Dokebi

Summary

This Korean BBQ restaurant has been in North Williamsburg for a while. I’ve always wanted to go to this, but prior to the pandemic, it was always easier to go to Koreatown since I was always in Manhattan. We arrived here at an early rainy Sunday afternoon. They follow COVID protocol very well, and there were very few people inside. The waitress took our temperature and address as usual, and then we were seated after. The tables are separated by plastic guards. Let’s move onto the food.

The banchan here is legitimately pretty good. Starting from the kimchi going clockwise: kimchi pickles, kimchi radish, potato salad, bean sprouts, and watercress. The sides remind me of LA Korean banchan. The kimchi had a nice fermented aftertaste. The potato salad had bits of apple in it for sweetness. And the watercress gave that nice soft crunch. It’s not as plentiful as other places nor does it seem like they give you complimentary refills.

The fried chicken was ordered as “Dokebi spicy”, which was soy ginger wings with a kick. The spice level was actually very mild and was very enjoyable. The batter was crispy, thin, and delicious.

The wild mushroom bibimap was ordered with the Dolsut style sizzling stone bowl, purple rice and beans, sauteed vegetables, topped with a sunny side egg and served with a side of gochujang. As you know, I loathe mushrooms, but I did sample a taste of the gochujang. It’s pretty legit. The rice did come out crispy and added that nice crunch.

The kimchi chigae was ordered with pork and egg and came with spicy fermented kimchee, tofu, watercress, and odeng garnish. Because the kimchi was pretty fermented, it really brought out the flavor of the soup. The spice level was perfect for me, which was probably a medium spicy at BCD Tofu. There was plentiful pork pieces, so they weren’t shy about it at all.

The service was fantastic as the waitress was very attentive and prompt, and the ambiance reminded me of a hip LA Korean beer bar where they play classic hip hop songs while you eat. The food is a little more pricy of course than NJ and Flushing areas, so make sure you level your expectations.

Final Verdict

This Korean restaurant was very enjoyable for its vivid reminder of LA Korean food, and we’d love to come back for the Korean BBQ some day if we crave it while in the Williamsburg area.

Yelp Jabs

The bibimbap was not a version I ever had since it didn’t come with spinach or mushrooms. It came with big slices of bell peppers. I was beyond disappointed, since you’re expecting something that your craving and get something totally different. Like don’t call this bibimbap.

If Koreatown was the gold standard, then I’ve had bibimbap that came without spinach and mushrooms in LA Koreatown before.

The food was ok. I was a little disappointed in the fried chicken. I was expecting more of the traditional Korean fried chicken.

I am curious where has this person tried Korean friend chicken. It’s quite similar to the Korean fried chicken that I’ve had in Seoul, Los Angeles, and in NYC.