Garionban — Restaurant in Spring Valley

My wife and I were in the mood for some Korean food and instead of heading to our normal (quick eat) Korean food place inside KoreaTown, we opted for this restaurant since it's a place we've never got to experience yet. When we walked in, we were nicely greeted by a couple of employees. I immediately noticed it wasn't busy at all (surprising since it was a Saturday evening), but it was comforting because we were hungry. The restaurant's décor was fabulous; everything was well organized and very clean, including the bathroom.

Between the both of us, we ordered BBQ Beef Short Ribs (LA Galbi) + Jokbal Bossom, Kimchi Fried Rice, Spicy Pork Bulgogi Hot Stone Bibimbap, and Fried Mandu. I knew from the start that this was going to be way too much food for us, but I wanted to try a few things during this initial visit. Plus, whatever we don't eat, we can easily take home since we're Las Vegas locals.

Out of these entrées, my favorites were the Kimchi Fried Rice and the Bibimbap. The banchan was extraordinary; it was extremely fresh and delicious; and the Ssamjang that accompanied the Bossom was very flavorful. One thing I wish is that the entrée had more lettuce pieces or contained a variety of greens other than the green leaf lettuce that came with the dish (i.e., red leaf lettuce and perilla leaves), considering that the entrée had so much food to make lettuce wraps. However, it's not a big deal and if I truly wanted more, I could've just asked for more too. The Fried Mandu was good but definitely wasn't my favorite mandu I've tried in Korean restaurants. Additionally, it's been about 30+ years since I recall eating Jokbal and I couldn't remember what it tasted like to save my life, therefore, I thought it was great that we found this restaurant to try it again. My wife thought it was good; however, I can't say I'm a big fan of it...which is odd because I love pork...especially pork belly. Perhaps if it was prepared differently, I would enjoy it more? I know this is a famous and very popular dish in Korean cuisine, but for me, I've always been a Galbi and Meat Jun type of guy ever since I was little. Lastly, and speaking of Galbi...the flavor/marinade was exquisite, but the meat texture was average...which was disappointing because I like to go to Korean restaurants to get a break from making my Galbi at home. Oh well, the entire food experience was still good.

The customer service was magnificent! As I mentioned earlier, the restaurant wasn't busy at all, so of course I would expect it to be lightning fast. But I have confidence that the customer service would be equally as prominent during their peak/busy hours. The price-to-quantity/quality ratio was superior...you definitely get your money's worth at this restaurant. There were other items on the menu that I wanted to try and will involve a second visit down the road - sorry, my stomach isn't big enough, nor am I a professional eater. My overall rating is 4 stars...meaning, "I liked it," therefore, I highly recommend this restaurant to all Las Vegas locals...

Overview:  Korean Izakaya, great meal

Meal/Time:  dinner/Monday 650PM seated: 656PM ordered; first dish out 713PM

Decor/Atmosphere:  korean izakaya ; loved the smell of grilled meats.  Still have Christmas decorations up.... at the end of February.

Service/ Front of the House:  quickly greeted and seated immediately.

Service/Serving Staff:  push the call button at your table to call over the waitstaff when you are ready to order.  Pitcher of ice water was brought to the table as soon as we sat down.

Food:

Galbitang - Beef Rib Soup $22.99  You get a really flavorful broth with 2 beef ribs in it.  The ribs were tasty and pretty tender.  The soup was flavorful but surprisingly light.  I suggest asking for soup bowls to ladle the broth into.  Goes really well with the white rice.

Medium Jokbal - braised pig trotters, sliced with lettuce for wrapping $30.99.  The contrast of tender pork flesh and the chewiness of the pork skin is wonderful.  Really full of flavor with every bite.  Use lettuce with a little bit of the fermented bean paste really brings out the savoriness of the pork.  The lettuce helps to keep your fingers clean.

Medium Galbijim - beef short ribs $39.99 cooked on a hot iron plate with veggies and tteokbokki (rice cakes).  The hot plate caramelized the rice cakes and gives it a crispiness.  The  change in texture from soft and chewy to crunch is wonderful.  The beef ribs are really tender, but not fall off the bone level.  So you can enjoy the texture of the rib meat.  Really sweet sauce goes well with white rice.

Value:  A little pricey, but way cheaper then what you can get in San Francisco.

Restroom:  men's room is large for a single occupancy.  I do not understand the trash can in the middle of the room.

Will I come back?: Yes... the flavors and contrasting textures make this...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is now my favorite Korean restaurant for soups in Las Vegas.

Cozy, friendly staff, clean quality cooking. Good vibes, good food. Open till 3AM?! Yes please ✨

Service: excellent - attentive and friendly. My server Matthew was perfectly bilingual, and patiently answered all my questions. Very helpful/cozy/friendly vibe - this feels like a mom and Pop shop

I ordered two soups, one for dine in, the other to go. Galbitang 갈비탕: excellent. Clean quality ingredients, generous amount of meat. The Korean daikon pairs so well with the short ribs. It’s a must try. Gari soup: I’ve never heard of this, so I think it’s the house specialty. It’s a light beef soup, it’s not meant to be hardy or rich. Like a beef udon stock. Kimchi: outstanding 11/10 Radish kimchi: good, perfectly fermented

My server made sure to time the takeout order to when I finished my meal. Good attentive service.

The owner also came out to interact with the customers. She’s very gregarious and you can tell she genuinely enjoys providing delicious meals - wholesome ajumma vibes 🥰

Atmosphere: cozy lighting, perfect music level, open and airy (refer to my pictures :) ).

Takeout: I like their containers. Leakproof and can eat out of.

Overall: This is my new favorite Korean restaurant for soups in Las Vegas. Cozy, friendly staff, clean quality cooking. Good...