Kimchi Joy - Korean Restaurant — Restaurant in Aberdeen

First time here and the food was excellent. I went pretty basic with the beef bulgogi and my coworkers went with a few other options. The restaurant itself is barebones. You order what is available from a wall menu, no other menu is available. The owner is an older lady who when we were there was by herself. A few guys were waiting for their togo order but told us it might be a while. We thought about going somewhere else but decided to stay and glad we did. when it was our turn to order at the counter she asked if we were going to dinein. We planned to so she told us to have a seat and she would come take our order when she started a fresh pot of rice. She came out shortly and took our order. One of my coworkers spoke a lil Korean which got her smiling and asking how he knew some of the language. It actually didn’t take very long to get our food and we all enjoyed it very much. We cleaned up the table even though she said she would get it after we left. I think she was disappointed that we were all from out of town in out brief talk with her after. My coworker even got a hug as we left. I saw quite a few reviews about the service being slow and rude. Keep in mind small restaurants especially run by older folks are typically short staffed. Also English is a second language for this lady, the best way for her to communicate to people is being direct with the words she knows quickly. This is the case with many people who learned english later in life. They aren’t trying to be rude or even upset they are just trying to communicate directly. So if you just want some good Korean dishes, dont care about decor and arent in a hurry then I would recommend this place. Learn to say hello (a-nyeong-ha-se-yo) and thank you...

The place itself is not impressive. The kitchen area is open so you can see how they handle your food which is good. But I didn’t expect to see the frozen meat they were going to prepare- clearly not fresh.

I haven’t been there in years- I remember the food was great. Now it’s ok. My soup container wasn’t full and the bulgogi are tiny.

I didn’t expect such terrible attitudes from both ladies working there. They were clearly irritated I was there. I took my time to order and when I did they acted like I should have known what I wanted- maybe if they made normal menus I could look at it in my car but they only have the menu on the wall.

Then I tried to add something to my order and they shook their heads saying- takes 30 to 35 min- I thought “who puts something on the menu that takes that long” clearly they didn’t need the additional business.

When they rung up the total it seemed high, so I looked at the menu to verify my math. The “lady” said “I didn’t make up” printed out the receipt and slapped it on the counter.

I was about to leave the food behind but then thought- my wife is hungry, I’ll bring the food.

But I will never return and I will never suggest them again. I don’t work hard for my money to pay someone to give me an attitude. There are many other...

Authentic and delicious Korean barbecue. 👏👏 Warm and kind staff, even when I mispronounced a Korean greeting and thank you. Just pay attention to how much you're charged. 😅

LAYOUT The restaurant is long and skinny with a lot of seating in the front, fridge with drinks to your left, and the cashier in the back. Behind the cashier counter, is also where they do the cooking, giving you a front row seat of how your food is being prepared.

STAFF There were three women behind the counter: one who spoke only Korean, one who was bilingual, and one who only spoke English. I only know, because I tried to give a Korean greeting (hello - Gahm sahm nee dah) with a bow to the one who only spoke English. 😅 But when she had the other older women listen, they were kind enough to just smile even through I later found out I butchered it.

FOOD I ordered the yook gae jang (spicy beef) which had some flavorful pickled cucumbers and OMG it was so delicious and SPICY 🌶🔥. So if you're not used to spice, you might need a tissue for your nose later. Overall, it was extremely filling and worth the money.

Warning: You will NOT be greeted when you come inside and dont except to pay (or be acknowledged) until after your food is ready for over the...