Seorae

Still my favorite Korean BBQ place in Hong Kong. I used to go to their TST branch but the lines are too long. Here at CWB, there is virtually no wait time if you come on a weekday. (The lines are still bearable on weekends, if you are early — like before 7pm).
The must-​have for me is the 護心肉, i.e., meat around the heart. So meaty and packed with flavor! The other thing I also loved about Seorae is the condiments that comes with the meal. I usually order one meat + one carb (ramen or bibimbap) for 2 persons, and that’s plenty because I get at least 5 – 6 sides, free with unlimited refill. Among which I love their steamed eggs and kimchi. The kimchi here is quite spicy but oh-​so delicious!
Service is quite good as well, especially true on weekdays! The staff came and refilled our sides without prompt! They also came and switched our BBQ plates for us without calling. Again, I went on a weekday when the restaurant wasn’t busy.
I am sure there are plenty of amazing Korean BBQ but why continue the search when you have already found one you enjoy? Plus, my bill usually averaged to only HK$ 150 – 200 per person, which is honestly a steal in CWB Hong Kong.

This is a branch of the Seorae in TST where there is usually a long wait. We were able to book for 4, as usual the table is provided when all 4 arrive. The place is more smokey than some other k BBQs I’ve been to, the kimchi has a kick but also surprisingly more ginger taste which I’m unfamiliar with in kimchi. The meats were well marinated albeit serving sizes were small. The beef was sliced so thinly they were probably more appropriate for hot pot! And again, easily stuck to the hot plate which made it difficult to cook. The bean and soft tofu soups were well made and flavoursome… and the bimbibap was as expected.
One annoyance was that they didn’t change the hot plate for about 20 – 30 minutes despite continuous request and as you can imagine with the sugars in the marinade, it was a charred mess. We also really enjoyed the chestnut rice wine, I’ve been to many Korean restaurants both in Sydney and HK and this was the first I’ve tried it! Very nutty and delicious! Overall decent experience and not very pricey… But then again maybe that’s because we waited so long for the hot plate to be changed we managed to eat in moderation for once.