Stone Bowl House 운암정 스톤 볼 하우스 — Restaurant in Doraville

These eponymous stone bowls are so hot that the sizzle that comes from one of these stone bowls are conversation-halting, much in the way that necks crane for a passing fajita platter. Every single one of us at the table ordered a bibimbap - a mixed rice dish with veg, a protein, and spicy red pepper paste - in one of these bowls, with nary a complaint upon eating.

One of the best parts of ordering bibimbap in a stone bowl is the char that forms in the rice layer most proximate to the hot bottom and sides, which adds the most incredible texture to the dish. Personally, I measure a restaurant's bibimbap by how much of that rice becomes well-crisped, and by those standards, Stone Bowl House won the game of all the Korean bibimbaps I've had to date in the Atlanta area.

The banchan, or free side dishes, are decent. I didn't find any standouts bites, but they tasted fresh and acted as faithful sidekicks to the meal. Along with the standard plates of kimchi and spicy fermented radish cubes, there were sesame oiled bean sprouts, pickled shishito peppers, marinated fish cakes, wood ear mushrooms, and their slightly sweeter version of cole slaw. It's notable that the restaurant offers up to five free refills before an added charge (which is far more generous than other Korean restaurants in the area that shall not be named). With our meals, we also enjoyed a small miso soup that helped to cool down our mouths after the fiery mouthfuls of bibimbap.

If there were any disappointments, it was the haemul pajeon, or the seafood pancake. It was slim on the namesake seafood and a little thicker and breadier than I usually prefer. I love the way other Korean restaurants serve theirs on a sizzling platter, but these were delivered on a regular plate and therefore were quick to cool and lose some of their initial luster.

Our party of four was seated in one of the semi-private side spaces, where we felt tucked away from the crowd but received just as attentive service as any of the other...

Good food & service. Pleasant atmosphere.

I came here originally on a client's recommendation. I've been here a few times and consistently enjoy the experience.

It's a small restaurant with lots of privacy between tables. The chocolate and cream decor is calming.

The service is quick and polite. There are lunch specials, which is handy. She walked by often and seemed to have perfect timing.

As with other Korean restaurants, the meal starts with Banchan. It's munchies of some small dishes of kimchi, and other fermented veggies. It's like the tortilla chips of Korean meals. It's complimentary and they commonly replenish it if you eat it all.

They include a small bowl of broth that was really delicious. Yeah, the broth.

On this visit, I had had the bulgogi dolsot bibimbap. It's served in a sizzling bowl. There are patches of veggies and shredded beef over a bed of sizzling rice. It is all topped off with an egg. It's a great balance of veggies with a small portion of meat.

You can bring your date here on most occasions. This can be casual or upscale. It's an interesting first date or a comfortable 5th date.

I was really looking for something to criticize here but I got nothing. It all works. Chili sauce, perfect. Service, great. Price, good. Well, there's a spot on the wall where someone bumped it...

Stone Bowl House is located in a shopping center off Buford Hwy. Some parking on main level and more in the back area. Gets full quickly on main level. They have a different take on Korean food which I like. At some restaurants, the patron cooks the meat. Here they cook it and bring it to you, with several side dishes called Banchan. This is the best Bulgogi and Bibimbap I have had. Service was a little lacking tonight, I think they were short of staff. We had to find our waitress a few times including the check. Still a favorite place. Lunch menu too. Check the website for the hours, as they close for a short time between lunch and dinner. It is clean and bathroom is clean. If they are busy, their is a wait, but worth it. Dining area has tables, booths and some private seating areas which is nice. No reservations. Biggest conflict is the parking. Everyone wants the main level to park and circle till someone leaves. Started from a grandmother that came to Atlanta to be with her family and we are glad she did. Till...