Korea Garden

Friday, June 7, 2019

Korea Garden

5352 S. 72nd Street, Omaha, NE

Where we went:

In deciding where to go next, we took a look at our past blogs. In doing so we discovered that Asian and Asian inspired foods were really lacking. Part of that being that Asian foods are not quite as common around Omaha as other areas of the country. However, we are determined to broaden our blog horizons, so we thought about what Asian restaurants we knew of. We have driven by Korea Garden, located off 72nd street in Ralston, a number of times, so decided to try it out.

What We Ate:

Kyle started the meal off with one of his favorite appetizers at any Asian restaurant, Crab Rangoon. Unfortunately, as stated in past blogs, Eric and fish (even imitation fish) do not play well together, so this was really more of an appetizer for Kyle.

For the meal, Kyle got the Shrimp Fried Rice, a simple dish but one he always enjoys. Eric was feeling a bit adventurous and ordered something completely new to him, the Beef Bulgogi, a popular Korean dish with meat thinly sliced and marinated in a special house sauce.

The Food:

For Kyle, the Crab rangoon was excellent, the top was a little burnt, but not bad enough to take away from the total flavor. The Shrimp Fried Rice was also very good, nothing too original, or special compared to other asian inspired restaurants he had been too, but overall it was worth it to have his favorite dish at a new location.

At first Eric felt left out as he watched Kyle go to town on his appetizer, but when the food arrived, his Bulgogi came to the table with a small army of appetizers as well! There was a small plate of broccoli drizzled with sauce, some roasted potatoes, pickled radish, sliced cucumbers with sauce, some green onion pancakes, and kimchi! Eric was astounded by the variety of options, though he’s unsure about whether all of these sides come with every meal, or just the one he ordered, as he was unable to read anything about them on the menu. There was so much that he insisted that Kyle help him eat some of them. Perhaps they were already for the whole table? Who knows! Eric’s favorite of the bunch was the roasted potatoes, which had some subtle glaze on them that was delicious. The green onion pancakes were deliciously savory, but seemed to get cold quickly, and tasted far better when warm. The broccoli was rather boringly steamed, though the sauce drizzled on top was good and Eric would have loved to have had more. This was also Eric’s first time trying Kimchi, a traditional Korean side made from fermented cabbage. Despite the strangeness of the description, Eric gave it a try, and . . . it was ok? It was much spicier than he expected, but it seemed a rather flavorless kind of heat. It wasn’t as odd as he feared, but also wasn’t tasty enough to keep him coming back for more when there were so many other things to try.

Eric’s bulgogi, itself, was decent. After reading about the special sauce in the menu, he was surprised that there wasn’t really any in the final dish, only what looked like some thin broth at the bottom of the dish. The meat was well cooked, and surprisingly flavorful considering the lack of sauce. He enjoyed using the steamed rice to soak up the broth, which was actually pretty good.

The Atmosphere:

Korea Garden has a unique atmosphere. First, it’s in a standard suburban strip mall with a drive-through window, so you might not think there would be much of interest inside. While that is partially true, it is actually a full service restaurant with a bar, and the owners seem to have taken the time to add lots of little touches to make it feel more Korean. The first thing you see when you walk in is a large stone fireplace. Thought it takes up quite a bit of room, which one would think they would use to add more tables, it gives a very unique feel, and acts as a little separation from the entrance and bar. Next, along the walls, the booths are sheltered with tile awning. This awning doesn’t have the more traditional terracotta tiles, replacing them for simple wood tiles, it still adds a unique flavour to the entire restaurant. Eric thought it gave the impression of eating in a peaceful courtyard, which would have been a really effective thematic touch if the decor just went a little further with the concept. However the underside of the awnings just looking like plain plywood sheets whenever you look up from your table, combined with the large pipes and rafters prominently lit up across the ceiling drastically diminish the tranquil courtyard feel.

One down side of these awnings is the supporting structure. The awning was clearly installed first, then the booth added underneath. This means the booths don’t always match up with the supports. Kyle had a hard time getting in and out of his side of the booth, as a beam was right in his way. A minor issue for us, but could potentially be a bigger issue for others.

Service:

The service at Korea Garden was good, the host was also our waiter, and seemed particularly interested in keeping us happy, asking if we wanted refills several times. Although nothing stood out to us as being exceptionally, nothing was also underwhelming.

In the End:

Korean Garden is an excellent place for an asian inspired meal. Whether you are in the mood for classics, such as Shrimp Fried Rice, or want to be more adventurous with dishes like Beef Bulgogi, you won’t go wrong with Korean Garden. While their dinner options tend to run $10-20 for an entree, their lunch menu typically runs below $10, providing a variety of pricing options whether you’re looking for a nice dinner or a quicker lunch during the day.