GangNam Korean BBQ — Restaurant in Wichita

Ambience and experience are the name of the game. GangNam offers the grill-it-at-the-table korean bbq experience, or a more traditional eatery set-up. As you enter, the lighting is dim (but sufficient) and toned, and you are offered the choice of traditional (including sushi) or grill-at-table food. Our party opted for grill-at-table, so my review is exclusively for that choice. We were directed to the part of the restaurant outfitted with a number of individual grilling tables, each for four patron. The grilling table is a rectangular table with a center grilling device. This device is a round stainless steel contraption, perhaps a foot and a half (or two?) in diameter, heated with a gas burner operated from an inconspicuous valve at the side. Up above the table, and out of reach of restaurant patrons, there is a powered hood to collect cooking vapors. we were presented a menu including different selection of raw meats and side trimmings (e.g. mushrooms, scallions, different styles of kimchi, etc.), available in prearranged combinations, or a la carte. Already prepared traditional appetizers (e.g. calamari, etc.) were also available. Our party of four ordered an appetizer combo, and one of the prearranged raw meat and trimmings combinations suitable for not-so-hungry patrons. The first things to arrive were the appetizers (competent, but ordinary), a set of three different styles of kimchi (cucumber, radish, and cabbage, all excellent!), and drinks; the attendant/waitress lighted up the grilling device. Soon after a cart arrived with platters of sliced raw pork bellies, brisket, and bulgogi. At this point, the patrons need pick up with the utensils provided any of the several meats provided, and grill to taste. The bulgogi was well pre-seasoned, very thin sliced (quick to cook), and tasty. Pork bellies and brisket were au naturel, but some dressing sauces were part of the course. Well, your end results will depend on your grilling skills, temperature of the grilling device, patience, order of cooking, and seasoning creativity--of course, YMMV. The general feeling is that of a convivial gathering more than anything else, kind-of like an upscale tavern with a special flavor. Note that when grilling, it is possible for some of the splatter to reach your clothing, so be prepared. In my opinion, a good place to do something different with friends and family, without sacrificing any food enjoyment, provided you can hold your own at grilling. Our tab was around $20-25 per person, before drinks (June 2022), but in my opinion it was on the low end of the local price range. Guide to my stars: 1-avoid, 2-meh, 3-competent, 4-preferred, 5-destination. So 3 is a good, solid rating; 5...

Wichita, KS may be many things, but a culinary hub it is not (in our limited experience, to be fair). My husband and I were there visiting family, and we're always excited to explore the food scene in new cities, though we probably should've lowered our expectations upon finding an article instructing folks how to manage not eating at chain restaurants in Kansas. We also learned that restaurant ratings on Google don't mean a whole lot here, and GangNam Korean Grill & Bar is no exception to this rule. The general vibe inside was empty (applicable both to this restaurant and the city in general), and seemingly uninterested in changing that fact. After a minute or two of standing at the vacant hostess' station (getting more unsure of our decision by the second), someone brought us to our seat. We started with drinks -- he an old fashioned and myself a gin and tonic. What he got for $10 was two or three sips of whiskey and a whole lot of ice. I wish I could tell you what the hell they brought to me, because that concoction of what seemed to be rum and flat sprite was something else altogether. The food was simply disgusting. The server first brought us a selection of banchan consisting of (best guesses) soybean sprouts, cubed radish kimchi, kimchi, fresh cucumber that tasted like they had poured the same juice from the kimchi on it, and sliced pickled radish? It basically all tasted the same and the taste wasn't good. At this point I did not want to stick around to find out if the Japchae would be better than these offerings, but against our better judgment we did. The amount of steam coming off of the plate absolutely blew our minds, and that along with the truly unappetizing texture of the noodles convinced us it had just come out of a microwave. The overall flavor of the dish was under-seasoned, low quality beef juice, and the noodles could've stretched from Kansas to Korea where I'm sure the Japchae bears no resemblance to the (very) hot mess that sat before us. We took one bite each and pushed it away. When our waiter came to ask how everything was, we (very graciously) said it wasn't good and that was it. Our waiter expressed no regret nor offered any...

I went during a relatively slow time of day, and the service was not on point. My server showed up or checked on my table 3 times total, including getting my order. There were customers to either side of me upon arriving, and they finished their meal shortly before I did. I finished, and we all sat there for several minutes waiting for a server to even show their face in the area we were seated (which was the main front area). With multiple tables sitting there actively waiting for service, when a server finally came (granted, this one was in training), she went to a single table and departed to get his check. Meanwhile, the rest of us just had to wait again for several more minutes. Once again, the (new) server came back and talked to another table, ran off to get a box and their check, and disappeared. Finally, I saw my server come in, but he walked right past me to another table and was departing to get them a box and a check, so I waved him down and asked for mine as well... He finally brings my check and a box, and I set my card for payment in the book while he's still at the table. He looked at it and walked off...... I boxed my food and decided to stand while I waited for my check since I was in a hurry and a bit exasperated, he sees me standing and came to get the card.

Get this, he takes my card to the register, charges it, sets it down, and heads off to take something to another table .. I thought I may have been mistaken (I've been a server before, so I understand needing to manage your tables), but then the new server wanders past my row of tables with a check in hand. The card looks like mine, so I ask if it is ... I am not judging her. She seemed the best of them all, but we finally sorted out that it was mine, and she helped me get...