KIMCHI RED - JOHNS CREEK — Restaurant in Johns Creek

We settled on the Spicy JeonJu Whole Chicken (29.99) and Japchae Plate (14.99). We asked for the sauce on the side and crunchy chilli on the side. We placed the order at the counter and when checking out the system encouraged us to leave a tip. Which we did unsure what type of service we were going to receive. When we arrived the place was empty and only 1 girl at the counter and back kitchen staff. All told our bill came up to $54.00 and some change. We sat down and waited about 20 minutes for to come out. A few other people came in after us and they sounded like it was there first time there also.

The food was brought out and our first impressions were mixed. The Japchae Plate was TINY! for $15 it said plate, this looked like a banchan tray of Japchae. There was also very little items in the dish other than noodles and a few scraps of vegetables. It was far from Korean Japchae which is usually filled with vegetables and some protein. The Japchae had drizzled sauce on top, tasted of a combination of Yum Yum sauce and a mayo based creamy sauce. Flavor was okay but it was cold, I thought with a 20 minute wait they would have at least warmed the noodles. Very underwhelming for the $15 for a tiny dish. The photo has a plastic fork which is a tiny fork stuck in it for comparison.

The Chicken first impression was a bit confusing for us. The chicken was cut up, I assume to make it fry easier. But we ordered a whole chicken, It had 1 leg, 4 wings, No Thighs and what looked like Chicken Breasts cut into 4 segments. I love the juicy flavor in dark meat thighs so I was disappointed before starting and I almost asked if this was supposed to be a whole chicken. The flavor of the chicken was okay for me I had the wings and the breasts, My wife however had the leg and wings. She reacted pretty quickly at the chicken leg. She said it tasted like old frozen chicken. She said the wing was okay but the leg tasted old and had a frozen freezer burn flavor she said. My chicken wings were fine and the Breasts were well cooked and succulent. The JeonJu sauce was tasty cross between sweet and sour with a touch of umami flavor, but a very simple slurry with some scallions in it. I Chilli Crunch was spicy and flavorful but the red hot sauce they had that you served yourself with tasted similar to many hot wing sauce you would have at like Bojangles or Popeyes.

Overall the meal was okay, very expensive for what we got and definately did not feel the value or quality to rate it as the #1 chicken place in the nation. (There are signs all over the place that make this claim as the #1 chicken place)

So here are my honest thoughts, The food is edible and the chicken was average as fried chicken goes, I have had better and there is no shortage of places in Atlanta Area. I am glad I didn't try the Kimchi chicken or anything else it would have taken the value of the meal to a non existent level. I think the place suffers from ego and greed as being touted as the #1 chicken place.

There is no need to tip, there is no service, aside from having the kitchen staff deliver our food, we did pretty much everything. There are no refills on drinks. A can of Soda will set you back $2 and a small bottle of Calpico or bottled water will cost you $6.

I have mixed feelings but tending toward a negative experience. For almost $60 meal for 2 we basically got a 3 piece chicken meal while paying for the sides.

I do not think we will go out of our way to come back to Kimchi Red and have a hard time recommending the place to anyone. If you want to try it I would recommend you bring a friend and split a half chicken before you dive in for more if you like it. The Kimchi Chicken which I wanted to try would have set me back $40 by itself for a whole chicken.

I give it a 2 star even though the food is edible, Mainly because the Japchae contained nothing other than noodles and was so tiny for the price I paid and the mutant 1 legged 4 wing chicken with...

I had one of the most unprofessional and confusing takeout experiences I’ve ever encountered.

My friend and I drove an hour to try this location. We called ahead to order the Honey Butter Pepper chicken, then placed a second takeout order for the Rose Chon once we arrived. We waited in the car until the staff called to let us know our food was ready. When we went in, there were only two bags on the pickup table, and a staff member confirmed they were ours. There were no other bags present, nothing to suggest any confusion.

We got back in the car and began trying the food while it was still hot. Because the sauces were packed separately, we didn’t realize right away that we had been given the wrong item. Instead of the Rose Chon, we received the Buldak Noodle chicken.

Soon after, we got a call from the restaurant explaining the mix-up. Although we had already left the parking lot, we turned around and came back. A staff member ran out to meet us and handed over the correct Rose Chon. We asked more than once if she wanted the incorrect Buldak chicken back and explained that we had already opened it. She said no, it wasn’t necessary.

Then, a few minutes later, she came back outside again and asked for the Rose Chon, the item we paid for, back. That alone was absolutely bizarre. Why would a restaurant ever try to take back the correct, paid-for food from a customer? We declined but again offered to return the incorrect item. She refused.

As we left for the second time and were stopped at a light, we received yet another call from the restaurant, this time telling us to bring the Buldak chicken back. At that point, we were already on the road. We declined because honestly, who would say yes after all this back and forth? We kept driving home, completely done with the situation.

It left us wondering what they planned to do with our opened takeout. Resell it? Was the business going to fail over giving away one item?

What’s disappointing is that this could have gone in a completely different direction. We could have left thinking, “Wow, they let us keep the mix-up and we got the opportunity to try another menu item,” especially considering how expensive everything on the menu is. That small gesture could have left a positive impression, even turned us into repeat customers. Instead, they lost us over something that could have easily worked in their favor if they had handled it with just a bit of professionalism and...

I have been to the other Kimchi Red 4 or 5 times now, and this is my first time coming to the Johns Creek location. Saying I was disappointed doesn't begin to cover how awful the service was at this location.

This is by no means an indictment of the food which is (as usual) quite good.

We arrived pretty close to the kitchen closing time (8:30) and we were aware of this so we went ahead and placed our order. During the order I specifically requested the boneless chicken, which I am aware costs extra. The clerk at the counter confirmed that he would ensure it would be boneless. We paid for the food and sat down, and on a whim we double checked the receipt. We were not billed for the boneless chicken, so I went back to the counter and asked if he could change our order and I was willing to pay the extra amount. The clerk opened the kitchen door, said our chicken was already cooked and they couldn't change to boneless at this point, this was a less than ten second glance into the kitchen and no questions were asked to the kitchen staff. The chicken didn't come out until 20 minutes later which means the chicken was in fairly early stages of cooking. Considering that they had other orders, I strongly believe they could have repurposed the chicken for that and made us the boneless chicken that we had initially requested. The clerk took 0 accountability for his mistake in this situation, and said we were stuck with our order. An apology would have been nice.

Following that, one of the members of our group asked to order something else because she doesn't like bone in chicken. We went back to the counter to place an order for a different side and were told that the kitchen was closed. Someone else came up a few minutes later and ordered a to go order, so we went back and asked if they would let us do a to go order. They said that it was possible. IF THIS WAS THE CASE, WHY DID YOU NOT LET US DO THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE? We had to go back and ask if the kitchen was open for a to go order, and after some hemming and hawing, he finally let us order some additional food.

Throughout this entire process, the one clerk who was manning the register refused to be flexible, helpful, or in any way accountable for what was going on. This honestly ruined our meal, and while I would like to go back, I am not sure I could when the service is...