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| - Went for my birthday, again lol
They opened recently, it's an all you can eat korean bbq place. The service is a bit dodgy so expect to wait a bit so don't go if you're in a rush.
When we were there they had some problems with the ventilation, so expect to smell when you leave.
The place looks nice, the tables all have a gas fire pit in the middle, so you can cook your food right at the table, it's closer to the way we see it in other major cities.
Montreal is a bit behind the trend concerning korean food, compared to TO, Vancouver and NYC... but this place will bring us closer.
Like all Korean bbq places in mtl you get a few side dishes, always kim chi, bean sprouts, stewed potatoes and some sea weed, daicon pickles, fried tofu... that's about 6 sides which is more than usual, i think the average is about 3 usually in mtl, so on that point, that's good.
of the sides, the potatoes are quite good, the rest are just average. There are over 20 sides that I've come to know, so we are far behind. I once was served 14 sides in NYC, just the sides alone filled me up that time...
On to the food, you basically order by the type of meat you want. On this point there is quite a bit to choose from, you have chicken, lamb, beef, beef short rib, pork, shrimp (with head and peel), fish, squid, sausage, veggies. nb: bbq shrimp should be had with head and peel, the flavor is deeper and the shrimp stays moist once cooked. You should at least suck on the head if you don't want to eat it. I eat the whole thing from head to tail, and I like it, it's a bit of an acquired taste, but if you peel the shrimp it will taste quite unsatisfying since it will taste bland like boiled shrimp...
The meat comes in small portions, usually 2-3 pieces. Which is good since you can order a wide variety and reorder what you like after... We tried the beef, beef short rib, squid, shrimp, fish, sausage and some veggies. I strongly recommend the short rib!!! I was quite impressed with it, it was fresh and the cut is quite thick, I'd say about half an inch thick cooked. it was tender and juicy. very nice, i've never had it quite so thick but I like it. (update feb 2012, the thickness is less but still thicker than other places)
We didn't try any chicken or pork because my friend wasn't so keen on it, but i wish we had, I want to try it!!! you can also order rice with your order if you want.
The menu also offers, some starters like miso soup and salads and edamame, and a variety of sushi rolls.
The starters are nice, nothing impressive but they do enhance the experience. The sushi is standard also, however the fish is quite fresh. I'm really impressed with the freshness of the meats and fish in this place, considering it's 21.99 $ per person all you can eat!!! (23.99 friday to sunday)
My one problem is they don't bring out the dipping sauce with the meat, we had to ask them for it. When we got the sauce, it turned out to be gochuchang, which is Korean hot paste. Traditionally, they eat korean bbq with bean paste, this I find strange that they offer gochuchang, but in any case I always eat my bbq with gochuchang so I'm not complaining :)
Also usually proper Korean bbq is accompanied with raw garlic and sliced jalapenos and scallions for you to grill, all 3 are absent here, sadly I didn't bother to ask so no idea if they even have it on demand... Another standard item missing here is lettuce, peculiarly enough, lettuce is available to order for an additional 1.50$ what the? really, you are gonna milk me for lettuce?
The traditional way to eat korean bbq is to wrap it in the lettuce, inside you put the meat, garlic, scallions and whatever other sides you wish to put in like pickled radish and kim chi. So on this point, no this is not a comprehensive Korean bbq service, but then again, none of the places in mtl are... but taste wise it is good, and I like it.
as a side note, I really wish we get a real Korean bbq joint where they use wood charcoal in the pit instead of gas. You get much better heat distribution and a nicer char on the meat, plus the bbq flavor really comes out. so if you happen to find a place like that anywhere you should try it :)
we ended with some ice cream, nothing special but nice to have something to cleanse your palate with, it's not persimmon tea but hey let's not ask for too much at once...
So on the strength of the meat quality, the price/quality ratio, side dish variety and advancing the Korean bbq scene in mtl, I give it 4 stars (compared to other mtl bbq places) even though my korean friends would curse me lol. I will definitely go back.
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