We visited during their soft opening, and it was already an amazing experience! The beef was incredibly tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. If you order the Galbijjim, definitely add the cheese!! The staff were all very friendly, attentive, and made us feel welcome throughout the meal. The service was excellent, and everything we tried was fresh and satisfying. Knowing this is only their soft opening, I'm already impressed. I heard they'll be adding even more menu items for the grand opening, and I'm really excited to come back and try everything. I highly recommend this place! Best Galbijjim place! read more

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I visited last Sunday during their soft opening. Since it was a soft opening, we primarily focused on the main dishes, and everything was absolutely delicious! The galbi appetizer was incredibly tender and flavorful. The white soup had a rich, deep broth that was amazing. I also loved the bibimbap it was great to have two different sauce options to choose from! The restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere and is very spacious. Additionally, the restrooms were exceptionally large and clean, which I really appreciated! read more

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Delicious food, there were three of us and we shared everything and everything tasted amazing. The restaurant is spacious and has great ambiance and service! Can't wait for the full menu! read more

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Great Korean addition to downtown Redwood City! We visited at 5pm on a Thursday just after they opened, plenty of tables available then but the place became pretty full around 6. Only four complimentary banchan were served but they were all tasty, especially the kimchi. We ordered: - Premium Galbijjim [$88 + $7 for the corn cheese] (rating 5/5): Huge portion - it says it feeds 2-3 but four of us only finished about half. This was loaded with short rib, potatoes, Kabocha squash, and rice cakes, and you can order spice level from 0-2 -- we ordered level 1 which had just a touch of spice. I had the Daeho galbijjim just 4 days prior so the memory was pretty fresh for comparison; both are really good, the Daeho meat was slightly more tender (but both were nicely soft) and sweeter, but I really liked the addition of Kabocha squash at Gangsan. Highly recommended. - Seafood pancake [$23] (rating 5/5): while slightly smaller than many places and less crispy in the center, the edges were beautifully crunchy and the sauce was really good, making this dish one of the better versions around. Served with two orders of rice. Would definitely order again. - Combination Seolleong Tang [$29] (4.5/5): Comforting with a good amount of meat, I like how it's pre-salted. Also really good but not as amazing as the other two dishes. Served with one order of rice. Staff was efficient and plentiful so it was easy to get service, and the owner walked around checking on all tables, making sure everyone was happy. They accidentally gave us the normal brisket seolleong tang instead of the combo, which the owner noticed right away before we did, so he comped us the regular and gave us our order quickly. Really happy with Gangsan and we'll be sure to return to try more of their menu. read more

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Easy parking, beautiful renovated interior, great lighting, and very friendly staff (with a hostess outside!) No wait at 6pm on a Monday. We tried the brisket suyuk and the seafood scallion pancake. We were originally given a table for 2, which was too small to fit an appetizer and main dish. We had to be moved to a table for 4, so if you plan to order a lot, keep that in mind. Brisket suyuk was tasty, especially the garlicky, creamy broth. It's very simple with just thin slices of beef, mushrooms, and lots of scallions. At $60 though, I expected a bit more inside the pot, especially since it says it feeds 2-3 people. The scallion seafood pancake was delicious! Crispy and packed with seafood. The middle was a bit underdone, but flavor was on point. Banchan was good - especially loved the kimchi and radish kimchi. The mayonnaise dressed kelp noodles were however a miss for us, but I'm not a mayonnaise fan. It's their soft opening, so there were a few quirks with service. One waitress said they were out of zero sugar soju, but I saw it in the fridge. Another waiter forgot to update us on whether the seafood pancake was out for the day after we inquired. We also had to ask to be given water. Other than those few minor things, staff was super friendly and checked in many times. I believe the owner or manager also personally came over a few times. I would definitely come back and try more things off the menu! read more

Gangsan - Brisket Suyuk - Korean Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Gangsan is the Korean restaurant addition to the Peninsula we absolutely needed. As an LA native, I'm super picky with Korean food so I went with zero expectations this past weekend during their soft opening. It was very busy, we waited about 40 minutes to get seated at the bar. The host managing the FOH was very efficient and did his best to maintain good communication about the long wait times. We considered leaving a few times because we were pretty hungry, but I'm glad we waited. Once seated, they're quick to bring over water and banchan. The inside is clean, has an open feel, and the bar seating is a nice touch. We ordered the premium galbijjim and it was delicious. Portions are generous and I always prefer my galbijjim with thinner cuts of meat so that it can soak the juices up better and this place does that. Beyond that, the kimchi was SO good - best restaurant kimchi in the Bay that I've had yet. Even though it was busy, the servers were very attentive, refilling our banchan (we ate 3 portions of the kimchi) and making sure we had enough water. We chatted with the owner for a bit, he was working hard right by his team, it was great to hear his desire for quality and taste over a more expansive menu. We saw many dishes that we'd love to try, we'll be back again and again. Thank you Gangsan! read more

Gangsan - Premium galbijjim - Korean Near Me - Redwood City, California

What an amazing find and a great addition to downtown Redwood City. This is in the former Cafe La Tartine Bakery Cafe. I learned of this place by word of mouth and honestly, it did not disappoint. I got there before the dinner rush (before 6pm) and it was relatively empty. HOWEVER, note that you will not be seated until your full party arrives, so I had to wait until my friend arrived before getting seated. The menu is simple and unique. They are still in its soft opening phase, but I like the simplicity of the menu--as of this review, there was sizzling bibimbap, beef soup, kalguksu (knife cut noodles), premium beef dishes--family size for sharing and a good appetizer menu selection. I'm really pleased that it is not crowded with the typical Korean foods. We ordered the deep fried squid, 2 kalguksu dishes. The squid was perfectly fried, crispy, not greasy and was accompanied by a creamy mayo dipping sauce. The squid was delivered whole and we cut it ourselves with the provided scissors. Two of us consumed the whole squid easily. The clam kalguksu had generous amounts of clams and the broth was very light and clean, no fishy after taste; the galbi kalguksu came with 3 large ribs--it didn't seem like much, but after removing the meat from the bones...there was a lot of meat! The broth was also very clean, flavorful and just a hint of sweetness, likely from the ribs. The restaurant filled quickly and by the time we finished, the restaurant was packed. The staff were very attentive and friendly and the service was wonderful. Overall, it was a throughly memorable and satisfying meal and I can't wait to come back. 수 고했어요!! read more

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We happen to come opening week and were pleasantly surprised by this place! Inside is decorated well. The location is fantastic. Service was very attentive and friendly. Food came out very fast! The food was portioned well (lots of meat!) and very clean (ingredients felt fresh and everything was flavored well). Prices were fair for the quality! The banchan was yummy, kimchi was on the sweeter side which I like. The meat was all super tender and yummy. We will definitely be back to try more dishes! read more

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My partner and I came here for the soft opening of Gangsan. We were surprised by the extensive menu since usually there is a limited menu for soft openings. Service is friendly and attentive and they helped throughly answer any inquiries we had. For food, we ordered the beef tartare and the galbijjim. The beef tartare tastes strongly of sesame oil and was paired with thinly sliced crunchy Asian pear and sprouts. The dish itself was refreshing and I can imagine it would be a great to have on a hot summer day. As for the beef galbijjim, that seemed to be the most popular order at the restaurant. In the dish, there were carrots, tteokboki, kabocha squash, potatoes, and short rib. The portions are generous and there's enough food to feed three to four people in that single serving, however because my partner and I were both very hungry and very eager to eat the meal, we shared it between the two of us. While we did have to order cheese as an add-on, it is well worth it. Watching the cheese get torched table-side was really fun and the cheese helped bring the dish to the next level. As for the side dishes, I was pretty surprised at the selection. While they have the regular radish kimchi, and the cabbage kimchi, they also included a seaweed noodle salad? The seaweed noodles were crunchy and side dish tasted similar to Korean potato salad. I enjoyed eating the salad with the beef tartare because it helped add more texture and complimented the flavors as well. Overall, this place is a comparable replacement for Daho with the added benefit of having enough room for people so you don't feel crowded when eating there. The pricing is reasonable for the amount of food that you get. This place is also located in downtown Redwood City, so there are plenty of attractions to go to, before or after your meal. Would definitely come here again with friends, family, or coworkers! read more

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Visited during their soft opening so they had a limited menu but it was very good. Inside was very clean and modern. The staff was super friendly and recommended the clam soup which was very good. There's a parking garage nearby which we didn't have to pay for because we were in and out within 2 hours. Onto the food. We got the raw A1 beef tartare, A2 Korean-style grilled short ribs, Oxtail jjim, Seafood Bibimbap and Clam Noodle Soup. The beef tartare was excellent and you can't even tell it was raw. The texture was great and the Asian pear had a good sweetness. The short ribs were well seasoned and tender. The oxtail jjim was very good and the meat fell off the bone. There was a good assortment of potatoes, onions, rice cakes and carrots in it which was nice. That comes with 2 servings of rice I believe. The Clam Noodle Soup was flavorful and clean tasting. We also tried the Seafood bibimbap as everything else available was mainly just beef. That was alright in comparison to everything else. The seafood aspects were a bit small compared to the amount of vegetables. Overall, it was a great experience and I'm excited to see what the entire menu tastes like. read more

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Went in on a Sunday night and was seated right away. The service was super quick and attentive. The banchan was delicious, especially their kimchi. The bulgogi bibimbap was a 9/10. Really good portion of meat, making it well worth the price. Perfect dinner spot with friends and family. read more

Gangsan - Beef bulgogi bimbimbap - Korean Near Me - Redwood City, California

Food is really delicious had to get the galbijjim and Seoulltang soup both come with rice. Starting with the side, I had a good feeling the main course was going to be great and it didn't disappoint. Staff is super friendly and helpful on what to order. I'm glad there is a Korean restaurant in RWC. The restaurant is very clean and has a large bar. read more

Gangsan - Side dishes - Korean Near Me - Redwood City, California

New Korean restaurant at Redwood City in front of movie theater. It is soft opening with limited dishes available. We stopped by after watching movie and found it. It was not busy during dinner hours. The menu is limited we ordered bimbimbap and Bulgogi Jeongol. They provides couples of banchan and one which very unique and I never had before is the white color like seaweed. It a bit crunchy but not much taste. The rest are regular like cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi. The order was ready quickly. The bimbimbap come with stone bowl. The Bulgogi Jeongol is served on portable gas stove. It is like hotpot. It is for 2 to 3 people. Both bimbimbap and bulgogi are yummy. The soup with the bulgogi is yummy and the combination is perfect. Looks like the owner or manager frequently stop by to check. Overall it was nice dinner after movie and I am glad we have more restaurants around movie theater. If you are nearby you should give it a try. It is authentic. read more

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I was excited to try this new Korean place in the South Bay, and this restaurant definitely exceeded my expectations! The restaurant is quite spacious with bar seating, and everything seemed very clean. I highly recommend coming early if you don't want to wait in line. I tried the Suyuk, which was super tasty and I loved how they give you plenty of mushrooms. They will also continuously refill the soup. We also ordered the Yuk-Hwe (beef tartare) as an appetizer, which was absolutely delicious. I liked how it wasn't too heavily seasoned so it's not too sweet, but it was more savory. I highly recommend ordering this dish. Most importantly, I really enjoyed their banchan. Most Korean restaurants have highly seasoned and salty banchan, but all their banchan was perfect and we got many refills. The kimchi paired really well with the Suyuk. I guess one small drawback is that they don't sell makgeolli (the korean rice wine) which I think would go really well with the Suyuk. However, I will definitely be back to try their other items on the menu! read more

Tried this place after watching a movie near bye. We saw that they had their soft opening and were able to seat us with no wait time. We tried the seafood bibimbap and the premium beef soup. They were out of the short rib appetizer unfortunately. Before our entrees they served us some small appetizers, two variants of kimchi, some onions and a noodle salad. My favorite was the radish kimchi.The beef soup was great, really enjoyed the flavorful broth and the soup had a good amount of beef. Finished it completely. The seafood bibimbap was good, the squid was a bit chewy, but otherwise great. Service was friendly and attentive and folks checked in on us on a regular basis. Will definitely give this place another try. read more

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The highlights were the sweet and spicy glazed dumplings and the bulgogi bibimbap. The dumplings were sticky and saucy and the bibimbap came out in a cast iron bowl with perfectly toasted rice. The banchan selection was solid too, four options with unlimited refills. The premium galbijjim ($85) was where things fell short. The broth was genuinely rich and flavorful, but the short ribs weren't fall off the bone like advertised. A lot of the pieces were heavy on tendon with not much meat, and the dish was mostly pumpkin and potatoes with only a few pieces of tteokbokki. At that price point we expected the meat to be the star of the show. The calamari was decent but the batter was a little too salty and didn't hold up well. Decent spot overall with some bright moments, but the galbijjim didn't justify the price for us. Might not be our go-to for that dish specifically, but worth a visit if you're in the area and keeping it to the smaller plates. read more

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I saw that this place had recently opened up, replacing the brewpub that I recently visited a month ago. I decided to check this place out with a few of my coworkers after work. They had just opened so their menu was limited and didn't have half of the drinks that were on their menu. I decided to order a Jinro soju and a Terra to share. For food, the waitress recommended the galbijim and the calamari, so we ordered that as well. The calamari tasted fresh and crunchy, but was not cut up like how it usually is in other restaurants so we had to cut it ourselves. The galbijim was packed full of flavor but did not have much meat. Nevertheless, everything was delicious! I just wish they had the Seoro soju when I went. read more

Really glad a new Korean place is in town! We went to enjoy soft opening menu. I wouldn't get the tofu again, you really need to have meat to get the flavor. It was a little dry and bland. The short ribs, noodles and calamari were great. The kimchi's were tasty. Can't wait to try more options! read more

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Stopped by here during their first week of a Soft Opening, and we were very pleased with our experience here. Centrally located in downtown Redwood City, in a bustling pedestrian plaza with many restaurants, a movie theater, and coffeeshops, this newest Korean dining spot will surely be a hit. It replaces a defunct Biergarten, and the space is really nice. Lots of outdoor seating for the balmy Redwood City climate (best by government test), inside, it is beautiful, spacious, and very clean. A separate area for larger parties, a long & spacious bar, plenty of 2-4 seat tables, and a very airy and open central space gives this restaurant a nice & comfortable atmosphere. They use a lot of wooden details inside to give the entire spot a homey, cozy, and warm feeling. It's bright inside too, with lots of big hanging lights, track lighting, and a well-lit bar. Got seated next to the window away from the bustle, and with a good view of the plaza for excellent people watching outside. The hostess was very nice & cordial & welcoming, despite coming in very close to the 8pm closing time. We never felt rushed, neglected, or resented for being "that customer," who came in during the closing shift. Everyone working here was nice, the runners, the waitstaff, the bartenders, even the manager came out to check up on us and ask for real feedback to help them to better run operations, refine their menu & to better shape the overall dining experience. We appreciated the derive & attention, and were honored to give them feedback to better help their official grand opening around the corner. I think that this restaurant will be a hit, mixing a great ambiance with excellent service, and tasty food. Let's wish them luck. It being a soft opening, the menu is still quite limited as they shape, refine, and perfect their offerings. The drink menu is still very sparse, mostly focusing on Soju, as they haven't gotten up to speed yet on beers, wines, and cocktails, so we went with the traditional Soju. They brought out the complimentary Banchan which consisted of Kimchi, creamy Kale noodles, and pickled onions with jalapeños. All the dishes were very good, and with larger portions to satisfy that immediate hunger & craving for small appetizers. I don't need 10 dishes to fill up on, 3 is the perfect number and still left room in my stomach for the main entrees. We ordered the vegetarian tofu bimbibap and the tofu salad. I was a big fan of the tofu salad. Lots of fresh vegetables, generous big chunks of fresh cold tofu, and all were lightly seasoned in a sauce/dressing that did not drown or overpower the taste of the raw veggies. The tofu bimbibap was good, lots of sticky crispy fried rice underneath a mixture of spinach, sprouts, onions, seaweed, radish, and tofu. The tofu was sort of weird, deep fried on the outside and very hard. They didn't seem to know if to make it crunchy like a crouton or soft like a protein. They said that they would work on this dish, as others had noted that the preparation of the tofu was off to them as well. But no matter, it all tasted good, and I was especially a fan of the crispy bed of rice & fresh vegetables in the dish, just not the fried tofu cubes themselves. Overall, I really liked the experience here. The space is beautiful, comfortable, well-lit, fun, and cozy. The location can't be beat. It is very clean and welcoming. Service here is great, and the staff are very friendly & upbeat & approachable. The food here is still being finalized, and the drink menu is still being added to and refined. If this first week of a soft opening is any indication, this restaurant has a great future & successful ahead of it as a welcome dining experience in downtown Redwood City. Can't wait to come back soon after they've expanded & finalized their menu, and work out a few tweaks to some of their preparation & cooking offerings. I think that with some minor changes, everything will be just perfect and I can see myself dining here regularly. And I probably will, because I love Korean food, downtown Redwood City, and a nice restaurant. Gangsan seems to check all of those boxes. Also, pricing is fair, service is excellent, and the food tastes great & fresh! read more

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We were super excited to see a Korean spot open in Redwood City! The food was excellent and the service was really good! definitely will be coming back! Also, huge pro is it was family friendly and we felt welcome with our 9mo old! read more

Went during their soft opening. Their menu isn't too extensive right now, but the manager told us that they will be expanding to their full menu soon and I'm excited to to be back for that because I LOVE Haemul Pajeon (savory seafood pancake). The banchan (side dishes) were quite limited--spicy radish, kimchi, creamy kelp noodles and peppers, but hopefully they will improve on that too once they open fully. We got the combo suyuk which was quite yummy and great portion for sharing, a veggie bibimbap which was good, a kalguksu (my brothers loved it) and an order of the premium Galbijjim. I think I was the least impressed with the Galbijjim as someone who loves Daeho, but I feel like the portions, pieces and quality of the meat were a little lacking. Most of it was fatty and the pieces were all pretty small. That said, the marinate was good and I really enjoyed the pumpkin that was included in the dish. The restaurant itself is very nice, open, and clean too. I'm waiting patiently for when the full menu is out so we can give this place another try. read more

Gangsan - Combination Suyuk - Korean Near Me - Redwood City, California

Service was excellent! We came as a group of 13 and they were able to accommodate our big group to be able to sit together. Really liked their kimchi and galbijim. Would recommend and go back if I was in the area! read more

Gangsan - Galbijim with cheese - Korean Near Me - Redwood City, California

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As fellow korean , i ve got a chance to try their newest item for grandopening . sooyook bossam which is pork with kimchi Has little spice and kimchi is a bit sweeter side then regular kimchi . And i had clam noodle soup and sesame buckwheat noodle salad , portions are very big and both sharable . All server are well educated about they menu so you can ask ! read more

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I got a chance to try this newly opened Korean restaurant during their soft opening, and I'm definitely glad to see a new Korean spot in the Redwood City area since there really aren't many Korean food options around here! The dishes and overall concept reminded me a bit of Daeho. I tried the Galbi Tang, and while the soup was good, I personally prefer the deeper, richer soup flavor at Daeho. I was also a little disappointed with the short ribs--the meat wasn't quite as tender as I had hoped, and a few pieces were actually pretty tough. That said, I have to give them credit for their banchan. I actually thought they were better than Daeho's! Everything tasted fresh and flavorful. Since I visited during their soft opening, I'm sure they're still working out some of the kinks, and I'd definitely come back to try some of their other dishes. For now, the Galbi Tang probably wouldn't be my first choice to order again, but I'm excited to see another Korean restaurant in Redwood City and hope they do well! read more

So glad Redwood City has a sit-down Korean restaurant!!!! They're still in soft opening when I went but the food was yummy and the prices aren't too bad. The servers were attentive and seemed well trained for such a new place. I'll definitely be back, weekly when they finally add soondubu ;-) read more

Gangsan - Korean Near Me - Redwood City, California

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We had a fantastic experience at Gangsan in Redwood City. We ordered the chicken bibimbap, spicy galbi tang, and sweet & spicy dumplings, and everything hit the mark. The complimentary banchan deserves its own recognition. They had a really great take on the traditional spread: classic kimchi, a beautiful onion and jalapeño blend, bean sprouts in a creamy mayo mixture, and the fish cake in that traditional red sauce. Every single one brought something different to the table. Spectacular. The spicy galbi tang was rich, comforting, and packed with flavor, the chicken bibimbap was delicious, and those sweet & spicy dumplings disappeared FAST. The staff also made the experience. Alvin was attentive and took care of us throughout the meal, but I especially want to recognize Grace. She was spectacular. She noticed the little things and stepped in wherever something was needed without us having to ask. That kind of awareness and hospitality really stands out and deserves recognition. Great food, great banchan, and an overall great staff. We'll absolutely be back! Ps: get the soju. read more

Visited Gangsan for their soft opening! I was super excited that there was going to be a korean restaurant with galbijjim opening in redwood city! We ordered raw beef tartare and korean style grilled ribs for appetizers. Beef tartare was so fresh and was perfectly marinated with the sauce! The Korean style grilled ribs were so soft and juicy! Perfect amount to share with 2-4 people! We also ordered level 2 premium galbijjim, and it was the best galbijjim in the bay area! The meat was soft and the sauce was very flavorful! Plenty of veggies and rice cake! They didnt have other add on topping for soft opening, but the they said they will be having more topping we can add once they release the full menu! We ordered combination suyuk and their soup was perfect with rice & kimchi! Theres salt and pepper if more as needed but it was perfect for me! This was husband's favorite dish! My other friend got seafood bibimbap so I tried it as well and it was delicious! It contained shrimp and squid and lots of veggies! It comes in a hot stone pot so the food was kept warm the whole time! Their menu was limited because its soft opening but had everything I wanted! The restaurant was spacious and clean. Staffs were super nice and attentive! Will definitely be returning sometime soon! read more

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Discovered a fantastic new Korean restaurant in downtown Redwood City. The dining area is clean, modern, and spacious. The Su-Yuk was tender and full of flavor, and the staff provided excellent service throughout the meal. I will definitely be returning to explore the rest of the menu! read more

Gangsan - Suyuk - Korean Near Me - Redwood City, California

Hands down the best Galbi-jim (braised short ribs) and Suyuk (boiled pork/beef) I've had in a long time! The Galbi-jim was unbelievably tender and packed with rich, savory flavor, falling right off the bone. The Suyuk was so soft, juicy, and clean-tasting. Fantastic food, warm service, and a great atmosphere. 5 stars easily! read more

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we came here on a sunday wanting to try a new spot and it was so good!! they seated us right away and the service was amazing. the food was very flavorful! we got the rice cake galbitang and premium kalbijjim. it was on the sweeter side. the cheese melted perfectly. definitely a must try and will be going back for more! read more

Food was really good, and everyone was super nice despite being incredibly busy. I'd say the only con is that it's still in its soft opening, so they can't fill all the tables or seat people at the bar yet. The food may have had a bit of MSG because I was really thirsty afterward, but that's just a guess. Aside from that, I'd definitely come back. read more

They do not honor the Yelp reservations. We had reservations on Yelp and the host said they are not taking reservation but yelp keeps taking reservations - so we had to wait read more

very high quality of meat and service was good. this is not a taste that I can taste in America.