Korea Garden — Restaurant in Milpitas

INTRO:

My friends and I arrived around 11:13AM. The store wasn’t open just yet(They open at 11:30am as of July, 2023) but the staff members let us in early which we really appreciated because it was really hot outside. I remember this place used to be some KBBQ place a few years ago, but they seem to have new management because everything looked new inside and the menu is completely different.

The hostess Chelsie and our server Doug welcomed us with open arms, we were promptly seated, as the store was full house within 30 minutes of being opened.

APPETIZERS & SIDE DISHES:

The sides were great for the most part. In my honest opinion, the Kimchi was a bit bland, but the Japchae(clear noodles) and sweet potato’s were pretty good.

MAIN ORDERS:

For the main dishes, we ordered black bean noodles(jjajangmyun), yuk gae jang, a full order of fried chicken(half soy garlic and half honey cheese), and hot stone beef bibimbap. Honestly this would not be the complete review as everything we tried was spectacular, and we haven’t even tried everything yet.

The Yuk gae jang definitely has a spicy kick to it that’ll make you sweat extra, especially on a hot day, but in a good way if you know what I mean.

The black bean noodles? My good Lord, this is the dish you most definitely HAVE to try when you come here for the first time.

The hot stone bibimbap was my least favorite, not because it was bad, but because I’m always choosing the non healthy options when ordering food, but if health is your priority, then this is the one. The hot stone would be an ideal choice for colder weather though, as it keeps the food hot for dayyys.

My personal favorite was the fried chicken, as the amount of ingredients used for flavoring was right and gave a balanced taste(not too much or too little). Mad, huge props to whoever working behind in the kitchen to make this experience possible 👍👍💯

CONCLUSION:

In my opinion, trying this place out was beyond my expectations. The food was the primary highlight, but the servers also did much justice, as they were super prompt and quick to deliver. I really appreciate their hospitality and professionalism very much.

I’ve tried out many Korean/Chinese restaurants that also serve black bean noodles throughout 20+ years living in the Bay Area and I’d have to say that this is among the top 10 on my list...

Decided to try this place based on reviews from other Koreans. They didn't steer us wrong.

The Jajjangmyun is very good, especially considering it's not our go to, Gan Jajjangmyun which is a prepared per order sauce. Chef Yu in Oakland is still our fav but this is up there and ahead of everywhere else between Oakland and here in our opinion. Sauce leans on the slightly sweeter side, just slightly.

Tang su yuk was tender, and the coating was great. Nice and crisp but not overly thick like many other places. I hope they can remember that and not deviate years from now. Sauce is thick but not overly gooey like some other places. Could use a little more zip/tang but that's minor and just for my taste, wouldn't stop us from ordering it again and again.

Mul naengmyun was good, beef was excellent. Depending on your taste you might find the broth too vinegary and perhaps salty but again, it depends. I usually add vinegar but this didn't need it, might be more than others like to have. They should consider putting less in the base so customers can tailor it to their taste. Otherwise I enjoyed it and want to try the spicy version next time.

Bottom line, this is our new go to Korean place if we're anywhere nearby. FYI it's not a BBQ restaurant. Hope to try their wings and...

When I first entered the restaurant I was underwhelmed and was wondering if the high Yelp reviews were mistaken. The sign out front said "Under New Management" so I wondered if the new management had made it worse or better.

We ordered: Ttok Boki w/ added Ramen 🍛 2 Jja Jang Myeon (Goppaki size) 🍜 Jjam Bbong 🍜 Full Fried Chicken (KFC, 14 pcs, 1/2 original, 1/2 soy garlic) 🍗

The Ttok Boki was huge! The added Ramen wasn't worth it and it was very spicy even though we asked them not to make it too spicy but it was still pretty good.

The Jja Jang Myeon was kind of plain but on the other hand not greasy. Portion size was good.

The Jjam Bbong I thought was the best. It came with a lot of seafood which was unexpected and the portion size was quite large.

The KFC was quite popular and it was nice to be able to order both KFC and Jja Jang Myeon at the same restaurant.

Service was friendly which I appreciated.

Overall it was a good experience though I am not sure if it was worth the trip to Milpitas. The price was definitely better than the prices in Santa Clara. If I was in the area I would definitely consider...