Han Table Barbecue Azores — Restaurant in Ponta Delgada

Usually I eat at a restaurant a few times before my review, but as this is a recently opened restaurant I will post my first visit impression and update my review after a few more visits.

It is a fun and tasty new experience on Sao Miguel. You have the bbq in your table to cook your own food, so it is an enjoyable date or social event to share.

We had the cheese appetizer, beef bulgogi, kimchi fried rice, and shrimp. The table has a sauce bowl for each guest, with a spicy and a sweet option, plus a slice of jalepeno pepper. There is also some lettuce leaves which were fresh, green, and crisp, and a few condiments to add to your chosen food.

Everything was tasty, and nicely spiced but not overly spicy; I would have appreciated a few more jalepeno slices, and next time I will ask. The rice dish was large enough for two to share, but the individual meat and shrimp were a bit small for main courses, but our cheese appetizer helped. We initially thought the entrees were meant be rolled into the lettuce leaves like a wrap because of the dipping sauce and chopsticks, but the bowl only held 4 small leaves, and no more were offered, so instead we made a salad and I requested a fork and knife, which were immediately brought.

The featured mixed platters on the menu were popular at other tables and appear to have more ample servings, and next time I go with another meat eater I will try that.( my friend this visit only eats fish). As it was, there were enough options that my non meat eating friend was satisfied and while I can't say the menu has extensive vegetarian options--it is a bbq place afyer all-- my friend was happy for the tasty options available.

We arrived just as they opened for dinner on a Thursday, onky calling 15 minutws before, and were given a table. The staff were attentive and very friendly, our servers Zan spoke very good English and quickly explained how to use the bbq and exhaust pipe after we seemed a bit perplexed when other staff dropped our order and left. The restaurant quickly filled up, and Zan explained it has been very busy since they opened about 1 month ago.

The credit card machine was not working that night, it was having difficulty connecting to the wifi, but the hostess apologetically suggested an ATM nearby. Fortunately the machine for MBWay connected and we paid with our Portuguese bank debit card; the staff said they have ordered a new credit card machine, so hopefully this will not be an issue for long. Again, the staff were very friendly and a bit embarrassed, but it's just a glitch which goes with a new restaurant.

Our one main distraction that would limit how often we return is the noise. The industrial.themed interior is very well done and fun, but once the restaurant is 1/3 full, ot becomes impossible to have a conversation without shouting across the table. Trying to flag down a staff member requires waving your hands because we could not make ourselves heard to anyone more than 1-2 meters away.

One other suggestion might be to have some instructions or serving suggestions for plating shown on the menu for korean bbq newbies. But again the staff is happy to help and very attentive if you ask!

Other than this, I would say this is one of the best new spots to host a social event for a group of friends or a date night... if they can hang some decorative cloth at the ceiling to help dampen the noise of a large, garrulous crowd, then the atmoshphere will be perfect for a very enjoyable social dining experience. I am looking forward to visiting...

I’m a tourist from NY where we have many Korean bbq restaurants so our standard of it was quite different from what this place was serving. It was very much below what we experience back in United States.

First, the side dish (banchan) was severely lacking. Usually it comes with 5-6 different banchans when u eat at a Korean restaurant and u can ask for unlimited refills.. well, this place had only 3 and it was a small amount. When we asked for refill, it took 30min to get it. It was extremely below standard. They didn’t include kimchi on the banchan and u had to order it separately. It’s $3 per very small portion. What Korean restaurant does not serve kimchi banchan!??? That’s an insult to Korean cuisine.

I ordered seafood japchae, Which honestly was the best thing they have on the menu. It was 9.5 euro and very much worth it.

We also got the beef platter (45 euro) that was enough for 2 ppl. The different meat slices were quite thin and wasn’t marinated much at all compared to what we have in the states. It tasted okay but it wasn’t up to Korean standard at all.

All in all, this was the most expensive meal we had on the island vs Portuguese restaurants. The place is managed by a Chinese group with no Korean presence. The experience was not authentic and the food + environment showed. The funny thing is, I was just at an Indian restaurant the night before and it was a really authentic place. I left this place deeply disappointed and felt a bit ripped off by the $$ they’re charging for a below standard experience.

PS - the restaurant is very chaotic. The staff all seem new and lacked training. We heard a lot of broken glasses and plate. We ordered wine and the wine glasses came with deep stain that we had to ask for new one. This just means they don’t check for cleanliness. They also use charcoal for their grill but it was really unsafe when the staff who bring it out of the kitchen was rushing the charcoal out and it was really close to hitting and hurting another staff + customer. I saw a piece of hot charcoal dropped close to my foot. Not safe at all to kids and other employees.

I honestly would not be able to recommend this restaurant to anyone for what they’re serving and charging people.

On a side note - A lot of the 5 star reviews are fake. Customers are being asked by the same waiting staff to write these fake reviews to...

Quero começar por destacar o bom serviço prestado pela Sana e pela Kiri (espero que o nome esteja correto). Quanto à comida, atribuo um 3. Não por ser má, mas porque foi a minha primeira experiência num restaurante coreano e não tenho outras referências para comparar. Normalmente, não frequento restaurantes novos nos primeiros meses após a inauguração – já sabemos que a eficiência, nesses casos, pode ser uma incógnita.

Agora, vamos ao que correu mal.

O espaço: Para grupos com mais de 4 pessoas, o ambiente é simplesmente desagradável. Sendo um restaurante onde as refeições são preparadas na mesa, seria de esperar espaço suficiente para que todos se sentissem confortáveis. Infelizmente, não é o caso. As mesas são pequenas, os lugares apertados, e a sensação de desconforto é inevitável. Chegámos a pedir para mudar para uma mesa de 8 pessoas, que, surpreendentemente, seria ideal apenas para 6. Disseram-nos que estava reservada, mas essa afirmação não correspondia à verdade – as mesas continuaram vazias até sairmos do restaurante.

O barulho: Mesmo sem estar lotado, o ambiente já era excessivamente ruidoso. Não consigo imaginar o caos acústico com a sala cheia. E, com tantos grelhadores em funcionamento, o calor no espaço apertado torna-se sufocante. Se assim é no inverno, nem quero imaginar no verão.

A gestão do espaço e os turnos: Ainda que o restaurante não estivesse cheio, foram-nos impostos os famosos turnos. Mal se aproximava o final do tempo alocado, já nos estavam a "empurrar" para a saída. Não que nos tenha incomodado muito nesse momento, porque, sinceramente, já estávamos a postos para ir embora.

Em suma: A ganância do proprietário é evidente no espaço exíguo que disponibilizou para o conforto dos clientes. Este mesmo empreendedor, proprietário do Restaurante Chinês Yummy, demonstra o mesmo padrão de negligência. Lugares apertados e falta de consideração pelo conforto dos grupos tornam ambos os restaurantes experiências absolutamente desagradáveis para mais de 4 pessoas. Não recomendo, de todo.

I’d like to start by highlighting the excellent service provided by Sana and Kiri (I hope I got the name right). As for the food, I’d give it a 3. Not because it was bad, but simply because this was my first experience at a Korean restaurant, and I don’t have any references to compare it to. Normally, I avoid visiting newly opened restaurants in their first few months – we all know efficiency can be a bit of a gamble in such cases.

Now, let’s get into what went wrong.

The space: For groups larger than 4, the setup is simply unpleasant. In a restaurant where meals are prepared at the table, you’d expect enough space for everyone to be comfortable. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here. The tables are small, the seating is cramped, and discomfort is inevitable. We even asked to move to a table for 8, which, surprisingly, would only be suitable for 6. We were told it was reserved, but that wasn’t true – the tables remained empty until we left.

The noise: Even without being full, the noise level was excessive. I can’t imagine the chaos if the place were packed. Add to that the numerous grills in operation, and the heat in the confined space becomes suffocating. If it’s like this in winter, I dread to think what it’ll be like in summer.

Space management and the shifts: Despite the restaurant not being full, we were subjected to the infamous shifts. As our allocated time slot neared its end, we were already being “nudged” to leave. Not that we minded too much by that point, as we were pretty much ready to go.

In summary: The owner’s greed is evident in the limited and uncomfortable space provided for the customers. This same entrepreneur, who also owns the Chinese restaurant Yummy, seems to follow the same pattern: cramped seating, noisy atmosphere, and a lack of regard for the comfort of larger groups. Both restaurants make for a thoroughly unpleasant experience for parties larger than 4 people. I absolutely do not...