Pabul — Restaurant in Lisbon

Honestly don't know how to rate this place. The owner is definitely nice and prides himself in running the only Korean restaurant in Lisbon that is actually owned by a Korean/the chef is a Korean person cooking Korean food.

However, I feel like there were a few things that definitely could have been better. First, some of the table clothes had noticeable splotches, and some of the small plates we had had gunk on them. This was very much evident before we even got our food, so it was quite a turn-off before I even had my first bite. Not to mention, we did see a strand of hair in our kimchi... Second, although the menu advertised a Korean person cooking Korean food, it seemed like other foreigner workers were cooking instead. For the record, there isn't anything wrong with this -- if anything I am happy that more people beyond just Koreans know how to cook Korean food -- but it just seemed a little bit misleading from the menu, which may have subconsciously compounded to my feelings about the place. Finally, most of the menu items were a bit salty and made me question the prices. For Lisbon, I feel like the quality for this price range should have been higher, especially when comparing against other restaurants along Rua Augusta (albeit, they may be more "tourist-trap"y). Overall, I am not too sure if we will come back to this restaurant. As a Korean, it seemed that most of the positive 5 star reviews came from foreigners who may not know the subtle differences in taste of Korean food. With that being said, if cleanliness and food quality improves (especially for this price range), I would be more than happy to come back and try this place again.

Otherwise, I very much appreciate the owner's hospitality. He is very friendly and kind, even offering us free dessert on the way out. I hope he sees this review in a positive light, and I hope to be better...

We had a dinner at Pabul drawing in by reviews that a Korean chef preparing dishes. The experience was however mixed and quite underwhelming. The food quality was ok but not necessarily fantastic. There were no banchan plates but small pieces for each order. The bibimbap was the best while the spicy pork and seafood soup were a bit salty. And I did not think they were prepared by a Korean chef because the head chef was busy at managing the front house. I looked at other tables and the japchae and army stew were often left a lot by other diners. The staff was attentive and helpful. We went in with a baby so the head chef helped us heat up our own baby’s foods. So I really appreciated this service. The biggest disappointment was that we witnessed quarrels and loud voices from thr kitchen, apparently between the head chef and one of the staff. They definitely spoiled the moment and I wondered they would also affect the food quality. Overall it was an unfortunate and forgetable dining experience. I would think twice...

I decided to visit this restaurant based on the reviews but unfortunately was a disappointment.

First I ordered a Kimbap, which was decent, however found it strange that no Banchan were served. Normally all Korean restaurants have a set of small side dishes (Banchan) that comes with the food.

Decided to order a Menu set with salmon and they served with a different type of white fish. Was very tasteless and poor executed. The kimchi that came with the set was extremely sour, which I imagine is due to being an old batch that turned into vinegar perfect for making kimchi jigae, but not suitable for eating as it is.

Overall was a very small portion, not seasoned enough and with disappointing side dishes that were old and low quality (and not free as normally Banchans are) and very overpriced for the quantity...