Hwa Ro Korean BBQ & Tofu – San Gabriel

 

From the outside, this place looks pretty ghetto.  At least it has a grade of A.  ^_^;;

Inside was a *lot* nicer.  The big wooden benches had these cute flowery cushions and everything was super clean.  Similar to Kanpai, the grill was embedded in the table.  I like that a lot since the oil doesn’t splatter out as much.

We ordered the All You Can Eat BBQ ($12.99/person for lunch) and had the marinated chicken and bulgogi.  They also had a nice variety of pan chan, my favorites being the jap chae, pickled cucumbers, and the kimchi.  They also brought out this miso-like-but-not-miso soup along with the side dishes.  (It wasn’t all that great, but I was happy that they gave us soup!)

I thought that the beef was good, but the chicken wasn’t that great (but it seems to always be like that when I go to all you can eat places).  They gave us those big lettuce leaves to wrap around the beef (just like in the korean dramas!) which was delicious.

For the price, I think this place was really good.  I loved their kimchi and bulgogi, and they even gave us free shaved ice afterwards.  Since I’m often in this area, I would definitely come back to fulfill my korean bbq cravings.

Hwa Ro Korean BBQ & Tofu
227 W Valley Blvd, Suite 138A
San Gabriel, CA 91776
626.282.6632

 

Kanpai – Rowland Heights

 

I’m not a huge fan of do-it-yourself BBQ’s (I have to pay and cook?) and also not big on Chinese food.  So when my friend’s parents suggested that we drive to Rowland Heights for dinner, I was a bit apprehensive.  But I love to try new food and his parents seem to know some nice places to eat.

The parking was typical of those asian plazas: crowded.  At least this plaza was easier than the plaza across the street (which has the 99 Ranch and Class 302).  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I walked through the doors, I was pleasantly surprised.  The ceiling was covered with those icicle Christmas lights (Wow, those can do wonders!) while the walls had these cool wooden strips.

The grill, placed in the middle of the wooden table, was different from any others I have seen (which is usually at a Korean BBQ place).  It was more like a coal pit with checkered fencing to place your meat on.  (Yes, I’m easily amused)

We took our seats and were given this complimentary bean sprout appetizer.  They were actually pretty good (a little salty for my liking, but I have a sweet tooth).  We ordered a whole bunch of plates: beef short-ribs (minus the rib <3), rib-eye beef (both marinated and just salted), marinated chicken, bacon-like pork strips (but not as fatty), seafood claypot, and sauteed shrimp.  I was a little disappointed by the chicken, since it didn’t have that much flavor (I think I’ve been to too many Korean BBQ places).  The beef and short ribs were both pretty good and tender, but I still needed to dip them into the sauces they provided for a better taste.

I tried the bacon strips, but I really hate bacon.  (One was enough!)

My favorite order was probably the seafood, which came in a very hot clay bowl (Gotta love squid!).  It was actually a little too salty for me (too much salt, not enough salt; where’s my “just right”?) … but eaten together with rice or even some meat solves that problem.  His parents ordered a pitcher of beer, which I didn’t touch.  But my friend (a non-drinker, like me) decided to try out the sake.  It was also my first time trying it, but it wasn’t too bad.  My first attempt went pretty well, since my stomach was filled with yummy meats and seafood.  But after that, the sake seemed to burn my throat.  Sigh~  I guess I’m just too weaksauce.  ^_^;;

The price was really reasonable, in my opinion.  Our bill came out to about $90 before tax/tip but including the pitcher of beer and sake.  I believe each meat dish was only about $8-$10 (cheap!).  Overall, the food was all right.  I wish the meat was more flavorful, but for the price, I wouldn’t mind coming here again.

Kanpai
18902 Gale Ave, Suite A
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
626.854.3000