Restaurant spotlight: Craving Korean BBQ? Here’s the best restaurant I've tried this week

Port Orange recently welcomed a new Korean barbecue restaurant, and, yes, it’s as good as it looks.

After being in the works for over a year, Hanwoo Korean BBQ finally opened for business less than two weeks ago at 5790 Journey’s End Way, the former location of Mellow Mushroom, bringing a fresh, new flavor variety to Port Orange residents.

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Hanwoo prides itself on providing customers a true, interactive Korean BBQ experience with tender, marinated meats, served communal-style, as well as fresh seafood, a range of authentic spiced sides and a full bar of fruity and funky-flavored cocktails.

According to the menu, the “complex” flavor profiles of Hanwoo’s cuisine will give guests “a new perception of taste.”

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While classic American barbecue ranges by region in cooking methods, techniques and flavors, it's most generally associated with a rather tangy, sweetened and smoky flavor profile, often made with tomato, vinegar and mustard sauce bases.

Many traditional Korean marinades, on the other hand, exude a sweet, savory and spiced flavor base, as noted by simplyhatfield.com, often incorporating fresh fruits, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and ginger, among other ingredients. And Hanwoo certainly hit the nail on the head with its vast array of complexly flavored, rich meats, ranging from the bite sized-cut lamb and pork belly, to the gator, hanger steak, sea bass and others.

How does it work?

When it comes to enjoying Korean BBQ, it’s more than a meal; it’s an experience — one that seemed to be a crowd-pleaser for larger parties, double-daters and families alike during my recent visit.

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After being seated, you’ll find that each table features a hot, personal grill situated front and center — one my server turned on at the start of my meal, adjusted and replaced during its duration, and turned off once finished.

Hanwoo’s menu features two dinner options, the signature dinner priced at $48.99 per person and the classic dinner, priced at $36.99 per person, with the main differentiating factor being meat selections — like the signature dinner’s additional choices of gator meat, sea bass and filet.

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Both dinners offer unlimited appetizers with choices including gyoza (chicken dumplings) — of which I proudly re-ordered multiple times throughout my meal — corn dogs, crispy fried shrimp and marinated roast beef; as well as unlimited kimbap — a veggie, chicken, beef or shrimp dish comparable to sushi, yet void of raw fish; and unlimited sides — including spicy cucumber and radishes, sweet and sour seaweed, kimchi, and potato and egg salad.

The star of the show is the cook-it-yourself, array of unlimited meats, ranging from tuna, gator, pork belly and spicy marinated chicken to classic bulgogi (marinated ribeye), New York strip, pork short rib and marinated lamb.

Alongside your meat, customers can choose from a variety of fresh veggies — including broccoli, asparagus or mushrooms; soups; and other sides, including white rice or seasoned ramen to pair with their meal.

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Though servings are unlimited, as I made my way down the list, my waitress delivered two meats at a time to the table, both accommodating the personal grill’s limited cooking space and avoiding contamination of meats that would otherwise be pushed to wayside while awaiting their spot above the flame.

My personal favorites were undoubtedly the bulgogi — a richly-marinated, slightly sweet helping of sliced ribeye that caramelized to perfection on the grill; and the marinated lamb — a very distinct yet mildly-flavored meat cut into small chunks and nonetheless tender, savory and well-seasoned.

I paired my meats with a side of white rice, seasoned ramen and broccoli, carrots and onion that I threw on the grill alongside — of course — another helping of fried shrimp. That's the simple fun of the experience — combinations are unlimited and customizable per your taste preferences or curiosities. So have fun with it and come hungry.

More from Hanwoo Korean BBQ

Hanwoo also offers an early-bird special priced at $26.99 from noon – 4 p.m. Friday – Sunday with a condensed variety of unlimited appetizers, kimbap, sides and meats.

Though a limited selection of cocktails were available during my recent visit, the eatery does feature a full bar with menu options including Seoul Mule, Soju gimlet and Hanwoo Delight as well as a lengthy list of red and white wines — but be sure to ask your server for availability.

According to the menu, Hanwoo accepts reservations for parties of six and larger and allows children 3.5 feet in height and shorter to eat for free. Depending on “seasonality and availability” Hanwoo’s menu offerings may change in the future.

Hanwoo Korean BBQ is located at 5790 Journey’s End Way in Port Orange and is open 4 – 10 p.m. Monday - Thursday, noon - 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon - 10 p.m. on Sunday. For information, visit facebook.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Hanwoo Korean BBQ restaurant opens in Port Orange