Fresh Korean B.b.q. - Van Nuys

I arrived around 6 PM on a Sunday, and while the restaurant was bustling, not every table was occupied. As I was the first to arrive in my party, I requested a table for six. They offered me two options: one in the back with chairs, and the other in the front with booth seating. Since I’m not fond of booth seating for larger parties, I opted for the back table. I noticed that most of the customers were of Korean descent, which was a good sign. The all-you-can-eat buffet costs $20 for adults. For kids ages 3 to 5, it’s $4.99, while kids ages 6 to 10 pay $10.99. Children older than 10 are charged the adult price. My nephews, aged 6 and 8, were charged only $4.99 for the younger one because the waitress noted he was small for his age and doesn’t eat much. Sodas are $1.50 each, and refills are not unlimited. The buffet features a diverse array of side dishes and sauces. My favorite was the soybean sprouts, while my sister enjoyed the jicama slices in sweet vinegar. My brother and I agreed that their salad was actually quite good. They also served kimchi, a dish that’s never appealed to me; my brother remarked on its strange aftertaste. Additionally, you receive a bowl of miso soup and sticky rice. For the all-you-can-eat option, you can choose from 11 types of meat: 1) Thin slices of beef brisket 2) Marinated beef short ribs 3) Prime sirloin steak 4) Beef tongue slices 5) Marinated beef slices 6) Marinated chicken 7) Spicy marinated pork slices 8) Sliced pork belly 9) Beef tripe 10) Grilled abomasum (not sure what that is, and my party wasn’t adventurous enough to try it) 11) Ox stomach. Overall, the meats were of high quality and generous portions. The marinated meats were particularly flavorful. The waitstaff were quick to refill our orders as long as we finished what we had; there was no sense that they were trying to skimp on portions. In fact, by the end of the meal, we found ourselves asking for smaller portions because we were quite full but still wanted to sample as many meats as possible. I expected the spicy pork slices to be quite hot, but they turned out to be surprisingly mild despite their red appearance. Service was generally friendly and attentive. Although they didn’t check on us frequently, ringing the service bell at our table prompted the waiters to appear within moments. I did notice that sometimes the waitress would assertively cut up our large portions of meat if she saw us trying to do it ourselves. I’m not sure if she was looking out for our safety, but those prime sirloin steak pieces were indeed large for a Korean BBQ place. It was hard to cut them easily with the chopsticks and forks we were given. Later on, they provided us with a pair of large scissors for easier cutting. One of the owners came over during our meal to introduce herself. She mentioned that the restaurant just opened in February, although it seemed older than that. When she learned it was my sister’s birthday, she prepared a pile of mud pies topped with a candle, and the staff sang Happy Birthday to her. I was hoping they would sing it in Korean, though. Overall, we had a fantastic time at Fresh Korean BBQ, and I could tell my sister would definitely return in the future. Parking is convenient with a large lot available in the HK Center, plus there’s street parking on Sherman Way.

I've been visiting this restaurant for a while, especially when my usual spots in K-town are fully booked. It's conveniently located close to home, and the prices are reasonable, plus there's no wait time, which is a major plus. However, the service here is really disappointing. I find myself constantly having to ring the convenience bell at our table just to get a waiter to come over. It's frustrating that it takes over 10 minutes for someone to take our food order. This is especially problematic when dining with a large group.