JUMAK — Restaurant in Evansville

My wife and I were in here for lunch about a week ago. I was hoping to get some good, authentic Korean food as I haven't had any since leaving Korea back in the 90s after being stationed in the military there for just over a year. When my wife told me about this place she'd found I was hopeful, especially when I heard it was being ran by an ex-military member who had married a Korean. I was hoping to get some of the same kinds of food I had enjoyed 30yrs ago in places like Seoul, Uijeongbu and Dongducheon where I'd spent most of my time there and introduce my wife to actual Korean cuisine. Unfortunately, I have mixed feelings about our experience.

Given the timing of our trip to Evansville, we got there a little bit before opening and we were the first customers in the door. There were a few others who arrived shortly after, however, but they were all even older (70ish) than we are (50ish). The younger guy who worked the counter was polite and helpful. He took our order, gave us our drinks and we found a place to sit as we had our choosing. Others arrived and orders were taken just as ours was but by an older gentleman whom I'm assuming was the ex-military owner. His demeanor towards customers was much more unwelcome, cold and not so friendly it seemed. So in other reviewed comments for this restaurant, I'm guessing this is likely whom it was they refer to here.

I ordered the osam bulgogi and my wife had the bibimbap rice bowl. I didn't try any of her dish, but she said it was good and very filling. My osam bulgogi tasted good and I ate the whole plate as well, but unfortunately my stomach soon regretted that. About 30min after leaving the restaurant and getting on the road to return home, I started feeling ill and we had to make several stops along the way to go to the bathroom. My wife didn't have any issues with her food, but I suffered gastrointestinal issues for a couple days afterwards. I obviously can't say this was a direct cause, but it seems odd given the timing.

I really, really want to enjoy this place and I'm willing to return to try it again. I hope that others have a better experience than I personally did though. That being said, more focus on the customer experience FOH by certain staff/owners should be addressed and perhaps better decor that makes the restaurant look more like a traditional Korea "jumak" establishment instead of a basic Asian restaurant would go a long way. If there are BOH issues that need to be addressed that bring cause and concern to food quality, health and safety, I hope they are taken care of also and my reaction to my meal was due to other reasons.

Otherwise, I hope that others try this restaurant and try some authentic Korean food as well. Those of us who have spent time in Korea for whatever reason I hope can have an opportunity here to remember and experience again the food we enjoyed while there through this restaurant. Getting authentic Asian food that hasn't been "Americanized" is a rare thing, especially...

Well, it was definitely a fun experience (in the sense that the service was so bad it spawned a new inside joke between me and my friend).

We came here shortly after a visit to the mall hoping to try something new. For one, do not trust the menu on Google. They don’t have any way to order online, so my friend and I decided to look at the menu to decide what we wanted before going in. My friend wanted the cup-bap, when we walked in to order it we got gawked at like we just said the dumbest thing ever. The man behind the counter (the ticket said Mike) was so unfriendly. After staring at us and saying nothing, I admitted that we had seen it on the google menu. He replied, dismissively, that the google menu is outdated and there’s no telling what’s on it. Then he made zero effort to familiarize us with the current menu or offer alternatives to the cup-bap. Just more staring.

After all of that, I got the bibim-guksu and k-dog with cheese and my friend ended up settling on a kimchi seafood ramyun. We both got kimchi on the side. I wasn’t sure how to pronounce bibim-guksu, so I just read the description (spicy cold noodles) and once again was gawked at. The whole experience was so intensely awkward and uncomfortable. It was about 30 something for the both of us. Reasonably priced. The wait was about 30 minutes. The atmosphere in the restaurant wasn’t bad. The place was clean, there was a Korean comedy playing on the TV. It was quiet. After a while, we left to go pick up a separate food order. Both times walking into the building, we were glared at by the man behind the counter, but that may just be his resting face. I’m unsure, I didn’t see him smile or make any other expression the whole time.

The food was good. The k-dog was delicious, the cheese pull was beautiful and it was so sweet. The bibim-guksu was made with fresh vegetables and was pleasantly spicy. It was super refreshing. According to my friend, the kinchi ramyun had good noodles and was very spicy (in a good way) but the seafood toppings were overcooked. The kimchi lacked any flavor besides sourness. May have just been a bad batch though.

Overall, I won’t be coming back. The food isn’t good enough to make up for the abysmal customer service. If you’re a die hard Korean food fan, maybe you can...

JUMAK brings the traditional South Korean corner restaurant to Evansville. JUMAK carries a variety of famously familiar dishes that you can find at diners, food courts, and street vendors across South Korea. Classic staples are served up by walking to the counter and picking from their offerings on a large menu displayed on the wall behind the register. You will order, receive a number that will be called when your food is ready, and take a seat at a nearby table to watch a K-Drama on the TV as their cook prepares your meal.

Now, it is important to understand that the almost barren atmosphere stays true in many ways to the type of quick lunch restaurants that populate nearly every street within the cities found around South Korea. That is part of what makes JUMAK its own kind of special. It is authentic without compromise. There is no pandering to the expectations of others here - it stays true unto itself. Down to the place for customers to bus their own tables and place their dirty dishes and silverware once they have finished. This is truly a South Korean experience. Which carries through all the way to the delicious food.

The gimbap and mandu immediately beckon the call and I was happy to answer. The flavors were developed in the bulgogi used for the gimbap, something perfected by whoever prepared it. You can taste tradition in everything here. The spicy seafood noodle dish was exceptional and just the right amount of heat. All of their pickled vegetables were given the TLC needed to be delicious. While I did not try any of the possible Korean desserts they offered, if the rest of the food was representative of what to expect I can only imagine how good they most likely are.

If you are looking for a spot to try that will give you a sample of authentic South Korean food, JUMAK is...