Aside from hotpot, what’s good to eat in cold, windy weather?

If you answered barbecue, then great minds think alike! That’s exactly what the Hubs and I had for dinner recently at Seoul BBQ Restaurant in Bandar Puteri Puchong, on a sweater-weather evening.

Seoul BBQ offers set menus, but they also have an unlimited option for RM38, which gives you 2 hours of unlimited pork belly, shoulder, and ribs, kimchi soup, and banchan (sides). Since we felt this was more value for money than ordering the individual sets, we went for the buffet.

Our banchan – stir-fried beansprouts, salad cabbage in a creamy mayo sauce, the customary kimchi, long beans, fish cakes, and vegetables. Not a big fan of banchan in general, but even considering that, these were just average.

Service was efficient, but I had a really hard time understanding the waiter. The owner is really friendly though.

Each table has an overhead vent, which helped to siphon away some of the smoke as we grilled our meats over the charcoal fire.

I think the meat here was just okay. It was not marinated, so there was barely any taste, and some parts were too thick, which made it difficult to cook. The texture was also kind of tough. If you go for the sets, the meat is marinated so I’m guessing it would taste better.

Thankfully the sesame oil and ssamjang (fermented soy bean sauce) that were served as dips made the meat more palatable. I like putting a bit of meat, a dollop of sauce, and some garlic onto a fresh lettuce leaf before popping everything into my mouth.

They serve the first round of meat to your table, but if you want to add anything after, you’ll have to go get it yourself from the self-service counter, which is hidden in a corner of the shop.

Maybe this is for the best, as the way the meat is presented at the counter does not look appealing. Unlike some BBQ buffet spots where they bring plates of ready-to-grill meat to your table, the meat here is stacked in a large pile and immersed in liquid. Not very appetizing.

The buffet also included a complimentary bowl of kimchi soup, which had lots of enoki mushrooms in it. Lacked oomph. Flavours were there, but it tasted watered down, somehow.

Overall, our experience at Seoul BBQ felt underwhelming. It was not bad for the price we paid – but I would rather splurge a bit more for better options. It’s a decent choice if you’re on a budget, though.

SEOUL BBQ RESTAURANT PUCHONG

72, Jalan Puteri 2/4, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor

Opening hours: 11.30AM – 3PM, 5-10PM

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