Korean Gardens
| Address: | 748 E Chatham St # E, Cary, NC 27511, USA |
| Phone: | +1 919-388-3615 |
| Rating: | 3.8 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–10PM 12–10PM 4–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
JO
Jonathan Huffman
After living in South Korea for 2.5 years, falling in love with the food there, and trying every Korean restaurant I have seen in the Triangle, this is undoubtedly the most authentic Korean dining experience you can get without going to a place with a major Korea-town like Atlanta. Definitely the best in Raleigh, probably the best in the state. The food is a perfect replication of the flavors to be found in galbi and samgyeopsal restaurants in Seoul. Having tried five different dishes so far, each is served piping hot, perfectly prepared, and with a full complement of authentic sides (called panchan). All of the sides, including the bowl of kimchi, are bottomless; you can request refills on anything you finish, so you never leave hungry. I have not tried anything outside the Korean portion of the menu, but my favorites (galbi, kimchi jiggae, doenjang jiggae, samgyeopsal...) are executed flawlessly. The decor is also a perfect example of the odd mix old old and new, fancy and simple, high tech and low tech found in family owned restaurants throughout Korea. Soups are served in traditional stoneware bowls that keep them boiling hot all the way to the table. Several tables have tabletop grills and vent hoods for customers to cook their meat to taste. Two small flat screen tvs (Samsung, of course) are always set to SBS or KBS America, playing Korean dramas or game shows (this was true in literally every family owned restaurant in Seoul). My favorite touch, personally, is the red, brass riveted chairs that look like they came from the 70s. This style of chair was everywhere in Korea, and seldom seen in the US; it is as though the lady who cooks the food brought them with her when she came. Service is one of the few points that are less authentic. In Korea, servers will leave you completely alone unless you yell across the restaurant for them to come over and do something. For Korean customers (the restaurant is pretty popular with the local Korean community) the servers will sometimes still do this. But for American customers, they will come by periodically and ask if you need anything. It is still pretty low-touch service, and some people find the servers to be rather aloof compared to southern warmth found at other eateries in the area. For me, I dont like being bothered by servers anyway, and would rather just call them when I actually need something, so I wish they did it the Korean way. But, their US clientele would mostly find that very uncomfortable, so I understand the change. Last point is price. Prices for most meals are a bit high (10-30% higher than Seoul prices for the same food), but to offer true authenticity and endless sides in the US where kimchi is expensive, this is far from unreasonable. Expect to pay $10-$20 per person. The only thing that is really too expensive there is soju, which is traditional Korean rice liquor, usually about 40 proof. It is not listed on the menu, but they have it if you ask. Unfortunately, it costs about $30 for a bottle. In the US, this is a fairly standard price, and one bottle is probably enough for two people. But it is still about 8-10 times what you would pay for the same bottle in a convenience store in Seoul. On the whole, this is easily the best Korean dining experience in town. Not only the food, but the culture and aesthetics seem to have been directly transported from a small, family owned traditional restaurant in Seoul. Dont miss it!
A
A Private User
Its one of those hole in the wall treasures. The food is awesome. Its definitely worth a try if you havent been exposed to Korean cuisine and if you have and are looking for a quaint place, its great. Its not a fancy place so dont expect high class service and elaborate decor. Even though Im half Korean Ive never had the privilege of having authentic Korean food so I have nothing to compare this place to. If youre not impressed with your dish dont scratch this place off yet, find something else and give it another try. Ive had a lot of the dishes. Some I liked more than others but thats just how it goes. I like to stick to my favorite dish but I also like trying new things. Some entrees come with just kimchi and others I think come with 4 traditional cold veggie dishes. Somewhere on the menu they have it so you can get the 6 veggie dishes. I recommend that. Its only $1 more and theyre really good! My hubby and I go here every so often so I can get my quaint Korean fix. Hope you enjoy it :)
A
A Private User
I was excited to try out this place since its the closest Korean place in the area for me. Let me start out by saying I am used to less-than-ideal service at Korean restaurants (or any other smaller Asian restaurants) and the service was exactly that - mundane. Dolsot Bibimbop I had was decent but over priced. My partys Bulgogi was... wow, it just flat out sucked. It looked and tasted like it was frozen before and thawed/grilled right before it came out. You can tell by the taste (obviously) and the way the sauce/marinade looked. All the Banchan tasted old. Hopefully, other Korean places around will be better... even if that means I have to drive further.
TH
Thelonious Monk
Korean Garden isnt a fancy place but the food is consistently good! Ive been coming here since they moved here from Capital Blvd in Raleigh and is sadly, the only Korean restaurant that has never failed me. I dont know what some of the other reviewers are talking about... the service has always been spot on and Ive seen plenty of Asian customers there (I wont assume that theyre all Korean). To each their own but I highly recommend it! For the reviewer who recommended Soul Garden. I personally dont enjoy creek animals in my food.
JA
jackie ding
I love Korean food and was pretty disappointed. I had the kimbop and kalbi tonight. Food took forever to get to the table and was disappointing. The kimbop had no flavor and the kalbi was very tough, oily and bitter. I had to stop eating it because the meat was so tough and started to hurt my teeth. The kimchi was really sour and off tasting. Maybe some of the other stuff is better but i wouldnt recommend the kimbop or kalbi. The only good thing was that the service was decent.
A
A Private User
I rate Korean/Chinese food by tasting Jajangmyung - to me thats the litmus test. Although the noodle was close to authentic - the sauce fell far below what I would even consider being average. I had to put a spoonful of salt in to make it taste like Jajangmyung. Also the traditional side dishes (yellow turnip and slices of onion) werent served except a small dish of kimchi that taste like overly fermented. Service was about average and TV was too loud to concentrate on eating.
SU
Suh Park
Its funny how some people describe the food here "off taste". This place is as traditional as it is going to get in America. The side dishes are cooked perfectly and they will taste like something you would taste in Korea. Seoul Garden rips people off with small portion and Americanized the traditional Korean dishes. Do not waste your money on Seoul Garden unless you are white and you just wanna taste "your own version" of Korean food.
YB
Yban Remigio Nieto
This was the best Korean Restaurant Ive been to. Its family owned so theres a warm close knit familiar feeling once you walk in and engage your waiter. The cooks are the actual business owners. Both have cooked together for 50 years. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this hidden gem. The location will make the old saying dont judge a book by its cover very relevant. Needless to say im coming back here again!!!
