This restaurant has changed hands many times but the food has always been quite good. The latest owners have kept the quality of the food high and kept the prices reasonable. They have had the same decor forever and the chairs are very uncomfortable. It could definitely use a renovation. The waiter that is always there is efficient but could use a lesson on etiquette. I have never seen him smile even when I joke with him. You get this feeling from him that he does not want to be there. But as I said the food is great and that is what I go there for.

At first glance, you feel like you wouldn't expect much from Korean BBQ House. The aged serif sign was hidden amidst a slew of other small businesses. The simple mirror decor and seating looked a bit worn. On the appearance side, there is definitely room for improvement. Despite all this, I'm glad I ate here. Why? Because of the focus on the cuisine.

I started off with ddeokbokki, which is a popular Korean snack item usually consisting of rice cake, fish cake and gochujang. At Korean BBQ House, their rendition drops the fish cakes and adds a variety of small vegetables instead. The rice cakes were also kept in a longer form than what I've seen elsewhere and were much smaller in size. To be honest, I didn't mind the lack of fish cakes as most places use the strong umami of fish to cover up the bland flavour of the rice cakes. With the focus solely on the rice cakes, I was surprised that they had absorbed so much of the chili sauce and had an extreme softness. Even after sitting at our table for 15 minutes, they were still soft to eat. The chili sauce was also superb and had a perfect balance between a sauce and a paste.

Following up were our entrees consisting of the Beef Bibimbap and Spicy Teriyaki Chicken. In fact we ordered two Spicy Teriyaki Chicken dishes. One being precut and served with grilled vegetables and the other kept whole and served with steamed rice. You can tell from the pictures that these items were served hot. The meat was still sizzling and the aural effect was immensely pleasing. Usually when I go to a Korean barbecue restaurant, I expect to eat from a buffet and cook the meats myself. It was nice for a change to get a large portion of cooked meat instead. In fact I'm glad that was the case since the chicken was well done, yet so soft, and was not drowning with sauce. With each bite, you can really savour the flavour of the chicken and not be overwhelmed by the chili. I definitely encourage you to give it a try and savour each piece.

In the Beef Bibimbap, a lot of care was put into detail and the egg yolk was nicely layered and presented with the other vegetables. The crackling and popping of the rice, mixed with the subtle smoke rising from the stone bowl, gave the dish an immensely satisfying appeal. A heads up however as the stone bowl is extremely hot and I made the mistake of accidentally touching it. The beef wasn't too dry and was very flavourful on its own. The overall combination of the rice and vegetables was a good mix for color, nutrition, and taste.

I was definitely surprised by this gem of a restaurant. It's not everyday that you get to eat something so authentic, where the dishes shine of excellence. The prices are also exceptionally fair for the quality food, ranging between $10-$20 depending on the entree. I highly recommend you give them a visit.