Yi Ssi Hwa Ro

Doesn't Recommend

soondubu

Joined 7 years ago

Horrid Inattentive Service, SALTY marinated meats of questionable quality. Meh.. We tried this place on citysearch recommendations, and certainly are not going back. it is all you can eat for $16 per person, where they bring you a plate of the meats to grill on the table. The servers have to be prompted at every turn to refill the little bowls of sauces, lettuce, and the fixins that accompany any decent korean bbq experience. they won't let you get more of certain type of meat unless yo ufinish eating everything that they brought the first time. This is a problem if the marinated chicken looks unhealthy, the galbi and bulgogi is very very salty. we told them it's too salty, but somehow, it was just shrugged off.... we cooked them and put in back on their plate to take back... the chadol is actually decent, but they are missing the little spicy sauce that often accompanies the rice wrap....

/rant

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farsider

Joined 11 years ago

Great Experience. This is one of the best experiences I've had with Korean BBQ. Not only is the meat marinated in a fabulous sauce but you don't come away from dinner smelling like a bag of charcoal. The only "negative" would be a smaller selection of side dishes compared to other restaurants.

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kakajiang

Joined 8 years ago

The BEST Korean BBQ. Most Korean BBQ's taste the same to me, but after going to YiSsiHwaRo for the first time, I drive to LA to eat there (from Irvine) whenever I can. The quality of the meat is very good, and is specially marinated in sauces that no other Korean BBQ's offer. The restaurant is spacious and clean, and the members of the staff are accommodating. The price is extremely reasonable for the quality of the food and the service. I have never had an unsatisfactory dining experience there. Their side dishes are excellent, and I highly recommend ordering one of the combos on the menu.

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cj8200

Joined 6 years ago

Best Korean BBQ. Great place to have Korean BBQ!

We were surprised by high quality meat, great service and unique interior.

The restaurant is located in Chapman Plaza, which looked like a castle from outside. It was very big with two patios, one inside and one outside. We ordered Black Angus Bone Rib, Marinated Beef Rib and Wine Marinated Pork Belly. They were very delicious! The best part was that the price was reasonable. I highly recommend this place to everyone.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Editorial Review. Restaurant serves authentic Korean barbecue and offers lunch specials.

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brian67

Joined 6 years ago

Great Korean BBQ without the smoky afterglow in a hip setting with excellent service. My wife and I took my parents, new to Korean BBQ, to this place without knowing a thing about it. We were expecting more or less standard stuff...smoky surroundings and very average decor. We were very pleasantly surprised. It is located in Chapman Plaza, which is a very nice little oasis in the middle of Korea Town. Far from the strip malls and non-descript architecture, Chapman Plaza is unique, with several restaurants facing inward into a charming cobblestone courtyard (w/ validated valet parking). The restaurant itself has both indoor and patio seating. The interior is high-ceilinged, with large tables well spread in hip setting (dark woods, leather, glass walls and bamboo). The staff immediately made us feel welcome, and took time to describe everything to my parents. They checked in with us frequently and were very nice without being obtrusive. The food was great and very plentiful. For four people, we ordered two beef dishes and some spicy pork...all of the meat was flavorful and high quality...and it was more than enough food. The variuos plates of kim chi were plentiful, frequently replenished, and ranged from the expected cabbage and sprouts, to more unusual egg salad and mini-fritatas. A cold soup served as a starter was refreshingly tart and sweet, and the final hot miso-based soup was rich and spicy. All in all, ths restaurant was a great find...a cool hideaway with a great vibe, and more importantly, a very good dining experience. Some other guidance: the above meal for four, without drinks, cost about $80 before tip; the chairs are actually short swivel backless stools...while this was a great novelty and added to the scene that was being set at the restaurant, toward the end of a 1.5 hour meal, I was really wanting a back to my chair. If we were drinking and wanted to hang out for a while, the stool would've gotten old fast.