually at capacity.
Don't get me wrong, the server was lovely and the service was great. The Wagyu Beef Belly, Boneless Kalbi, and Pork Jowl were delicious and a change from the norm. But it was just really, really weird. Everything you would normally do at a Korean BBQ place isn't welcomed at this restaurant. The pricing here really isn't justified, even if rent at Desert Ridge is expensive and you have constant table side service (which would go towards the tip). There's not many Korean places on the West Side, but I don't suggest this being an option - make the drive to the East Side and you'll still save a butt load. I drove 40 minutes to try this place and probably won't be coming back unless I suddenly have a sugar daddy/momma (I'm not picky).
Summary - If you love Korean BBQ, you'll be offended by this place. If you have a clueless white father-in-law like I do, he would absolutely adore this place.
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