Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse — Restaurant in New York

UPDATE: A representative of corporate reached out to me directly through the contact information on my reservation. Because of that professionalism, I've updated my review from 1 star to 3 stars to reflect that.

ORIGINAL:

I've lived in Bay Ridge for 3 years now, three blocks from this restaurant. As a frequent regular at Cebu, Elia, Piccante, Red Oak, Sophia, Brooklyn Roots, Mussels & More, Skinflints, Zio Toto, Cafe Caffe, boca del cielo, all the main players (I haven't cooked dinner at home since moving here), I decided to try this place after hearing some recent word-of-mouth remarks.

Made a reservation online for private dining at 7:30 and did so 24 hours ahead in advance. Received a text message that 1) they will TRY to seat within 30 minutes OF the reservation 2) once all people in the party have arrived. What the h kind of reservation system is this? If I make a reservation at 7:30 I expect to be seated at 7:30 give or take 5 minutes. This is YOUR system. You designed this and these are your rules. If you can't abide by these rules then you need to let people know BEFORE they reserve that you will 'try' to seat them within 30 minutes of the time they are selecting. But I'm guessing you won't because you'll lose business. I digress.

I arrived at 7:10. "Okay thanks for checking in. You're a bit early but we will get you seated soon," said the host. No biggie; I'm early but I wanted to be there in time. Place was kind of empty but whatever --- probably a normal thing. We took a seat in the foyer that isn't air conditioned (it was 100F today).

One party of 5 came in and then one party of 7 came in, both without reservations, just after my arrival.

Another person who wasn't the host came up and called the name of my reservation but then said sorry it was for someone else. Like, who? Who here has a party for 2?

Then her and the original host got in a fight over "how to do things." It was awkward and unprofessional to do in front of guests.

Then, at 7:30, they informed me that "the waiter handling private dining was no longer taking tables." Excuse me?

They said we can sit at the 'group' table. What!? No. How is this even a thing? How can you fail so hard like this?

We left; the guests in the party of 5 and party of 7 watching us in shock as we did our "walk of shame" for being denied our reservation.

What a horrible way to do business. You were open for another 2 hours!! Did you not seat any 'private' tables after we arrived? Did you really seat the party of 7 (which consisted of 5 children under the age of 5 including 2 that couldn't even walk!) at the "group table." Or did you simply seat them in private dining so that you could (you think) make more money (as if you make money off of kids?).

Went to Elia and spent $240.00, then Red Oak and spent another $75.00.

I will never go back to this dated, horrible place. What a terrible way to treat two people that followed the rules, showed up "complete" and ahead of their reservation, and then were rudely kicked out of your establishment because of your own failure to abide by your established procedures.

I'll...

Service is terrible. The hostesses in the front are rude. We were waiting in basement bar until they could seat us (almost an hour after we came) The hostesses gave us attitudes, and basically said go down stairs or leave outside in the cold. They would let us know when table was ready as sitting in the waiting area will be a fire hazard due to the rush of people waiting. No soap on the bathroom in basement bar (where we were waiting for service), had to repeatedly ask/tell staff multiple times that there's no soap. After a few times inquiring, a staff member mentioned they don't have soap down there something broke in the men's room that they can't refill it. How does that even work? Its a restaurant. Talk about a gross safety hazard. I updated review to include the service once we sat down (which took almost an hour from when we came in). They did change policy about reservations now, so they do allow them (never used to in the past). When we called in they told us first come first serve, so apparently not every staff member is aware of this policy. There were 8 of us and we were seated at a table where they absolutely crammed everyone in on top of each other. Literally they put 12 seatings and chairs at the table that should not have accommodated that many.. They put another group with us to max out the table because it was a busy Sat night; I get it. More seats filled, more money. I can't be mad at them making a profit, I just wish it was more about service than making a buck. We sit down and the order taking process was relatively easy. Once orders were placed, the waiter forgot food that was ordered multiple different times. I never received my drink. Miso soup for half the group came out cold, the other soup (onion soup) for the other half was forgotten about. They didn't bring enough steaks so my wife had to wait for the chef to bring a new one at the end of service and make it from scratch because they miscounted (everyone already received and finished theirs). They require a 20% gratuity on a seating of 8 plus. This is standard practice with most restaurants, but good service should be given. The only redeeming part of the night was the food the chef made was really tasty. If it wasn't for the chef, it would have been a one...

UPDATE

Since my last visit, things have noticeably gone downhill. It seems like the restaurant is understaffed and possibly cutting corners by hiring new waiters who are either undertrained or simply lack the motivation to provide quality service. I understand the owner might be trying to save money, but skimping on service is a quick way to lose loyal customers.

On my most recent visit, I arrived at 6:30 PM and was seated immediately. I placed my appetizer order at 6:40 PM, and by 7:10 PM, the waiter assured me they’d be out in “2 minutes.” Ten more minutes passed with nothing on the table. Meanwhile, I could see the chef already had the rice ready and the main course was going to be done soon. I ended up canceling the appetizers because the wait was ridiculous. The manager did comp the apps, but honestly, I would’ve rather just paid to get them on time. Getting them right before the entrée was about to be served defeated the whole purpose.

This marks the second time in a row that Arirang has failed to live up to the standards I once enjoyed. I’ve been here a handful of times and unfortunately, it’s just not improving. It’s sad to say, but I won’t be returning for a long time.

Summary: The food and chefs are still solid, but the service has taken a major hit. If things don’t change, they’re going to lose more than they’re saving by undercutting the staff and training.

PREVIOUS REVIEW

Arirang in Brooklyn is a solid spot for hibachi and a fun dining experience. The atmosphere is lively, and the chefs always put on an entertaining show, making it a great place to go with family and friends. The food is fresh, and the portions are generous—definitely enough to leave you full and satisfied. The steak, shrimp, and chicken are always cooked well, and the fried rice has great flavor.

I did have one bad experience where I was seated downstairs, and my waiter was new. He forgot the drinks for almost everyone at the table and completely forgot all the appetizers. If I’m going out to eat, I expect top-notch service, especially since I tip well to make sure everyone is happy—good food, good service, great tip. While this was a frustrating experience, every other visit has been good, which is why I’ll still continue...