Sunday, December 19, 2010

Gorilla Korean Fusion Restaurant









Rating: Two sideways thumbs
Date: 12/19/10
Time in:
5:50 PM
Time out: 6:55 PM
Server's recommendations: Beef bulgogi, kalbi short ribs, spicy seafood dduk bae gi (spicy seafood soup with tofu), boo dae jji gae (lots of ham, ramen, sausage, veggie stew)
What we ordered: Boo dae jji gae, corn cheese
Number in our party: 2
Final check amount: $18.48
Notes:
  • Panchan is served at the beginning.  Delicious cucumber pickles.
  • Good sticky rice.
  • The stew included more than it said -- there were also rice cakes and tofu.   
  • One soup is enough for two. 
  • The corn cheese is greasy and delicious, but easy enough to recreate at home.  We suspect that it's nothing but corn, mayonnaise, sugar, and a ton of melted cheese, baked in an oven.
  • The Korean pop music is really loud and terrible (in Miko's opinion) / terribly awesome (in Jenne's opinion).
RESTAURANT INFORMATION
Address: 4688 Convoy St, Ste 112 (Plaza del Sol)
Website: http://www.yelp.com/biz/gorilla-korean-fusion-restaurant-san-diego
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private lot shared with rest of plaza -- spaces available.
Ideal group size: 2-8
Available vegetarian options: Corn cheese
Noise level: 4
Chopsticks: On the table (both metal and wood)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Jeong Won Korean BBQ Buffet


Meat buffet!
Just a few of the many things to grill.
Delicious side dishes!
On the grill.
Unexpectedly delicious ice cream.
Rating: Two thumbs up!
Date: 12/12/10
Time in:
5:40 PM
Time out: 6:45 PM
Server's recommendations: N/A
What we ordered: All-you-can-eat buffet
Number in our party: 3
Final check amount: $67.86 ($19.99 buffet for each person; rice, miso soup, and soft serve included.)
Notes:
  • We really didn't know what to expect when we walked in, but it turned out to be a MAGICAL WONDERLAND.  There are about 100 different things to grill!  Plus many sauces.
  • Side dishes: potato salad, bean sprouts, spinach, kimchi, many more!
  • Meats: beef brisket, top sirloin, marinated pork, marinated chicken, mussels, shrimp, liver, etc.
  • Vegetables: tofu, onions, carrots, mushrooms, corn, etc. 
  • Interactive and fun.
  • The rice is very good -- it was the sticky shiny kind.
  • The soft serve didn't come with toppings, but it didn't need them.  It was creamy and delicious.
  • Friendly service.  They offered to change out the grill.  
  • There may be a wait for your table.  We accidentally jumped the line because we thought they were saying "Miko" instead of "Nico" but they let us stay because Nico hadn't shown up.
RESTAURANT INFORMATION
Address: 4690 Convoy St, Ste 104 (Plaza del Sol)
Phone number: 858.292.4670

Website: http://www.yelp.com/biz/jeong-won-korean-san-diego
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private lot shared with rest of plaza -- spaces available.
Ideal group size: 4-6
Available vegetarian options: Many vegetarian side dishes.  Tofu and vegetables to grill. 
Noise level: 4

Friday, December 3, 2010

San Tong Palace


Boiled dumplings.


Mapo tofu.

  
Spicy noodle soup.
Kimchi.
Excellent fortune cookie.

Rating: Two thumbs up
Date: 12/3/10
Time in:
1:40 PM
Time out: 2:30 PM
Server's recommendations: Dumplings, spicy noodle soup
What we ordered: Boiled dumplings, mapo tofu, spicy noodle soup
Number in our party: 2
Final check amount: $32.50
Notes:
  • The tofu was flavorful, delicious, and comforting.  Recommended!
  • The server was nice -- it felt like a friend's mom was cooking me dinner.
  • The tea tasted like pancake syrup, only not sweet.  But in a good way.
  • Free kimchi to start.
  • Good rice.
  • Spicy dishes were on the milder side -- they weren't overpowering.
  • The fortune cookies were very goodThey were made of thicker wafers and came unwrapped on a plate.  And the paper slips inside were actually fortunes, not lame-o proverbs or advice.
RESTAURANT INFORMATION
Address: 4690 Convoy St, Ste 105 (Plaza del Sol)
Phone number: 858.571.6837
Website:
http://santongpalacemenu.info/
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private lot shared with rest of plaza -- spaces available
Ideal group size: 4-6 for everyday dining, but there are party rooms available.
Available vegetarian options: They have a large "Vegetables" section in the menu, which includes Buddha's delight, moo shu vegetables, and three mushroom tofu.  But the dishes might be made with meat or fish-based broth, so we would recommend double-checking.
Noise level: 2