I visited Bul for the first time on 1/10 with some friends. We all lived in Korea for at least a year, so we have a pretty good basis for judgement. We ordered the Dak Galbi and Bulgogi Rice, and some of the yakitori. All of the items were reasonably tasty for being in DC proper and it was enough food for the three of us. Our waitress was very nice and let us try kombucha samples, as others have noted, but there was definite disorganization as far as actual service. The individual plates they brought us (to scoop our food onto) were still wet, and mine looked like it still had some gunk on it. We ended up mostly just eating off the main dishes. When a different male server brought out the Dak Galbi, he said it was "DC Kalbi" which is a different thing -- so it's good that we were already knowledgable about Korean food. Another person clearing tables dropped a huge armful of dishes down the stairs while we were eating. One good thing is that our waitress did split our check three ways for us, which was great! I know some places don't like doing that. The negative reviews about there not being banchan/kimchi didn't get the memo that Bul is supposed to be "street food" themed... not Korean BBQ. Anyone who has lived in Korea knows that you don't get banchan at pojangmachas. Then again, to match the "street food" theme, I really wish Bul served more types of pajeon and also things like dakgangjeong. I'm going again tomorrow with a different friend -- hoping for the same tasty food with a more organized wait staff! read more

This place just opened and it's just awesome! Good food good service. Such a nice experience altogether! I will definitely come here again and again :) The DC Kalbi was mouthwateringly good and the tsukune (chicken meatballs) were so tasty. I ordered yuja cha (Korean citron tea) with my meal and it really brought the whole experience together. We finished the meal off with taiyaki (waffle like bread in the shape of a fish with red bean paste) and I was honestly doing a food dance it was so good :) read more

Bul - delicious taiyaki - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Maybe we did BUL wrong. We went with a selection of "little anjus." Everything was "a-ok," but nothing really stood out. Maybe because everything was deep fried? The O Crab! Puffs were tiny, tasty crab rangoon. They were good, but I can't honestly say they were a step above good takeout. The seafood pajeon was a bit overly greasy, and the crispy flying fish didn't have much flavor. The o-dari was a decent calamari, but the only thing that made it special was that it was all tentacles, which I liked. Probably the best dish we had was the seaweed salad. If I came back, I'd probably go with something from the "big anju" section of the menu. I'm on the fence about whether I'd repeat the cucumber soju. It tasted good, and seemed like a good deal (a large pitcher for $19), but I had a splitting headache the next day. That could be user error. read more

TL;DR: a delicious spot to get Korean food in DC, with a great casual vibe. I came here with my significant other, as we'e both vegetarian and were looking for places that are vegetarian friendly but also more than just leaves and quinoa. We happened upon Bul on Yelp and decided to give it a try. There was no wait on a Saturday night, and it definitely skews towards a more casual, unpretentious ambiance. Service is friendly and helpful, and the American hip hop is a fun touch. After a lot of deliberation, we split the veggie soondobu, veggie fried dumplings, egg maru and kimchi pancake, and shared a citron sake. In retrospect, this was way too much food. The egg maru is huge (there are like 8 pieces), the kimchi pancake is a good size and soondobu is very filling, especially with rice. Everything, though, was delicious. Soondobu rivals BCD in NYC. We paid $33 each with tax, which is pretty solid given that it included drinks and apps. read more

Bul - Veggie dumplings and kimchi pancake - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We were very excited to go to Bul and that may have been the first error. The service was underwhelming but adequate. It felt that the servers were more preoccupied with the Korean soap opera on the television than us. Our appetizer of the seafood pancake was good, as well as my wife's bi bing bop and my pork belly. Not great, but good. I think what really left a bad impression was being charged for kimchi. Granted, it was only a couple of bucks but having lived in Seoul this is just not done. The Banchan, or the Korean small dishes of pickled goodness, which normally accompanied a meal was nonexistent. We left knowing that there are many more culinary adventures left to be had in DC and that we never have to go back to Bul. read more

After trying it out, i think its a good place to hang out! Drink and eat, all night. I love their K.F.C but others are okay. As being Korean Chicken taste great very some what like Korea. But other foods... not so Korea taste Korean food. Price is very high than Philly area. If i come back, it would be for Chicken and drink only. read more

Amazing!! Beat Korean food I've ever had. Plenty of vegetarian options. Expect a wait... it's worth it!

So my friends and I ordered the soy garlic chicken, kimchi pancake, and ddukbokki. The soy garlic chicken was okay, but the flavor was really lackluster. The kimchi pancake was actually good-- super crispy, but the portion was way too small for $12, and did not have any protein in it. If I'm paying that much for jeon, I wish I wasnt being ripped off so much for it. And dukkbokki was suuuper over cooked. Felt like I was just eating overcooked flour clusters. The WORST part about my experience here was the service. The person who was seating people told js we could wait outside bc it was crowded inside, so we stayed outside while we were waiting. We came back inside after 10 mins after the waiting area cleared. BUT then he seated people who came before us. So we had to wait 40+ mins for a table, and this person did not apologize when seating us. I was clearly upset when we were being seated. We later ordered soju, and they brought us the wrong flavor. I asked for a new one, but then I realized the same person who seated us was whispering and pointing at our table and talking to another waiter. And I realized they were definitely gossiping about me/our table. Extremely bad service and not worth the overpriced subpar food. read more

Really big and flavorful portions with friendly service, even for a walk-in takeout order. We enjoyed the food (bulgogi bibimbap) and look forward to trying more options. read more

Adams-Morgan is an old hat for many DC folks but it's nice to see something new pop up particularly when everything on 18th St is such an establishment. I heard about BUL and definitely wanted to check it out. It isn't that hard to find with the cowboy mural as your landmark, BUT I didn't see a big flashy BUL sign so you could potentially miss it if you were just walking through The inside is small without much waiting area and once you open the door, boom there's the dining area and the bar to your right. Once you are in though it feels somewhat spacious. Thankfully we had an open table reservation and got seated relatively quickly with only a 5 min wait. Interestingly one of the staff there recognized me from Sakuramen which was a nice serendipitous moment...but I don't know if BUL and Sakuramen are in any way connected officially but hey if it's just as good as Sakuramen then I definitely know what to expect from BUL. Their menu is separated into little plates (Little Anjus) and bigger entrees (Big Anjus). We decided to get a sprinkle of several Little Anjus and share a Pork Belly Ssam on the Big Anjus list. Overall, the dishes were actually quite good. Being from Hawaii and having been to a hardcore authentic Korean restaurant, their menu was not up to that presentation, but if they were going for a more modern flair with authentic flavors, then they succeeded very well. Would definitely return to try their bibimbap and odeng soup.....and interestingly enough, I did not see much bulgogi or Korean bbq on the menu! Dessert is limited as in they only have one...Taiyaki which was vanilla ice cream with fish-shaped chocolate chip pancakes...it was good but definitely wish they had more options. For drinks they have an assortment of sake, beer, and alcohol. Service was great, waitress was super friendly and we were with great friends...so all in all I very good first impression of BUL. Hopefully it becomes a lasting restaurant in Adams Morgan! read more

Bul - Small menu... - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I loved this place at first. Great, attentive service. Good Korean addition to the hood. But, my experiences have gone downhill, mostly due to the service. One time we were ignored for a long time at the bar. Never even acknowledged as they bustled about. Then ordered and, after waiting 20 minutes, realized the guy didn't get our order, insisting we never placed it. I had to refill my own water. Another time the music was just too loud for a daytime meal. Again wasn't acknowledged (is this a cultural thing?) for a while, though not as long as before. And for some bizarre reason one of the staff stores a personal bag on one of the prime seats every time, even when it's crowded. And there's some weird resistance to moving it. Anyway. The food is fine. The Korean pop videos to remind us that shallowness is a global phenomenon are cool. They're just losing me on the details and service. read more

I'm Korean, I'm from NOVA, I've been to Korea numerous times, and for DC Korean food, this place is pretty good. It's one of the more authentic Korean joints in DC. If you don't want to make the trek out to Annandale or NOVA to eat Korean food, I recommend this place. Service is great too. read more

Food is really good, i eat here pleanty Of times but service is worse than bad, they take the order and if you need something else make sure you stand up and gO at the bar area to request anything you need. read more

More of a bar with food than a restaurant with booze. Service was awful -- totally ignored. Only good things we had were the ridiculously unhealthy fried foods. Not sure why this place gets such good reviews. read more

The food here is a little pricey, but great if you're looking for Korean snack foods to eat while having a drink. The food itself is pretty good and they have decent portion sizes. It's a pretty cozy location and the staff is very nice here. Definitely a nice place to unwind after work! read more

This is a great little place with some tasty chicken! We ordered the chicken wings in soy and spicy. Both were fairly tasty, but not quite the best I've ever had. I was a bit disappointed that both flavors were on the sweet side, but for what they were, they were very good. We also ordered the bulgogi tacos, seasoned fries and the adorable watermelon soju. All were delicious. We'll definitely be coming back to try the rest of the menu...and another round of watermelon soju! read more

Not into it, especially for lunch -- if anything, it is a dinner place where you're drinking as much as you're eating. Chicken gizzard appetizer - greasy and spongy, I love chicken gizzards but this really fell short. Dol sot bibimbap - kinda tasty but NOT SIZZLING! Pork ssam - kinda tasty but a) not sizzling b) Was pork belly, but did not have the expected samgyeupsal texture. Was more tough. The fried chicken was pretty decent though, and I like that they use whole chicken parts rather than only wings or only drums etc. Would be a 3 star if the rest of the menu were stronger. As it stands, it's pretty mediocre. Though if you only intend to get chicken, go nuts. read more

If you are someone who has visited Korea and loved the food or someone who has tried authentic Korean food before and liked it... DO NOT GO HERE. This place has over hyped reviews from people who have never touched legit Korean food in their lives. The only thing that they get right is their Kimchi which is hard to mess up. They have inflated prices for poor amounts of food and nothing about this is quality Korean food. Their water is the best thing. Packaged BiBimMyun is better than this scheisse. read more

Servers were friendly and helpful. Food was just okay, and overpriced. My friend and I shared a yogurt soju (yummy and not a bad deal for $17, it's essentially a bottle of wine). We had the crispy squid legs (essentially fried calamari with ginger and wasabi) and the seafood pajeon as appetizers. The small is plenty to share, but the seafood isn't particularly fresh - definitely tastes frozen. For her meal, my friend got the fried rice; I definitely would have been disappointed if it were mine. I got the D.C. Kalbi (which is actually Galbi), which had nice flavor but didn't blow me away for $24. And honestly, just on principle kimchi MUST come with Korean food without being ordered or paid for. This isn't negotiable. While we had a nice night, Mandu is better if you're looking for trendy unauthentic Korean food. Unfortunately, I don't see how this place makes it. read more

I came here for dinner with my sister and my boyfriend. It's awesome to get a Korean bar in the NW area, I feel like there aren't many options in the area! Everything we ordered was really delicious and service was great, but prices are high for a Korean place (at least in this LA girl's opinion)--if it wasn't a matter of convenience, I'd pick Annandale/Centreville or even BonChon in Navy Yard over Bul, I feel like you could get a lot more for your $ there. We had the KFC chicken with both the spicy and sweet sauces on the side, seafood tofu soup, an onion pancake, dukbokki, pork belly ssam, and a bibimbap bowl. Everything was really good and I would get any of it again in a heartbeat, except for the bibimbap, which just was kind of lacking and not very flavorful. I also felt like the proportions of veggie/meat/sauce/rice in it were kind of off, it was dry. Overall, great for the area, but a little pricey! I'll probably be back with friends! read more

Very good service! Their food is so good and reasonable priced. I like their drink selection-- very good soju. Lastly, their chicken wings are incredible! read more

This is an awesome Korean place to take your friends who don't feel comfortable at a super Korean restaurant. It is so modern but the food taste very authentic. read more

I'm excited to have a great Korean place so close to home after driving out to Annandale for years. Yes, this is a more stylized and limited menu version of what you can get out there for cheaper, but hey, their rent is also probably higher here too. Anyway, we had the bulgogi rice, seafood pancake, and Dak Kalbi. All were recommended and excellent. read more

This was my first experience trying Korean street-food and it was good. I really like their approach to Sake; they serve some higher end Sake in smaller portions so it's at a more accessible price point. We tried some Yakitori: the Gingko Nuts, & Asparagus Bacon. How can you go wrong roasting asparagus & bacon? The answer? You can't. Delicious. Sweet asparagus, al dente with just the right crunch and really high quality bacon that was hammy and not too salty. We tried to find words to describe the gingko nuts, without much success. Unique and tasty, definitely try them if they're on the menu. From the Little Anjus portion of the menu we tried the Fried Flying Fish. These guys were a bit too much for me - the poor guys looked like they willingly leapt into the fryer and realized their mistake a bit too late. Dry and fishy tasting...if you're into sardines, you might really enjoy them. We ordered the Pork Belly Ssam from the Big Anjus list. It was good. A little too much oil on the sizzling cast iron skillet (made me think of fajitas in a quick casual Mexican joint), I'd like to see more of the miso pepper paste served with the dish, and it was fantastic. Over all, tasty. read more

Bul - Fried flying fish! They realized their mistake a little too late. - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This place was perfect for exactly what we were looking to do; have some food with great company. A+ on the crispiness of of the seafood pancake! read more

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My Dining Partner and I ate at Bul recently. We enjoy Sakuramen and wanted to try the new addition to the Adams Morgan dining scene. We were seated upstairs in the balcony area. The server was friendly and attentive; she explained the menu (small plates, larger plates to share). They have a fair selection from the bar. The food was good. For example, the dukbokki, which the waitress recommended, was all right but not outstanding. There was a lot of rice noodle component and not enough of the seafood part. The hangover soup was very good; we couldn't stop sipping it, and we weren't even hung over. The short ribs were good. While some complained that the prices were high, we were pleasantly surprised at how low our total bill was. Is the food better at Bul than in Annandale? No. But it's good to have a legit K-food option here in town without pulling out your passport for Northern Virginia. We will definitely be back! read more

I went to BUL for the first time on a Saturday night and everything was terrific! The atmosphere is very relaxed and welcoming. They were playing HipHop and R&B music. The service was great, it's definitely an all hands on deck type of place! The bartender was super friendly, recommended places we should go to end our Saturday night as well. Not to mention the food is amazing! We had the seafood pancake and potato shrimp as appetizers. For entrees we had the bulgogi rice and spicy seafood udon. Both so delicious! If recommended BUL to anyone and can't wait to return! read more

Bul - Spicy Seafood Yaki Udon Noodles! Stir fried udon noodles with mussels, squid, shrimp *no broth* This dish is huge and amazing! - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Beware of shady business practices! They served us an open bottle of Soju. Fried chicken was too spicy.

So it was Howard Homecoming weekend and my buddy and I were in search of some grub in Adam's Morgan. We resisted the temptation of a BIG SLICE and opted to give this place a try. We were familiar with the Korean fried chicken style from our trips to NYC's Momofuku noodle bar. So to the chicken - was it Momofuku - no. BUT it also wasn't ridiculously overpriced fried chicken like Momofuku ($130) and you don't have to make a reservation two months in advance for the chicken here. I ordered a half of the soy sauce ginger style and my buddy ordered the spicy. Our waiter suggested that we just order a whole chicken and get half in the style I wanted and the other half in the style my buddy wanted. This wotked out well and made the cost cheaper. Both styles were well prepared and quite tasty. The chopped radish pieces is a very nice accompaniment. The gentleman that greeted and seated us was awesome. We chatted with him about the neighborhood, music, sports, and life in general. Really enjoyed his conversation. After we finished he took our picture and placed it on the brick wall. What an honor!!! I loved the chicken and the service was spectacular. Highly revomended. The other dishes looked good also. Give this place a try! read more

Good gracious this place is DELICIOUS. So, so yummy. My husband, friend and I got a couple of small plates and the pork belly to start and we ended up LOVING everything that we got another small plate just because of how good everything was. We don't live too close to Bul, but we will definitely be finding our way back soon! Also! Not sure what the deal is with people's complaints about service. Our service was fantastic and the guys working there were hilarious and made us feel very comfortable. read more

This place is by far my favorite Korean restaurant in DC. The food is always amazing and the owner is one of the nicest people I've ever met. Things get really hectic and busy during weekend nights, but she always has time to stop by, ask if we're doing okay, and make sure that the food is good. Speaking of the food, everything I've had here has been very authentic and genuinely delicious. I always have a set list of dishes I order whenever I come here (tteokbokki, spicy chicken ssam, japchae, and the kimchi fried rice), but I'm sure if I ordered something else, I'd enjoy it too. Would highly recommend if you're ever in AdMo or DC in general and you're craving some high-quality Korean food. read more

I came here as my last meal in DC before leaving to Boston and have to say it was not very satisfactory. I ordered the grilled squid but could not finish it since it was extremely overcooked. I managed to get a a meal out of it by eating all the vegetables given with it, but I felt like it was not worth 20 dollars for an entree. The portion size was large though and the sauce was tasty, which I used to top the pic that was given with it. The musical playlist was actually pretty great too, so the vibe and location was nice. I wouldn't go back again though. read more

Bul - Grilled squid - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I've been here twice within the past two weeks. The first time around, I got dukbokki, spicy seafood yaki udon, and pork belly ssam. Dukbokki-Very tasty and at a good price. It is sweeter than most, but that is what I personally liked about it. Quantity was plentiful, enough to feed two people. I don't have a high tolerance for spicy food and this was at a tolerable level. Spicy seafood yaki udon-Not spicy, sweet, and delicious. Enough to be shared by two people or to be eaten by one. Pork Belly Ssam-My favorite. They bring the meat already cooked but the meat that was served was high quality (or so it seemed). They bring you a plate with the meat on it, but on the same plate are all the ingredients that go into Ssam already sliced up for your convenience: lettuce, dengjjang, onions with soy sauce, etc. Second time I was here, I got spicy korean fried chicken. It was absolutely delicious! It was very crunchy on the outside but the inside was spewing with juice. The meat was fresh and is a mixture of legs, wings, thigh, etc. The sauce was not spicy but more tangy. This is enough for three people. read more

I have only ever done take out, since I work in the area, so this review is not reflective of ambiance or service. I usually get the 1/2 Korean Fried Chicken and the K-Pork Fried Rice. Both are outstanding. The chicken is some of the best fried chicken I have had, period. It is incredibly juicy and hot. The batter is lighter and crunchier than typical fried chicken. The fried rice has excellent flavor and a pretty decent kick of heat. My coworkers and I are always eager to order and share what we get. These two dishes alone (1/2 Fried Chicken and Fried Rice) are enough to feed 3 people with a bit of left over. read more

Well I have to say I was really hoping this place would live up to some expectations but unfortunately it did not. Came here with a group of people on a Thursday night. Started with two appetizer dishes (no chance I could possibly remember the names) which both sounded exotic but in the end were more of just an expensive let down. Order a bulgogi bowl and so did my girlfriend. While the bowl was actually pretty good it wasnt anything special. Limited beer selection and service was just okay. read more

I was actually walking around pretty late at night and stumbled upon this gym. Between the urbanesque feel of the restaurant, music playing, and artwork I was drawn in. The food left nothing to be desired. I had the Bimbibap . Fucking great. Stomach was growling when I came in, I was completely satisfied on my way out, I wasn't even stingy with a tip. read more

My girlfrend and I where out for her birthday and ran into this place. We enjoyed it. The waiter was very nice. The bill wasnt bad either. I expected to pay more thsn what we did. We will most diffantly be back and i have to bring my boyfriend. Loved it read more

I am Korean, and tried soondoobu jjigae and rabbokyi here. Soondoobu jjigae had no tofu that should have been there. That special tofu is the main of soondoobu jjigae, yet it was nowhere to be seen.. Frankly it looked like biji jjigae. Rabbokyi was purely starch syrup itself. The good thing was that Rabbokyi had its noodle cooked really well, but the sauce made it unable to eat. read more

This is a review of Bul's Jjampong (spicy seafood soup) which I fell in LOVE with many years ago thanks to a little hole-in-the-wall gem called Yoon Ha's Kitchen and Deli, which was located near the cross-section of Florida and New York Ave. Nestled between the wholesale distributors selling an array of ethnic spices, produce, and products, Yoon Ha served delicious, authentic Korean food Monday to Saturday, from 5:00AM-3:00 PM. For a really great price, you would receive a heaping amount of food that would easily last two days. My go-to dish every single time was the Jjampong soup which came with rice and delicious ban chan sides: bean sprouts, kimchi, and sliced fish cakes. The soup was always bursting with flavorful broth and choked full of seafood - just what anyone needed to warm up their bones or clear a stuffy head. Alas, like so many authentic DC mainstays that are now, sadly, just mere memories, Yoon Ha became a casualty of the hipster gentrification that took over the area and turned it into present-day Union Market. As a result, I spent two years trying to find a comparable replacement to Yoon Ha's Jjampong, from Baltimore, MD, to Annandale, VA, but to no avail. Then Bul opens in Adams Morgan. I was BEYOND overjoyed to find that their Jjampong had the same savory, spicy broth as Yoon Ha! The reason I am only giving Bul three stars is because twice now, my Jjampong order was quite skimpy on the seafood (which is just some mussels, tiny bits of squid, and tiny pieces of imitation crab) and, instead, packs the soup with cabbage as a filler. SMH! At $20 per serving, I expect the seafood portions to be more generous and have greater variety. Yoon Ha's Jjampong had full, large prawn with the head and shell still on for extra flavor in addition to the squid and mussels (no imitation crab), INCLUDING rice and the aforementioned ban chan sides for just $13 - oh, how, I miss thee! That said, because I am unabashedly addicted to that broth and have not yet figured out how to make it myself, I will likely keep getting Bul's Jjampong but hope that they either 1.) become less stingy with the seafood or 2.) stop charging folks $20 for spicy cabbage soup with a hint of seafood passed off as Jjampong. #DoBetter read more

Bul - Jjampong or Spicy Cabbage Soup with a hint of Seafood? For $20 I expect a lot more seafood than cabbage. - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Outstanding experience. If you like Korean food, definitely go here. If you haven't tried Korean food, go here. And if you don't like Korean food, go have their wings. They have many different types of Soju (sweet alcoholic drink) and several varieties of beer. We tried to types of wings, a seafood pancake and crispy squid legs. Everything was good. The seafood pancake was new to me and I really liked it a lot. I'll be back here. Service was excellent! read more