KOW
Danny Ng · 153 Google reviewsKOW — Des Plaines japanese that sets the standard. The room fills up fast and stays lively. Staff that genuinely cares how your meal goes. "The kimchi was bold and tangy, pairing perfectly with the rich meats" — Anna Amelina Paraiso
What 395 diners keep saying
What 395 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“I had a great experience here from start to finish. The service was attentive without being overbearing, CY checked in at the right moments and were friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. As for the food, everything came out fresh and well-presented. The flavors were balanced, and you could tell quality ingredients were used. Portions were satisfying without feeling excessive, and the menu had a nice variety to choose from. Overall, it’s a spot I’d definitely come back to, whether for a casual meal or something a bit more special. Great combination of solid service and consistently good food.”
“Inside is really nice. They lots of tables and have space for big groups. They have music at a reasonable level and a big projection screen. This was my brother's first experience with kbbq and he really enjoyed it. They have a tablet to order which is very convenient. The meat and sides were very tasty. We got the brisket, bulgogi, and sorreno bulgogi. All very good the sorreno had a very nice flavor. The staff were kind and attentive. We didn't trying it but they also had a wide selection of Ramen to choose from. There's something for everyone 😊”
“Unlimited Korean BBQ dinner for $35! I’ve been to many k-bbq, and do them at home too, so know they are not all made the same, and a cheap price isn’t always a great deal. At KOW, I was properly impressed. First off, service. All the orders go through a kiosk machine on the table. This might deter some technologically-challenged folks. But with the great service I received, I think if you just ask the servers, they will be happy to help you or even let you just take your order. While the order itself is self-service and the robots are supposed to bring you all the ordered food, our server (and the manager joined forces later, as there were 14 in our party) was busy coming and setting us up with different sauces and side items. Aprons I don’t think they advertise aprons here, but in Korea, all bbq restaurants will give you an apron upon request, since you are cooking on the table and oils will get all over your clothes. I haven’t seen many places in the States that follow this tradition yet. But this restaurant seems to legit authentic, that I asked and they gave us aprons! (Exactly those single serve ones we get in Korea.) Food Unlike other k-bbq places, their menu is quite limited. They don’t have soups and cooked side dishes. Which is fine, as they focus on the quality of meats instead! Their limited side items include all the basics you need to make k-bbq wraps. If you really like grazing on side dishes (rice cakes, cheesy corn, fried chicken, etc), you won’t find them here. The keto kow in me was happy with what they had though. Oh, and I almost forgot. They have a ramyun station in the back, where you can cook your own individual portions of instant noodles. There’s a variety of brands in the shelves, so you just pick you favorite, and use the pan and stove to make your bowl. There are also condiments for the ramen (eggs, green onions, etc.) for your toppings. So leave a little room in your belly for it! Or skip it like the keto carnivore I am. We got to our heart’s content all the lettuce wrap, garlic, pepper, pickles, radish wraps and kimchi we needed to make a legit lettuce wrap. Brisket - Go easy! For a table of 4, we ordered 3 briskets on our first round, thinking we would order more later, but when we got the meat, it was a heaping huge pile! 2 orders of brisket would fill up that grill easy. I would not order more than 2 so we can have other cuts as well. They are not stingy here. Flat iron steak - personally not my favorite (I’d rather eat more brisket), but hubby loved it. It has more bite. Pork Jowl - one of my personal favorite cuts. Tonight, they didn’t seem very fresh and had a slight gamey smell. Hopefully it’s just a one-time thing. Garlic butter shrimp - very buttery, but delicious. Just don’t get it too mixed with other meats unless you love butter. Serrano baby octopus - this has potential, but I wasn’t impressed. Skip. Garlic pork belly - get it again! But just one order Large intestine - make sure to cook it long enough and it’s delicious. Each order of an intestine is about the size of an Italian sausage. I’d even get 3 for a table of 4. Personal preference. Serrano bulgogi - surprisingly good! I’m not a fan of getting marinated meats at the buffets in the US because they tend to be too sweet, but these were authentic tasting rather than americanized sweet. Vibes The vibe inside is a bit like a bar or club, with super loud Korean music and HUGE screens wrapping around the wall playing Korean music videos. My throat hurt from having to talk loud with my friends on the table, but it was a fun atmosphere. I live out of state, but have a feeling we’ll be coming back.”
“Fantastic spot with fresh, flavorful meat and a great atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit.”
“One of the better Korean BBQ places in the north subs. The ramen station was cool. Overall the feeling was fun and relaxed. Service was excellent with Cy taking care of us. Try the assorted pickles.”
“10/10 Korean BBQ spot! Our server, Cy, was super attentive and helpful and gave us suggestions as to what to order, flat iron steak, beef bulgogi, and pork belly were really good and of great quality. Solid Kbbq spot and in a good location as well for only being open for around 7-8 months. With the addition of the Ramen Bar included with the AYCE meat it was worth the price and very unique!”
“Loved the vibe in this restaurant! The robots bring out your food was fun! Self serve ramen had lots of options! & Our waiter was great helping us pick out meat options, but we do order on a kiosk at the table! We'll definitely be back!”
“First impression is that it's a club with laser lights, projectors, neon, even a Banksy! There's even a robot delivering food to your table. Definitely high concept atmosphere. But the vibe is smooth, chill and relaxed. The waitress was superb. We opted for lunch and she explained all the choices and how it works. We went to the ramen bar and immediately screwed up, but she helped us politely and fixed everything. She started cooking our food for us to get help us with the process since it was our first time there. She chatted with us for a while. The food was great. The chicken has to be cooked separately so she cleaned the grill for that. It's all you can eat so she was generous in offering is additional things. Overall, it's like eating in a futurisric restaurant, but a future you can believe in. Great food. Amazing. Great atmosphere. So cool. And great experience with very nice waitress/partner. We will come again for my upcoming birthday. Looking forward to it. This is now my favorite Korean place.”
“Good service, atmosphere, and meat quality. We came for lunch (around 1:30 PM) on a Saturday. Plenty of seats available. Music is at a reasonable level (can be loud for some sensitive group of people based other comments. (I wasn’t expecting too much before coming and thought their meat quality would be as bad as the Galaxy hotpot place next to them. We just wanted to come here to try the ramen machine 😆)”
“Such an upbeat place, great service, delicious food, music and the whole vibe reminds of the downtown Chicago w/t going to Chicago 🎉”
“I think it’s weird that people give 1 star just because the music was loud. To be clear, the music was a bit loud but not impossible to hear everyone in your party. I’ve been to clubs, bars, and lounges where you can’t even hear the person in front of you. This place, you can absolutely have a conversation with someone. Aside from that, we came for dinner on a Saturday night and it was about $35 each for ayce. The meat selection and sides aren’t as extensive as other kbbq places. I’m hoping they will expand on that in the future. The meats that are worth ordering (from what we ordered) are t-major, flat iron steak, bulgogi, pork bulgogi, pork jowl, and garlic butter shrimp. The garlic butter and kow butter sauces are great for enhancing the meat flavors. The katsu and brisket are also good sauces to pair the meats with. I also used the garlic and jalapeños to give meats with no flavor, some flavor. The service was great. He didn’t hover over us but checked back on us periodically. There is a ramen bar but it’s the same as making ramen at home. People act like this is gourmet ramen or something. You can add toppings and eggs that are provided up there to customize your packaged ramen. The ramen is included in your ayce. Overall, it’s about a 4 out of 5 for me.”
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