Restaurant Review: Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong - Korean BBQ - Los Angeles Area
Name: Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong
Location: Wilshire Center in Koreatown, Los Angeles, CA
Open: Everyday 11:30am - 2 am; except every 1st Sunday (opens at 4pm)
Yelp Review: 4.5/5 stars out of 1860 reviews
My Review: 4 stars, but no more. Could be 3.5 if considering price and other good KBBQ availability
First Impressions
Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong is the first restaurant that appears when one searches in Yelp for Korean food in Koreatown. It is also the first Korean BBQ restaurant that I’ve been that has the waiters cook at your table. It is NOT an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ place.
I went with a couple of friends on a Sunday morning. Although Yelp says that it is open early, it turned out that every 1st Sunday, it opens at 4pm. We got there a few minutes before 4pm, and there was already a line of people waiting and who have signed-in. For those who come very late (or peak times) will have to wait at least 1-2 hrs, or if fed up with the wait, go to the Korean BBQ restaurant next door.
The restaurant is at the Wilshire Center in Koreatown. The GPS only led me up to the main street. We had to find a pedestrian entrance on the main street to get to the restaurant. A small one-way pebbled street for cars is found at the lateral street. There are not that many parking spots, and it is valet parking. The inside of the restaurant is industrial with (air) hoods above and round tables with grills.
We ordered the large beef combo (~$80) with the options of: bean stew, boneless short rib (marinated), thinly sliced brisket, and the rib eye. As for most Korean BBQ places, if not all, it comes with small appetizer dishes, and steam egg, small amount of veggies, salad, and Kimchi.
On to the Critique
In Yelp, the beef combo is recommended the most, with the rib eye. The large beef combo is good for 3 people. For 4, it left something more to desire. My impression was that there were not that many side dishes that I could pick (mainly because many were spicy). Apart from the mentioned egg, veggies, and Kimchi, I think there were 4 other small dishes, but many that I would not eat. I’m also used to having paper rice or something similar. However, the lack of small dishes (or the illusion of not many small dishes since I could not eat most of them) is not very important nor greatly affects my review.
The meat was good. All of them were good, but not epic. I preferred the brisket. And the rib eye was a letdown for me. I read a lot of the reviews in Yelp to get the rib eye, and had high hopes for it. When I was eating, I recognized that I had high hopes for the rib eye and also unmarinated (or just salt/pepper) meat is not the best choice in a Korean BBQ place. Better chance at a steakhouse. The deal is in the marinated meats for KBBQs. Additionally, even though it was a good rib eye, I am very picky, and it does not compare to a good steakhouse. If you want rib eye (like I did), just go to a steakhouse, period. I also could not distinguish the marinated beef of this restaurant from another’s restaurant, such as Gen. The short rib was like any other KBBQ short rib.
Bottom Line
It is a good Korean BBQ where they cook your meat instead of you cooking it. Don’t expect too many side dishes, but enough are provided. Overrated in Yelp, I’d rather go to a $20-$30 all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant, such as Gen in Alhambra, CA. Gen may not have the best pieces, but won’t be able to tell because of the marinade. In any Korean BBQ place, get the marinated meat, unless/until you get tired of the marinade.
Location: Wilshire Center in Koreatown, Los Angeles, CA
Open: Everyday 11:30am - 2 am; except every 1st Sunday (opens at 4pm)
Yelp Review: 4.5/5 stars out of 1860 reviews
My Review: 4 stars, but no more. Could be 3.5 if considering price and other good KBBQ availability
First Impressions
Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong is the first restaurant that appears when one searches in Yelp for Korean food in Koreatown. It is also the first Korean BBQ restaurant that I’ve been that has the waiters cook at your table. It is NOT an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ place.
I went with a couple of friends on a Sunday morning. Although Yelp says that it is open early, it turned out that every 1st Sunday, it opens at 4pm. We got there a few minutes before 4pm, and there was already a line of people waiting and who have signed-in. For those who come very late (or peak times) will have to wait at least 1-2 hrs, or if fed up with the wait, go to the Korean BBQ restaurant next door.
The restaurant is at the Wilshire Center in Koreatown. The GPS only led me up to the main street. We had to find a pedestrian entrance on the main street to get to the restaurant. A small one-way pebbled street for cars is found at the lateral street. There are not that many parking spots, and it is valet parking. The inside of the restaurant is industrial with (air) hoods above and round tables with grills.
We ordered the large beef combo (~$80) with the options of: bean stew, boneless short rib (marinated), thinly sliced brisket, and the rib eye. As for most Korean BBQ places, if not all, it comes with small appetizer dishes, and steam egg, small amount of veggies, salad, and Kimchi.
On to the Critique
In Yelp, the beef combo is recommended the most, with the rib eye. The large beef combo is good for 3 people. For 4, it left something more to desire. My impression was that there were not that many side dishes that I could pick (mainly because many were spicy). Apart from the mentioned egg, veggies, and Kimchi, I think there were 4 other small dishes, but many that I would not eat. I’m also used to having paper rice or something similar. However, the lack of small dishes (or the illusion of not many small dishes since I could not eat most of them) is not very important nor greatly affects my review.
The meat was good. All of them were good, but not epic. I preferred the brisket. And the rib eye was a letdown for me. I read a lot of the reviews in Yelp to get the rib eye, and had high hopes for it. When I was eating, I recognized that I had high hopes for the rib eye and also unmarinated (or just salt/pepper) meat is not the best choice in a Korean BBQ place. Better chance at a steakhouse. The deal is in the marinated meats for KBBQs. Additionally, even though it was a good rib eye, I am very picky, and it does not compare to a good steakhouse. If you want rib eye (like I did), just go to a steakhouse, period. I also could not distinguish the marinated beef of this restaurant from another’s restaurant, such as Gen. The short rib was like any other KBBQ short rib.
Bottom Line
It is a good Korean BBQ where they cook your meat instead of you cooking it. Don’t expect too many side dishes, but enough are provided. Overrated in Yelp, I’d rather go to a $20-$30 all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant, such as Gen in Alhambra, CA. Gen may not have the best pieces, but won’t be able to tell because of the marinade. In any Korean BBQ place, get the marinated meat, unless/until you get tired of the marinade.