As soon as you arrive at Korea Restaurant, you can already smell the smoke from the grills emanating through the closed doors. A nice traditional gate awaits you as you enter the premises. To the left is a small garden made up of sawn off tree trunks. Little lanterns hang off the eaves with the name of the restaurant shining brightly in 80’s neon lights.

As you walk into the restaurant, you’re greeted by a haze of smoke wafting through the air. It’s almost like being in a room full of smokers. The interior decor is boring and bland. Each table is strategically positioned over low hanging ventilators that suck up the fumes from the grill. There are a few artifacts here and there, but I’m not easily pleased tonight.

Tonight, I went for the Korean BBQ with bulgogi marinated beef. In the middle of each table was a grill that seemed to be fueled by oil. A generous serving of meat was provided along with a set of Korean vegetables. A staff member came over and put a heating plate on and away we went.

BEEF – Nice lean tender slices of marinated beef. While bulgogi marinade was used, it wasn’t too sweet. As I was cooking the meat, I was the only person to blame if it wasn’t cooked properly.

KIM CHI – They make (or buy) a really good kim chi here. The cabbage is nice and properly fermented. The kim chi is not overly spicy so it’s more suited for western palettes.

SPICED CUCUMBER – The cucumber is nice and crunchy. Mixed with Korean chilli powder, it has a nice subtle kick to it.

PICKLED CUCUMBER – Just a variation of the spiced cucumber but without the chilli powder. Adds a bit of crunch to the meal.

BEAN SPROUT – Probably the most boring of the Korean vegetables. The sprouts are bland and a little bit crunchy.

CAULIFLOWER – The cauliflower is really crunchy you would think they were almost raw.

PICKLED SEAWEED – Finely sliced seaweed strips that have been soaked in vinegar.

I know this place has been around for several decades, so the fact that they’re still there says something. I found the service here tonight to be quite slow and I thought they were understaffed. At no point did anyone come to clear our tables or even give us the bill.

The marinated beef was quite good and full of flavour. The meal as a whole was above average and I thought the pricing was good value for money. In theory, if you have to cook your own meal, shouldn’t the price of the meal be cheaper? Even in a crowded room, the place didn’t get too noisy.

Some of the more refined Korean BBQ places use charcoal in the cooking process and that actually gives you better flavour in the meat. I didn’t like the fact that no one changed the heating plates on the grill. Towards the end of our meal, there were bits of charcoal on the cooked meat. The place also wasn’t properly ventilated as I left the restaurant smelling like my meal.

This place should probably be 3.5 stars.

WHERE: 133 Goodwood Rd, Goodwood