Dookbaeki WEM — Restaurant in Edmonton

ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE. I brought my non-Asian friend to try Korean food for the very first time today around 6pm and I left completely embarrassed and we were dumbfounded by the mistreatment. I wished I would've brought him literally anywhere else...even if it meant to the food court. I wanted to speak to the manager about what happened, but JOKES ON ME because the RUDE server with the short bob and tattoo on her neck was THE MANAGER.

If you have been to this restaurant, you will know that they serve hot tea and cold water on the table with cups. Korean food is also very spicy especially for someone having it for the very first time. I had poured hot tea in both our cups and my friend politely asked the server for another cup so he can have some water. You see the cup in the picture I took, we had to fight with her in order to get it. This is what the server, which I found out later was the MANAGER told us in an extremely RUDE way:

"NO," "You can only have ONE cup" "You have to choose whether you want to drink tea OR water" "Look around other tables, can you SEE, everyone only has ONE cup"

At this point we were flabbergasted. I told her I have never been to a restaurant where I was only allowed ONE cup per person.

My friend said again that he really just wanted to drink some water. This server/manager is not much older than us, likely also in her 30s. She made it seem like our request to have a cup for water was so unreasonable. The way she was speaking to my friend was like as if he was a child and she was being extremely CONDESCENDING as if we were being disciplined for making such an unreasonable request. The server/manager said:

"I am only going to give you this extra cup this ONE TIME, not ever again"

She made an EXCEPTION and gave us an extra cup...she also had her entire palm on the rim of the cup when she slammed it on the table..

After being treated this way we have lost our appetite. My friend was wondering if he was being discriminated because he was non-Asian and Muslim.

He also asked me in the most innocent way, whether I had brought him to a NORTH KOREAN restaurant where certain things are rationed.....I was extremely embarrassed, but the manager should be ashamed of how she conducted herself.

I spoke to another server when I was paying and she asked me how was everything. I couldn't just brush it off so I told her everything. I asked her if there was a ONE CUP PER PERSON POLICY in this restaurant and she said no...so someone please tell me, why were we being mistreated??!? This was also when she told me the server was the manager, but she would not disclose her name. She said yea, she does have a strong personality and is like that way sometimes..if that is the case, I hate to break it to you, you are in the...

Terrible service and I will not be returning to this location.

I had dinner with a friend and we were shocked by the poor service, it was progressively worse as the meal went on. During our dinner we were enjoying the side dishes, one side dish in particular we really enjoyed and I tried asking the server what it was. Her response to us was rude and abrupt, she said to us "we don't give out extra." We had to repeat ourselves and ask again what the side dish was and re-explain that we weren't asking for more, we just wanted to know what it was.

I also purposely ordered the large bossam because I wanted to bring some extra home for my husband, the amount of lettuce that came with it was a joke and not proportionate to the amount of bossam, not only that, parts of it was wilted. When I asked if I could get extra lettuce to bring home, the server told me she would have to charge $2.

The amount of dipping sauce that came with the bossam was not proportionate to order size either, when I asked the server for more sauce she initially said yes but when she looked up to the kitchen she said oh actually the kitchen is closed, you can't get anymore sauce.

I asked for some take out containers for our leftovers and as I was packing up my food, the staff was already trying to shoo us out and making me pay as I had the dishes in my hand (it wasn't even 8pm yet). While I was in a hurry, I didn't notice that they overcharged me for the number of containers. Although the amount is negligible, it's the principal. I used 3 containers and they charged me for 4. (Also if you're going to charge me for containrers, then at least give me all large containers and not a small and large ones and charge the same price.) When I tried asking if they had a bag, they said they would have to charge $2!!!!

It wasn't a cheap meal, between the 2 of us we had spent almost $100, every opportunity the restaurant had they wanted to charge us for extras. I regret even tipping at all.

I'm not sure if this is just a cutback or if it was just forgotten but I've eaten at this restaurant before and after our meal we previously were given a yakult and this time we didn't get any at all.

I refuse to return to this location and I will never recommend this...

As a food lover who enjoys exploring different restaurants, I usually leave positive reviews—especially for places my family enjoys. Dookbaeki has been one of our favourites, and we often visit this branch with our big family since we live nearby. Despite occasionally encountering staff who seemed a bit unfriendly, we continued to dine here out of convenience and familiarity.

However, our recent visit was disappointing. A staff member approached us to say that baby food is not allowed in the restaurant. I explained that it was a small portion of food my toddler is comfortable with, especially since he cannot eat anything on the menu due to the spiciness. Despite this, we were still told no. I mentioned that I would quietly feed him while we enjoyed our meal so he wouldn’t be disruptive—but the policy stood.

It was disheartening as a parent to feel unwelcome simply for trying to ensure my child was comfortable. He was quietly eating his familiar food with his iPad and not disturbing anyone. Sadly, this experience has made us reconsider returning, as it no longer feels like a kid-friendly environment.

Additionally, while I don’t usually bring this up, I’ve noticed inconsistent service depending on how much we tip. We typically tip generously, and in those cases, we’re often offered a cold drink. But when we tip less, we’re barely acknowledged upon leaving. It’s not about the extras—it’s about fair and respectful treatment.

If bringing outside food for kids is against your policy, I suggest clearly posting a sign at the entrance. That way, families like mine will know in advance and can make informed decisions. It’s unfortunate to leave this review, but I hope it encourages more consistency and understanding in how guests...