Chakhan Gogi - Amazing Box BBQ in Hanoi, Vietnam

What is the best feeling for you?

For me, that is when gathering around a coal stove, seeing the fire burned up and dying for a thick pork belly frizzling on the broiler, especially on the day with a little cold of early winter. Could there be any more sweeter, more greater or more touching, than these pieces of grilled meat? Absolutely not, for the one having an everlasting love with meat like me.

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How did I find out a real gem?

There are so many BBQ restaurants in Hanoi. Most of it is trying to be like Korean Style but still far from what is expected in a Korean restaurant. Good restaurants here are split into two kinds: first one is owned by Korean, 100% Korean style, small, expensive and no buffet choice, just order dish by dish; second one is big chain of restaurants owned by Vietnamese company such as King BBQ, Gogi house,... It is big, good looking, fine service, kind of buffet restaurant, and they reach what is called Korean BBQ on certain level, but it doesn’t bring really, truly, exactly Korean feeling. Both kinds seems not able to satisfy me completely.

And guess what?

I've found out a Korean BBQ restaurant which I've been looking for for a long time, the one that has everything I expect it to be. It is Chakhan Gogi - Box BBQ restaurant. Reasonable price, original taste, rich of choices, attentive service. Bammmm! Real gem.

When I had just come back Hanoi after 2 months staying in Saigon, my Korean friend caught me in the party:

-Hey, I know an amazing Korean food restaurant!
- King BBQ? lol
- Nahhh. Much more better than King. New one. it is sooooo Korean.
- Ohhh. Bring me there then! Haha

That is how I got addicted to Chakhan Gogi.

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My choice. Your choice

I have a huge stomach and eat super a lot. That is why I always try to avoid eating in non-buffet restaurant. I just want to eat in the place that I can eat as much as possible regardless of the cost. lol. With the price is about $12 for a buffet set of real Korean BBQ, I think it is really reasonable. Not only BBQ, there is a lot of panchan (side dishes) and hot dishes included in buffet menu. It means, just $12, you have almost everything, from high quality meat (pork & beef), panchan, to noodles (cold noodles, spicy noodles,...), soup (doenjang jjigae, kimchi jjigae,...), rice,...

There is also another choice of buffet if you want to, with the price is almost double. It has more choices for high quality beef and hot dishes. But with me it is not necessary, because I love grilled pork the most, not beef. I'm satisfied with $12 buffet and I believe that you too.

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This is menu of my option. I didn't take photo of all pages but just the first and last pages. Don't worry it is not just that. There are so many choice of meat with variety ways of marinating. and for the hot dishes, with this buffet, You can have a half number of those hot dishes.

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Exploring what you’re gonna eat here.

I love this restaurant for both quantity and quality of food. Vegetable is always extremely fresh and sufficient with lettuce, kenhip, korean green pepper and garlic. You know the right way to eat Korean BBQ is not just grill meat, but also garlic, pepper and even kimchi. Believe me that the kimchi once you grilled, its taste is even better.

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Among several kinds of salad, the one I love most is lettuce salad which made from lettuce, a bit kenhip leaf, peanut paste and sesame. Simple but really savoury. Feel a bit familiar with what I had in Korea made by friend’s grandma.

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I’ve tried all kinds of meat, all dishes in my buffet menu. And figure out my favourite ones are pork belly (my style), rib and one kind of beef which is extremely tender. You can try “Pork belly matcha”, it sounds so weird but not bad.

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The best hot dishes ever

You know, the thing that brings Chakhan Gogi up to a higher level compared to other Vietnamese-owned buffet restaurants is hot dishes.

If just basing on BBQ, it may be hard to compare which restaurant is better. Because with just quality meat and several kinds of Korean sauces, every one can make Korean BBQ, even you.

The comparable thing is hot dishes such as soup, noodles, etc. These make this place stand out from every Korean BBQ restaurant in the same price range. That is also what I come here for.

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There are five dishes I always order: kimchi jjigae (kimchi soup), doenjang jjigae (soybean paste soup), steamed egg, cold noodles and mixed spicy noodles (aka bibim nangmuyn),... my korean friends are crazy for those dishes. They said that these are totally same with what they have in Korea.

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While they keep praising kimchi soup and soybean paste soup (I can’t even distingush what is difference between these two. lol), my favourite one is steem egg. I have been quite a lot Korean restaurants but never seen this dish before.

The egg is steamed until it swollen and kept in a stone bowl to remain the heat. Take a spoon of it when it is still extremely hot, and feel it melting in your mouth. I can finish two bowls of this egg.

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One more thing I like is cold noodles. The best combination ever is cold noodles and grilled meat. The soup with a bit sour from vinegar is able to clean every oily feelling in your mouth. And you will feel fresh again to eat more.

For your information, the cold noodles in this restaurant is same one which I reviewed before in the post about The best original Korean cold noodles in Hanoi. Normally in Korean restauant, price for just a bowl of cold noodles is about $4-5, almost a half of buffet price here.

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About the drink, I dont like to drink while eating, so I have nothing to review. But for korean BBQ, some bottles of sochu will be awesome. Play some games and drink a full cup of sochu as a penalty, you will enjoy real Korean culture.

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They show me what is good service.

I’m really impressed by the style of this restaurant. It is full of Korean feeling, from the smallest things. You know Korean culture is always giving prominence to good manner and politeness.

I can feel the Korean style as soon as I get the restaurant, from the sercurity men, staffs to the manager, always greet, smile and take their bow whenever someone get in or out of restaurant. There is always a big bottle of water available on every table, exactly the same what I saw in every restaurant in Korea.

There is always a staff appointed to serve each table. They will stand next to your table most of time to help you grill stuff, take order, adjust the fire and cooker hood. Except some hot dishes need to take time to be cooked, you don’t need to wait for anything. Staffs are always ready and extremely attentive to bring anything you order as quick as possible.

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The restaurant interior with the cooker hood system. It looks neat and clean. It has second floor with more table.

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If you worry about the smell of grilled stuffs will stick in your clothes. Dont worry, this restaurant has the cooker hood system working very well. I have been here for several times but I never feel any smell in my clothes.

The service here is also attentive. They put the water under the broiler and make the oil come out from grilled meat can drop in water to reduce the smoke. There is no smoke, no smell, so just enjoy your BBQ.

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Rate

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I keep emphasizing, praising the “Korean spirit” in this restaurant because it deserves. Dont think that I exaggerate. If you come here, you can see every customer here is Korean, it’s saying something.

I believe that it will be able to satisfy every Korean food fan, even Korean people, especially someone who is living far away from homeland and craving for original Korean taste.

10/10

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Note

It is located near “Korean Town” (Trung Hoà) but in new area, so it is quite hard for you to find it even you have its address.

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This a photo in front of the restaurant. Hope it helps. One more thing, the restaurant is right next to a local fruit market. If you see the market, keep going, you gonna see the restaurant.