Korean Village Restaurant — Restaurant in Calgary

Decided to try things out here as we had heard generally good things about this restaurant. It was pretty busy with the line up and were told it would be a 40 min wait. We checked out the nearby Community Foods for about 25 min. When we got back our table had apparently been ready for "a very long time."

The ambiance was okay. The seats were comfy and intimate for the setting, however you could tell that this is a place where your clothes will smell greasy afterwards due to the BBQs available. Better ventilation would have been appreciated besides an open front door - especially when someone decided to light a cigarette in the restaurant (our clothes smelled of cigarette smoke afterwards).

We ordered Combo B for our group. The seafood pancake was delicious and on-pointe especially when combined with the sauce. On the other hand, the dumplings although appearing fully cooked were somewhat raw/pink inside. We took it home to fully cook rather than say anything to the servers - it seemed as though they were deep fried but still soggy in a sense. The pork bone soup had a good kick of spice to it and had a good serving of meat and veggies - almost like a stew - but it was fairly oily and salty. It's probably best to eat this with some rice to balance everything out.

The meats, even the premium cut which we had ordered, were tough and quite chewy. Some pieces were so chewy it was if you were eating gum and the scissors provided could not cut through them. Overall the quality and quantity of meats were kind of disappointing given the price of the meal.

Speaking of prices, banchans aka side dishes are not unlimited at this restaurant. It is also not mentioned in the menu unless you ask - heads up on that one. Of the banchans we quite enjoyed both the pickled daikon and the kimchi flavored large daikon. One of the side dishes only gave two pieces of daikon but there were more of us in the group - this made no sense given that it is not unlimited and you are paying for it through the food prices. Sauces are also an extra charge if you want more than the few teaspoons that they initially provide with your meal as well. Funny though because the table across from us ordered less food yet their side dishes were fuller and their sauces were in larger individual sauce dishes. It did not make any sense at all.

Customer service was okay. They quickly came by to get our order, dropped off the food etc, otherwise it was spotty if they came by to ask if we needed anything. Kind of uncomfortable to ask for anything when you feel like you are going to be nickled and dimed when compared to the other table mentioned above. We didn't even get any extra tea - it was never asked about nor offered despite us finishing same early in the meal (it was a nice buckwheat tea). As it was getting closer to closing time (9pm), different servers would come by and take things off of our table to the point where one server took everything. It looks like she spilled oil on the seat cushions without cleaning it - we nearly got it on our clothes getting out of the booth afterwards. At this point it really did feel as though they just wanted you out of there.

Overall it was a meh kind of experience (wish I had taken more pictures). Take my review with a grain of salt (no pun intended as the food was generally a super, high blood pressure inducing kind of salty) if you will. I am drinking another tall glass of water as I write...

My cousin was in town for a week's visit and we wanted to try something different and we opted for the Korean Village Restaurant. Korean culture and food has become so much more trendy as of late, however, this restaurant has been around since 1991. The restaurant itself is situated on 10 Ave around the Community Health Food store. It is in a Korean strip mall. Inside there are several 'party rooms' where whole families or large parties can enjoy their meals. It smelled great! It was quite busy when we got there although it was a Tuesday night around 6. We got a table at the back. The menu is extensive! They have Korean BBQ, Hot Pot along with a la carte items. We ordered a Korean pancake which was absolutely delicious. It was crispy outside but soft inside. And full of flavour. We also ordered a pork dish but I forgot the name. It was also excellent. We ate the whole order of pork but took some of the pancake home. We were stuffed! Although I have been to Korea, it was many years ago and I was unfamiliar with some of the dishes. Everyone was very helpful telling us what the condiment dishes contained and how to eat everything. It was awesome! We wanted something different and we really got it! The whole experience was a real adventure for two senior ladies! However, the best part wasn't the food. It was the owner's daughter, Christina. She stopped by for a chat. There was an instant connection between her and I. It was if we knew each other before. I was so drawn to her, I told her some truly personal things. She was so kind, gracious, empathetic and compassionate. She told us her mom started the restaurant and it is now run by the family. I was moved by how much she loved the restaurant, how proud she was to be Korean and how she loved to share with others. Go for the incredible authentic Korean food and hope Christina stops by your table to brighten your day! Sorry no photos! We were too hungry!! Next...

Having recently visited Korean Village in Calgary, I must say that while it offers an authentic experience, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. This family-run restaurant prides itself on serving traditional Korean dishes, including Bibimbap Rice Bowls, Cold Noodles, Simmering Hotpot Soup, and Korean BBQ Combos.

The restaurant has the option to cook your own BBQ at the table, which adds an element of excitement to the dining experience. But we opted out of the option to cook our own BBQ, we relied on the kitchen to prepare our chosen Korean BBQ Combos. The dishes arrived sizzling hot and visually appealing, but the flavors didn't quite match our expectations. While some dishes were enjoyable, others lacked the boldness and authenticity that we had hoped for in a truly authentic Korean dining experience.

The ambiance was cozy, and the availability of party rooms for larger groups was a nice touch. The service was decent, but there were occasional delays in getting our orders taken and served. It would have been great if the staff had been more proactive and attentive.

Though the restaurant claims to use the best quality ingredients and traditional cooking methods, I found the overall taste to be average. While some dishes managed to hit the mark, others left me wanting more in terms of flavour and authenticity.

In summary, Korean Village is a restaurant with potential, but it falls short of being outstanding. With a few improvements in flavour profiles and service, it could elevate itself to a higher rating. If you're looking for an average taste of authentic Korean cuisine in Calgary, Korean Village might be worth a visit, but don't expect a...