Kogi Korean Barbecue Restaurant, 5447 Kearny Villa Rd., Kearny Mesa (858-505-0611). Open for lunch and dinner half orders ($8-$19); full orders ($16–$38); combinations: ($45–$65). From the outside of the restaurant, Kogi Korean Barbecue Restaurant looks like just another Asian restaurant crammed into Kearny Mesa, which is the most popular destination for the best tasting Asian cuisine in all of San Diego County. Once you’re seated, you will be swept away by the same authentic atmosphere of dining in a cool, upbeat barbecue style bistro overlooking the Han River in the capitol city of Seoul, Korea.
But instead of being thousands of miles away in Seoul, Korea, it’s freeway close from anywhere in San Diego! Yes, this authentic Korean-style barbecue restaurant is ideally located just off of the 163 Freeway near the Clairemont Mesa Boulevard exit. You can actually see the restaurant from the freeway when looking east towards Kearny Villa Road. Yes, you are in for a wonderful meal at Kogi Korean Barbecue Restaurant, offering the most authentic Korean barbecue entrees in town.
You’ll love the eye-catching streaming videos being aired from three strategic locations. A quick look around, and you’ll realize that the restaurant is filled with happy, chatting couples as well as large groups of people dining and laughing. There is no doubt about it; this is a cool place to enjoy the best tasting Korean Barbecue food in town.
The owners are passionate about their food, service and atmosphere, which is as authentic as you can get. It’s fun eating here with friends and sitting around eating family style. Every booth includes their own circular barbecue stove for authentic preparation of your food at your table. So order a Kirin beer and sit back and enjoy your hot sizzling entrees.
A great beginning is to order a tasty appetizer such as a tantalizing appetizer called corn cheese. It consists of kernels of yellow corn smothered in cheese. It’s hummm good! Be sure to try it. Also excellent is the black muscle soup, which can be a meal in itself.
Over 15 delicious entrees are offered along with lots of appetizers and soups. Entrees include beef, chicken, pork, fish and shrimp.
Two top rated entrees that rival one another for the best tasting meals in town are the short ribs, which are best when cooked at your table on your own table grill, and their delicious Bulgogi barbecue entrée. This second entrée is served with sautéed onions, scallions and mushrooms in a savory beef broth. The Bulgogi was so excellent that this reviewer took a second order home.
These two savory styles of cooking Korean barbecue are reason enough for you to dine here. And most first timers quickly become regulars for both sit down and to-go orders. Also extremely popular are their barbecue chicken and the jumbo shrimp.
Beer lovers will be pleased with the good selection of oriental beers including Kirin, Sapporo and Hite beers served on tap. They also offer a good selection of sake and oriental cocktails.
The beginning of every meal begins with their savory complimentary house appetizer platter consisting of dabs of tantalizing zucchini, bean sprouts, broccoli topped with a spicy sauce, potatoes and savory fish strips as well as a to-die-for sensational egg soup, best described as an egg soufflé, that is good to the last bite. The egg soup is so good that it would be great to find out how to prepare this treat at home! This reviewer has never tasted anything quite so good as the egg soup with its soufflé texture.
This restaurant is an excellent recommendation for a table for two or dining with a group of friends. Unfortunately they do not offer any dessert at this time, but you definitely won’t go home hungry. Beer and wine. Food to go. Banquets and Catering. Credit cards: AE, DISC, MC, VISA.
