Seoul Garden Restaurant — Restaurant in Maitland

So ever since I first saw bibimbap on food/cooking shows, I've been a man on a mission to find some and try it. My search led me here.

We get to the place and it looks super plain on the outside. Not good, not bad. But then we get inside and the space is beautiful. The decor is minimal but nice and calming, there is a bar area with a TV, and there are cook-the-food-yourself tables dispersed in the front corner of the restaurant. It was very nice.

Our hostess was our server and seemingly the only employee in the place. She took care of us. She was super nice and took time to answer our questions, although I seemed to confuse her with the specific questions I had. We both wanted the beef bibimbap, but there were two versions on the menu, so I asked her what the difference was, and there was no discernible answer, so we ordered once of each.

We started off the meal with the vegetable spring rolls for an appetizer. They were frozen, and the filling was kind just a mush of mystery cabbage and such, but the flavoring and the seasoning of it was good, and the super crispy exterior combined with it made it pretty tasty overall and worth the $3.50, but I would still recommend going with a more unique appetizer here. Nothing special about the spring rolls.

So we got our bibimbap and found the answers to our questions. My girlfriend got the number 11 bibimbap had vegetables in it, far less beef than the number 16, it had a fried egg on top, and the bowl was way hotter than mine was, leading to the actual crisping of the rice like bibimbap is known for and is supposed to have. My number 16 bibimbap had no vegetables, had way more beef, and has boring normal rice in it. My pictures will have a fried egg on both of them, though, because in our miscommunications, I ordered an extra-charge fried on mine accidentally. No biggie.

Both dishes were super tasty, super filling, and were both worth their price, but if you want the more authentic dish, go for the number 11, definitely. The crispy rice adds a texture to the dish that's unlike most dishes in this world, honestly. So good. Mine was good, though. Just like beef fried rice. Very delicious beef.

We were also given six different sides to share between us in our dishes. Sweet potatoes, pickles vegetables, picked dicon, kimchi, bean sprouts, and some tofu. Adding one of these sides to any bite of the bibmbap changed the flavor and made it seem like a new dish. It was fun, combining flavors like that. All the sides were delish. Check the photos.

So then we got the green tea mochi ice cream for dessert. They were little green mochi balls with green tea ice cream inside, served on a plate with whipped cream sprayed around them. I feel like they were meant to be more of a hand-held treat. It was awkward to eat them with the provided spoons, but they were still good. Not super sweet. Green tea ice cream is such a good palate cleanser for the end of a meal, and the mochi just made it fun!

Overall, we had no idea we were going to enjoy this place so much. I recommend coming here if anything I just said appeals to you. It was a good time, for not a...

I hate to leave a negative review but….

I love the food here. We live nearby and have ordered take out many times during the pandemic especially during my most recent pregnancy. We love Korean bbq and so do our children. I made a dinner reservation for 5 and a stroller requesting a bbq table at 5pm. On the phone it was made clear that she was not wanting the baby to be near the table…fine he is 5 months old and in a stroller and I’m a responsible parent. Upon arriving she realized we have 4 children total. The hostess was immediately irritated. She said she didn’t want the kids running around the restaurant (which has one other woman in it eating alone). Our daughters were just standing listening with their masks on quietly. She got someone from the back and tried to seat us at some odd table in the corner, both annoyed with the idea of kids being in the building. I like supporting my local businesses and it’s hurtful to be shunned for having a large family. I said “we can just leave if the children if our children are not welcome?” They didn’t put up a fightand we walked out. I’m leaving 3 stars because I do think the food yummy. Not kid friendly at all…which sucks because we order a ton of food and tip well. Wish I could show you guys family dinning at 5pm is not a nightmare. I actually think my daughters have better manners than both of you by a landslide. Thank you for all of the yummy meals over the last couple years. We obviously...

First time here, and I will definitely be back. I was craving Korean food, and this place did not disappoint. Forgot to take pictures, but we have the following: Gimbap - delicious and fresh ingredients, even hubby loved this dish, and he is not a fan of rolls. Sweet pickle inside was a nice balance to the beef, veggies, and rice, not too vinaigretty (tasting). Ttukbokki with cheese - I had this dish before somewhere else and did not like it, but there the cakes were fluffy and had delicious taste, they where not hard or soggy. Very delicious. It has a little kick of spice, so be cautious if dont have a tolerance for it. Mozzarella was melted on top and added a nice touch. Haemul Pajun - I was very excited about this dish and OMG it was my favorite. Big portion with awesome flavor. Veggies were very fresh and squid tender. I so took my left overs home. 😋 Dolsot Bibimbap - dish came out piping hot but all veggies were so fresh, tender with a nice mild pickled falvor. The beef was soft and well seasoned. Imyeonsu - husband polished off all his fish along side the Ttukbokki. Served with toppings and rice as well as kimchi. We didn't enjoy the topping sides too much. The main dishs were very fresh in comparison.

Highly recommend. Dishes are generous portions. Everything was well prepared and very...