【Foodholic Niko @ Taipei】
"The Three Brothers Korean BBQ" is located near the Xingtian Temple Station, about a 10-minute walk from Exit 3. It's said to be run by Koreans and not only offers Korean barbecue but also many famous Korean dishes. There are often Korean customers dining here. Today, we happened to encounter a group of Koreans eating, so it seems the taste is indeed authentic.
The space inside the restaurant is not very large, so if you plan to dine here, it's advisable to reserve a table in advance. Since we also needed space for the grill, ordering many dishes might lead to a situation where there’s not enough room. Fortunately, the neighboring table was empty, so the staff helped us place our extra dishes there, but this arrangement caused a bit of inconvenience while we were eating.
For the barbecue, we ordered plain pork belly for $380, plain Matsusaka pork for $380, and marinated pork chops for $380. After the staff placed the meat on the grill, we had to cook and cut it ourselves. In terms of flavor, the marinated pork chops were quite good and flavorful, while the pork belly and Matsusaka pork were more ordinary on their own. Dipping them in sauce and wrapping them in lettuce with some garlic made them taste better.
Pork tofu soup for $250
It had a layer of very red oil floating on top, which looked quite spicy, but it actually turned out to be mild in taste. There was a generous amount of meat and tofu; if you come alone, ordering this pot along with a bowl of white rice should be very filling. The flavor was standard.
Pork bibimbap in a stone pot for $250
This dish did not come with the bibimbap hot sauce, which you need to request separately from the staff. I'm not sure if it was because I mixed it too quickly, but I didn’t get much crispy rice, and it tasted quite average; it's optional to order.
Korean cold noodles for $250
This seemed to be my first time trying cold noodles. The staff provided a separate mustard sauce, allowing you to add your desired amount. It tasted very refreshing and would be quite appetizing in the summer; the portion was also large, and it seemed like no matter how much you ate, there was still a lot left.
Spicy stir-fried fried chicken for $400
This dish was probably the highlight of the day. Unlike the imagined crispy skin, this Korean fried chicken was stir-fried in spicy sauce. The heat was mild, and it was stir-fried with onions, giving it a slight sweetness. The chicken was tender and delicious!
Sweet and sour pork for $400
This dish consisted of a whole plate of small crispy pork, accompanied by a bowl of sweet and sour sauce. This is a very common Korean Chinese dish. The sweet and sour sauce was super thick, with ingredients like wood ear mushrooms and cucumber. The crispy pork could be dipped in the sauce or covered with it. The flavor was okay, but not astonishing.
Seafood pancake for $300
The pancake was quite thick and had a softer texture. I personally prefer the thin and crispy type of seafood pancakes, but the taste was still very good. I recommend eating it with sauce, and I would still want to order this dish again.
Korean raw marinated spicy crab for $400
I didn't try this dish, but I heard from friends that it was a bit of a hassle to eat because it came with the shell. It was more like eating the sauce, making it difficult to taste the crab meat.
Major disappointment! A huge letdown! Out of the 150 articles I've written for Fooday, this is the most un-recommended and disappointing place ever!
This restaurant, “Three-layered Pork Korean BBQ,” somehow has over four stars on Google Maps. When I visited, I think it was rated around 4.7 or 4.8 stars. I was a bit hopeful, but I noticed some reviews mentioning gifts for check-ins. I went there because my wife loves Korean BBQ, but I really regretted it. First, a five-star review gets you a free cola, so everyone should remove their five stars after rating. Reviews should be fair, enough with misleading people. 😤
As for the side dishes, they were incredibly underwhelming, and nothing made me want a second serving. The steamed egg's texture was even more disappointing—it was tasteless and surrounded by a bitter taste. The pot's temperature control was poor, and there was an evident problem with the steamed egg. Generally, steamed eggs in Korean cuisine are a safe bet; how bad can egg dishes be? Well, I was wrong, as this place set a new low.
Regarding the main attraction, the BBQ meat, both pork and beef lacked any natural flavor as they were entirely smothered in sauce, which wasn't even particularly special. Under these circumstances, you might as well eat skewered BBQ from a street vendor, where at least you can taste some smokiness.
What puzzled me the most was that almost every meat slice fell apart during grilling, which I'd never encountered before. It felt like I was dealing with those high-tech reconstituted meat slices from China. Please look carefully and tell me if these are reconstructed meats—as soon as each slice hit the grill, it would break apart. It was truly ridiculous! Also, I realized as soon as I entered, this place wasn't cheap, so I deliberately ordered just a little. Luckily, I did, or I'd feel even more cheated out of my money. Overall, the entire grilling experience was unpleasant. In conclusion, the dishes and service at this restaurant aren't worthy of a return visit. The accolades are overly inflated.
The wedding banquet hall is upstairs. The all-you-can-eat barbecue is on the first floor. The restaurant offers free parking. After parking, go down a staircase and through a door to find the counter. It's an all-you-can-eat BBQ place, but they also have prepared foods like Korean spicy rice cakes, fried chicken wings, french fries, fried dumplings, etc., so there's no need to worry about getting hungry before the barbecue is ready. Behind the prep area are the drinks: sodas and lemon tea, with a coffee machine nearby. Across from that is the essential kimchi section for Korean BBQ, with lettuce and pickled radish to wrap the barbecue in. When the grill is opened, a basic platter is provided with two pork chops, a rib, and two pork belly pieces. The service lady on site is very attentive. She noticed we weren't familiar with Korean BBQ and proactively came over to share grilling tips. For instance, only the very center of the grill is hot, so meat should be placed there, allowing space for two pieces. The side sections don't conduct heat completely, making them suitable for vegetables like pumpkin, onion, and king oyster mushrooms. The staff will help adjust the grill to the appropriate temperature, so we didn’t have to adjust it ourselves at all from start to finish, and everything was cooked to a decent standard.
This place is very suitable for group gatherings. The service is excellent, and the food is delicious, giving an overall good dining experience.
🍴Couple's Value Set
Ordered the pork series for $1099. It's really touching that we can ask the staff to grill it for us, so we don’t have to scramble to eat the meat while grilling it ourselves, plus we won’t have to worry about overcooking or the right doneness 😂
✨Signature Thick-Cut Pork Belly + Pork Collar
The pork belly and pork collar are grilled perfectly. They taste great on their own with just some oil and salt or barbecue sauce, but they are even better wrapped in lettuce.
✨Spicy Sauce Pork + Soy Sauce Pork (Choose two out of three)
Both the spicy sauce pork and soy sauce pork are sliced meats, and both taste good, but they can't compare to the enjoyment of eating pieces of pork belly and pork collar at first, haha.
✨Seafood Pancake + Cheese Baked Egg (Choose two out of seven signature snacks)
The seafood pancake was served in two large pieces, maybe because it’s a couple's set. It’s delicious, but I would like to try other options if given the chance. The cheese baked egg is very tender and enjoyable, especially when you scoop a big spoonful of the top cheese and the baked egg together. The staff reminded us to eat it while it's hot to avoid having a crust at the bottom of the pan.
✨Signature Rock & Roll Bento (Choose one out of seven side dishes)
When the bento is served, the staff will ask if you want to eat it directly or if you would like them to shake it. After asking them to help shake it, it looks like the photo, with the sauce evenly mixed in the bento. At first, I noticed that the soft-boiled egg in the bento looked very beautiful. After shaking it, the most obvious things were the ham and seaweed, and the rice was a bit wetter with a sweet sauce, which was delicious with the grilled meat.
The set includes side dishes, lettuce, and a seasonal vegetable platter (two pieces of zucchini + onion + potato), plus two bowls of white rice or seaweed rice (the seaweed rice costs an extra $10). You can refill the side dishes and lettuce. The restaurant was very thoughtful and proactively offered to refill the side dishes several times.
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❗️There is a service fee of 10% + a minimum spend of $350 per person
❗️Dining time is 90 minutes
❗️The above are personal taste preferences, thank you.
✐ Couple's Beef and Pork Set $1199
LA Beef / Sauced Grilled Sirloin Beef / Pork Belly / Pork Neck (600g)
Includes a platter (lettuce, mixed green onions, kimchi, yellow bean sprouts, soy sauce, salad, side dishes)
/ Mixed wild vegetables / Baked egg / Miso soup
White rice *2 or seaweed rice *1 (choose one)
*An additional 10% service charge will be applied; dining time is one and a half hours.
*Minimum spending of 300 yuan per person, 150 yuan for those under 130cm, free for children under two years old.
Overall Review: 🌕🌕🌖🌑🌑
Dixon's Fooday Vlog #221
This time, I'm introducing a chain Korean BBQ restaurant located near the Taoyuan Arts and Cultural District.
This chain BBQ restaurant is quite famous online, and you often see many bloggers featuring it.
Most of the online reviews describe it as a Korean-style beauty BBQ restaurant, and indeed, the decor of this place is quite elegant, with a predominantly white color scheme.
The restaurant has many small corners and spaces that are perfect for taking photos, so whether inside or outside, you can see many customers taking pictures here.
However, since this is a restaurant, the deliciousness and quality of the food are also quite important.
In terms of food, I found it rather ordinary, similar to your average BBQ restaurant on Ximen Road.
The flavors and taste of the food were really just average. The only advantage might be the pleasant environment here, with a great dining atmosphere.
The overall space is also quite suitable for gathering with multiple friends, and the seating was pretty comfortable too.
Food: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
Drinks: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
Atmosphere: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
Service: 🌕🌕🌘🌑🌑
Price: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
Location: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘
⭐️ Food
If you don’t know what to order at a BBQ restaurant, it’s a good idea to start with their set menus. That day, since we were a large group, we ordered two or three set menus to share.
However, I feel that the meat platter didn’t have any special features and didn’t really align with what you’d call Korean BBQ.
If just the style of the grill makes it Korean BBQ, then it’s that simple.
In terms of grilling and meat quality, I can only say nothing particularly stood out—just very average BBQ and meat quality.
Of course, in a proper Korean BBQ experience, banchan (side dishes) are essential. Here, they indeed provide unlimited Korean side dishes, which is in line with what you’d find in standard Korean BBQ restaurants.
Additionally, if you need other cooked dishes, like bibimbap and other basic Korean fare, they can provide that as well.
But overall, I feel the food here is just average.
⭐️ Drinks
When eating Korean BBQ, it’s essential to pair it with Korean soju! They also provide these combinations here.
However, like many other Korean BBQ restaurants, they offer bottled and canned drinks for self-service, so there’s nothing particularly special here.
⭐️ Atmosphere
It seems the only thing this so-called beauty-focused Korean BBQ place excels in is the overall atmosphere. The whole restaurant has a white aesthetic, appearing quite clean and elegant.
There are also places on the walls with Korean writing for photo opportunities, and combined with the overall environment and furniture, it serves as a perfect spot for photos.
The dining atmosphere is pretty much just that.
⭐️ Service
This BBQ restaurant doesn’t offer grilled-to-order service. The service is quite basic, mainly just taking orders and delivering food.
⭐️ Price
While I mentioned the above, since the ingredients and flavors of the food here aren't exceptional, and there’s no grilling service provided, originally one might assume the price would not be high.
However, this BBQ restaurant's prices aren't particularly low either, partly because this is a so-called beauty-focused Korean BBQ restaurant. Some of the value might be in the atmosphere.
But really, when we go to a restaurant, the most crucial aspect is the flavor of the food we eat. Therefore, spending this amount without feeling satisfied is a bit disappointing.
⭐️ Location
The restaurant is located near the Taoyuan Arts Center, which is currently quite a lively area. There are also many luxury apartments nearby.
The Arts Center is not far away, making it convenient to walk around in the vicinity before coming here for BBQ. There are various shops around, including dining and shopping options.
Yet, since it’s still easier to drive in Taoyuan, you might need to look for parking either at the Arts District or on nearby streets.
In terms of transportation and location, it isn't too inconvenient.
⭐️ In conclusion
To summarize, I think this place is a one-time stop for Instagram photos. But honestly, there isn’t much specifically photogenic here—it gives off a very commercialized vibe of a beauty BBQ restaurant.
Of course, if you want to stop by just to take a photo and prove you've been here, that's fine too. However, since they have numerous branches, you might as well visit the one nearest to you. From what I've seen online, their styles should be pretty similar.
As for the food, there is no need for high expectations. With so many BBQ places out there now, especially those that serve delicious and plentiful grilled options, if you’re looking for great tasting BBQ, then this place really doesn’t hold any special significance for a visit. 🤪🤪🤪
🤪 Dixon's Rant Zone 🤪
With so many BBQ restaurants available, why go out of our way to eat at this one in Taoyuan?
What? You say the girl wants to be an Instagram beauty?
Tell her you have a whole list of other places where you can take her—somewhere delicious and photogenic! 🌟
I must introduce their ordering method!!! It was truly my first experience, and I had never heard of such a method before. You just need to bring your phone close to the white machine on the table to pull up the menu. The first time you order, you need to order two portions❗️ My friend and I managed to eat for around ₩500-600, which is quite a good deal. The scallion sausage is a must-order; its aroma is strong and there’s no fishy smell—it’s very well-prepared. I especially recommend the rare Jinbok wine; I personally finished a can and found it really satisfying ❤️. It's smoother than soju.
Pork scallion grilled large intestine ₩18,000 (about NT$430)
Spicy tofu soup ₩7,000 (about NT$170)
Jinbok wine ₩5,000 (about NT$120)
✐ Pork tenderloin and belly (pork cheek) ₩18,700
✐ 30mm Pork neck ₩17,600
✐ Grilled shrimp steamed egg ₩6,000
✐ Sweet rice drink ₩4,000
The dishes came out quickly; the staff first placed the kimchi you chose on the grill to stir-fry and release its aroma (they will thoughtfully ask if you want to use lard).
Then, an oppa (brother) will grill it for you—the whole process only requires you to put the meat into your mouth, it's pure bliss! 😍
I have to say, the quality of their meat is fresh at first glance, and there’s no pork smell; the texture is excellent!
The steamed egg is also a must-try, as it’s enhanced with shrimp for an incredibly delicious flavor, particularly along the edges where it’s slightly crispy. The egg itself isn’t smooth but has more texture.
If you don't want to drink alcohol with this meal, I highly recommend trying the sweet rice drink, as it’s not available everywhere! It’s also hard to find in Taiwan; I was originally worried it might taste like fermented rice wine, but thankfully it doesn’t 🤣—it’s just a sweet rice drink with lots of grainy texture, and it pairs well with BBQ without being out of place. You can also take any leftovers with you! 👍🏻
One person spends less than a thousand, yet can enjoy the service of having someone cook for them. Reservations are fully booked, and every Mid-Autumn Festival it’s hard to get a seat.
This is a barbecue restaurant with great business, which has led us to try to book a reservation for years without success. However, this time my wife changed tactics and decided to make a reservation for the day before Mid-Autumn Festival, allowing us to finally sit down.
'Uncle Han’s Authentic Korean BBQ Restaurant'
🍚 Order of the day
👉 Two-person set
To be fair, the taste of the barbecue was okay, nothing impressive. The skill of the staff in cooking meat was fine; although once the meat was cooked, it was quickly taken off the grill to the plate, lacking that slightly charred aroma, but everyone has their preferences, and at least it was cooked.
‘Fast.’
I’m not sure if it’s related to the turnover rate, but the pace was very quick. The plates were placed down rapidly and they grilled quickly. There was little extra verbal communication, and even if there was, it felt cold and distant, leaving a rather unsatisfying impression.
In less than an hour, even though we hadn’t finished the last meat dish, the staff didn’t even inquire; they simply placed the dessert on the table and walked away.
‘??????’
Considering one person spends about seven or eight hundred, what’s with this feeling of being rushed?
That's right, we came to eat; service isn’t the top priority. But... the food wasn’t particularly amazing, the meat quality wasn’t very satisfying either. I can only try to convince myself, “Someone's cooking for us!! Awesome!!”
👉 Seafood Pancake
The seafood pancake has crispy edges and a decent portion, but the middle is a bit mushy. It’s a dish that highly depends on personal taste.
👉 Side Dishes
I really like bean sprouts, so my standards are higher; here, the bean sprouts are just okay. The kimchi is pretty good.
🍚 Summary
👉 Someone cooks for you, but service is average.
👉 The pace is extremely fast, finishing all the meat in about an hour.
👉 The taste is ordinary.
🐷 BORNGA Korean BBQ Dunnan Store 🐷
Are there any friends out there who, like me, really love Korean BBQ? 🧑🤝🧑
This time, I recommend a Korean BBQ restaurant that has opened in Taiwan, BORNGA.
Founded by the well-known Chef Baek Jong-won, who is renowned in Korea, this brand is based on taste.
The dining options are very diverse, satisfying not only the palates of Korean food enthusiasts but also connecting with friends around the world who love Korean cuisine.
Since all their sets include beef, I decided to go for the à la carte option this time.
I ordered the honey-glazed pork ribs 🐷, which are pre-marinated and tend to be more salty, so there’s no need to add any extra sauce—they're flavorful enough by themselves.
Pork belly 🥩,
You can't skip ordering pork belly when it comes to Korean BBQ, right?
I think the texture of the meat is great, but it is quite fatty.
But pork belly is inherently a fattier meat; it pairs well with some kimchi, garlic 🧄, and lettuce 🥬 for a refreshing bite.
Honeycomb pork belly 🐝,
Cooked evenly over charcoal using a specific knife technique,
has a different texture compared to regular pork belly, and I quite like it paired with a vegetable platter—it’s super refreshing.
I also ordered a large pot of Doenjang (fermented soybean paste) tofu,
which I found to be very rich in flavor and filled with lots of ingredients.
I highly recommend this as a must-order dish.
Their side dishes can be refilled without limit, so you can keep ordering until you finish,
but please don’t eat the lettuce platter too quickly 😂.
