Gokan — Restaurant in Berlin

This is a detailed, lengthy but worth-reading review.

Today I visited Gokan with two friends and unfortunately, our experience left us extremely dissatisfied. I regret to say that I cannot recommend this restaurant based on the following reasons:

Firstly, we ordered three portions of spicy chicken but were initially served a small portion suitable for only one or two persons. Although this mistake was eventually rectified, it caused unnecessary delays and interrupted our dining experience. To make matters worse, when we requested the side dishes due to our hunger, we were refused on the grounds that they are only provided once the chicken is cooked. We do not understand the logic here. However, it was the restaurant's mistake in the first place to have served us the wrong portion.

Furthermore, at 9:50 PM, a full 40 minutes before their supposed closing time, we were repeatedly asked if we were finished with our food. This not only displayed a lack of professionalism but also demonstrated disrespect towards us as customers. The waiter (a male without glasses) proceeded to clear our table, removing utensils and even taking away most of our unfinished side dishes, despite our explicit statement that we were still eating. It is basic common sense to allow customers to enjoy the food they have paid for, isn't it?

Moreover, when the waiter reluctantly returned one side dish to us, it was presented in an unsatisfactory manner. The dish was carelessly piled with used bowls, causing the food to be unclean, smashed and deformed. It was both unappetising and inconvenient.

Adding to our frustration, the waiter explained that the rush was due to the kitchen closing at 10 PM. However, this information was never communicated to us during our reservation or upon arrival. According to Google, the restaurant's closing time is stated as 10:30 PM, so we were baffled by the unnecessary urgency and the waiter's insistence on hurrying us to finish our meal. It is disheartening that the mistakes made by the restaurant in providing the wrong portioned food resulted in us feeling rushed and unable to enjoy our meal properly.

Overall, we were disappointed by the lack of respect and professionalism demonstrated by the staff at Gokan. Berlin has several other Korean restaurants that offer both quality food and attentive service. Unless you are seeking an experience similar to ours, I would suggest exploring those alternatives instead....

We went through the comments and what we suffered is unfortunately different than other customers. We were not satisfied! I am happy if you have a better experience, please understand that not everyone is lucky. I hope they will improve after reviewing our feedbacks. A couple of weeks ago, we searched in google by the keyword Bingsoo and the restaurant is at the top of the nearby list with a very "shiny" high score. We were not allowed to have a sit because we only want to order 2 Bingsoo. It was not full, a lot of free places! We, two of us stand outside for around 15 -20 mins with the sun. Please note, they told us, the desert only with the food. How fancy is the reply with the not welcome face? We bought 2 Bingsoo when I would like to pay by card, the girl told me with the same unhappy face "sorry, no card pls" I was complaining a bit "Das is Neue für mich!" she even replied to me "heir ist Berlin" Come on! I pay by card before the lockdown starts daily, while my lunch is around 5-10 Euros! I know I am in Berlin. Berlin is such a lovely city, if I am a tourist, I might think it is a city with guilty - tax evasion! Not green at all! The Bingsoo was not the same as the pictures. A plastic box sticky without any tissue. It is not environmentally friendly. I would give even one star, but since they offered the Bingsoo, as a Bingsoo fan, I could give 2 stars. In summary, bad service, could not pay by card if less than 20 Euro, (I think we paid ~15 Euro), not welcome, could not sit. How many scores I should give? Hope you could take my detailed story into your consideration and I am looking forward to your...

I wanted to visit this place for a long time and was happy to come. Regrettably, most of the dishes are only served for min. two people, which makes choices difficult for a single eater. I came to eat a specific dish and it was not mentioned on the website that it was only available for min. 2 people and needed pre-order, so I was quite disappointed when I found out once seated. However, this shows the authenticity of this restaurant, as it is often the same in Korea. The dishes I had were good, especially the Nokdujeon was delicious and not dry at all! Japchae could have had a better balance in vegetables, there was nearly only bell pepper and onions in my dish. The tableware used here are very precious and beautiful traditional Korean dishes which make the dining experience even more enjoyable. The staff is friendly and helpful and the interior stylish yet puristic with traditional Korean elements. Regrettably, I realized after having paid on my way back home that I had been overcharged... As you don't get the bill presented upfront but have to ask for it, I trusted the amount I had been told and realized later that it could not have been correct with the prices mentioned on the menu. It left my good experience there with a bad aftertaste unfortunately, even if it was my fault for not checking the bill in more detail. I would still recommend this restaurant - but bring a food buddy to enjoy the best...