Kang Ho-Dong Baekjeong

Reviews 4

ST

Stephanie Han

Id seen their original location in LAs ktown and their CRAZY lines so Id always steered clear, but when a friend invited me to this location and mentioned the times werent as bad, I decided to give it a go. We met up there at 8pm with a couple of more friends, and all told, we probably waited about 30 minutes or so, which isnt too bad, but we were all VERY hungry and totally ready to mow by the time we got seated. We decided to get the Beef Combo and the Pork Combo since we were so hungry, but by the meals end we ended up taking much of the pork combo home, because we were that full. They may not be AYCE, but they dont skimp on the portions! They also cook it for you and can cook it to your liking, especially for things like the rib eye. We got the bonus of having one of the managers help out our table, and he gave us some helpful hints, like if we hadnt tried their boneless short ribs (we hadnt) we should really try them. He gave us a few pieces to sample and OH MY GOD--rich, marbled goodness like Id never experienced before. My favorite beef cuts were the brisket and the boneless short rib. We were starting to get pretty full at the end of the Beef Combo, but the Pork Combo was still coming! My favorites from this combo were the spicy pork (which they cook in the kitchen and bring out) and the pork belly--so, so good. Their banchan is good too, and a little different from the traditional places. They give you cut red radish instead of the white ones, and they dont give you the little rice cake sheets. The dip for the cooked meats is a little different too, but they give you like three different kinds of salad and that was really good. The way they do the steamed egg is interesting and different also: instead of bringing it out in a little stone bowl like they do at most other places, they pour the egg mixture from a kettle into curved narrow pans placed along the edge of the grill, letting the egg cook slowly over the course of the meal. I dont know what they put in that egg mixture, but its like Korean Krack, lol. We asked for two helpings of that stuff. At the end of the meal we all agreed that 2 combos for four was a little too much--it wouldve been perfect with six people, we thought. But Im glad we got to sample as many different things as we could!

JA

Jason Lum

This place is delicious and step above your average Korean Bbq joint. Reason one you dont know what this place is called because the name is in Korean. Yeah I know on google you will find an English version but good luck finding the restaurant because the sign is in korean only. This restaurant is on the corner at the entrance of the plaza near the signal. The sign is in red writing and there is a Korean guy cardboard cutout inside. Reason two you dont have to cook. I dont mind bbq because Im a dude and thats how we do and yes Im calling out the girlie men. For some of my friends that grew up with an Asian mom dont know how to cook so this is the place for you. Dont be ashamed be lucky you live at home not paying rent and have moms cooking. You show still learn to bbq. The quality is better. I really like the marinate on the bulgogi and kalbi. A lot of other Korean bbq places will give you meat similar to the grocery store but if you are paying good money I would expect more. I shared a beef combo in a party of four. Everyone was stuffed but me. Its okay we gotta keep our figure right? You either be like a skinny Korean girl or over eating non Korean girls. You pick. I had the right amount of food but I prefer all you can eat. With a beer and the combo we paid about 28 dollars person. I still prefer shik do rak for 18 dollars but thats just me. Sometimes you got to live a little. The service was good but more about the food. Took a few minutes to get seated. With half the restaurant empty I didnt understand why. Maybe there isnt a formal host. Dont be an Unami Burger and keep me waiting for no reason. I recommend this place if you are sick of all you can eat and you want the best quality. They also change out the grill based on meat type. So standard grill for marinated meat and wired grill for steak. And you get charcoal for extra flavor. This is a close second to Road to Soul in LA. I will not come back here because it in an area I am never around. I usually stick to Irvine, Tustin, and Garden Grove but I will go again if I find myself nearby. I still need to try Gen because I hear its the best but I dont do long waits so maybe someday when the hype dies.

EV

Evan Wu

Im SHOCKED at the reviews. The patrons must have all been highly intoxicated. Im writing this review 24 hours after dinner here and my stomach is still rumbling with bouts of #3 aka liquid brown. First of all, the seating arrangement is extremely cramped. My entire family is EXTREMELY thin. Im pregnant, but a size 2. We are very tall. The seating layout is perfect for Preschool children. I compared it to 100 year old restraunts in Japan. The variety of side dishes is limited and very unflavorful. The kimchi is sweet and just bland-nasty. Kimchi stew was overly spicy. ALL the beef cuts were terrible and the saturated in High Fructose corn syrup. Which is why the meat cooks way too fast and sticks to the grill. They burn the meat every time. I had to constantly ask for more tea, as the liter bottle they give you isnt enough for 5 adults. The servers are extremely inattentive. When ordering additional meat, it will take longer than 30 minutes. If you order any additional items, they will take 30 minutes and come out cold. The food left me very unsatisfied. I felt like I was hungry the whole time waiting for food. The food tastes nothing like Korean BBQ or traditional Korean food. They are going for a gastro pub theme with food that may taste delicious if youre wasted on alcohol. It does say a lot, if a Pregnant woman, who eats kimchi daily, in addition to cravings if kimchi stew......Isnt remotely satisfied, at all. Food is overpriced for the quality. In the time it took to drive home (8miles), my husband ran into the bathroom with an explosion! It took me 24 hours of feeling TERRIBLE! Now I feel even worse! I would recommend this place to anyone who isnt an alcoholic. Its great for tennis who are short and have a high metabolism. I would definitely or bring any dates. Save them the embarrassment of gas and diarrhea. And for those that think this place is great, Please go to Koreatown and enjoy a meal at Chosun.

TR

Trina D.

A bunch of usmet up over the weekend at the Buena Park location of Kang Hodong Baekjeong KBBQ for a post Thanksgiving meal. I have been to the KTown location before so I knew what I was in for. Kang Hodong is one of the best places to KBBQ in SoCal. Chris C. organized the whole thing and we were settled in the back of the restaurant with 2 tables and 4 grills. We arrived before the busy fray of dinnertime customers but were still met with excellent service. We ordered the large beef but received some cuts that were off menu as well. Let me just say that do not come here for AYCE. You wont find it. Everything here is purchased a la carte. They have combinations that are well worth the money and so are the cuts of meat. Its quality over quantity and youll definitely find it here. They have two different types of grill plates along with charcoal in with the gas burner to give the meat a chargrilled aroma. Everything was delicious. We had brisket, boneless short rib, marinated beef, and a few sides brought out. The japchae was steaming hot from the kitchen and oh-so-good. We even tried the beef tatare with Asian pear. That was the best! It was tender and delicious with the pear. I would not have thought to eat it that way but Im a believer now. Our servers were fantastic. Kudos to Isaac and our other servers who I did not catch the names of. The meal was pretty gut-busting but well worth it. I still think the cheesy egg and cheesy corn are weird additions to KBBQ but it makes people happy. Thanks for showing us a good time.