Upon entering the establishment, we were greeted by their helpful staff who led us to an intimate table for two. After being seated, we perused the extensive menu of starters, sides, accompaniments, stews, and traditional barbecue options, including meats, seafood, and vegetables. Furthermore, the drinks menu included a selection of house cocktails, wines, spirits, hot and cold beverages, and their titular specialty, soju. We opted for a little bit of everything, resulting in a feast more than enough for two.
We started our meal toasting with Plum Soju, eager to dive in. I, Taylor, am usually a little afraid of soju, but this one was the right balance between astringent, sweet, and acidic, refreshing the palate and washing away my worries. The Meat Feast Platter and its accompaniments came out first and our waitress was helpful and thorough in the instructions for cooking the meat and describing all of the components. I, Dhwani, am a KBBQ novice, and the staff ensured that I was comfortable and made the seemingly intimidating experience very relaxing and fun. All of the meat was seasoned well and we both preferred the ‘spicy’ meats with the house sauce. For anyone afraid of spice, these meats were not crazy spicy, simply delicious and flavourful. The lettuce and spicy pickled cucumber sides paired well with the meats, providing a refreshing quality.
Another great component on the grill was the Cheesy Sweet Baby Corn we ordered. The corn comes in a container filled to the brim with cheese and becomes super gooey sitting on the grill, creating those beloved cheese pulls. Our Kimchi Jeon Pan-Fried Pancake starter was the crispiness you dream of, but it could have had a bit more kimchi-flavour to allow some more sour and spice to cut through the richness. Lastly, the Spicy Chicken Gimbap had a delightful filling, with a great blend of fresh and pickled veggies paired with spicy chicken; however, the large slices made for an awkward bite due to an imbalance in the rice-to-filling ratio.
Overall, Soju & Gogi is fantastic. KBBQ is never just a meal but an experience and this was one we loved, highly recommend, and look forward to returning to with our partners and friends.
