I'm giving this place a 5 start rating because, I do believe it's as good as it gets for authentic Korean food in Madison. Having been to Korea several times to visit family I think I'm an ok judge in authenticity of flavor.
The ambiance and decor of the place is okay. It used to be a BBQ place. Their menu has a lot of various korean BBQs. You don't get to cook them at tableside, that requires a more advanced setup and a better HVAC system. Another table ordered some and it did come out pretty quick and sizzling hot. They also have a variety of soups, lunch time specials, and appetizers.
I ordered the Gam Ja Tang. Which is pork and potato soup and with various veggies. I enjoyed the flavor very much and it is a bit spicy but I like spicy. it was a massive bowl! We also got Dol sot bulgogi bi bim bap. I say if you're going to get bi bim bap its so worth it to pay a couple of dollars more to get it in the hot stone bowl. I love the way the heat crispens the rice at the bottom. We also got the seafood pancake which was tasty. Even really good as leftovers. The pancake is HUGE. At home we heated it up in a pan with some oil and it got it all nice and crispy on the outside again.
The banchan here was good. The kimchi tasted almost perfect to me. Which is also why I choose to give this place a high rating. Good kimchi is a must for me since it is such a staple of Korean cuisine.
The waitress stopped by to check us on periodically. Was attentive and really wanted feedback on what we thought of the food since they've been only open for 3 weeks. The cook came out and apologized for the appetizer (seafood pankcake) taking awhile since she had made one and didn't feel it was up to par so made a new one. I appreciate her honesty and commitment to delivering quality food.
Most of the korean places around Madison are more fusion style and not authentic. There is one place on the west side that serves traditional Korean fare but I think the flavors at Five Star Korean BBQ are more on point.