Bonchon Durbin Park — Restaurant in Florida

First, I'll give credit where credit is due - the food is definitely delicious!

However, this Bonchon needs a refresher in providing a positive customer service experience. 👎

There was a 40 minute wait. When I saw a bunch of open tables, I asked if the restaurant was still practicing distancing because pretty much everyone else is living life normally. They apologized and said yes, but then came back after a minute and said they were opening up all the tables. The other people who were waiting looked at me like I did some miracle. ⏰

Just before we were seated, a customer came to pickup their takeout order. They explained they were there before and was told to come back in 10 minutes. The host apologized and said that someone else had picked up their order by accident. The customer corrected the host and said that she gave away the order to the wrong customer, not that the other customer picked it up by accident. She agreed, apologized, and said there was nothing that she could do about it. Any other restaurant would have made the situation right by offering to prepare the order again at no cost to the customer - how unprofessional. The customer ended up walking out. 🤬

When we placed our order, we asked for the cucumbers to be placed on the side. We were told that that could not be done - the cucumbers either had to be placed on the sandwich or they could bring the sandwich without the cucumbers. Apparently, this must be the only restaurant that does not know how to take slices of cucumber and put it on the side of the dish. So I had to show them what that looks like.🤦‍♂️

As they were bringing out the food (about 30 minutes after we sat down), I got a phone call from the restaurant. Apparently, they we're calling to let me know that my table was ready. I had to describe to the host where I was sitting and waved to her. We had a nice laugh. 😂

It took about 15 minutes after we ate for the server to come over - and that's because we flagged him over. Yes, I could have gotten up and caught his attention sooner. I was just waiting to see how long it would take for them to do it on their own. 😴

In the end, I'm not saying that they were rude or unfriendly. The reason for my rating is because they do not put themselves in the customer's position. They don't ask themselves "if I were this customer, how would that make me feel?" If they are not empowered to make the situation right on their own, then go get a supervisor. But when you apologize for a bad experience and do nothing to correct it, you're not...

Since moving to the Jacksonville area I have notice the following about the Asian restaurant scene.

A lot of establishments aren't even trying to impress. The first thing I notice in any restaurant is the smell... Is it authentic to the style of food being marketed to me?

Then I notice tactile traits of the establishment. Are the menus, tables, and chairs sticky or have a film on them? Do my shoes make a sticky sound when I walk or is the floor slippery from grease?

Next I evaluate the cleanliness of the bathroom as I wash my hands. In most businesses the bathroom is the last thing on the task list.

The state of the bathroom says allot about how a business thinks about you as a customer. Also as a general rule, a clean and well-maintained bathroom indicates a clean and maintained back of the house (kitchen).

Now directing my attention to this Bonchon location.

It was underwhelming compared to the Bonchon in Glenview, IL.

I use that location specifically as a baseline, because it is in a suburban K-Town so competition, the demand for quality and authenticity is high.

The Glenview location, while in a mall, surprisingly has more of an international vibe vs. local, typical mall vibe...

The Glenview location is slightly more flavorful.

This being said, Bonchon in Durham Park is a decent entry way for Korean flavors, but it is pricey. I hope demand grows and more Korean restaurants open in the area to force them to...

Went here for my parent’s anniversary and had the most pleasant time eating here! My siblings ordered apple soju (underage) but it smelled sweet! The waiter Daniel is extremely helpful and so is Kaylee!

I ordered the bao buns and we got seasoned fries and onion rings as a side. The onion rings are ginormous but crunchy in every way. Airy and has a good amount of batter around the onion. The seasoned fries are perfectly cooked and crunchy. The garlic seasoning on top complements the appetizer and is a great side for the entire table. The bao buns are soft and the slaw with the crunchy pork melts in your mouth. It’s extremely delicious but doesn’t satisfy all my hunger.

The takoyaki is an acquired taste and has shredded bonito flakes on top. Tastes good but others might not like it. My mom got the udon soup with bulgogi and loved it. She devoured it and said it tasted great. My sister got the bibimbap with spicy chicken and it was way more than spicy than expected. It’s not a pleasant spicy either and burns your mouth. I would suggest asking the waiter to decrease the amount of spice because it was hotter than siracha.

Lastly, my cousin got the sliders and it tasted great. The bun was cooked to perfection and everything complemented each other. Service was great and really accommodating. I definitely recommend...