I've eaten at many Korean BBQ places in my life, in both the Midwest and in the West coast. When I'm at school in Chicago, I can't be picky about my Korean food. So when my friend Korean friend asks me to go to a good BBQ place that's worth the money, I take her up on the offer.
Now, having eaten it in Koreatown in Los Angeles, I have to give the restaurant in Chicago a sad 1.5/5 stars. Let me tell you why.
Moo Dae Po may not be a bright and shining star in the sky as it's situated on a small street in the middle of the masses of Korean BBQ restaurants in Koreatown, but it has a nice, big storefront. You won't feel cramped at all as you walk into a spacious place.
Also, there is valet parking right in front of the restaurant so you can easily drop off your car and step inside. However, if you'd rather save some money, you can park along the streets. Some nearby places are not metered. Those that are are free on the weekends after 4 pm. It just takes some looking around. Another option is to take the Metro Red Line to Vermont/Wilshire and it will be a short 5 minute walk from there.
So I would suggest arriving there by 6 pm if you want to avoid any kind of wait. Around 7 pm, the place will be completely full, not surprisingly.
Once you get seated, you will immediately be given, if not already prepared on the table, a selection of side dishes. These range from kimchi, marinated tomatoes, bean sprouts, pickled cucumbers, etc. Since I’m usually starving by the time I get to Korean BBQ, I like it when they have this prepared or get it to you fast. You have something to nibble on while browsing the menu.
What you want to look at is the all you can eat section. There are three choices here, each at a different price, $25, $20, $17. The most expensive one has a large selection of all kinds of meats and sea foods. The middle one has both meat and sea food but a much smaller selection. The cheapest option does not offer sea food, but still has a generous amount of meat to choose from. All of them come with rice and steamed egg.
The first time I came here, I got the $20 combination. We decided we wanted seafood too. The second time I came here, because it was so good I wanted to come back a week later, was definitely the better choice because all the types of meat I liked were still on the list and I didn’t really like the seafood we got the first time. We ordered squid the first time around and it was well marinated, a little too spicy for my taste though. And it was too easy to overcook. It got tough really quick because of the fire, but we weren’t sure if it was cooked all the way through. You probably don’t need to order the seafood choice unless you really want to eat seafood or if there is a particular meat in that list that you are dying to eat. Personally, I think all the good meats are included in the cheapest selection.
Spicy Squid
Mediocre. The spicy sauce did not have enough other flavor, only spicy. The squid itself, as I mentioned, was just too difficult to cook well. Don’t let my lack of skill hold you back if you want to try this, but I would suggest that unless you think you have a good handle on cooking squid, don’t order it.
Spicy Chicken
Good. This wasn’t chicken breast like I had expected but it was still very, very tender. The sauce for this was very spicy, spicier than the spicy pork belly and spicy squid. It did, however, taste very good. The meat is tender, but not juicy, so don’t overcook it. I could do without this though.
Beef Brisket
Better. The only downside to this was that it was not marinated so I had to dip it in bean paste for it to taste good. The meat was very fresh though. It came out in neatly rolled up slices in bright red all piled up in a shape of a pyramid. It was very lean. You could barely see any fat.
Spicy Pork Belly
Even better. I’m usually not a fan of pork belly, but this changed my mind. They give you huge pieces, that you have to cut up as you cook them. This had more of the taste of the marinate sauce for Kalbi, so more sweet. At the same time, it was spicy as well. I liked the marinate for this the best because it was a combination of both the sweet flavor but also the spicy. I do have to warn you though, be prepared for some fat. The first time we ordered this, the pieces we got were more lean, but the second time we got this, the pieces were mainly fat and almost no meat. If you get lucky, this will be delicious.
Kalbi
How delicious. Make sure to not overcook this. Once the two sides are browned, cut up the entire thing into smaller pieces so you can see the inside of the meat. As soon as the red is gone, eat it! This meat is so perfectly marinated just how Korean BBQ should taste. It’s this salty but semi sweet taste that good marinated meat should taste like. Also, the juices just flow out of the meat as you’re cooking it. It never gets dry and even when you eat it, the juices just keep coming. The most tender and flavorful kalbi I’ve ever had.
Bulgogi
So delicious as well. This is probably my favorite. Marinated to perfection, juicy, tender, lean, perfect. Just imagine the perfect meat you can ever eat and this is it.
The spicy pork belly, kalbi and bulgogi were my favorites because of the flavor and quality of meat. They’re all available on the cheapest combination menu too so it works perfectly for me.
Just a tip, be sure to clearly tell the waiters what you want to order. Some may not be fluent in English so have them repeat it back to you so they get your order right. I was a victim of this.
One last note, at around 8 pm, they turn the main lights off, put on colorful, club-like lights and play kpop. They also have huge screens around the restaurant so you can complete your Korean dining experience by watching some kpop. If it’s your birthday, they will catch you on camera and play you a birthday song! The entire atmosphere is just so upbeat and fun, you won’t be able to sit completely still in your seat. It’s a great place to go with friends or a big group or people. Probably not the best for a first date.
If you are in town, definitely try this place. 4.75/5
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