Review The Bulgogi - Chatswood

One of our worst dining experiences ever! Unfriendly, non-helpful service. We stumbled upon this place, but should have read the reviews before! Awful service. We were not familiar with this BBQ style. The server dropped off menu, did not explain, offer waters or anything. Then came up and said are we ready to order? Explained that we were not familiar, he did not help. Once we put together our order of meats and veggies. They brought it out, but noticed our neighbors had rice and we did not. Asked about this and they said that was extra. Would have been nice for them to ask when we were ordering our food. In any case, we did the best we could. Food was not tasteful at all!! Then when we were leaving, told my husband I was going to the toilet/bathroom. Him and daughter went out. When I came back, noticed my backpack was out of it’s place I had left it. Thought my husband took and then waiter pointed to the front waiting seats and said my back pack was there. They took my bag and moved it. Couldn’t even wait the three minutes I was gone. Unbelievable! Do not go!

Love it! Always order way too much food. The seafood pancake is to die for.

Never heard of a Korean restaurant that doesn't serve sesame oil. We got the kbbq. The food was more expensive than normal and wasn't that good. Nothing special about the marinade. On the bright side, the cold noodles were good. Also, it's a whopping 10% surcharge on a Sunday.

Over priced. $88 for 2 meats and sides. Other BBQ places will give you a large range of sides including Kimchi. They don't offer kimchi here nor do they give much. Other than that the meat was tasty but save yourself $$ and eat at similar restaurants with a larger range of sides

I've been coming here with my partner for a few years now. Always hospitable and a good atmosphere. The staff are great and always make sure we are comfortable.

Pretty good Korean food, lunch set menu changes every day of the week. You get 2 choices for each day ($15.50). They serve up some pretty good starters too. Edit: Don’t even bother trying their bulgogi bibimbap. Touted as one of their best sellers but it was just a let-down. Extremely tough beef that lacked flavor, whilst the accompanying vegetables did not exactly go well with each other. The only saving grace was perhaps in the starters that they served.

Tried the lunch special Beef Soup set, higher price but quality much lower than before. Soup with few beef slices, tasted just fine.

For a place called bulgogi they sure do make very mean Japanese food. The hot pot we ordered was beautiful, broth was delicate and tasty while vegetables were fresh and plentiful. The meat itself was well marbled and tasted awesome after being dipped in broth to cook. The only draw back is that they gave very little noodles and I wasn't a fan of the creamy sauce they served. The sushi/sashimi platter was fresh and delicious and the wasabi was fresh and very spicey. The only draw back was that the fish was cut a little too thick and it didn't taste as delicate and it should've. The place is quite busy and it can be hard to get their attention and the price was quite high for the dinner menu. All in all it was a good experience and I will be back.

This is the seafood pancake that I received. Would never order food delivery from this store. Really disappointed!

Yes wrong food served tonight and charged way over. Ordered $98set however delivered $178 and no explained. Then they charged me. I had my friends family from overseas so i didn't argue with them. However this is so wrong....

The food was ok, but not memorable or not value for the money. The service also has room for improvements.

Walked in with the kids and was immediately told kitchen was closing last orders now. I opened up the menu and couldn’t decide what to choose as all the meat platters were between $120 to $270 not including anything else. The waiter then came back and said not only was the kitchen closing but all the staff were going to eat their lunch at 3.00pm. The time was 2.00pm when this happened. Unbelievable! So sorry for interrupting your lunch guys. Horrific service and prices. We walked out hungry. Worst experience I’ve ever had. This place should not be in business and is probably a scam of some kind.

Delicious and relatively okay priced. Good serving size. Waited a little while for the chicken however we were offered free drinks which was amazing. Excellent service!

Decent enough food, fairly good sizes for their dishes. Price wise, it's a bit steep for Korean BBQ, especially for food and dishes that in my opinion you can definitely better elsewhere. Staff aren't the most friendly though, which is disappointing considering they have a lot of staff and it still takes ages for them to notice you. <br/><br/>Overall it was a good enough experience but I probably won't be back very often, if at all.

I first stumbled across Bulgogi in Strathfield in Sydney’s west where a large Korean community reside. Since then I have been a regular visitor to its Chatswood outlet located on the main strip of Victoria Avenue steps away from the train station. The word “Bulgogi” literally translates as “fire meat”, It refers to a Korean-style dish made of marinated and thinly sliced meat grilled on a barbecue or a stove-top griddle.  That’s exactly what I remember vividly about the trip to Strathfield.  At Chatswood store, I usually go with the $14.50 daily lunch special.  It alternates between bimbibap, spicy seafood tofu soup, and spicy pork on a hot plate.

Been to The Bulgogi a few times and I loved it. It has great food, lots of selections, good price, and friendly staff too. At lunchtime it takes about 15-20 minutes for the food to come.

The place used to be really good. Unfortunately, the taste has gome south for a while.<br/><br/>Given their high price range, I would definitely expect more from them.

The experience was soooooooo bad!! Worst eating experiece I’ve ever had.<br/>We have ordered the Wagyu Beef set (M4), the price on the menu was $62. But when we pay the bill, the price changed to $74! We asked why it’s different from the menu, the staff was very rude just said ‘we changed the menu three months ago, you should pay this($74).’ When we tried to ask more, he just stopped us rudely ‘Listen listen listen! You should pay this !’ <br/>We said your staff didn’t explained about the price change when we order, and why you are still using the old menu and old price on your window? He didn’t even feel sorry, just keep asking us to pay the bill.<br/>It’s really bad!! If you are thinking to eat there, please be really really careful.

Very nice lunch venue, not too expensive as well. The meat was really nice and a lot of vegetarian options as well. Staff were very friendly and accommodating which was surprising reading the other reviews. Would like more of a variety or bigger sized side dishes but would recommend.

We walked in, the manager or owner of the place was on his phone and just said “hi” while typing his text, head down and we actually had to wait for him to finish for us to be seated. What kind of restaurant is that? And that rude man was just bossing the staff around. None of them were friendly you could tell they were over it. Another business that gives a bad image of hospitality. If they shut down I won’t be surprised. YOU CAN EVEN FIND THEM ON THE SHAME LIST FROM THE FOOD AUTHORITY! Run away if you don’t want to end up with food poisoning!

This place was lovely! Lovely food and great service. The people were very watchful and made sure we were comfortable the whole time. Lovely food. Bit pricey.

Slightly on the expensive side for BBQ. So instead, opted for the Grilled Bulgogi Steak. <br/><br/>On the menu it says it comes with 6 side dished, but only came with 4. Despite that, the kimchi was really good! <br/><br/>The bulgogi was well marinated but was hoping the piece were cut smaller and it'll be perfect!

Was very skeptical at first as I had read pretty poor reviews on this place, but there are some good things! <br/><br/>The beef rib was marinated really nicely and the spicy pork bibimbap was really enjoyable too. The serving size and flavour of the japchae were not bad either - it wasn’t as oily as the other japchae dishes I’ve tried elsewhere which was a major plus!<br/><br/>However, this place was lacking in the side dishes. Their kimchi and fish cakes all tasted a bit strange, with the fish cake also tasting quite mushy and not chewy at all. The pork belly for the bbq looked like it had been taken out of the freezer not too long ago, which was quite disappointing because with a $30 pricetag, I would have thought the meat to be fresh not frozen. <br/><br/>Overall, it was very pricey for some subpar Korean food as we paid $90 between two people.

Accommodated a big group - 20 people. Despite the fact their booking system messed up, had to wait 30 minutes for them to set up a table for us up stairs. <br/>Service was super quick- a lot of the dishes were super different to what they looked like on the menu. The Bimbimbap was really nice as was the Duk Bok Gi. The bulgogi itself was super thick and not what I would describe as bulgogi at all- more just hunks of steak.

Re-reviewed March 2018<br/><br/>I’d rate this 3 stars.<br/>I’ve since tried more of the kimchi based stews and also Korean hotpots and they were homely and average<br/>Service is completely lacking. Requests to get banchan refilled get forgotten until after multiple requests (?maybe this is management’s direction) but then drinks orders are super slow too. Like some other reviewers have mentioned, there’s no obvious shortage of waitstaff, they tend to stand in clumps socialising...<br/><br/><br/>Reviewed February 2018<br/><br/>I’d give this 3.5 stars but the app doesn’t allow this!<br/><br/>Above average samgyetang - they use the small hens (size 10 or smaller?)<br/>Average kimchi based soup.<br/>Service completely lacking.<br/><br/>Will return to try the barbecue.

My friends introduced me to this place and it was my first Korean BBQ. Being a vegetarian, I was not sure if they will have any veggie options but surprisingly the options on the menu were enough and loved it. <br/>Service - 3/5<br/>Food - 3/5<br/>Ambience - 3/5

We came here after work. Got seated straight away with no booking. We were here to celebrate my friends birthday.It was their first time having Korean. So this meal was very tasty to them. Ingredients were fresh, the meats used in the dishes were tasty, fresh and moist.

I don't know why this place is rated so low.. It's actually a fantastic restaurant which I came to with some friends who are Chefs, and I'm sure they would know what tastes good or not! Really great quality Korean BBQ, the Bulgogi was delicious, they even have sushi platters which were great starters, the sashimi tasted so fresh. Always fun to go to KBBQ with a group of friends - this place was a hit!

Nestled on the outside fringe of Chatswood’s Westfield sits The Bulgogi, a two-levelled restaurant dishing up some serious Korean BBQ. We managed to try some of Bulgogi’s most popular dishes, which had a strong seafood and steak theme. I was salivating as soon as the dishes hit the table, all in rapid succession.

Great value for money. Food was fresh and ample. Good facilities, staff a bit slow/distracted. Wagyu was excellent quality. Highly recommended. <br/>

Korean ninja!!<br/><br/>I think this place has new management, the food quality and portion seems to be better. Service was great (maybe because it was a weekday lunch).<br/><br/>Love the Korean Shabu shabu version because the meat was on point. (Galbi beef ribs) the dduckboki was really good, the best i had and most of the dishes are not too bad. Loved their sizzling dishes and the sides.<br/><br/>Until next time ... Keep eating!!

We have been there twice; both times ordered lunch special bbq. The food was excellent. Most of the service is also very good. Some of the waiters appear tired and out of it - probably over worked. But overall we like the place and will go there again.

Food was average and portions are quite stingy. Service could be improved and there are some rude staff members who speak korean to each other and mock/laugh at customers . Trust me, go somewhere else.

Not the best korean bbq but unfortunately one of the few in chatty left<br/><br/>Quite expensive and the meat isnt anything amazing in particular nor is the sauce extra special <br/><br/>Decent but not the best value for money wise

It's a bit overpriced for the quality of food you get.  As well, service is quite bad as they rush you to finish and take away your plate before you finished the food. Chatswood has better options to offer. Not somewhere I would choose to go again unfortunately.

Great food and such a fun way to eat - cooking your own food at the table on hot coals. The pork belly was particularly tasty - as was the wagyu beef.

Very Bad experience and cockroaches were found in the restaurant. very bad hygiene! <br/>this is my first time to come to this restaurant , i ordered 3 dishes. In the middle of the dining, there was a very huge cockroach , length is about 2.5 inches, running approaching me on the bench ! it was super scary, however , the staff attitude was very bad , especially the shop manager, i was screamed in the restaurant . His colleagues came but pretend nothing happen, and just ran away, when I complaint again, the shop manager just said I did not see it I do not know, and his apologise was not sincere and did not do any service recovery, but just simply treat nothing happen. I was very unhappy and did not have any appetite at all. <br/>I will not try again and I felt very disappointed about the staff handling

Dad's work dinner this year was Korean. Last year they had Chinese (which I missed), year before was French, and have had Japanese, and more Chinese, but first time Korean. Normally I put prices, but didn't look at the menu since other people ordered. sides (they didn't refill, but we had enough food ordered already to even finish the sides)

Had the Korean BBQ craving so I knew it could be satisfied at The Bulgolgi. Been here many times and although the quality of food is very high, management just can't seem to be comfortable with their pricing and offering. They have tried buffet, Groupon, Scoopon and now have removed all that and gone down the set menu path which is a bit of a hit and miss. Assuming diners will like everything on offer is always dangerous in a set menu and whats more perplexing is that some of the set menus do not appear to be great value. The pricing of all their al a carte  dishes have always been high but granted, this is the same for all Chatswood Korean restaurants. Therefore, I don't think they are generous when it comes to value as their menu really didn't make much sense.<br/><br/>Anyway, beyond the confusing price structure, we ordered the Beef Yuke (raw beef with quail egg) - very fresh and excellent as always. For the BBQ, we ordered the beef tongue (improved quality), beef short ribs and beef oyster blade. Couldn't fault any of their meats; were of a high standard but the portions were small. Shame they reduced the amount of dipping sauce they use to provide and the Kim Chi portions were very small.<br/><br/>The service was adequate but they never remember their regulars which is poor management as they always have the same staff working there.<br/><br/>Moral of the story is - expect high prices, expect average service but enjoy the good quality food on offer.

Mum  and I both love Korean food, so when we found ourselves needing lunch in Chatswood while I was visiting, she suggested we try The Bulgogi. We both chose the dol sot bibimbap or hot stone rice bowl featuring beef, egg, veggies, pickles and rice. Yum!

Don't go...unless you are on a diet or enjoy throwing away money. The staff said would be 10 min wait. No problem, I left my name and number and said we would wait outside. Get a phone call, head back in 30 seconds after call, only to be told we missed our table and that they called twice (lie) and that it would be another 20 mins. when I pointed to my call log, he mumbled something about reception and said to take a seat. By this point I was already annoyed at being treated like an idiot.<br/>15 mins later we are seated. Another 15 mins later and we order - veg and prawn tempura, scotch fillet and pork loin thinking with all the sides and being 2 small eaters this would be more than enough.<br/>Food eventually arrives, very very greasy tempura with each of the vegetable pieces being indistinguishable from the other. Prawns ok.<br/>BBQ coals nice and hot then the meat arives. 2 scabby bits of beef and around 120g of thinly sliced pork loin (think short cut bacon) that had just been defrosted by the looks of it.<br/>No sides at which I had to flag down a staff member who was friendly enough but clearly disinterested who fairly quickly brought them over.<br/>Scabbiest serve of sides Ive ever had. Then the staff randomly appear and take 1 one of the sides away, never to return.<br/>Beef not marinated properly resulting in fairly bland BBQ but nothing like the pork which was dry and tough like a boot and had exactly no flavour. I wouldn't have eaten it at all had I not been so hungry. Only saving grace was the bill came quickly ($65) so we could go and find something else to eat before everything was closed. Should have known better from the reviews. If you want an enjoyable meal, go elsewhere.

It's not cheap but the BBQ is actually substantially better than other Korean restaurants. The sashimi etc is good too. Self-standing mains (bulgogi, udon, etc) aren't anything special but they're very reasononably priced anyway. Service has in my experience always been good.

Overpriced for average food. Talk about over priced for average Korean Japanese food...

Bibimbap for lunch at The Bulgogi -- The Food -- Garlic Seafood Bibimbap (~$17) -- bean sprouts, mushroom, zucchini, carrot, seaweed,  eggplant and radish with garlic seafood served on rice. Choice of chilli or teriyaki sauce to drizzle on the bibimbap. I got the teriyaki sauce. This set came with kimchi, salad, miso soup and tofu. What a hearty & comforting meal! Mix all the ingredients with the teriyaki sauce and eat. I enjoyed the garlic prawns in the bibimbap. Some enjoy scraping the crispy rice at the base but by the time I finish most of the rice, I was too full to scrape the base!  Overall, I enjoyed the bibimbap. I will be back to try the other bibimbaps / BBQ meats ... 

Like any quintessential Bibimbap, this came with a hearty serving of vegetables: bean sprouts, carrot, zucchini, seaweed salad, pickled radish, bamboo shoots, spinach, mushrooms, all nestled in with tender pieces of grilled Wagyu Bulgogi beef. My absolute favourite part is the layer of crispy, caramelised rice left on the bottom after letting it sit for a while. Yummmmm.

This post contains mostly photos.

Had walked past so many times over the years but never went in until recently. Oddly for a BBQ place they don't have the BBQ pit built into the table...they put the coals on top of the table so that's a bit awkard. Menu is a mix of Japanese and Korean standards but overall was good for lunch

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Bulgogi. My dad and I have been visiting them regularly over the past few years for their lunch specials (Dad gets cravings for seafood udon), but whenever I order beef-related dishes, I know there's a chance that the meat won't be great. One day, I saw Bulgogi was offering $29.00 Groupon vouchers for their Korean BBQ Wagyu Samplers for 2 with 2 bowls of rice, valued at $73.00.

Ho Hum. I was disappointed with this place. It looks like it should be good. The BBQ dishes were fine but you could get the same at any Korean eatery. One of the waiters was nice but the other two servers were well below par. I'll go back to Strathfield or Pitt St next time I think of having Korean grill.

BlissFULL. Amazing selection of food. if you like sashimi and wagyu beef give this place a try

Efficient service, tasty food, salmon and steak actually cooked as requested - medium rare! Would return.

Anyway I won`t go there again!. The service was good enough as waitress always serves water to us and ordering process was pretty quick with nice manner. .<br/>However, the management disappointed me as they put 10% discount before 6:00 entry but it was only for over $40 spending... ( We spent $38)<br/>If the food was good , I don`t bother only 10% discount, $4 which I didn`t get... <br/>But the food was really bad...... Vegie Tempura was the worst ever...(I was so hungry thus I finished) My husband ordered Chicken galbi which was no taste at all.. <br/>We were both really hungry but just ordered two thus I didn`t want to stay here anymore afer those two dishes.... <br/>I won`t go there again NEVER NEVER...... EVER again.....<br/>If you want to explore, please go and taste what I had........<br/>Good luck!

Terrible food, terrible service!. We have ordered a kimchi pork rib hot pot with a side dish, this costs almost $50. There were two piece of the rib, each one is nearly 20cm long and all they gave us were a tong and a spoon, the meat was very hard to chew and definitely not fresh. <br/><br/>We complained to the waiter and he gave us a scissor, they refuse to change a dish for us because as they said: 1. It's our personal opinion. 2. Because we have already ate several pieces of the kimuchi(which also tastes poor but at least eatable). <br/><br/>When we finally got to talk to the manager, they decided they can change the meat to pork belly instead, we accepted, then the manager changed the meat with an obvious unhappy attitude without saying anything and certainly no apologies at all. <br/><br/>Ended up the pork belly was ok. However, we would never ever come here again for the over priced food and the horrible service.

$55 per person for basic buffet - we ordered various things however only got what appear to have been the cheapest options. Masses of food but it was mostly just deep fried crumbed mush. Beef was fine but insanely salty. Probably heaps of msg. service for our big group was pretty average - had to ask multiple times for drinks, didn't get water for ages. Definitely terrible value

Nice food, but not nice enough or big enough to justify the cost.