I’m delighted to see that Korean Fried Chicken has reached Orlando, and the west side. The secret to why this chicken is so good is that it’s fried twice–once at a lower temperature, and then again at a higher temperature to create a really crispy exterior.
The chicken is then typically coated with spicy sauce. Chi-Kin offers a wide assortment of sauces, and we liked all of the ones we tried.
A good way to sample their offerings is the combo meal, a reasonably priced assortment of wings/drums and tenders, plus two sides.
You have your choice of two sauces for both the wings and the tenders, a total of four sauces, but note that the pieces will already be sauced, so you must decide in advance what sauce goes where. We had hot gochu jang, thai chili, buffalo, and yuzu lemon pepper (which is more of a rub).
I think next time I will stick to the tenders, as they are wonderfully moist and crispy on the outside, giving them all the advantages of wings, but you get a lot more meat.
For sides we had the bulgogi fries and the pickled cucumbers (probably the only healthy thing on the menu!)
Service was really friendly and fast. Definitely a place I’ll visit again!
Nicely decorated place with large booths. It’s okay; probably of more interest to hot pot lovers than to Korean BBQ fans. Buffet-style ingredient selection. I think the food quality is better at some alternatives such as KPOT, SoGongDong, and Gyu-Kaku, but if you’re in the area it’s worth a try.
This Korean restaurant offers all of the most popular Korean dishes in a pleasant environment with friendly service. The space was formally occupied by Bee Wan, but it has been significantly remodeled. The menu is now streamlined and more pictorial, which is good for newbies. There are somewhat fewer side dishes of kimchi now, but they are just as good or better. My favorite entrée, Dolsot bibimbap, is available in traditional and a kimchi version. The Chicken Katsu is a good choice for kids or those who are not yet ready to try the full Korean experience.
There is no question in my mind as to what the best restaurant in Orlando is. This is it. While Orlando received four Michelin-starred restaurants last year, they were very odd choices. I have no doubt that Doshi is better than all of them, and expect it to receive its acknowledgment soon.
There are two ways to enjoy this restaurant: ala cart table dining, or at the six-seat chef’s counter. We chose the latter, and it is definitely the way to go. The experience is individually curated and largely prepared by Chef Mike, while the other chefs tend to the rest of the room.
Chef Mike preparing the Royal Hot Pot
Chef Mike fills you in on the Korean history behind each of his dishes. The menu is inspired by the food a king would have eaten 500 years ago. To describe the menu as Korean is to completely undersell it, though, as each dish incorporates modern refinements, techniques, and sourcing.
The ten tasting menu courses included fifteen dishes, and absolutely every one of them was outstanding. My favorites were:
HOBAKJUK w/ MUL KIMCHI 호박죽과 물김치 kabocha porridge + water kimchi
– The incredibly complex, savory, and somewhat spiced “porridge,” which was more like a chowder with tender mini rice cakes.
OYSTER lemongrass chili butter
– The delightful oyster preparation, which was lightly cooked to bring out the flavor of the oyster, yet still fresh and citrusy with yuzu and cilantro blossom, as you would expect in a raw oyster course.
WAGYU BULGOGI grilled Wagyu with black garlic and caviar, Asian pear two ways
– The A5 Wagyu, which was the single best thing I have put in my mouth during forty years in Orlando. For the past decade we’ve all had lightly seared Wagyu with nothing done to it to interfere with the delicate fatty flavor of the meat. But what if you lightly marinated it, seared it, and served it with a smear of black garlic and top-grade caviar? The flavor absolutely explodes in your mouth, creating something wholly new, and far surpassing the individual ingredients. Alternate that with bites of acidic Asian pear and you have a dish worthy of the best three-star Michelin restaurants I’ve been to. Congratulations to Chef Mike for daring to create this out-of-the-box dish.
CHIJA CHA 치자차 gardenia fruit tea HANGWA 한과 confections
– I also need to give a nod to the dessert, which is hard to describe. Think of a tiramisu, but one made of many layers of crepes so thin and tender they become a single sort of coffee-flavored mousse. Another amazingly creative dish.
You will not leave hungry, that’s for sure. Fortunately they are happy to pack the final savory course, a royal hot pot, for you to enjoy the next day.
SINSEOLLO 신선로 royal hot pot
The wine service, provided by host Austin, is impeccable, and an interesting flight of wine pairings is offered, although there is also corkage available if you wish to bring your own wines. We did both.
The atmosphere is perfect. Low lighting in the stylish dining area, and a livelier counter experience for the tasting menu. As with the best high-end restaurants, the kitchen is organized and professional, so intimate conversation is easy, even at the counter.
Again, I cannot stress enough how far above the other restaurants in town Doshi is hitting. I am already anticipating our next visit.
DELUXE DRIED SNACKS 마른안주특선JANGEO GUI grilled eel lettuce wrapSAEWU GUI grilled spicy shrimpDOMI pan seared flukeMAEKJEOK 맥적 grilled sliced porkTasting Menu February 2023
With a stylish interior design and an airy, bright space, this new restaurant offers an inviting place to enjoy traditional Korean BBQ.
Unlike some of the local Korean BBQ spots, Kang offers a full array of starter dishes, including assorted kimchee, salads, and more.
The meat offerings are excellent, and the grills and vents work great.
The downside is the price. Whether you order a single item prepared in the kitchen, or an all-you-can-eat feast, you are going to end up spending $25 to $35 per person, regardless of whether it's lunch or dinner. With a single beer and a coke, and the automatically added gratuity, our lunch for two was over $100.
By chance, we went to another all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ place in Lake Buena Vista last week, and thought it was expensive at $28. But the weekday lunch there was only $18. And that's a tourist area. I'm not sure $35 is going to fly with the locals.
That said, all the food was excellent, and we would definitely go back if in the area.
There is a very limited wine list — mostly sweet — and only one beer (although it is the delicious Terra Korean beer).
Service was excellent.
Kang’s Kitchen 800 N John Young Pkwy Orlando, FL 32808
BuffetInteriorMenu – BBQExteriorMenu – hot potTable grill
***** (5 stars)
I'm so happy a good restaurant finally opened after six places went through here in the past couple of decades. I love Korean BBQ, and this is one of the best I've been to.
There are two concepts here: Hot pot, where you select a broth (Tom-Yum is a great choice) and then cook your items in the broth, creating a sort of stew; or, traditional Korean BBQ, where you select items to grill yourself.
Both concepts offer dozens of protein and vegetable choices, and there are no limits, so you can just keep ordering them two or three at a time and incorporating them into your creation. Our selections appeared almost instantly!
Our favorites were the bulgogi beef, spicy bulgogi pork, salmon, smoked garlic pork belly, and steak. There were also garlic shrimp, mussels on the half shell, fish, mushrooms, onions, and more. We were stuffed!
A buffet offers a vast array of sauces and appetizers, plus side dishes such as kimchee, and some kid's items like french fries and fried chicken.
It's all one price, ten dollars less at weekday lunch. And if you want to do both hot pot and grill it's just five dollars more per person.
Beautifully custom-designed tables with four hot pot burners and a central grill. Really modern, trendy decor, and a K-Pop soundtrack. Full bar.
Our server, Christina, was fantastic.
KPot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot 8594 Palm Pkwy Orlando, FL 32836
BuffetInteriorMenu – BBQExteriorMenu – hot potTable grill
***** (5 stars)
I'm so happy a good restaurant finally opened after six places went through here in the past couple of decades. I love Korean BBQ, and this is one of the best I've been to.
There are two concepts here: Hot pot, where you select a broth (Tom-Yum is a great choice) and then cook your items in the broth, creating a sort of stew; or, traditional Korean BBQ, where you select items to grill yourself.
Both concepts offer dozens of protein and vegetable choices, and there are no limits, so you can just keep ordering them two or three at a time and incorporating them into your creation. Our selections appeared almost instantly!
Our favorites were the bulgogi beef, spicy bulgogi pork, salmon, smoked garlic pork belly, and steak. There were also garlic shrimp, mussels on the half shell, fish, mushrooms, onions, and more. We were stuffed!
A buffet offers a vast array of sauces and appetizers, plus side dishes such as kimchee, and some kid's items like french fries and fried chicken.
It's all one price, ten dollars less at weekday lunch. And if you want to do both hot pot and grill it's just five dollars more per person.
Beautifully custom-designed tables with four hot pot burners and a central grill. Really modern, trendy decor, and a K-Pop soundtrack. Full bar.
Our server, Christina, was fantastic.
K-Pot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot 8594 Palm Pkwy Orlando, FL 32836
Bibimbap in a hot bowlInteriorExteriorSide dishesInterior
**** (4 stars)
This is an interesting concept for Bibimbap. It offers more customization options, including type of bowl, type of rice, type of protein, and a wide assortment of vegetables. It's sort of an Excel spreadsheet approach to dining!
We ordered what is traditionally called Dulsot Bibimbap, served in a very hot ceramic bowl so that the rice at the bottom gets crunchy. I thought the result was good, although I have had crunchier rice elsewhere, and the bulgogi beef could have been more tender and more marinated. The assortment of vegetable addons was great, with several items I haven't had in bibimbap before.
The space is the former Pei Wei, but it has been opened up, and is now full table service.
The service was efficient and pleasant.
One oddity is that they don't offer tap water, however bottled water is less than a dollar.
BaBbi BaBbi Korean Kitchen 8015 Turkey Lake Rd Orlando, FL 32819
I love Korean food, with all the elaborate little side dishes, and large range of flavors. But sometime you just want your Korean fix without taking the time for a multi course st-down meal. K-Town Cafe hits the high points in a quick serve format without sacrificing flavor. Beef or Chicken Bulgogi are probably the go-tos here, although I also really liked my grilled salmon. Each mean comes with either white rice or fried rice. I really like that the fried rice was light and flavorful without being oily. You also get a choice of side dishes, and my generous helpings of kimchi and spicy cucumber were both excellent. There's a more elaborate Korean BBQ next door, but I suspect I will find myself often opting for the convenience here.
K-Town Cafe 7800 Dr Phillips Blvd Orlando, FL 32819
This was a great place for a Korean BBQ lunch extravaganza. For one price you can have all you can eat from an entire page of protein choices. Items are delivered to your table in generous proportions where you, of course, grill them yourself.
We tried quite a few of the meats and our two favorites were the beef bulgogi and the pork spare ribs.
Also included are a bowl of nicely dressed salad, an assortment of kimchi and other sides, and some terrific pancakes.
The place is spacious, and servers keep a careful eye on the temperature of your grill… and your need for more meat!
