The Bite of Korea — Restaurant in Tucker

An omnivore friend told me this was their favorite restaurant, and after seeing vegan options on the menu I decided to try it. I ordered the Doenjang-jjigae ($13 plus tax). The broth is yummy, yet I feel I paid too much for what I received as a vegan, compared to what meat eaters get. The vegan version (without beef brisket) is not as hearty or filling as the meat version. My vegan take-out order did NOT look like the photo on their online menu! It was NOT a thick stew. It was MOSTLY BROTH (tasty), with just a small serving of veggies, with three cups worth of broth and a side cup of rice, plus the Korean condiments* in 3.25 oz. containers. (*The kimchi, sprouts and pickled cucumbers were all good.)

I had asked for more tofu to substitute for the beef I was paying for but not wanting, yet they did not give me more tofu - maybe 6 squares total. Also, be aware that this includes green onion (scallions) which is not listed in the ingredients, in addition to regular onion which is listed. There's just a tiny amount of radish (daikon), which I would have liked more of. When I asked for "no mushrooms" I had assumed they would make up for it by giving me more of the other vegetables. They did not. This was my first time trying The Bite of Korea, and I am disappointed. The jalapeno tasted like green bell pepper, so I ended up picking it out of the broth and discarding it.

Since vegans don't get what we pay for, I'm not in a rush to give them another chance. I've learned my lesson to be more specific about ingredients I want and don't want, even if it's not listed on the menu. You can't trust that the menu's list of ingredients is a complete list, and other items not listed may be included. Like I said, the broth is tasty, but not worth the price if you don't get the beef brisket with it. Another restaurant I like charges $10 for a soybean broth with veggies and tofu, and is more generous with the solid ingredients.

If you’re an omnivore, then the Doenjang-jjigae "stew" is a great deal, and I’m sure very enjoyable and filling. My review was mostly to warn vegans. I'm sorry I didn't think to take a photo. (I didn't realize I would end up writing...

BOK is exactly what Tucker needs, a gateway experience into Korean food through an irresistible love of street food. At the time I went, which is very recently, BOK was still struggling a bit after their opening. Has to do a lot of staffing as they weren't able to keep up with orders when a large party showed up. They were doing an incredible amount of take-out -- which is great!

It took about 40 minutes to get a seat though much of the restaurant was not seated. We didn't mind since we knew what we were in for. The only quirk is that another couple showed up and got seated at the bar immediately. Would have been great to be offered that option.

We came ready to support BOK by ordering everything we wanted to try, intending to take a lot of it home. First round, sodduk skewers and corn cheese (though I think cheesy corn would be more appropriate.) Delicious -- exactly what street food should be. Rice cakes were nicely crispy.

Second round, bulgogi quesadilla, and Korean fried chicken -- also very tasty. Third round, seafood pa jeon (scallion pancake.) This was a miss. Good jeon requires a healthy level of very hot oil to get the crispy, crunchy texture. This came out soft and malleable. Once we got the manager over, we were able to have a short chat about it and had another come out to our table, done right. It was excellent.

The food is terrific. If you're new to Korean cuisine, hopefully trying BOK will get you exploring other dishes. I'm excited to see what they do now that they're in brick-and-mortar. Seeing a more elevated menu would be amazing. Staff was hospitable and friendly. They still have some service issues to work out, but they will... and that shouldn't bar you from...

I hate to say it, but my experience at "The Bite of Korea" left me both hungry and frustrated. I've heard good things about this place, and I was eager to try out their much-raved-about bulgogi and bibimbap. But as it turns out, it was a letdown from the moment I walked in.

Firstly, the vibe in the restaurant felt off. I was greeted with a lackluster "hello" in Korean from the hostess specifically who just seemed more interested in her phone than actually helping customers. No enthusiasm, no warm welcome—just a general aura of indifference. I should've taken this as a red flag.

Then came the wait for our food. We were told it would take about 15-20 minutes for our order to be ready. I thought that was reasonable for freshly made Korean cuisine. But 20 minutes turned into 30, then 40, and by the time we hit the 50-minute mark, my patience had run its course. What's worse is that during that time, nobody came by to update us on the status of our order. Complete radio silence.

By the time the food arrived, my appetite had waned. The bulgogi was decent, but the bibimbap lacked flavor—perhaps it was affected by the slow cooking time, or maybe my tastebuds were just overshadowed by the disappointment.

The overall atmosphere felt like nobody was in charge, and there was a lack of passion from the staff in every interaction. I don't know if this was a management issue or a frontline staff problem, but it doesn't inspire confidence for a return visit.

So all in all, if you're looking for a Korean food experience that includes prompt service and a friendly atmosphere, you might want to look elsewhere. "The Bite of Korea" failed to deliver on both...