06/17/09

Food is excellent

by vasche

So I read good and bad reviews, decided to go anyway. And I can tell you, it was the right decision. Since it was our first time at the place, we went with recommendations, which are marked clearly on the menu. Started off with Tuna appetizer and Gyu-Kaku salad. And our palate was happy already.

The Chateau Briand beef ($25) was heavenly. That was the actual word I used to describe the taste. We both (me and my wife) also acknowledged that that was probably the best meat we ever tasted. We also tried Kobe Kalbi ($ame $25, a bit smaller pieces), and wife liked it a lot, but I felt it was a bit heavy on fat calories, so as soon as we felt we want more we went for more Chateau Briand. And don't get me wrong, you pay 25 dollars (before tax and tip of course) for 4 small pieces of meat, but it is so worth it. My wife said when you taste it you feel where those money went. The advise I would give: don't try to cook more than 1 piece per person at a time. My wife did that mistake, and we were done with first order in 5 minutes. Also I would suggest timing your cooking to get it exactly right. Waitress said allow at least 40 seconds per side, so I pulled iPhone and set a timer. I'd say a minute per side is acceptable too, but don't dare to turn this meat medium or medium-well (or worse). What I was also impressed with is that they change grills when you make a new order and when you're done and trying to enjoy the dessert. There was no BBQ smell familiar in Korean BBQ places on 34 street I've been to, so you don't have to worry about your closes getting soaked with the smell. Anyway, we picked what we thought looked best (not priciest) on the menu and the damage was about $175 for two (including nice bottle of Merlot for $33). Was it worth it? Absolutely. Would I come back? No doubt.

• Pros: Best meat I ever ate
• Cons: Pricey, small portions.

03/02/09

Worst customer service

by annew628

I have been to the Gyu-Kaku at midtown several times with co-workers, family and friends. This past weekend I decided to try the Cooper Sq. location but surprisingly, the staff have a very different attitude. I was 10 mins late and by the time I went in, they had already given my table away. The host told me they had a 15min policy and I had to show her my phone to tell them my 15 mins weren't up yet. Her face turned bright red and she asked her mgr to come over. The manager didnt even apologize and told me the next available table would be an hour wait! I am so disapointed b/c I have referred so many ppl to this chain. I will never go to the one at Cooper Sqr again- Go to the midtown one if you care about service!

• Pros: Good variety of food
• Cons: Prices are hgh relative to Japanese/ Korean BBQ, rude customer service, long wait even with reservations

12/28/08

Love this place!

by ajk1

Randomly went here with a bunch of friends and were pleasantly surprised. Food is very good and they have a wide selection of wines, cocktails, and beer. The meats are about 3-4 ounces per serving, so unlike American restaurants where you eat 'til you're stuffed, you can order to fit your quantity. You can also choose from multiple meat marinades, so there's plenty of choices. The best part is that they have happy hour specials from 5-6:30 Monday - Thursday (or maybe Friday, too) where they have 1/2 priced drinks and 1/2 priced daily specials. Even without the deals I would recommend this place, but with the happy hour specials, it's definitely worth checking out.

• Pros: Food, drinks, happy hour specials
• Cons: Might get costly for those with healthy appetities since it's about $10-15 each for 3-4 ounces meat