Sumi Korean Grill — Restaurant in Tukwila

Upon perusing the lunch menu at Sumi Korean Grill, we were intrigued by the barbecue dining experience, specifically the $23 lunch special. Our anticipation quickly waned as the pork plate arrived—a stark composition of three diminutive mounds of meat arranged on a rectangular canvas of white porcelain. The promised beef portion was conspicuously absent, leaving us to ponder the adequacy of the serving. A quick mental calculation suggested that doubling this portion would still fall short of satiating two diners.

Pivoting from the barbecue options, we sought solace in more traditional fare. Having spent my formative years in Songtan, Kyonggido, South Korea, I've cultivated a deep appreciation for authentic Korean cuisine. In moments of culinary uncertainty, I often gravitate towards the comforting embrace of Kimchi Jjigae—a robust stew featuring tender pork, silken tofu, and pungent kimchi swimming in a fiery broth. To my dismay, this staple was absent from Sumi's repertoire—an omission that borders on the sacrilegious for any establishment purporting to serve Korean cuisine.

In an attempt to connect with the kitchen staff, I endeavored to converse in Korean with the elderly Asian couple behind the counter. To my surprise and disappointment, not a word of Korean was understood or spoken in return. This linguistic disconnect, coupled with the absence of Kimchi Jjigae, proved to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, compelling us to make a swift exit.

Let me be unequivocal: Sumi Korean Grill does not offer authentic Korean cuisine, but rather a fusion interpretation that falls short of expectations. For those seeking a genuine Korean culinary experience, I recommend venturing to the H-Mart area in Federal Way, where more faithful representations of the cuisine can be found.

In conclusion, while Sumi Korean Grill may appeal to those seeking a Westernized take on Korean flavors, purists and enthusiasts of traditional Korean fare would do well to...

I found this location through Yelp when wanting to try some new KBBQ places with friends.

The location was the initial feature that drew me in. It's nice and close to the mall and halfway between Tacoma and Seattle. Upon arriving, it is apparent that the shopping center it lies in is up and coming, having undergone quite a few renovations, and fairly upscale.

The restaurant is brand new, very clean, and quite modern. It isn't too large, but arranged neatly and uses all the space efficiently. I absolutely love the decor! All the tableware is gold, the tabletops are marble, and the wall decor is hip. There is also a clear view of the kitchen and yet there aren't any overbearing scents or grime.

It is also a fairly popular restaurant. We came at 4 pm and were able to be seated immediately, but more groups slowly trickled in. We even got to see a family celebrate a birthday party there. Definitely a great spot for groups and family friendly without being tailored specifically for children.

The service was attentive at four, but as it got busier, service became a little sluggish. Not the kind of place where making eye contact with staff will cause them to check on you, you definitely have to be audible when you need something. But other than that, staff was very friendly.

The food was great! We did do the traditional KBBQ where you cook for yourself, but the quality of the food was amazing. For the marinated pork, it definitely tasted like it had been marinating for at least a few hours as the seasonings really sank into the meat and wasn't strictly in the sauce. The kimchi was super flavorful as well. The food is not all you can eat, but the Large Feast was the perfect amount for four people. We did not have any food left over but we definitely couldn't eat another bite.

I can't wait to come back with my friends! I would definitely recommend giving this...

When we came, we had really high expectations because of all of the great ratings and reviews. The decor and setup was very modern and looked very nice. I really liked the open kitchen concept as we could see the cooks preparing all of the dishes. We were expecting to eat Korean bbq and grill some meats, but when we tried ordering that from the menu, they told us that wasn't an option yet since they had just opened, which was a bit disappointing. We decided to try their bento boxes since the pictures we saw online looked wonderful.

When we were first presented with the dishes, we were delighted since everything looked amazing and the plating was gorgeous. We tried ordering the potato side dish and kimchi, since that didn't come with the order and it was shown in the pictures we saw online, but again, they said that it wasn't available. We just decided to dig into our food, but that turned out to be quite disappointing as well. The wagyu skirt steak was overcooked and difficult to chew as the texture was a little bit like hardened gum. The rice was extremely dry (as an Asian restaurant, you would expect them to know how to make rice properly) and pretty hard to swallow. The beef short rib was tasty, but sliced very thin and there weren't very many pieces. The tofu soup was very yummy and comforting, but the seafood ingredients within were very cheap, with tiny shrimp and scallops.

We let the servers know about the rice, and they promised that they would improve next time. Regarding the steak, they stated they would start to ask the customer how they would prefer it cooked. Overall, the service was good, but the food itself was not up to our expectations. Hopefully they can improve on these things, as that is one of the most important aspects of a restaurant...