HOUReview
photo credit: Quit Nguyen
Hongdae 33 Korean BBQ
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Even in a city like Houston, which has its fair share of Korean BBQ restaurants, we find ourselves circling back to Hongdae 33, the all-you-can-eat KBBQ spot in Chinatown. The decor at this restaurant mirrors that of most new school KBBQ joints: sleek, industrial-chic interior with glowing neon signs strategically placed to brighten up the room. And while it’s certainly cheerful, there’s no question about why guests are here: to indulge in just about every KBBQ dish imaginable for just 33 dollars.
Long gone are the days of moseying through a buffet line like at other AYCE KBBQ spots. Instead, plates and plates of sweet bulgogi, tender beef brisket, and sizzling cheese corn are ushered directly to your table for 90 glorious minutes (or until it’s physically impossible to have another bite). Thankfully, the servers here are dedicated to maximizing your time allotment—they dash around the room so fast we had to double check that they weren’t secretly on roller skates. Come to Hongdae 33 to catch up with friends over miso soup, flip pieces of pork belly as you celebrate your bestie’s birthday, or to be reminded that good things still exist in the world.
photo credit: Quit Nguyen
photo credit: Quit Nguyen
photo credit: Quit Nguyen
photo credit: Quit Nguyen
Food Rundown
photo credit: Quit Nguyen
Cheesy Corn
photo credit: Quit Nguyen
Garlic Butter Jumbo Shrimp
photo credit: Quit Nguyen
Miso Marinated Steak
Steak Bulgogi
photo credit: Quit Nguyen