Korean.
Metairie: 3547 18th. 504-888-0654. Map.
Lunch and dinner continuously Thursday-Tuesday (closed only on Wednesday).
Casual.
MC V
WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
New Orleans seems to be able to support only one Korean restaurant at a time. For two decades it was the fine but now-extinct Genghis Khan. Gimchi came and went in little over a year (2009). In the meantime, this unassuming, little-known cafe has served spectacular and ethnically true versions of this exciting cuisine. If you're not familiar with Korean eats, think about big bowls of brothy soups similar to those in Vietnamese places, high pepper levels as in Thai cafes, fried rice bowls in the direction of Chinese, and grilled, marinated meats like Japanese teriyaki. Really, it has a style and flavor all its own, and one that's easy to love. We've never had better Korean food than what this place puts out.
WHY IT'S GOOD
Korean food is delicious and surprising, and no other restaurant ever purveyed the cuisine more convincingly than the Korea House. The family that runs it are very pleasant, and will steer you toward the most interesting food. High on that list is a unique dish called bibimbab, the Korean answer to paella, fried rice, or jambalaya--but unlike any of those. It's made at the table in a searing hot stone bowl into which go the rice, sauces, eggs, vegetables, beef, chicken, or whatever you want. The same idea is accomplished with noodles, or without. The soups--particularly the seafood version--are the equal of the best pho you ever ate. It will require more than one trip to dig all this, though. Even though entree prices are just a shade over $10, you won't have room for anything else except the pepper-hot pickled vegetables called kimchee.
BACKSTORY
The restaurant opened in the late 1980s, and has never made much noise about itself. Since it was right in the middle of flashy Fat City, around the corner from Drago's, a lot of people wondered whether it was actually open. For a short time, the place claimed to serve sushi, but I never saw it there, and lately a sign there says "No sushi."
DINING ROOM
A continuous renovation makes the dining room look nicer every time I go, although it's still simple and clean in its lines. It is certainly much nicer inside than the exterior would have you imagine.
ESSENTIAL DISHES
Mandoo (boiled or fried dumplings).
Hae mul pa jun (stir-fried seafood, a Korean crabcake, sort of).
Bok kum with squid or octopus (pan-fried and spicy).
Bibimbob with seafood or beef (best of all with raw beef).
Man doo kuk (dumplings and rice cake soup).
Tang soup (spicy, made with a wide choice of ingredients).
Jam boong bob (seafood and vegetable soup).
Jun gol (gigantic hot pots for several people, made with some very exotic meats).
Jam bong (seafood and vegetable soup).
Steamed or fried whole fish.
Bulgogi (marinated meats--many choices--grilled at the table).
Kimchee (complimentary side dish).
FOR BEST RESULTS
Although the Korean national dish is the charcoal-grilled beef called bulgogi, make sure the soups, bibimbab, and dumplings are on the table before ordering that.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
Some work on the exterior and a little effort to get the word out would put more customers in the place, which would make the first-timers feel better.
FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.
- Dining Environment
- Consistency +2
- Service +1
- Value +3
- Attitude +1
- Wine and Bar
- Hipness +1
- Local Color
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
- Open Sunday lunch and dinner
- Open Monday lunch and dinner
- Open all afternoon
- Unusually large servings
- Quick, good meal
- Easy, nearby parking
- Reservations accepted
This review was updated with new information on 3/30/2010.
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