Norfolk Garden
| Address: | 525 N Military Hwy, Norfolk, VA 23502, USA |
| Phone: | +1 757-459-4646 |
| Site: | runinout.com |
| Rating: | 3.9 |
| Working: | 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
CH
christopher cook
Its late in the evening and we chose to eat Asian for dinner. Weve been meaning to try this place out. At this time of the hour this would be the only restaurant at our nearest convenience and it closes at 11pm. From the looks of it on the side it seemed dark from street view. The sign isnt so noticeable at night accept for the sign that says Korean and Japanese food. The parking lot had 2 cars and was a bit empty. The building looked old and not up to date from the outside appearance. As we went inside we are led to a little cute entrance bridge along with a big bar on the rise side and another bar directly a head of us. It was definitely a surprise because I was expecting everything to look like a cheap hole in the wall if I had not known. There was an array of booths and seating great for big parties and a lot of empty chairs to fill. There was a small group eating at a booth as we waited. Upon arrival there was no one at the service area to help seat us. We waited patiently for practically almost 5-10 minutes. We didnt want to be rude but I had to pop my head in slightly at the kitchen to see if someone was there to seat us. The Hispanic server came out to seat us to the area where we could cook our food. We ordered the Norfolk garden special for two. It comes with galbi (kalbi short ribs), pork, chicken & beef bulgogi with banchan side dishes and a hot pot soup of tofu. For a entree thats for two, they came with a lot of meat. I was pleased with the authenticity and assortments of our banchan options. Im not typically a kimchi fan but I could it was homemade and fresh. I like that it wasnt overly spicy and overly fermented in taste. I wasnt a fan of the glutinous rice cake but everything else was great side dishes that complimented well with my bbq. I also liked that we cooked it ourselves which made out meals more interactive and fun to eat. The Korean lady who worked here was behind the scenes making sure we were satisfied by refilling our waters and giving us extra kimchi, broccoli etc. whenever we ran out. It was nice of her to changed out our burner as well. It was starting to get overly smokey with meat residue stuck on the metal grill so by doing that our meat cooked faster and better. My husband was so pleased to have came here. You can never go wrong with bbq meats and rice. Although our initial opinion of their service wasnt so great. Since I literally had to walk to the back to get some service; but overall our dinner was satisfying. They made up for their service In the end, ensuring us a great dinner. Towards the end we were given a little tea cup with cold cinnamon flavored sweet tea as a palate cleanser. It was a great way to finish our night. I was stuffed. Id recommend coming here for the grill entrees to get their Korean bbq. Next time I will order strictly the Kalbi short ribs and beef. That was my favorite portion of the meats I had tonight. Im still a skeptic of the Japanese food here. Many times its best to stick to one cuisine choice that can be done well so quality isnt compensated for. I would love to have A+ sashimi grade sushi and Im not sure I would experiment trying it here. But who knows till my next time around. Id like to see if they can pull of a good bibimbap for me.
AN
Anthony Flores
Korean is my absolute favorite cuisine. I was reluctant to try this restaurant at first. Its really somewhat of a dive. However, this is one of those cases of "dont judge a book by its cover". Norfolk Garden is absolutely delicious (맛있다). I used to prepare my bulgogi or galbi at the hibachi on my table, and when I take friends there its still a fun novelty, but they do a much better job of cooking it for you in the kitchen. Ive tried most items on the menu (but dont go for the sushi) and just cant get enough of this great food. Granted, Korean is a very unique cuisine. Youll either love it or just not like it at all. Me?, I am a fanatic. So much in fact that I ate here almost once (sometimes twice) a week for over 2 years before moving away from the area. The Hispanic waiter (yeh, i know, a Hispanic waiter in a Korean restaurant) is almost reason enough to return. Hes really GREAT - friendly, polite, very knowledgeable and a true asset to this business. Back to the food... You can expect a bountiful assortment of sides (banchan) with your entree, each more interesting and flavorful than the next. This is truly authentic-style Korean food (expect your fish to be looking back at you). Everything from the most pungent and fermented to the delicate and understated. Ive eaten Korean food from one coast to the other (like I said, its my favorite) and Norfolk Garden is one of the best Ive had. Dont let the run-down, dingy, outdated interior fool you. The food is excellent... The prices are even better.
PH
Phil Pabellon
Our family had dinner here on an early Sunday eveninh. Do not judge the location or the outside. It is nice inside, and the food....delicious! We had the kimbap sushi rolls, chicken bulgogi, Korean pancake with vegetables and seafood. And the kali beef bowl. All was superb! It is a little more pricey, but well worth due to the quality. We will try for lunch one day! The menu is cheaper, although not sure what the portions will be like. The dinner portions were very generous. Also, the side dishes provided on small appetizer plates were amazing! Try them out! You wont be disappointed!
MY
Mylin G
My love for this place runs deep. I recommend the location every time someone expresses interest in Korean food. I always lead with the disclaimer that the place looks like an abandoned fast food Chinese place on the outside but the interior isnt bad - little dated, but its clean which is the most important part. The food itself is amazingly delicious and portion size is good. While the food is a bit pricey, this is a location I am willing to pay more than I typically would like elsewhere. I would suggest any of the Combos, their egg dish and their vegetable pancake.
DE
Derrick
Very nice restaurant if youre looking for Korean cuisine. The inside is very organized and the food is good. 4 stars because service can be a bit slow as there is only one waiter for the entire restaurant. Food is good and priced appropriately. A lot of their dishes come out still sizzling on the skillets and appetizers. Will definitely be back.
TH
Thomas Ryou
The decor has an interesting 80s Chinese restaurant feel - like it was going upscale but stopped half way or was a fancy place in years past. We had the galbi grilled over real charcoal. Excellent. BoSam. Wonderful. The fluffy Korean egg souffle. Outstanding. The yukgaejang was delicious too. Very impressed. A great meal.
JU
Jun Cardenas
Decor is outdated. Slow service. The night we went they only had one waiter. We found hair in one of our dishes. If your cooking on the grill, plan to be there awhile as it takes long to cook your food on such a small grill. That being said, not real good for a large group. Our first and last time to eat there.
