Salt Lake City｜KOU Korean BBQ – Once the Top Spot

A tribute to what used to be SLC’s Korean BBQ king – KOU. Around $30+ for AYCE back in the day. The first time we went, our group polished off over ten plates of short ribs! And the cinnamon-grilled pineapple was my absolute favorite—I could’ve eaten ten slices myself. I bet the owner loved me… all that stomach space just for pineapple! 🍍😅 The banchan (side dishes) used to be delicious, and the ingredients felt really fresh. I went three times in total—the first two visits were 10/10. But lately… it’s been going downhill. 😔 On my last visit, the short ribs tasted off—kind of funky and not fresh. When we mentioned it, the manager accused us of lying just because we couldn’t finish them, was pretty rude, and insisted on charging us for “wasted” meat. We had to push back to resolve it—the owner (who also runs the Tous Les Jours next door) ended up apologizing and gave us cake and boba as compensation. His attitude was good, I’ll give him that.😍👍 But friends who’ve gone recently still say the short ribs smell and taste really gamey.😘😊 Hard to call it the “ceiling” anymore. #SaltLakeCity #SLCEats #KoreanBBQ #AYCE #FoodReview #RIPKOU #SLCFoodie #EatsAndRegrets