Kosoo Korean Chicken & BBQ - Robson Location — Restaurant in Vancouver

I rarely come to Robson street for a meal because parking is both troublesome and expensive. However, I saw on Instagram that this place launched a special lunch set, which looked generous and reasonably priced. So, today , I made a special trip to try it out. Since I arrived at 11:50, there were only a few people in the restaurant. The interior design was modern, with plenty of seating, and the seats were quite comfortable. I ordered the bbq pork lunch set. While I was waiting, more and more people started arriving, and soon the entire restaurant was full. There were only three staff members, and I could see them constantly rushing around delivering orders. When my bbq pork set arrived, the bowl of white rice immediately whetted my appetite. The toppings were arranged in four different colors of vegetables, making the presentation very appealing. The side dishes were incredibly varied, including items I hadn’t seen in other Korean restaurants—quail eggs, pickled onions, and spicy garlic sprouts. The pork had a great texture and was cooked just right, though I found it a bit too sweet for me.The kimchi was fresh and delicious but also leaned towards the sweeter side. The other meat and side dishes were all excellent. The portions were generous, so I ended up packing half of it to go. However, It took me more than ten minutes to find a staff member who was available to help me pay because everyone was busy serving customers. All in all, the price and quality were excellent, especially for a restaurant in the city center....

It is ok, but could be 10 times better! Especially because one of the most respected chefs in the city is connected to this place. The chef's signature talents were in all the side dishes and the presentation. But, the chicken was not up to standard, at all. I felt like someone went mad with an ax in a chicken coop. There were fried crabs (an awful surprise when I am expecting the taste of succulent chicken) in the mix but we were not told...luckily no one at the table had a shellfish allergy as that could have been a life and death situation. I arrived early and before I was seated I was informed I had to leave within 2 hours (it is rare to be told to leave before we are even seated). The seasoning was not up to the standards I expected. The bathroom was in deplorable state. NOW for the good stuff...THE SIDE DISHES were exquisite! Little dishes of quintessential Korean side dishes, refilled as needed...delectable fried potatoes, the chef's amazing kimchi, crisp radishes and so much more. And the most divine Korean soup tarty and umami and filled with mouthwatering meat, tofu and vegetables. I love those. I will definitely be returning once they have worked the kinks out and raised the bar in fried chicken. I really do look forward to my second try as soon...

Based on how popular their fried chicken was from positive customer ratings, I had high expectations for the dish. The honey butter chicken was not my favourite, to say the least. The potatoes were rock hard, and the fried batter was too dense. I also found that there was way too much honey flavour and not enough of butter flavour. For the price, the portions were pretty good.

I however, enjoyed the kimchi pancake. It was light and crispy and the portion was huge.

As for the chicken feet, it was probably the biggest disappointment. I expected a saucy and thick sauce but they merely had what seemed to be boiled chicken feet in a bland but spicy broth. It lacked flavour and was too one dimensional.

The short rib soup was the highlight of our meal. For $20, you get rice with a bowl of mild hearty soup. They add in a hefty beef bone that is just loaded with meat. The meat was so tender and flavourful. I highly recommend ordering this.

As with other Korean restaurants, they offer banchan/side dishes. The kimchi radish, pickled radish, and soybean sprouts were good. The kimchi was oddly sweet and sour. I didn't enjoy that.

Servers here were pretty nice food came out very fast. Overall, the food could be improved and I'll probably try the original...