Gayeon — Restaurant in Fort Lee

We hosted a private dinner at Gayeon and booked the "Front Lounge" room at the restaurant. Initial impressions were good and upon arrival we were greeted into a large room with floor to ceiling windows with nice overall decor. We booked a private room at the restaurant so that we could enjoy a nice family dinner without having to speak over one another, however the wall separating the Front Lounge from the main dining area of the restauarnt is made up of paper thin Sohji screen doors so it was very noisy. It did not help that the restaurant was playing music over the speakers and the waitress kept leaving the door wide open despite me closing it every time she would exit the room. Our guests found themselves having to constantly repeat themselves in conversation and talk over the ambient noise of the restaurant which was not pleasant at all. Completely defeated the purpose of booking a private room, I might as well have booked a table in the main dining area and paid half the price.

The food from the set menu on the other hand was quite good, for appetizers we ordered the Japchae, Bossam, and Nakji Bokkeum. For barbecue we ordered the Galbi, Chicken, and Shrimp. I found it odd that we didn't receive any rice during this time. The entrees were Black Cod Gui and Bibimbap which was quite heavy to be served last, would have preferred it being served with the barbecue. In any case no one left hungry which was good. Desert was pleasant as well.

The main issue of the evening however was not the noise level, but rather the completely unacceptable level of service. We paid $85 per guest and received only ONE server for our 15 guests. What was even worse was that this One server was not only waiting on our 15 guests but also waiting on several other tables in the main restaurant! We were constantly waiting for service throughout the evening and ended up pouring our own wine after paying $25/bottle corkage fee. Water refills were a challenge. The service or lack thereof was just shocking, and to add insult to injury gratuity is automatically calculated into the final bill.

Our experience at Gayeon was very mediocre and the noise and poor service completely outweighed what woud have been an enjoyable dinner. It was a disappointing evening to...

I recently hosted my luncheon bridal shower at Gayeon, and it was an absolutely wonderful experience! Dina was incredibly helpful throughout the entire planning process and paid close attention to every detail I requested. She allowed us to decorate the room as we liked, and we were able to arrive early and stay late for setup and cleanup, which made the day so much easier.

The food was delicious and perfectly timed, with a mix of family-style and individual plates that catered to all of our guests, even those unfamiliar with Korean cuisine. We started with the seafood pancake and chicken gangjung as appetizers, and everyone absolutely loved them—they were a big hit! One standout was the bibimbap, which came with the rice in individual bowls, while the toppings and barbecue (bulgolgi) were served family style, allowing everyone to customize their dish easily. The service was friendly, attentive, and efficient, making sure everyone felt welcome.

We were in the back room, which was spacious enough to comfortably fit our 50 guests, and with two additional 4-person tables empty, the space could have accommodated up to 58 people. The restaurant was also very accommodating with high chairs, making it easier for families with young children.

I highly recommend Gayeon for anyone planning a larger party, engagement party, bridal shower or baby shower, especially if you want to celebrate with delicious Korean food. The team goes above and beyond to make sure everything is perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better venue for my...

This place looks fancy and elegant, and I assumed it is pricy. But then, I saw they have lunch menu at more affordable prices. So, we decided to try them out one weekend.

We started off with Lychee-Beach Cocktail and J-Tomboy Cocktail. They were nice and strong, good flavor, well made.

They had a nice lunch menu, But the funny thing was, when we put in our order, we were told they didn’t have the items we wanted to order. The server told us that they no longer offer those items, but they haven’t updated their menu yet… Seriously?

We had to quickly look for something else to order, and I chose Seoul Bulgogi + Today’s Soup. It was very different from what I imagined. It didn’t have as much flavor as I wanted it to be, but a nice, filling dish.

My hubby chose Galbi + Dwenjang Jjigae. I must say, I was jealous of this dish. I love having marinated beef or pork, wrapped in lettuce with some seasoning. It was really good, packed with flavor, and delicious!

We also got some desserts; Matcha Brownie and Snickers Bar. Brownie was very small and kind of dry. Snickers Bar is like a deconstructed Snickers Bar, and seems to be one of the most popular dessert items. It was indeed interesting, and a fun dessert to eat.

The service was ok, polite and nice, but not as friendly. Towards the end, a manager (?) came around to each table to greet everyone. It is always good to know our business is appreciated. The lunch items were good, but still a bit on the...