Just in case anyone was wondering, the restaurant's name, "Dokebi", in Korean, means "devil" or "demon". I just talked to my mom to verify and she said a dokebi is "the guy with the horns on his head". As for the restaurant, haven't been there, but I plan on going this weekend.

We ate here last Friday night. The ambiance was cool, the music was good, and the food was good. A pint of sapporro was $3.50, and seemed way bigger than a regular pint, which was cool.I didnt have the Shabu Shabu (sp?), which seems to be their specialty, but what i did have was really good. I'd defintely go back. I've only had Korean food a handful of times, so I don't know if I can say it's "authentic", as I have nothing to base it on, but it was definitely good.

A welcome addition to the neighborhood. While the portions aren't hefty...the quality of everything served is very high. So far I've tried the shabu shabu, kalbi, bolgogi and tofu stew. Everything was served in a timely fashion and with a smile. While this isn't a traditional Korean joint, per se, Dokebi is a wonderful way to get introduced to Korean food...and a convenient way to cure a craving for Korean food without trekking into Manhattan. Try it...you'll like it.

I'd never had Korean food, so this was an adventure for me. I had the bulghoki BiBimBahp (served in a hot stone bowl). It was totally delicious and I recommend splurging for the hot bowl (an extra dollar or two...). My friends seemed to enjoy their food too. We got a pitcher of Sapporo for $10 (I don't think they carry any Korean beers, which is kinda lame). New wave and Interpol on the stereo. Lounge in the back. I'll definitely go back when I have a chance.

tasty food, nice atmosphere, friendly. not too expensive (not cheap either). it was my first korean bbq experience. we had the pork bbq, which you cook and eat right on the table. highly recommended!

great new place. hung out there on monday night with a couple of friends. one of them was korean. he said, although they didn't have as extensive a menu as most of the korea-town restaurants, that the food was excellent and at a considerable discount. we ate mostly from the entree section rather than the BBQ stuff and none of us paid more than $10 for an entree. did anyone notice that they have $10 pitchers of sapporo and yuengling??? that's awesome!!! they also had Colt45 40's there...lol! that was great. the place has great vibe and no attitude. we will all be back! often!

Took my mom and brother here. The three of us lived in Korea for 10 years and love Korean food, so keen to try it out. Enjoyed it a lot. They did a decent job on being "authentic" even though it was missing some basics, such as Korean wine/soju, dried seaweed and genuine Korean/Japanese rice. That said, side dishes were plentiful and fresh, and you'll smell of kimchi for a day or two. Check out the back bar which is much cozier (and warmer) than the dining area which I felt was too open and lacked some atmosphere (needs some Korean print screens). You don't have to sit on the ground as you would in Korea, but the BBQ grill doesn't smoke just as the owners promised.

We eat Korean food often and ordered the Veggie Shabu which was $15 - quite expensive for this dish, and Kimchee Stew $8.

The service was terrible. The Stew came out five minutes before the Shabu, and the portions were small. The shabu had little variety and the side dishes were teaspoon size in portions. We found hair in the stew and sent it back. After waiting 10 minutes thinking they were making a new one, the waitress comes over and asks if we wanted anything else. No apologies, nothing, why didn't they just make a new one? We had to wait 10 minutes for the check, another 10 for them to bring it back. We were so upset with the service, quality of food and portions that we did not even leave a tip.
We would never go back, go to Snackys two doors down instead.

Dear Lisa,

As there is no way to get in touch with you, I thought perhaps you might re-read your review of Dokebi. So, let me begin: First, I give you my sincerest apology. What happened to you at my restaurant was unacceptable and we have been doing our best to correct the situation. I do not wish to make excuses, however there were some rather extenuating circumstances regarding what happened with your meal. The server (trainee), who “helped” you, was in the midst of being let go at the time (she ended up assaulting another member of the staff a few minutes after you guys left). I was apprised of the situation, but you had already gone... I’m sorry that I couldn’t do anything to rectify the situation while you were still here.

Second, I’d like you to know that service has been one of the bigger challenges we’ve faced as a new restaurant. The quick growth of business has been difficult to keep up with, but we are really trying hard to make things better. Since I wasn’t able to compensate your meal or make it up to you in some other fashion, I would greatly appreciate an opportunity to change your opinion of us.

Finally, please accept my invitation for the two of you to return for an evening on us. You can call me (Chul) at the restaurant and I will make sure you are taken care of. If you decline the invitation, please know that the members of my staff and I are aware of what happened with your dinner and that we are truly sorry.

Sincerely,
Chul
Dokebi

Wow, that owner of Union Picnic should take a lesson from Chul Dokebi, who graciously came on here and offered her apology. I was just going to comment about how much I LOOOOVE THIS PLACE....and now that I see what a nice person is behind it it only makes me want to go back more. I agree the service is really slow. Both times I went I was seated and 15 minutes later the waitress asked "oh you don't have the menus yet?" but it was ok b/c the food is so delicious and I'm so happy to have a korean place in the neighborhood! Once they iron our the service kinks this place will be a crown jewell of the hood.

Dokebi is great if you are craving Korean and don't want to make the trek to Manhattan - or if you just want a civilized place in the 'burg. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is lovely. On the down side, the side dishes are very limited (hope you love kimchee) and very small. If you order the bbq you will need to order more lettuce and sides (at an additional cost) to finish the meat. It seems a little stingy, but I am accustomed to Korean restaurants where the sides just keep coming. The prices are higher than one would expect, but appropriate for the quality.
The back bar has been very smoky the few times I have walked through after eating.

Hm. This place is beautiful to look at and has some potential. However, management needs to hire waitresses who have at least -heard- of Korean food. Or waitressing.

There are some nice items on the menu - the unmarinated steak cubes are tender and nicely fatty, and make a nice change from sometimes over-seasoned bulghoki. And it's nice that they have so many different ice creams. The complimentary sides are a little small and unvaried - nothing wrong with them, though.

My problem is mainly with the service. There's so-so service and then there's just comically bad service. No-one had any idea what was going on. The bartender came up to our table in a huff (I don't blame her) from the lounge in back because the waitress had forgotten to pick up our drinks. There were only about four tables in use at this point. Another waitress asked us if we'd ordered salad, when it came with our meal, and gave a bunch of BBQ side dishes to the couple next to us who hadn't even ordered yet, and was too embarrassed to take them back when she found out.

They asked us if we wanted our bill when we were waiting for ice cream and asked us if we'd eaten the ice cream when we'd already asked for the bill. One waitress asked the couple next to us if they knew how to eat Korean BBQ, and when they said that they didn't, she gave them a "tutorial" consisting of splashing a huge amount of vegetable oil over the smouldering grill. Who does this?! The couple didn't know any better, meaning that we got assaulted by a huge wave of smoke all through the meal. This was the same waitress who didn't know what the house wine was, and told us that a bottle of sauce on the table was "ponzu" sauce, which is "like teriyaki sauce". It was kind of funny, because it wasn't ponzu sauce, and in any case ponzu sauce isn't anything like teriyaki sauce, so I don't really know what's going on there.

I'm not angry or pissed off, really. I tipped. Everyone was very earnest and apologetic in their incompetence, the food is pretty tasty, and it's nice to have a Korean place around the corner finally. I'm sure this place will get better. It's just kind of lame now.

This restaurant really addresses the problems encountered from two of my favorite types of restaurants. First the shabu shabu establishment's I'd been to previously tend to be small and cramped. While you are compelled to wait outside for your table, you're either freezing or sweltering and once seated, along with a meal, you're also treated to an impromptu facial steaming session. Not that I don't like a facial from time to time, but I prefer to separate my dining experience from my beauty regimen. Second, I love Korean food, and while many of my Korean friend foodies feel that 32nd St in Manhattan is the only authentic source for Korean food, I wonder whether any of them have been to Korea recently, or are they clinging to a notion that authentic Korean food must be that one specific cuisine offered by the Korean immigrant of the late 1960's early 1970's. Go to Seoul and you won't ever see a scene like 32nd Street. Instead,as a reflection of Korea's metamorphasis into a global economy, you'll experience much more class, space, attention to quality of ingredient,presentation and design, and restraint from over pungent and punch spices that were probably designed to hide the lack of innovation and poor quality of ingredients. I personally can't stand 32nd street for its dirty cramped ghetto feel and where the overly spiced food is served in smelly quarters which permeates all of my belongings. No other type of cuisine I pursue forces me to bring a giant hefty cinch sack with me to protect my coats and belongings from smelling like an unclean kitchen. Which brings me back to Dokepi. What a pleasant surprise! A spacious room, with a genuinely cool aesthetic and welcoming feel. We started with drinks in the backroom. Which has its own subterranean atmosphere. The play of music and soft lighting made have the feel of a comfortable place you can hang out in. It's not a super trendy scene, nor a scene that's trying to be uber cool, nor a dive bar - it's actually an extension of where most of us are. The sake menu was not expansive, but I found enough choices that I was familiar with and liked, that easily just a trip tot he bar could have been an outing of its own. But on to the food! The menu offers variety and simplicity. My friend had the shabu shabu. The meat and veggies were fresh and there was plenty of both. Tastewise, it was enough to turn on a die-hard kalbi eater into a fan. We also sampled the veggie mushroom bibimbop - a sizzling pot of stone in which rice and lightly seasoned vegetables combine with mushrooms make a healthy and tastier alternative to plain rise, or fried rice. There weren't as many side dishes as I'd expected but what was there was once again clean and simple. No weird unidentifibale little dishes, or sacreligious stuff such as globs of mayo on cubes of potato, eggs, apples, and raisins (a perennial Koreatown favorite". Finally, someone is interpreting Korean food with civility and a sense of life beyond the immediate need to turn a quick buck, or cram as many people in as possible into an under ventilated room. You can enjoy the length of your meal, take in the space and perhaps linger back to the back room for another drink, without fear of reeking food fumes...

I hated this place -- I would rather spend the time to eat the real thing in Koreatown. Service was awful - 4 waiters serving us at the same time was a bit obnoxious.

Love it! My only compliant (aside from echoing early comments about wanting more side dish options... but given thier low prices, about $5 cheaper per BBQ item than K-town) is that the cooking is done over gas flame and not wood. Bring in charcoal (or wood) cooking (real charcoal that is, lump style, not those awful briquettes) and this would be my favorite place in the burg... it's already close.

I was rather disappointed when I had my dinner here. The service was poor and the food was not up to par and almost as expensive in Koreatown and oddly enough without the free sides and pot of tea you are used to getting. The interior design of the restaurant is promising, but the regular tables that are places in the middle make the place look cheap and now that it is cold outside, I felt a draft inside the restaurant. I would rather spend time in the bar area.

fucking amazing!

ate there last night. our food was delayed 20 minutes, so they bought us a free round of rioja wine, and free dessert later. absolutely best restaurant experience i've had in a long time. highly recommend the kubachi (sp?), the thinly cut ribeye; grill yourself. incredible! kind of place that makes you never want to set foot in pretentious, over-priced Manhattan again.

best food around by far! very affordable very fun and plentiful.
they have been branching out with the side dishes wich is lovely. the waite staff is amazing. two spunky young girls helped us that night. they were not only funny and attentive but they were smokin hot!
the atmosphere is great especially with the bar in back. wonderful beer and saki selection. i highly reccomend th wakatake and the kalbi or shabu.
love this place best place in williamsburg!

best food around by far! very affordable very fun and plentiful.
they have been branching out with the side dishes wich is lovely. the waite staff is amazing. two spunky young girls helped us that night. they were not only funny and attentive but they were smokin hot!
the atmosphere is great especially with the bar in back. wonderful beer and saki selection. i highly reccomend th wakatake and the kalbi or shabu.
love this place best place in williamsburg!

Holy shit, this place is wild! Granted I had my own reservations about going to a restaurant where you cook your own food, but the waitstaff helps you start it off right and makes something that looks as daunting as say..the shabu-shabu, very user friendly..and might I add, delicious. While the happy hour may not be the cheapest thing around, where else are you going to find Sapporo and Kirin Ichiban on tap. It was spectacular. Try the Jap-Chae if you're lazy and want something completely prepared and utterly perfect, but otherwise, ask one of the waitresses (they're hard to miss) for their favorite thing on the menu, you will NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!

I have been to this restaurant several times although it takes around an hour to get there. Each time I have found the service to be very attentive and informative. The prices are excellent for Korean barbeque as well as other dishes. Plus, $10 pitchers of beer! The owner has greeted us everytime and made sure our visit was going well. If only all owners were this interested in their cutomers.

I was really psyched when I heard that there was a real Korean restaurant in Williamsburg. I've been to Dokebi twice. The space is nice with a cool vibe. The service was questionable and as previous reviewers have mentioned some of the waitstaff have no idea what korean food is. I understand the owner's dilemma as I managed a restaurant for several years so that's not really a problem for me. What I am disappointed in are some of the basic dishes that are offered. I found the kimchee quite disappointing, too sour and a bit bland. I'm thinking maybe this is to appeal the the American palate. The kimchee chigae was the same, too bland. The kalbi and jap chae that we had were fine which are non-spicy dishes. If the food was a bit more flavorful I would be there all the time as it is really convenient.

Chul, This is Lisa -

A friend of mine decided to try Dokebi and enjoyed the meal. This made me come back on here and re-read the reviews, seeing your letter back to me.

I appreciate your coming onto this site and commenting on my experience at your restaurant. It was a shame because as I said, my friend and I eat out often and love Korean. I no longer live in the area, but my dining partner Oliver does. He has not ventured back to Dokebi because he is afraid to have the same experience we had at the same expense. I know it has been a month since you wrote, but I am sure he would love to try the restaurant again on you. His name is Oliver and will probably come in within a week. If you win him over you wouldn't regret it since we all eat out often and tell our friends.

Thank you for writing. It is nice to know a restaurant pays attention to its customers complaints and checks out local websites such as this one.

Lisa

I’m a Korean American New Yorker. Growing up in a Korean household and eating Korean food all of my life, I wanted to put in my two cents. Dokebi is just the type of restaurant I would have hoped for.

They serve up home-style dishes (this means less MSG, less salt, and less side dishes). The only time my mother ever served up 10 side dishes was when she didn't have the time to come up with a main dish. Side dishes are like condiments for flavoring the bland rice, which was what most poor Koreans were eating because meat was so sparse and expensive. Most side dishes are inundated with salt, overly pungent, and just over rated! 32nd street serves up the same cuisine, which was popular back in the day, but represents a tiny segment of what Korean food is all about. For what it is, it’s great and I don’t knock it, but it’s also nice that someone has gone away from that 32nd street formula and offered a cleaned up, healthier option. The food being served at dokebi is more like what I used to eat at home (healthier, less salty, and fresher).

It’s also really nice to be able to go there on a date, hang out for a while and make a night of it. Try hanging out after your meal in one of those 32nd street places, you’ll not want to!

Lastly, there are infinite ways, styles, and degrees of pungency, when it comes to kimchee. I have tons of friends who like it very sour and tons of friends who like it almost completely raw. The preference seems completely random, and neither style is considered more authentic. They are just different. I just really like the fact that I am not compelled to stuff a whole handful gum in my mouth as to not offend everyone standing down-wind of me, after eating at Dokebi. As a matter of fact, I even kissed a girl there after a meal with kimchee. Now that’s a feat!

Bon Apetite!

I had been waiting for weeks for the L train to be running to Bedford again so I could go to Dokebi. I finally went today with my family and enjoyed my food. Unfortunately, I can't envision going back. I know Williamsburg is all about the young and "hip" but it is ever increasingly becoming a family community. Unfortunately Dokebi has no hi-chairs! My wife and I were really looking forward to going all out and grilling the food at the table. But we had to settle for something else because we had to eat with a child on our lap. A few hi-chairs would not ruin the vibe of the place. I would love to return and I would definitely recommend the place if there was a place for a kid to sit. We ordered for the baby and had her eat out of her stroller! Being family-friendly (especially in the afternoons) is smart business. I hope Dokebi goes that route. My 1 year old daughter still loved the food.

2 out of 10. I didn't know bland Korean food was possible. Go to Dok Suni's in the East Village instead. Only plus is the beer is fairly cheap.

I would not come back again. Totally over-priced with small portions.... i could not believe what they were charging for a small dish of kimchee! Next time I will not even bother and go to Korea town instead. Poor service and decor also.

I really love this place. I am a huge fan of Korean food and usually go to a place on 32nd st and was so happy when this place opened in the 'burg! The vegi shabu shabu was very tasty and the place is cute. My only issue actually has nothing to do with the restaurant itself but with the other people that were eating there. Please, if you are a parent dont let your kids run around the restaurant and climb all over the tables especially when there is hot bbq and boiling water on them!!! I was so annoyed by the children and nervous about them getting burned that I will only ever go back late at night in the hopes that there will be no kids. I really do love this place though, very very yummy!!!

Have you ever walked around Williamsburg and said to your self, "Hey, a Korean joint should open around here." Sooner done than said Dokebi opens up on Grand. I walked in at 11:45pm, 15mins before they close, yet they were more than hospitable and whipped up a tasty bibumbap for me that made me wonder, "You think Kim Jong Il is as big of a bitch as everyone says he is? And if he is you think he'll be as big of a bitch if he ate here?" So anyway, good eats, cheap drinks, cool barkeeps, but should stay open later for the nightowls.

I noticed a few over-critical analysis's of one of the neighborhood's most down to earth spots(customers and staff) so I wanted to offer my take on it. Simply, no other restaurant food in Williamsburg will make you feel as good when you leave. I ate there a bunch of times in the winter and everytime I have to admit I got really baked before I left feeling great when I sat down and interestingly even better when I left. Try a bowl of kalbi tan, the bim bahp can wake you up with the spice, and the real magic is the conversations started over the shabu shabu. You think you know somebody until you get out the chopsticks and start cooking your angus and veggies ....bring a stranger and next thing you'll know you won't be anymore. Take your time after you're finished eating, the bar in the back room is a good place to meet up with your friends that wanna get some drinks. And just as the letter solidified the owner is very gracious and generous. It's his first place, but he'll have an empire if he wants. As a retired bartender who's been in and out of a lot of different places there is something mystically satisfying about Dokebi and I suggest you find out for yourself.

First time at Dokebi, first time eating shabu-shabu. Overall positive experience. Service was helpful and attentive, food was fresh and tasty, and we did not reek of smoke when we got home. Nice alternative from other Asian in the neighborhood.

As a Korean-American, I must say this is the worst Korean restaurant that I've been to in my entire life, and I've been to every single one in the NY area.

I ordered a spicy tofu soup which is a standard korean dish served at almost every korean restaurant. It came out in a bowl that is half the size of the regular bowl used at every other restaurant. In fact, the mini bowl they served my entree in is the same size bowl that many Korean restaurants use to give customers a free service when they order a meat dish. And they give you less than half the complimentary side dishes than a typical Korean restaurant. I basically paid 10 bucks for a snack.

My girlfriend ordered the yookhaejang, a spicy meat soup, and it was the blandest version of that soup I have ever tasted. I've had that same dish at hundreds of different places and I have yet to taste anything so bland in my entire life. My dish was ok in terms of quality but it was insulting in terms of portions. Her dish was ok in portions but it was horrible in quality.

And finally, the service... They advertise free soda and salad/soup with every meal during lunch hours. We asked for the salad. The meal came before the salad did, and our waitress told us that it was being delayed because they were "chopping the lettuce?". All right, no big deal I thought. But we had finished the meal and still no salad. When I asked the waitress, she proceeded to tell me that they were still chopping the lettuce. WTF?! How long does it take to chop the lettuce? If there is a problem, at least offer the soup instead of giving a BS excuse. And she did not apologize for it, she said it as a matter of fact in a curt tone. And she did not offer the free soda that was supposed to come with the meal.

All in all, it was basically the worst dining experience I have ever had at a Korean restaurant. As a Williamsburg resident, I was looking forward to a Korean restaurant in the neighborhood. I guess I'll still have to make the trip to 32nd st or Flushing for a decent Korean meal.

Usually, when craving bbq this is my first place to go when I dont want to go into the city. When they first opened and it was all korean staff service was excellent and as expected. But, since the hire of non korean waitresses the food service is way out of wack. Um nice to have my beef ready to cook without getting the sides or rice first and wheres that salad at. I didnt even bother asking for it.
So i do the walk by and make sure whos waitressing. Otherwise i save my cash for Snacky or M shangai.

that korean american got some anger issues. lol.

i'm also a korean american. i'm a regular at dokebi and love the place for what it is. it's a shabu-shabu and BBQ restaurant. they've got pretty decent stuff all around. but having gotten to know the owner, i know that they are not trying to be a k-town restaurant. they are just trying to do good honest food using the grills and the best ingredients possible ( they don't drown the food in MSG like all the other korean restaurants). they also don't want the dining experience to be all about the free pickles. the owner has told me that one of the few complaints people have is that they are not doing exactly what the koreatown restaurants are doing... i for one am glad to be eating and drinking there on a weekly basis... i for one, don't really feel like hanging out at those korean restaurants very often.
and what i do know is that there are tons of regulars, korean and non koreans, who love this place. dokebi has become one of the staples of the neighborhood and we thank them for opening here.
for those of you who prefer to go to 32nd street, please go there... if you find it more fun than dokebi, you're probably better suited for hanging out in k-town.

It's not that I find 32nd St. more fun. It is not about the vibe. I'll tell you what it is about:

The portions were ridiculously small, the food was horrible and the service was atrocious.

Who serves soontubu entree in that mini appetizer bowl? That is ridiculous and something I have never seen in my life.

And the waitress tells me that the salad is going to be delayed because they are "chopping the lettuce" and 30 minutes later, after I finished the meal and ask about the salad, she tells me that they are still chopping? That is inexcusable.

I personally don't care much about the vibe. I care about quality of food, portion size and service. And this place was horrible on all 3 accounts.

hahaha !!!
you really should go see a shrink...

so, what i usually do when i hate a place as much as you do, i simply don't go there anymore. i don't proceed to go on a tirade about it and let it consume me with anger...

dude! take a valium and go down some large amount of soon dubu (on 32nd street).

hahaha!!!

Trust me, I'm not letting it consume me with anger. I'm just letting the williamsburg community know about my terrible dining experience there.

I paid money for a subpar meal that did not come close to making me full and where the waitress was rude and I was not served a salad which was ordered and was not offered a subsititute or even given an apology. I have the right to let my community know about it.

If you are indeed a friend of the owner, you should focus your efforts on informing him of the shortcomings of his establishment rather than trying to belittle and insult me on a forum.

I support Korean owned businesses and I want to see them succeed. But you have to earn it. My experience was truly so awful that I felt compelled to inform the community about it. Secondly, the owner should want to hear this kind of feedback so that he knows what to improve. I could have not posted, but I would have still told people in my immediate cirle about it. That's what people do after they go to a new restaurant, it's called word of mouth. And judging by the numerous other negative reviews a lot of other people have also had a bad experience dining there and I'm sure they told their friends and neighbors about it.

I don't know if you were instructed by the owner to respond like this, but the immaturity reflected in your posts destroys your credibility and makes it look like Dokebi is trying to silence and discredit someone who is giving their account of their experience at your restaurant.

this is getting really funny.

listen, i don't know the owner well enough to call him a friend and i certainly don't want to speak on his behalf. but please, the worst dining experience in your life??? it's you that has a warped sense of reality. so you spent 10 bucks in a place and didn't get the 3 star service you think you paid for and the huge amount of food you expected for free. i suppose if you went to a korean gas station you'd expect to get your BMW tank filled up for 5 bucks??? seriously, listen to yourself.

the place has great food and the place is packed with regulars every night. you think we go there regularly because we are all looking for the worst dining experience of our whole lives? listen if you have a bone to pick with him or something go talk to him, instead of trying to trash the guys place with dramatic exagerations of you bad experience there.

and if you want to get into conspiracy theories, maybe you are one of his competitors or a friend there of, and want to trash dokebi...

either way this is the end of our session, and if you want another session it'll cost you 10 bucks for 50 hours of therapy (korean of course).

dear "therapist"

what I find funny is that you don't address the issues that I had with the restaurant.

I certainly don't expect "3 star service" as you say. What I do expect is if the waitress takes my order for a salad that was advertised as free with lunch, that I actually get the salad. And if for some reason there is a problem with serving a salad, tell me upfront instead of just not serving it at all because they are "chopping the lettuce" for an hour. That is what I call basic service and dokebi lacked "basic service" NOT 3 star service.

And you keep saying that I want some large meal. I want a REGULAR sized meal. not an appetizer sized meal as an entree. There are two standard sized bowls that every Korean restaurant uses for its soups, a larger one used for entrees and a smaller one used mostly as a free service. I was served my entree in an appetizer sized dish.

I don't expect to fill a BMW with 5 bucks at a gas station, that analogy is absurd. I expect to pay what they advertise. If they say that 87 is 3 bucks a gallon, I expect exactly that, nothing less and nothing more.

And at restaurants, I expect to be served what I order and I expect entrees to not be the size of an appetizer.

And I'm not some competitor, I'm a regular guy who's lived in the northside for the past 3 years.

I'll be the first to admit that my experience might not be reflective of the standard level of service there. But my experience was indeed horrible, I'm not being dramatic, and any rational diner would agree with me had they been in my shoes. Obviously, the "regulars" that you mention have had a different experience. I wish I had that experience when I went there. Unfortunately, I did not. I can honestly say that it was the worst dining experience I've had in recent memory.

If you decide to respond, quit your feeble attempts at comedy and address the issues that I mentioned.

As a young Korean-American living in Brookyln I too had similar experiences.......I took several of my friends from college who were in town.....I was so embarrassed that I took them here....First the service...or the lack of it....Second the Food...not only is the portions small, it has no flavor, we ordered the Shabu, the portion was so small that I had to ask the waitress twice if it was the correct portion, some of my friends flew in from Calif., and they could not believe how a korean restaurant could mess up on the Korean Staple of Kimchi, the only posititve if you could call it is the Beer selection, I think the manager should conentrate more about the quality & quantity of the food instead on their Beer selection,

The food reminded me of the Korean Hospital food I had when I was in Korea, if you want good Beer selection try it, but I would not waste my money on the food or the service. very disappointed

Me and my friends went twice to Dokebi, our conclusion on the food was mediocre at best, after our second trip here we all talk about how much it reminded us of all the Japanese sushi restaurants in manhatten being run by the Chinese and pretending to serve poor Japanese dishes...hmmm we all wonder if Dokebi is also run by Chinese serving Korean/Japanese food, me and my friends are not asians but we have gone to numberous different Korean & Japanese restaurants to know the taste and this is not one of them...service is below average, but they do have some unique beer selection if you are into beers, we will mostly likely not go back the third time.

i am korean american and this place is the worst restaurant i went to in my whole life. the food was terrible and the place is really ugly and the food was not right wasting either. don't waste your money. go to any other restaurant in the neighborhood for good food.

me and my friends went there and the service was not good. the food tasted like water and the waiters didn't want to help us. i've tried korean food before and this is not a good restaurant. you should go to M shanghai or snacky's which is just a few doors away. the only good thing there is the beer. the food decore and service is terrible. me and my friends will never go back!

the place was average at best. me and my friends who went there, had a terrible experience. the food was not authentic and the service was not the type of attentive service you get on 32 nd street. the atmospere, banchan, music, and the atmosphere is better on 32nd street. and if you must stay in williamsburg, planet thailand, sea, and snacky's are much better places to dine.

so alot of you are comfortable with eating food that you made yourself? why not stay at home and cook? for a shabu shabu place with reviews that are worth an overly gracious paragraph, i would expect to see better quality raw meat than the "selection" i was offered. of course, the price is to blame, theres always ways around that, and please, sauces, cant they be better? i know ive had better.

Seriously, I think all these bad reviews have to do with one thing--service. The service is soooo bad. There is no other way of saying it. I mean 90% of the people in Williamsburg don't know what good Korean food tastes like, so if the waitstaff could just get their head out of their asses this place may have a fighting chance. McDonald's has better service. Am I suppose to eat soup and rice with my fingers? Do they not believe in water even when we ask for a glass? If there are 3 of us and we order a "double" of kalbi would it kill you to give us three bowls of rice instead of two? Would it kill you to come over and ask if we need more beer instead of waving you over even though the place is empty? It's not like they even talk amongst themselves. They just stand there and look dumber than spit on shit. They serve raw meat right? Meaning we cook it right? Why does it take so long for raw meat to land on your table? I thought they were killing the cow in the back, it took so long. The place wasn't even busy or late and the only thing the waitress was quick with was the check. I guess she didn't want us to spend anymore money or add on to the tip. You would think it's the language barrier, but they seem to speak English fairly well. So I don't know what they are doing. I'm not much of complainer, especially about service, but damn! The worst service I ever had anywhere in recent memory.

I went last night and everything was perfect, including the service. Cheap pitchers of beer & great food and their was a guy there walking around teaching people how to use the bbq. After reading the reviews about service, it sounds like things have changed for the better.
PS. whats the deal with the hockey post above me?

My mom, a 60 yr old 105lbs Korean woman who can cook for Satan himself, came in here and just destroyed a single serving (a healthy single serving) of bulgoki. 'Nuff said.

Oh, we loved this place! The waitstaff couldn't do enough for us, the food was amazing ,and the side dishes kept coming. We found the food to be very generous and satisfying, and the ice cream especially luscious. Aewsome new place!

I am a korean american whose folks just moved to korea. Just came back. I read the review from someone who said that korean cuisine in korea was much more elegant and refined. Wow. Part of what makes korean food so great is the abundance of dished, flavors, etc., and what makes Seoul so cool are the holes in teh walls and the foodcarts. That said, I think this is a really basic korean place. The banchan (the small dishes) are sparse and too few. Part of the reason that you go out to eat (if you're korean) is to get away from your mom's same old 3-4 banchan. (as one reader said was "normal") My halmuni (grandma) made at least 6-8! Dont you go out so that you dont have to eat like you would at home? The portions here are ridiculously small. For those of you who arent native koreans, take note! These portions are SMALL and yet the same price as 32nd street!! It will do for now but hopefully the service and portions will become more refined as time goes on. For the best Korean Food in americam Los Angeles wins hands down.

just wanted to say that i go there fairly regularly and have had relatively good experiences. i'm glad they are here so that i can have something other than thai food. overall the food we've have had has all been good and the portions have been pretty good (how much food do you need to consume before you call it refined?). i think as korean americans, we should be encouraging places like dokebi to venture into new areas so that we can enjoy our cuisine outside of the k-town ghettos, rather than ripping into them for every little thing they do differently from what you are used to. it's like some of you have this really angry hatred of anyone trying to do their thing if it deviates from what you expected. you anonymously come here and trash the place and discribe it as if the place is aweful. the reality is that the place is pretty good and many would consider it better than most restaurants on 32nd street. the owner works very hard and struggles everyday to make the place better.
i guess some of you would like to see the place go out of business so that you wouldn't have dokebi as an option in the neighborhood.???
PS. the place does very well for a new restaurant and judging by the clientele, lots of people like the place as much as we do...

TAKE NOTE!!!
they serve ample human portions and you will walk out more than satisfied if you order an appetizer and entree. the food is excellent and you will see everyone enjoying themselves there...

honestly, it's disturbing to me to see some of these korean americans trying to trash a perfectly good restaurant. why they would expend so much energy trying to bad mouth a korean guy giving it a go and working so hard to bring our cuisine to a broader audience. all of my friends who live in the area love this place as well, which is probably why the place has such a great reputation in the neighborhood!

"i'm a korean american working as a su chef in nyc.

the following are unbiased editorial reviews from publications who have sent out professional reviewers to review "Dokebi".
it's so that you don't get taken in by the obviously concerted efforts to anonymously do harm to dokebi business.
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Citysearch Editorial Profile -- By Karen Hudes

Korean barbecue and shabu-shabu make for a hot Williamsburg restaurant.

Editorial Rating: Recommended

The Scene
Long red tables with built-in, smokeless grills run along the perimeter of this airy, spot, perfect for a group party. Weekends find the wooden banquettes filled with a rocking neighborhood crowd, as well as guests waiting in the rear barroom, downing beer, sake and crisp scallion pancakes.

The Food
Superior ingredients reward the work and play of Korean table grilling. Chopstick-flipped, tender Angus short ribs and lean pork in a spicy marinade sizzle to a caramelized peak and are wrapped in a lettuce leaf for rich, fresh eating. Diners cooking shabu shabu dip ruby-red, slightly marbled slices of rib-eye Angus, along with veggies, noodles and exotic mushrooms, into boiling water for a succulent result. The restaurant serves a full menu, including a bi bim bahp with chopped rib eye steak that's tasty but sparse, seafood and beef stews, stir-fry, tempura and udon noodle soup, and there's 14 flavors of ice cream for dessert.

Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
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Smoke-free BBQ: At Dokebi restaurant, diners can grill their thinly sliced Angus ribeye at their own table. .

The Brooklyn Papers / Greg Mango

By Tina Barry
for The Brooklyn Papers

Williamsburg's Dokebi is not your typical 32nd Street Korean restaurant. There are no tables of men, with their ties thrown to the side, gobbling up hundreds of little dishes. The service is attentive without being fawning, and no cloud of barbecue smoke lingers in the air.

This is a new kind of Korean restaurant, according to owner Chul Kim.

"I'm serving authentic food of that country presented differently," he says. By "differently" he means that instead of the $10 serving of low-quality food accompanied by a profusion of "ban chan" (side dishes) - a typical dinner at any midtown Manhattan Korean restaurant - there are three to six small dishes that arrive with the house special barbecue. His entree servings are large; and with quality ingredients, like thin slices of Angus beef and beautiful, meaty mushrooms, lots of little add-ons aren't necessary.

And "differently" also means not just Korean. Another Dokebi specialty is "shabu-shabu," a Japanese dish of raw meat and vegetables simmered in a large pot of boiling water that is seasoned with pieces of dried kelp, called "kombu."

Both dishes are cooked at the table. The first on a specially designed, smokeless grill built into the center of the tables that ring the large room; the soup cooks in a large pot set into the same base. That smokeless grill (manufactured and installed at great expense by Kim) means you'll leave smelling no different than you did entering the restaurant.

Chul, a former investment banker who opened Dokebi (which means "devil" in Korean) in November, recruited a few friends who helped him gut the former social club. The crew spent 14 months ripping down five dropped-ceilings ("it was like being entombed" he said of the pre-existing dimensions) to expose 12-foot ceilings and brick walls. Chul designed and built the handsome, deep red tables and wooden benches and installed simple, industrial lighting. The result - a big dining room with an entrance on Grand Street and a bar and lounge that is separated by a small hallway with an entry onto North First Street - is more moody urban cafe than the close, smoky, Oriental dens of midtown.

Downing a shot or two of "soju," a liquor made from rice that tastes like vodka without the harsh burn, is the best way to warm up for a meal at Dokebi. There's a full bar, so sake, Asian beer and any cocktail is available, too. Among the appetizers, the "pajun," or scallion pancake, is delectable. The chefs, Mrs. Lee and Mr. Park (formerly of Don's Bogam in Manhattan), fry it up thin, light and crisp-edged, then stud it with tender pieces of squid, shrimp and scallops.

Crescent-shaped dumplings, "gyoza," were fried golden, but the pork filling was on the bland side.

If you want to experience a decent salad in an Asian restaurant - not the ubiquitous wilted iceberg with one-note ginger dressing - order it here. In a small bowl is a handful of watercress and a bit of romaine lettuce topped with a few thin slices of radish. It's nothing fancy, but the peppery bite of the watercress is enhanced with a perfectly balanced, lemony carrot dressing brightened with ginger.

Don't linger over the appetizers, though. The waitstaff tends to bring the main dishes while you're still nibbling on the starters.

We ordered a few different meat entrees to fry on the grill. Each large serving arrived glistening in their marinades, ready for the searing heat. The meat is accompanied by another big platter topped with red leaf lettuce, watercress and a splurge of fresh mushrooms, each fungus lusciously rich after a short sit over the heat.

The soft spoken waitress showed us how to place the meat on the grill; to put the delicate mushrooms on the edges where they'd cook with less intensity; and finally, to wrap the quickly cooked morsels in a lettuce leaf, top them with one of the sauces and a bit of rice, and to eat it as we would a burrito.

My least favorite of the three barbecue dishes that we tried was the Angus ribeye. It's a great cut of meat for this kind of cooking, thanks to its high fat content, but, oddly, not terribly flavorful. It's served with a soybean paste sauce that has some heat - and that helped.

Like the steak, the "kalbi" is made with Angus short ribs, another fatty cut. It was rich and somewhat spicy thanks to its chile-enhanced marinade. Most of the grill dishes can be ordered regular, spicy, or hot. The regular is on the subtle side, so if you want some heat, order it. The slices of pork shoulder grilled up tender with just a touch of sweetness.

As we savored our messy, spicy and chewy little rolls, we nibbled on the side dishes. I've had "kimchee," the pickled cabbage stewed with garlic and chiles, and it nearly blew my head off. The version here is milder by far. I'm not sure "kimchee" purists will approve, but I preferred the tamer heat. Good, too, are the garlic stems (the shoots that protrude from the tops of the bulbs) in sesame seed oil.

"Shabu-shabu" means "swish-swish" in Japanese, and that's what you do - first dropping the mushrooms, tofu and watercress into the pot of bubbling water to flavor the soup's broth, then swish-swishing thin slices of beef with your chopsticks for a few seconds in the liquid until they're rare. After that, you can dip the meat into a soybean sauce with a peanut flavor, and then again into a mild "ponzu" soy sauce (consisting of "mirin" rice wine, citrus juice and bonito flakes). Wonderfully chewy noodles simmer for a minute or two in the now-seasoned stock, and when they're ready, the noodles and soup are ladled into bowls. It's an interactive experience that's great for group dining.

The homemade ice cream Chul purchases from New York Gelato and Sorbet, a vendor in Williamsburg, is not to be missed. I tried three of the 12 flavors and they were light and silky with the taste of the ingredient shining through. The ginger featured chunky pieces of the crystallized root and left a warm taste in my mouth; seeds and pieces of jammy fruit made the fig a sensory pleasure; and green tea had a subtle, nut-like quality that I loved.

Dokebi is a modernist's interpretation of the Americanized Korean restaurant. Chul's stripped the experience of the honky-tonk associated with garment industry places, leaving just the best: great ingredients, fresh sauces and sides that don't slam your palate with heat, and a casual room in which to enjoy it.

Dokebi (199 Grand St. between Bedford and Driggs avenues in Williamsburg) accepts American Express, MasterCard and Visa. Entrees: $9-$20. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily. For reservations for six or more diners, call (718) 782-1424.

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Dokebi
(718) 782-1424
199 Grand Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11211 SELECT: DIFFERENT KOREAN Bonjoo Do Hwa Dok Suni's Dokebi Kori Mill Korean Rest Woo Lae Oak


Editorial Review User Reviews Directions What's Nearby?


EDITORIAL REVIEW

By Jove, it’s not Thai or Japanese!
Grand Street has undergone a Renaissance over the last few years, its dimly lit and dilapidated store fronts replaced by innovative eateries, galleries and stores. The requisite Williamsburg sushi spot, pizzeria and trattoria dot the street, along with a few bars that cater to newly arrived. But what makes Grand Street really interesting is the addition of Dokebi Bar and Grill, combining the local Willy B vibe with the tasty offerings of Korea Town.

Welcome to Chul’s Place
The interior is playfully controlled, from the muted geometry of the floor tiles to the deep red of the grill tables and banquettes. Large, street-facing windows open up the room; a raw brick wall faces it lime green alter ego. Warm light cascades onto table tops. Several people crowd happily around a grill. Owner Chul and Parson’s students Tan and Axelson-Chidsey have created a space with room to breath, and room to share a meal.

Chefs Kim and Bahk
The traditional menu features standard appetizers such gyoza (dumplings), pajeon (scallion pancake), japchae (cellophane noodles) and edamame (steamed soy beans). A real treat is the steamed squid, served in a bamboo steamer with a side of tangy chili sauce. Bibimbap (meat and rice), bokumbap (stir fry) and tempura are options, but for something special try one of Chef Bahk’s stews, such as the kalbi tang (short rib stew). The real attraction here is the table grill, especially the steaming shabu shabu, an assortment of vegetables (including three kinds of mushrooms!) and thinly slice beef steamed in a water bath rather than grilled - perfect for a wintry day. A nice of array of Chef Kim’s side dishes and sauces appear with each entrée, including the famous kimchi (spicy pickled cabbage).

Suggestions
Order the kalbi grill first, then follow up with the shabu shabu. Don’t be afraid to ask the friendly staff for assistance. First time grillers may need a little coaching. The sauces are fun to explore – ask about them.

Saki, the New White Wine
Dokebi has a notable saki and soju list. Ask about pairing a selection with your meal. Like wine, saki has a variety of qualities that can greatly enhance a meal. Afficionados will be happy here.

The Bar
Down the hall and past the kitchen is a full service bar, decorated with totemic art and a fair amount of laid-back pulchritude. Great place to wait for a grill table if the dining room is full. A separate entrance on North 1st Street allows the bar to stay open later than the dining room.
******************************************************** The "L" magazine

Dokebi
By Jeff Harris

199 Grand St, Williamsburg, 718-782-1424
Price Range: $15-$25 Rating:3L's

My L train ends at First Avenue, and not just because of service interruptions. Luckily, on the night I ventured to that hip western tip of Long Island called Williamsburg, the trains were running. Walking down Grand Street, I was struck by its incongruous name. Low buildings, dim and quiet on a brisk Wednesday night, were littered with the usual suspects: sushi, pizza, hipster lounges. The lights of Manhattan twinkled in the distance…

But I had work to do, damn it, and no borough was going to get in my way. A block later, large windows lit the street in neon beer-sign-glow. This was the place. Stringent geometry, high ceilings, globe lights, and expansive Japanese wooden benches rimming futuristic tabletop grills. It was new, but familiar, like a high school cafeteria from a forgotten anime dream.
Seated at one of the tabletop grills, we ordered a round of Rogue Dead Guy Ale ($6). Spicy panchan of bean sprout, radish, and kimchi came next. As we devoured them, Fried Pork Gyoza ($4), and a Seafood Pancake arrived ($6). The portions weren’t huge, but the golden, glistening morsels were enough to sate us.

Our entrees were brought next by our vivacious, if not terribly fluent, server. She took pains to carefully explain how to eat the Bulgohki Shabu-Shabu ($17), shoving a scalding sliver of meat into my mouth. The dish is lot of fun to eat, but shouldn’t be ordered by an individual. The components were plentiful: greens, rice noodles, udon noodles, brown mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and, of course, paper-thin strips of prime beef (to be dunked into the boiling stock and then the dipping sauces: traditional ponzu and fusion peanut). Yet, there wasn’t enough meat to create the rich broth drunk at the end. With five or six people around the table, this would be amazing.

Another entrée, seafood BiBimBahp in a hot stone pot ($10), glistened red under a glaze of red chili paste, but was unimpressive. Tiny bits of shellfish, few veggies, and no raw egg could be forgiven, but the pot didn’t sizzle. Thus, the best part of the dish, the crunchy golden crust of rice at the bottom, just wasn’t there. Unforgivable.

After a quick bite of terrific homemade Fig and Chocolate Ice Creams ($2.50), we bid the adorable staff adieu, hopped on the L train, and I wondered… Maybe there’s something to this Brooklyn thing after all.
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A SAPPY STORY
In W’burg, a hidden Korean bar reveals unlikely beer.

"NY PRESS"
By Joshua M. Bernstein

This week’s column marks an anniversary, though it’s also a miracle and, on those pained-brain mornings, a curse: ’Tis this column’s second birthday, a date that’s equally dubious and delightful. After all, how does one celebrate 104 weeks of drinking on the job? Rehab? A master-cleanse fast? Besting Dylan Thomas’ deadly whiskey record? An all-expense paid trip to the Betty Ford Clinic?

It’s a work-related Catch-22 I once experienced as a pornographer: After writing penetration scenes all day, flirting and fondling took a back seat to…boozing. So perhaps I should observe this anniversary with a blowjob, the yin to my employment yang. Or not. After all, sex is well covered in the Press. Instead let’s venture to uncharted alcohol territory.

These past couple years, I’ve sipped mai tais in Staten Island tiki bars, chugged Pabst on an ersatz Queens beach and slammed Jäger in a phone booth. I’ve bent elbows in Greenpoint dives, acted prim in cocktail emporiums and downed Bud pitchers in a deli, where I watched a man shove steam-table spare ribs into his pocket. But this town’s rollicking drink roller coaster always offers novel twists to quash sobriety. Like drinking out-of-context Japanese beer.

To accomplish this feat, please visit a Williamsburg anomaly. Though Thai and Japanese restaurants are chockablock in the ’Burg, Korean eateries are sparse, save for the latest addition to Grand Street’s increasingly polyglot scene: Dokebi. This Seoul-food eatery is a departure from its Little Korea brethren: chaotic, messy rooms with noise levels approaching a Korn concert. Dokebi’s dining room is a clean, serene escape. For one, the cook-it-yourself barbeque grills are equipped with ventilation fans, preventing clothes from smelling like sizzling pork. This is swell, but let’s skip the sustenance and head to a hidden surprise.

After entering Dokebi, ignore the hostess and stride through the dining room and down a narrow hallway, where you’ll pop out into a separate lounge. (There’s also a bar entrance on barren North 1st, signified by a glowing, gas-station-like sign.) The room is a small square of mismatched style. Brick walls and street-facing windows are complemented by wooden benches, naked light bulbs, dorm-quality red lounge chairs and—get this—totem poles. Have you ever seen a Korean totem pole? Methinks Dokebi’s owners proposed 23 decorating schemes and said, “Screw it, baby, let’s make it all magical.”

This culture-mashing schizophrenia also extends to the crowd and drink selection. By day, freelancers hit Dokebi to cadge WiFi and sip cappuccino. During weekends, locals infuse the bar with a low-key, illegal speakeasy vibe (in ways only you can discover). In the intermediary, caffeine relents to a fine happy-hour special: Until 7:30 p.m., Yuengling mugs are merely $2.50 and pitchers cost just $10.

During several visits, I watch curious bargoers consider ordering sake ($8 a glass), vodka-like soju ($10 for a buzz-worthy carafe) and, oddly, Colt 45 40-ouncers ($6). It’s an impressive, yet overwhelming menu that makes you yearn for McSorley’s simplicity: two beers, dark or light. Luckily, there’s another delicious happy-hour offer. “You can also,” the bartender will say, gesturing to the taps filled with five-dollar pints of Blue Point Lager, Stella and Kirin, “order a pitcher of Sapporo for $10.”

It’s rare to find Sapporo on tap, even rarer for such a palatable price tag. Hence, his words light up customers’ eyes like pinball machines.

“Wow, I’ll take that as a challenge,” a guy says, as he and his girlfriend sit at the bar. The challenge is formidable: These pitchers are not mini-carafes unable to intoxicate a 13-year-old girl. Dokebi’s glass pitchers are large and man-killing. They’re filled with enough suds to make you forget to ask why a Korean bar sells Japanese beer. The more I ponder this enigma, the more I’m puzzled: Why offer malt liquor but neglect South Korean Hite lager? Is Williamsburg’s ironic force field that powerful?

Eh, such contradictions are par for Dokebi. The restaurant is such a model of urban cool, while the bar is a slipper-wearing Bellevue escapee who can name-check members of the Postal Service. Some may see a failure of mission; I find it endearing. I see grandiose plans, each separately splendid, that equal zero sense. Why, for instance, is the concrete floor covered with spray-painted leaves? It’s yet another conundrum to mull while drinking cool, cheap Sapporo—poured by a non-Korean bartender, naturally.

Dokebi Bar and Grill

199 Grand St. (betw. Bedford & Driggs Aves.)

W’burg, Brooklyn 718-782-1424.

THE BACK BAR IS FUN ON THE WEEKENDS. GOOD BEER SELECTION. CRAZY VIBE. FUN & DECADENCE IS IN THE AIR.
ONLY IF THE BARTENDER WOULD LET SONGS PLAY IN THEIR ENTIRETY THIS PLACE WOULD BE EPIC.

it is so funny...
I can see very easily that
All the comments talking about bad svc & bad quality of food are written by real people and all the admiral things are from the house owner or his fellows.

it is so funny...
I can see very easily that
All the comments talking about bad svc & bad quality of food are written by real people and all the admiral things are from the house owner or his fellows.

the food was great the service was great and the time was amazing.

WOW. WOW. What a fantastic experience at this restaurant. When my girlfriend and I arrived there were no tables available so we ended up waiting at the bar. The bartenders (esp. Todd) were phenomenal and even comped me a beer and two shots of a great vodka. Afterwards when we got a table we started with a seafood pancake and it was delicious. We then had BBQ. I ordered the ribeye and my girlfriend ordered chicken. Both were more than adequate portion wise and the waitresses were very nice in explaining how to do everything. I can't imagine anyone leaving this place less than full. We then even got free ice cream to make up for the wait (even though it wasn't that long). The ginger was very different and tasty! Finally we returned to the bar to thank the bartenders for a great experience and were spoiled with two more free shots on the house! I have never been treated better in a restaurant and can't say enough for the food either. Everything tasted incredible and very fresh. IMHO this restaurant is a must in williamsburg or NYC for that matter.

I've been here twice and each time it gets better. The food is yummy, the drinks are copious, and the atmosphere is laid back and fun. The owner is also very nice and chill; he came out and cleared our table because his waitstaff was busy. It was a nice personal touch.

You can't be 30100 serious?!?

i've been twice and had good experiences both times (bbq) but never had the shabu.

our servers were good on both occasions. plus, our second trip was with my parents, and i am beginning to judge williamsburg restaurants by how gracious they are to older dorky types (sorry, mom and dad...). they were super nice, which scores big points with me.

It's amazing how many postings there are here. And they oscillate wildly from horrible to great. Well, I can't help but wonder whether many of these reviews are phony. Well, anyway, whatever is going on, I'm not a part of it.

This resturant is okay. It's not great. I'd go again but not because of the food or service, which were both okay. I'd go again because its convenient and clean. I also like the interior design of the place. I had the Bi Bim Bap, a Korean dishes I rather like, and it was okay. It was not great but I'd eat it there again. The dish would be better in my opinion if there was a little bit less rice and a little bit more of everything else. Or maybe, even better, just a little bit more of everything except rice. The proportion of rice to everything else made the dish a bit bland. Otherwise our meal was fine. The service was not bad just a little odd at moments. So, in conclusion, I'm glad there's a Korean restaurant in Williamsburg. It would be nice if it were a great Korean restaurant but I'll take a decent one. And that is what this is.

i kinda can't believe the range and volume of the reviews. I'm kinda happy a neighborhood korean joint can generate such online action. I've been in over a dozen times since i learned dokebi opened. The food is consistently good (Mmmm... yummy kind of good) music awesome, layout & design flawless. Oh and the bathrooms are uncommonly clean. Split a bottle of soju and some bbq or kimchi stew. I've never left without being uncomfortably full- like t.day everytime i eat there. I don't know what the deal is with the portion sizes. are they expecting applebees or some crap? Or does purple rice conflict with their low carb diets? the food rocks, the people rock. go at lunch time. i got all my bancha, salads and drinks in order. how much service do you need when effing around with your own food? plus the drinks are cheap. perhaps all the evil reviewers should have had a few more.