Jays Essen — Restaurant in Essen

FOOD & DRINKS Finding a really good Korean restaurant outside of Düsseldorf can be quite a task. When I found this restaurant I was open to the idea that this could be authentic and yummy. I went there completely with no expectations. From what I saw online I already liked the short list of Korean dishes. All pretty common items in Korea. So far so good. When I tried to order the Dak Galbi I was warned that it would take about 30 minutes and instead Jay, the owner, suggested to pick Dak Bokkeum instead. Dak Bokkeum is a spicy Korean stew with meat and veggies. I went with the owners recommendation. The stew to me was spicy but not too much to be honest. It had some heat but nothing I couldn't handle with ease. I've eaten way spicier in Korea. That said I grew up eating spicy food. For others it could be way too hot. The chicken was tender, juicy and had quite some flavor from all the chili. I actually expected that the stew was made with enoki or oyster mushrooms but instead the chef used button mushrooms, kimchi, onions and a lot of bell peppers. I prefer carrots, potatoes and a lot of green onions. Using Asian mushrooms to me would make the dish so much better. This is what I am used to from Korea. Something I prefer over this version. The dish was not lacking in authentic flavor which wasn't a surprise since I heard them talking in Korean. The one big criticism I have is that the stew was very oily. Half of the pot was just oil and all the veggies were swimming in all that grease.

SERVICE Friendly, helpful and nice. Jay is a real character.

ATMOSPHERE The restaurant is small but has its charm. It looks modern and clean. I also very much appreciated the K-POP music playing in the background.

RATING Quality of the food was good. The taste was authentic. All the people working here will make your stay a great experience. I only had a problem with the level of execution...

Recently we have been to this little gem in Essen's most vivid neighborhood, Rüttenscheid. What can I say ? We were really delighted by the friendly atmosphere, kindness and most importantly, by the awesome food. They have about 20 seats inside sitting on high bar chairs and 2x table outside on the street. Our starters, the Mandus, similar to Japanese Goyza, were freshly made with a crusty skin. My Main beef dish listed as first main course on the Menue called Tukbul was exactly on point as to spiciness, was exceptional and different as it is served hot and blubbering as a slimy soup and you have to wait for a minimum of 5 minutes to even start to eat as hot as it is. Although i am a very good eater it was too much for me and worth every cent of the 17 Euro. In perfect combination with Korean beer which appears to me more sparkling. We...

The visit here was a disappointment. We ordered dinner and appetizers. The first free starters were very average in taste. Then we ordered kimchi jeon and mandu dumplings, the dumplings were really tasty but the pancakes were badly fried, baked on the outside but the inside was barely sticking and it was impossible to eat them. While for dinner the spicy pork was tasty although they served it with overcooked rice mush. But the bibimbap with beef was terrible. Not only was it quite cold when I got it, it must have been beef from the previous week. I haven't eaten such tough and stringy meat in a long time. My friend who came and ordered with me waited a long time for food. Only got it when I had...