Woo Lae Oak

Reviews 4

MI

Mickey Lee

Woo Lae Oak (WLO) is one of the DC areas best restaurants regardless of category, not to mention the most frequently underrated. My point of reference is as an epicure having developed and cultivated a worldly palate, learning, savoring, cooking, and experiencing a wide variety of cuisines through fine dining, casual street vendors, home kitchens, and everywhere in between. WLO is a cut above its peers for its truly refined executions of timeless classics. My very favorites are their superior Yook-gye-jang (spicy shredded beef and vegetable soup), Soon-doo-boo (spicy seafood soft tofu soup), Dol-sot-bi-bim-bap (stone pot mixed rice), Woo-geo-ji-tang (hangover soup of beef short ribs and cabbage in a fermented soy-based broth), Go-deung-au-gu-yi + Dwen-jang-jji-gae (grilled mackerel with stew of fermented soybean paste) and premium Korean barbecue (notably, the Gal-bi). Having dined at Woo Lae Oak for over two decades, I feel that they have improved upon their classic dishes and mit-ban-chan (small veggie-dominated side dishes), which runs a harmonious spectrum of colors, flavors, and nutritional balance. While less assertive and spicy than its peers, Woo Lae Oaks are more subtle and palate pleasing. Considering the variety of occasions I dined at Woo Lae Oak, from lunching with my dining companion, hosting natives visiting from Korea, to hosting a party with a sizable group of my students, Woo Lae Oak has delivered many terrific memories. In fact, many of my students experience at Woo Lae Oak leaves them with indelibly joyful and delicious memories as well as a stellar impression (sometimes first impression) of Korean cuisine. It is not a surprise that many Koreans bring their VIPs here. Now, about why Woo Lae Oak is frequently underrated: WLO unfortunately gets mislabeled as not being "authentic" when compared to many hole-in-the-walls in Annandale, our areas Koreatown. First of all, there is no such thing as "authentic." It is an illusion created by hipsters wanting to take part in a specific ethnic/nationalitys culture and traditionalists of said culture who want to distinguish themselves from their contemporary, fusion-happy peers. Simply being a small hole-in-the-wall does not make a cuisine "authentic" or traditional. It merely makes it humbler in scale and often personal in approach. There are many great hole-in-the-walls and many that are mediocre--just as with fancier restaurants having many gems and duds. Here in the US, there is an unfortunate misconception that "authenticity" is dependent on being a cheap mom n pop-run hole-in-the-wall (e.g. Korean, Chinese, Indian, Peruvian, etc.) versus others being afforded a more highfalutin status (e.g. French, Japanese). The difference is simply because of how certain cuisines arrived through more economically modest groups of immigrants who introduced their respective cuisines to the American public. If we look at Korean cuisine specifically, there are a vast array of categories covering the different socioeconomic classes: street food (peasant food), food of the aristocracy, royal court cuisine (e.g. the famous historic drama "Jewel in the Palace" highlights this), and monastery cuisine. The US simply did not get exposed to the latter three very much, which leads WLO to being branded as not being "authentic" from hipsters and recent generations of Asian Americans (2nd generation and thereafter) because it does not fit the motif of a hole-in-the-wall serving inexpensive food with strong (spicy) flavors. To begin, WLO is not expensive if you do not gorge yourself on barbecue (which can get expensive at other more apparently less expensive places). In fact, it can otherwise present a good value relative to its quality, presenting traditional Korean cuisine in a more luxurious and refined manner using quality ingredients, which means there is an inherent subtlety compared to their humbler Annandale peers. I doubt that most of the American public would decree Five Guys as being more "American" than the Inn at Little Washington or French Laundry!

HW

Hwang Lee

"A single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity." - Baltasar Gracian In this tight economy, no dollar can be wasted. Tight management and perseverance of money is the only way to get by in this harsh world. Every dollar, every penny must be spent with thought, finding if the marginal util is greater than or equal to the marginal cost. Of course, there are some times where money can be spent celebration and enjoyment. Finally becoming a second semester senior, I thought it would be a good idea to go out and dine with my friends, to celebrate all weve accomplished over the past 4 years. We heard very good things about Woo Lae Oak, so we had decided that luxurious Korean food would be a beautiful place to enjoy ourselves. We were welcomed with a handsome receptionist, who brought smiles to our faces as he told us funny jokes as he brought us to our seats. We gazed in wonder, looking at the glamorous environment, filled with beautiful paintings, walls, and most importantly, happy customers. We looked through the menu, where a wide variety of Korean dishes were available for us to choose from. Simultaneously, our eyes landed on the meat section, where we all agreed to buy 3 servings of meat. The price was a bit steep, but we thought the quality of meat would be worth the money. While we waited for the meat to arrive, a colorful pallet of side dishes were presented to us. They tasted fresh, and only got us more excited for the meat. After waiting about 5 minutes, 2 small plates arrived with the meat. A woman fired up the grill and put the meat on, and we could smell the aroma rise through the air, only making our stomachs growl more. We had noticed the portion was too small for three people, so we asked the woman if this was the 3 servings of meat we ordered. In a rude tone, she replied yes, asking us why we wanted to know. We stared at each other with disbelief, and my friend replied with Just curious. We had eaten our small portions with sadness, and when we finished, all we could think of was getting more food to fill the void in our stomachs. We asked for the bill, and my friend gazed at the bill. As his eyes widened, my stomach and heart started to turn. He put the bill in front of me, and my jaw dropped to the floor. $96 it read, with an additional $14 for tip. We all shook our heads in disbelief. We had legitimately got scammed. Filled with rage, we angrily took out our money and slammed it on the table. We left the restaurant, walking out into the cold, dark night, with only the sound of our growling stomachs.

MI

Mikyoung Ji

이곳에서 200명이 넘는 단체 모임을 하였습니다. 모임이 금요일 저녁 시간이었고 사람 수가 많아 저희 쪽에서는 며칠 전 부터 음식 준비하기 충분한 시간을 주었고 음식점 측에서도 잘 소화할 수 있다고 하였습니다. 그런데 막상 음식을 받아 먹어 보니 참으로 실망하였습니다. 메뉴는 육개장과 우거지 갈비탕이었는데 육개장에는 고기는 거의 찾아 볼 수없었고 국물은 육수 맛을 찾아 볼 수 없는 맹탕이었습니다. 채소 맹탕이라 하는 것이 더 적당한 이름이었습니다. 또한 우거지 갈비탕은 어떻게 설명할 수 없는 교묘한 맛이 났는데 그 맛이 본 육수 맛이 아닌 인공 감미료 맛 같은 맛이 났습니다. 저희는 2층에서 식사를 하였는데 제 주위의 다른 분들도 저와 같은 생각을 하고 있었습니다. 손님들 대부분은 한국의 본토 맛을 기대하고 우래옥에 갔는데 많은 실망을 금치 못하고 한편으론 비지니스 전략이 아니냐는 불평도 오갔습니다. 제가 15년 전 우래옥을 처음 방문 했을때의 그 맛의 명성은 하나도 찾아 볼수 없고 상업적 전략으로 손님을 대접하는 한 작은 도시의 역전 식당을 연상시킴을 금치 못합니다.

TH

Thomas Ryou

Perhaps the most famous Korean restaurant in the DC area. They have been around for decades and the walls have photos of presidents and vips. For a while, their motto seemed to be "more expensive for less"... Smaller portions, fewer ban chan, and bad service. I almost never give bad reviews. If i dont like a place, then i dont rate it. But i had so many problems in the past, i had given WLO a three star rating (but no review). Ive changed my rating to four stars. Recently, i have noticed the prices seem more reasonable (especially for soju), the flavors have moved away from too bland sweet fusiony to more traditional and more consistently good (imo). This is a large venue with private rooms and banquet halls. They have dedicated parking and the location is very convenient. The quality of the food is very good. But Korean customers and American customers have different expectations, and satisfying both groups isnt easy. In my opinion they are getting better at it. Definitely a place to discover if youve never been, and rediscover if you havent been in a while.