Lita always has the most outlandish ideas for dining with friends. You also have friends like Lita, the ones that have the craziest ideas, and at the same time can turn any mundane evening into a crazy memory.
"You're crazy, Leets." That's all I ever have to say to her.
She's in her 60's and her spirit is a slow grower, still stuck somewhere in her late 20's. Her spirit makes you wish you had Aladdin's Genie.
"One spirit sucking straw. Please, Genie."
After living through the rollercoaster of watching her try to swipe through photos of her last dinner-met-vrienden, while a wave of WhatsApp messages pop up, only to make this simple task more gruesome.
"Why does she have more WhatsApp messages in a minute than I have emails in an hour?"
"How does she have a better social life than I do?"
"Why am I friends with her? What does a 60-year-old and I have in common?"
"Why is her font size so big?"
"Will I also have so much trouble swiping on a touch screen when I'm 60?"
Criminal zillenial. That's what I realized I had become. Before I could condemn myself to the fullest, she showed me pictures from the Chinese hotpot restaurant she had been to with the girl gang.
A contraption made for people who enjoy something that can be considered the tamest version of cooking in an open flame in a camping spot surrounded by helium balloons. Dangerous, challenging, yet delicious and fun!
I like it!
The hotpot is a bit too much for me. "'Deel, we can go to soju instead. It is not as "gek" as the hotpot." I couldn't agree less with her.
The Korean BBQ is within walking distance. Which meant we could add it to our agendas very easily.
It'd be the first time I'd try the popular-in-Holland, "all you can eat within 2 hours" style. Plus, Soju is a Korean-owned and run business. Authenticity was expected.
A very cosy welcome, on red carpet nonetheless, with huge smiles welcoming you from behind the elaborate bar. As our coats are taken, I gaze upon the dreams and aspirations hidden inside the modestly beautiful design of the interior, the strategic spaces between tables, and the privacy provided by the tall headboards of the couches.
The hostess tells us a little about the restaurant and its ownership. I am more engaged in one burning thought.
What thought? You'll learn soon enough.
She tells us that the concept of the restaurant is nothing beyond the typical Korean BBQ spots popular in Korea and the United States. The wide table has a cooking plate in between which can be controlled with a remote control sticking to the side of the table. For the next two hours, we can order as much as we like, cook, eat, and request everything through the QR code.
"Cook? Did she say cook?"
Before I could speak my mind or begin fidgeting with the remote like a Neanderthal would with fire, the table was already getting filled with toppings. Don't you dare ask me the names of the toppings. They were just as nonexistent to me as my hunger would be after the two hours in this restaurant.
We spent the rest of the time ordering, cooking, and eating. Everything is covered under the "per person" fee, except the drinks and a couple of special meats like the Wagyu beef slices.
I stayed away from anything chicken. I know well that undercooked chicken and its best friend, salmonella, are two things I want nothing to do with.
The first round of orders is brought in a bamboo/wood bowl with smoke gushing out of it. The visuals are very pretty. There is also a healthy amount of greens that come along with it and among the toppings.
Once the bravery in the hearts of the hungry grows, the experimentation begins. Although the protein served has little to no rub or seasoning, the brave hearts start to mix everything, throwing away food etiquette one bite at a time.
What brings nations together?
Not sure.
However, I found both Japanese and Korean beer in this Korean restaurant.
I would love to say I now have an educated taste of their beers, but what if I have only tasted the bottom-of-the-barrel stuff? Where is Rollie when you need him? Or even Phortun? Both of them know beer more than anyone else I have met.
Except for the infamous Ivan Ivanovich (equivalent of John Doe) my friends and I met years ago while playing pool in a bar celebrating a friend's birthday. Ivan's entire gig revolved around trying to convince you that he could not only name but also tell about the history of the beer by drinking a pint blindfolded.
Sommelier. Niet. Scammelier.
Soju left me pretty satiated and well-entertained. It is a wonderful place with various delicious options! I have never visited Japan, my dream destination, but at Soju I got a taste of their beer.
But that burning question still lingered...
"Do you cook at home, Leet?"
The obviousness of the question must have startled my company as they stared at me licking my teeth after a nice dinner out at a Korean BBQ.
"Almost every other day. I have to cook at home, 'Deel!"
"Hmm. Ok."
The remainder of our hangout and the walk back home was filled with the beautiful aftertaste of Korean BBQ and thought. We had just ended a beautiful hangout with friends. People who cook at home have decided to go to a restaurant, cook for themselves, and pay for the service. Glad we weren't asked to also wash what we used. That'd be a full circle.
It must make sense for people who may not be in the habit of cooking or simply do not have the means to do so. The culture that made this a real service is surely different from the cultures outside the country.
"What kinda capitalist nippletwister is this?"
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Hahaha.
All this looks just too tempting not to try out it one day me too. Maybe I will ask if I should wash the dishes :D
It's fun. Totally.
Watch out when asking about the dishes. You might be charged a premium 😆
I wash and they charge me for that. That would be a combo 😂
I know right 😆
I'm going to a restaurant for the taste and convenience. Why are you making me work!?
Just for practising hahaha
Loved this review. What fun. Shows age has nothing to do with much huh? I've never been to a Korean BBQ but it looks like an awesome culinary experience!
You've had way more fun AND experience. Both culinary and general ;)
Ha and more to come I think. There's still a million stories I haven't told. Like the time we did conveyor belt sushi and had far too much sake.... I still have that sake set we accidentally liberated from the restaurant 😳🤦♀️😣
Ha accidentally liberate! I need to add that phrase to my vocab.
Does sake get better with time?
I see you've been served meals ikea style. Well, good to know you're experienced now, a seasoned cook I could say. If I ever visit the NL and decide to go to that restaurant, I'll take you with me and let you cook my meal 😂
Enjoy it while it lasts. Either you'll get tired of my cooking really quick or I'll end up only ordering the cooked stuff 😆
I guess we'll see which one is going to be 😄
That was a crucial question... And understandable why you asked it... 😂
So, how do you know that you have been in a restaurant? I mean, it could be just a bar... They don't have a chef, they don't cook, maybe they don't have a kitchen at all... 😂
The rabbit hole just got deeper 👀
😆
I haven't tried this kind of dining before but I did experience it in our house. If I may ask, how is the experience?
It's a new experience to me. Nevertheless it was delicious. And everything is just better with a good company!
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That looks fantastic!!!
I travelled around South Korea in 2003 and 2004 and I thought that the places where you cooked at your own table were fantastic!!! The big difference (between there and America) was that most of the grills were heated with charcoal. So you always had to be careful when getting up that you didn't bump into a server who was walking to a table with a red-hot bowl of coals.
Where we were, the side dishes were unlimited, but you had to pay for each course of meat. (Which was usually around $2USD per plate of meat). So, dinner with drinks for 2-3 of us was usually less than $15USD.
Charcoal sounds amazing! I bet it also added a very delicious flavour to the food!
I could imagine how dangerous it would be if someone would bump into one of the servers. Did the servers warn people while walking around with the coals?
15$ is absolutely a bargain for the food and experience! Although most except a few meats were included in the per person fee here, it is still way more expensive.
I couldn't believe how inexpensive most things were back then.
We stayed at "Love Motels". which were a fixed rate of $29USD all over the country. In Most, when you checked in, they provided your bedding at the desk (proving it was clean and washed). Every rom we stayed at had a bathroom with shower, a water cooler for drinking and a mattress on a heated floor. (That was all that we needed).
So, for two people, our daily spend was roughly $60USD/day for food, accommodation and some form of entertainment (Museum, Movie, Bar etc)..
I really want to go back to see how different it is after 20 years.