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| - I was initially hopeful about this Korean restaurant given the number of positive reviews, but several dining experiences have given me a perspective on a number of issues that could be challenging to Korean cuisine enthusiasts. Located in a strip mall, parking was plentiful on each visit, but the interior also undesirably smelled like the dry cleaner next door. Interested diners can expect a dim lit, antiquated, and vertically arranged interior. The decor consisted a large TV, casual atmosphere, and a number of booths and tables on either side of the wall.
The Bulgoki ($14.95) came with marinated beef that sizzled on a bed of onions. The marinade was decent but not spectacular. The beef came in too small pieces, and most tasted grainy and weak in texture. Portions were good, but the price was also too high for the quality.
The Daeji Bulgogi ($13.95) came with marinated spicy pork, onions, and green onions. The seasoning was again decent, as I had much better elsewhere. It lacked the big juicy spicy pieces of pork that I was expecting. Not worth the price either.
The Kabli Tang ($11.95) came with beef rib soup. The soup had decent depth, with large bulky beef ribs embedded. The soup could use some turnip to add on a sweet dimension.
The Yang Ji Tang ($11.95) came with hot and spicy beef tripe soup. The broth was thick and milky, but lacked the deep bone marrow flavor. There were plenty of tripe, but most were also overcooked.
The Kalbi Dol Sot Bibimbap ($11.95) came with rib meat, an assortment of veggies, egg, and hot stone bowl. The pieces of beef rib were delicious, but the rice weren't completely charred at the bottom. It was again a decent fare, given the few alternatives in the area. Interested diners should withhold their expectations, and expect some very basic flavors that were on point, but also mediocre when compared to their counterparts in other parts of the country.
In short, Arizona deserves far better. We were provided about eight banchan items on each visit. They usually withhold these dishes until the food was served, and larger groups were consistently given more banchan items than the smaller tables. Once I saw the ahjumma visibly arguing with a couple and refusing to refill their banchan, which I thought was unusually petty when compared to other Korean restaurants, and counterintuitive to developing a loyal customer base. Another time Santi and I invited an out-of-town friend to dine here, and were completely embarrassed when she received an unsolicited lecture from the Ahjumma on how to eat Korean food. Consistent with these observations, our service each time was either slow, abrupt, or completely absent.
Seongbukdong remains the standard for home-style Korean cuisine for me. Given the lack of alternatives in the area, all those looking for a relatively better fare should try Gogi instead.
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