Recommended ~ Good Korean Restaurant

[JimmyTheMook]

Pattaya has some great things to offer, from all the LadyBoys and Isaan people to all the great international restaurants all within a stones from from each other.

If you like Korean food or are looking to try some I can highly recommend "Dasong"

They are located off 2nd road on what is I think the extension soi 1 , just past the Shell Gas Station heading towards the Dolphin Roundabout , you make a right on the small soi where there are a bunch of massage parlors catering to the Korean and Chinese bus tours - same soi that leads into the back of the road where the Big C mall is.

I've tried a few other Korean resturants around Pattaya and this place is by far the best, they are generous with the side dishes and everthing is very fresh.

Free cold drinking water is provided and I ordered a simple kimchee tofu pork soup for 150 baht , they make plenty of other dishes and the portions are huge.

[Jingthing]

I second that.

A few caveats.

I don't believe they are open for lunch.

Also, during the low season for Korean tourists (whenever that is) sometimes the food slips in quality because the Korean tour buses are almost all of their business. For example, there will be fewer side dishes then and sometimes even the main course is not as good.

Edited May 10, 2009 by Jingthing

[JimmyTheMook]

I second that.

A few caveats.

I don't believe they are open for lunch.

Also, during the low season for Korean tourists (whenever that is) sometimes the food slips in quality because the Korean tour buses are almost all of their business. For example, there will be fewer side dishes then and sometimes even the main course is not as good.

they do open at 4pm

No English is spoken but the Korean daughter who runs the place speaks Thai very well and we communicated using this common language

Prior to finding this place I used to eat at the place opposite the Markland Hotel on Soi 1 , but they are just not very good nor very friendly.

[Jingthing]

Communication is no problem at all there. The menu has pictures.

Its pushing it to say they open at 4. The lights will be off then.

Edited May 10, 2009 by Jingthing

[JimmyTheMook]

Communication is no problem at all there. The menu has pictures.

Its pushing it to say they open at 4. The lights will be off then.

I asked them , here is the phone # from the business card 038-425117

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

I've tried a few other Korean resturants around Pattaya and this place is by far the best, they are generous with the side dishes and everthing is very fresh.

Free cold drinking water is provided and I ordered a simple kimchee tofu pork soup for 150 baht , they make plenty of other dishes and the portions are huge.

That's a good deal. I like kimchee soup. I would hope that more pickled vegetable dishes come with a full meal.

I might be a little spoiled. There's a large Korean restaurant in Star Plaza in Rayong, that serves up 9 side dishes, including kimchee clams and kimchee oysters. It's a little pricey, as a full meal goes for 450 baht. But you get all the sides with bi bim bap for 200 baht.

[PattayaParent]

Try the North Korean restaurant in the soi down the side of Woodside Resort.

Good food and a show.

[JimmyTheMook]

Try the North Korean restaurant in the soi down the side of Woodside Resort.

Good food and a show.

What kind of show do they have ?

[Jingthing]

Communication is no problem at all there. The menu has pictures.

Its pushing it to say they open at 4. The lights will be off then.

I asked them , here is the phone # from the business card 038-425117

No doubt but if you arrive then they will turn the lights on for you.

But you get all the sides with bi bim bap for 200 baht.

This place offers plenty of very good sides. No clams or oysters though. Also of course they will refill any sides that you want seconds of. These side dishes (which always include kimchi options) are called banchan.

Edited May 11, 2009 by Jingthing

[PattayaParent]

Try the North Korean restaurant in the soi down the side of Woodside Resort.

Good food and a show.

What kind of show do they have ?

Traditional Korean songs and dancing and some Korean pop songs.

[JimmyTheMook]

This place offers plenty of very good sides. No clams or oysters though. Also of course they will refill any sides that you want seconds of. These side dishes (which always include kimchi options) are called banchan.

This was a big selling point for me

Other Korean restaurants I have found quite stingy when asking for seconds of the banchan dishes - even back in Flushing , Queens they were stingy with the goods.

[Jingthing]

That's interesting. I have found it usual to get more banchan on request most everywhere. Some places, it even goes overboard and they bring stuff you don't need.

[MisterFingers]

Speaking of picture menus, are there any good Thai restaurants with picture menus?

[PattayaParent]

My Korean colleagues tell me that the best Korean food in Pattaya is at Han Woo Ri in The Market Mall, Soi 6/1.

[JimmyTheMook]

My Korean colleagues tell me that the best Korean food in Pattaya is at Han Woo Ri in The Market Mall, Soi 6/1.

Is that the big place way in the back?

[tuky]

My Korean colleagues tell me that the best Korean food in Pattaya is at Han Woo Ri in The Market Mall, Soi 6/1.

I was told MK is the best Korean rest.

Whilst it is called Korean Food, it certainly isn't anything like the food I have eaten in Korea itself.

Needless to say I never followed advice from that person again.

[syd barrett]

On the subject of Korean Food: Has anyone tried the Korean Restaurant ' Full House' on Soi 5 Central Pattaya? It is more or less opposite that dentist.

[bk279]

Should try out the korean restaurant next to the fairtex sports comlex, quiet pricy but will give you refills on your side dishes immediately. The beef is great, highly recommend.

[Soutpeel]

The beef is great, highly recommend.

So is the dog....Woof Woof...

[syd barrett]

Should try out the korean restaurant next to the fairtex sports comlex, quiet pricy but will give you refills on your side dishes immediately. The beef is great, highly recommend.

I appreciate the feedback. Thanks for the information, I shall check this place out sometime this week. Thanks!

[triffid]

What happened to the place that was on 2nd Road next to / very near Alcazar. Used to drop in there when in Pattaya but last few occasions it seemed closed or being rebuilt. Seemed good and always saw other koreans eating there.

[anothertorres]

Speaking of picture menus, are there any good Thai restaurants with picture menus?

no.

[syd barrett]

Speaking of picture menus, are there any good Thai restaurants with picture menus?

no.

How about 'Stone Oven' they have an excellent picture menu and two excellent Thai cooks who can cook-up just about any Thai dish at a good price!

[Jingthing]

On the subject of Korean Food: Has anyone tried the Korean Restaurant ' Full House' on Soi 5 Central Pattaya? It is more or less opposite that dentist.

I just tried it for the first time. It was good but thanks to a small communication problem I wasn't satisfied. I don't blame the restaurant.

Dish ordered: Dolsot Bibim Bop, cost 200 baht

Side dishes: quality excellent, including some spiced cockles and some pancake type thingies

Quality of the side dishes: well above average

Number of side dishes: approx 6 or 7

Portion on side dishes: small

Offers to refill used side dishes: not offered, I think they would have done so if asked for any finished items, I didn't ask though so can't be sure

Ice water: free, offered by the small glass

Service: kind of odd. Thai waiter constantly staring but doing nothing, it made me uncomfortable

Main dish:

The dolsot bibim bop contained NO meat whatsoever. In my experience it is supposed to contain a small amount of beef as a flavoring. The menu didn't mention meat so I don't blame the restaurant. I tried to talk to the people there but no English was spoken. I would have paid extra for a little meat. To me, the experience was not nearly as good as it could have been if there had been the expected small amount of beef.

To dolsot is served in a hot container. Some of rice is supposed to stick to the bottom and get crunchy. They made an error and didn't let it cook long enough. There was only a tiny amount of crunchy rice.

A side dish of a pleasant but bland clam soup was offered. It was nice.

The red hot sauce that you are supposed to mix with the bibim bop was different than any of that same sauce I have ever had in decades of eating Korean food. I don't think it was authentic. I prefer the traditional sauce.

Conclusion, I would return to this restaurant because the side dishes were very good, but I would never order their bibim bop again.

Cheers.

Edited September 16, 2009 by Jingthing

[syd barrett]

On the subject of Korean Food: Has anyone tried the Korean Restaurant ' Full House' on Soi 5 Central Pattaya? It is more or less opposite that dentist.

I just tried it for the first time. It was good but thanks to a small communication problem I wasn't satisfied. I don't blame the restaurant.

Conclusion, I would return to this restaurant because the side dishes were very good, but I would never order their bibim bop again.

Cheers.

Good report. Thanks for the feedback. I will try the place soon and report back.

Cheers!

[Jingthing]

Thank you. Hope you like it.

My current local favorite overall is still the place mentioned by the OP.

Regarding, Han Woo Ri in The Market Mall, Soi 6/1, I used to go there when I didn't know any other local places. I had numerous bad experiences there where the food was under par. They are geared towards the meat BBQ thing and they are probably good for that (as are all the Korean places) but they gave me a bad attitude for eating other non BBQ items on their menu. Now that I know better places, I would NEVER go back there. I also noticed their main clientele were monied Japanese tourists, yes Japanese, not Korean. The place mentioned by the OP gets mostly tour buses of Koreans, big groups.

Edited September 16, 2009 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

In my recent experiences, the Korean restaurant mentioned in the OP, which I still do like, has gone a tad downhill. The reason is tour buses. They are geared towards tour buses so their private customers are a lower priority. You may or may not notice this; it's the luck of the draw. Sometimes you may go and there won't even be any seats left for non-bus customers. Other times, the food and service will be a little off because they are most interested in pleasing the bus people. Other times, it may be a slow time for the buses, and the food seems a bit less in freshness/quality because they don't really expect private customers. Other times, fine, it will be great, but again, this is a crap shoot. Because of all that, I have soured somewhat on that place and have been looking for other Korean options.

Well, here is one.

The Korean (and seafood) restaurant on Soi 31 off Naklua Road.

A medium sized place, not big enough for large tour buses, but perhaps they get smaller groups. In any case, they do seem geared to private customers, mostly of course Korean private customers. I had the spicy seafood and tofu soup. It was excellent and the seafood was delicious and bountiful. One of the better versions of this soup I have had anywhere. Comes with six side dishes, all good, and they replace without even being asked (yippee) if you finish them. Free water. Similar prices as everywhere. 200 baht for that soup. BBQ also, but expensive, and none of the customers were going that when I was there. They do offer something that may be different, a rather large whole fish, that looked quite good as it passed by to another table. They also have a dish that I like that you don't see everywhere, a soup of ribs and outer cabbage leaves. I have been told that is a winter dish so maybe wait for a snowy day in Pattaya to order it?

The best Korean place I have ever been or the best in Thailand? No, probably not.

But a nice place with good food and good service, and no big tour buses!

One demerit, they did NOT have bibimbap on the menu! I have had a hard time finding good bibambap in town, any leads?

Life, well food anyway, in Pattaya is good!

Edited September 19, 2010 by Jingthing

[Jimmyd]

Thanks for the tip.

There's quite a few Korean places on Third Road between Central and North Pattaya Roads. I've been to one called something like Dae Jaenggum--I believe it's named after a soap opera or something. Anyway, definitely not tour bus oriented, very nice atmosphere, and the food was quite good.

Here's a picture and the location--it might be difficult for you to get there as it's not on a standard baht bus route.

http://www.mapjack.com/?VQ2RUoJvkcgCHDgA

Edited September 20, 2010 by Jimmyd

[Jingthing]

Thanks for the tip.

There's quite a few Korean places on Third Road between Central and North Pattaya Roads. I've been to one called something like Dae Jaenggum--I believe it's named after a soap opera or something. Anyway, definitely not tour bus oriented, very nice atmosphere, and the food was quite good.

Here's a picture and the location--it might be difficult for you to get there as it's not on a standard baht bus route.

http://www.mapjack.com/?VQ2RUoJvkcgCHDgA

Yes I know that place. Haven't tried it yet. It seems very BBQ oriented and I don't usually go for the BBQ. Nearby that place is a very unusual small hole in the wall Korean restaurant that has two Korean specialty items that I know from the US. First, a spicy seafood noodle soup with thick noodles. Secondly, a cold dish with the same chopped thick noodles served with a rich black bean sauce with small chunks of pork and/or seafood. These dishes are a bit overpriced there and not nearly the best versions I have tried, but satisfy a craving if you like those dishes (which I do). One of my favorite places back in the US served those two dishes TOGETHER in a special double section bowl, now that was lovely. I suspect this is down in Korea but not sure.

These are the Korean names, more or less.

Jajangmyeon - black bean noodles

Jjang bbong - spicy seafood noodle soup

Jajangmyeon (from wiki)

Edited September 20, 2010 by Jingthing

[suiging]

There's a rough one ( well there was ) opposite what used to be Black Pearl One on the Dark Side. Now I had drunk a Chang or three, but I actually quite enjoyed it.