You have heard of BBQ and KBBQ– now introducing JBBQ (Japanese Barbeque).
Not sure as to why your writers have been opting for cooking their meals as of late, but LizzDrew decided to take this month’s reviewing escapade to Gyubee (which means high quality Japanese barbeque).
Located at 235 King Street North (no more than two minutes from campus), we entered the sleek and modern restaurant, getting seated as soon as we walked in (something to keep in mind given that this was our third attempt at eating there).
We were greeted by a luscious, all you can eat menu– different from last month’s joint where you pay per serving.
We were also tasked with selecting from a wide variety of drink options including souju, wine, cocktails and mocktails.
Lizzie, who is seemingly attempting to turn this column into a wine-review, once again ordered the 5-ounce Jackson Triggs Chardonnay.
Lizzie points out that for a $7 wine glass, she was disappointed with the portioning – considering that she has her smart serve and knows the helping amount.
On the other hand, Andrew was weary given a few not-so-great encounters with his go-to soju and asked for a pint of Sapporo.
He thoroughly enjoyed the light and flavorful pairing of the imported beer with the meat to come.
Our first course was indulgently full of beef, pork, shrimp, brisket and no veggies (something Lizzie will note later).
The joy of cooking the food ourselves, mixed with the decadent flavor of each plate makes it hard to pick out a single standout, although the Prime Kalbi steak did have our mouths watering.
As we moved to a more health conscious second round, we dabbled in foods such as the butter corn, sliced zucchini, king oyster mushrooms and a multitude of sides – the true eye catchers (or shall we say mouth catchers) being the kimchi, cold tofu, cabbage salad and ssamjang sauce.
Your food reviewers unfortunately disagree on a couple of key points that distinguish a good restaurant from a great one.
Lizzie enjoyed Daldongnae’s intrinsic complimentary side dishes– the heads of lettuce, cheese corn and salads galore come to the table without having to lift a finger.
Comparatively to Daldongnae, Gyubee encourages diners to request these food items.
Lizzie feels that while this may reduce food waste, it’s nice to have these dishes available to guests who may have never tried them in the first place–expanding culinary palettes.
Suitably stuffed, we finished our meal with the creme brulee and a cone of soft serve ice cream for each of us (included in the all you can eat total).
Andrew found that the diversity and adventurous nature of an all you can eat joint incredibly appealing.
Especially at places as good as Daldongnae and Gyubee where the food is impeccably presented and allows for food exploration.
Overall, a stellar meal and an incredible waitstaff have earned a gold star in the LizzDrew review book.
If you want to see if it earns a gold star in your review book too, tell them LizzDrew sent you!
Overall Ratings:
Ambiance: 9 out of 10
Drinks: 8 out of 10
Food: 10 out of 10
Affordability: 6.5 out of 10