Jin Soo Sung Chan Korean

While we were making our way over to Mr. Tonkatsu a few months ago, we had to take the back route since making a left on 152nd is impossible going Southbound.  Normally, I wouldn't drive on 152A as it doesn't really go anywhere.  To my surprise, we found a few hidden restaurants with Sushi California being the most recognizable.  Right next to it was a Korean BBQ spot called Jin Soo Sung Chan, which wasn't an easy name to remember.  Yet, I did remember it in general when my daughter wanted to head out for her birthday dinner.  We ended up ordering the Deluxe Dinner for 5-6 people.

It included the usual Banchan with a small selection of bean sprouts, stewed potatoes, kimchi, pickled daikon and pickled onions.  Not particularly an impressive amount considering the newer spots in town offer more than double the variety.  Whatever the case, the banchan was good though where the potatoes were soft without disintegrating while the sprouts were crunchy and not drench with moisture.  I found the kimchi to be spicy enough but could've used more brininess.  There was also a Green Salad that was drenched in an orange dressing that looked almost like mango that we figured would've been really sweet.  Surprisingly, it was not, and in fact, tasted more like a Japanese ginger carrot dressing.  Nothing more to be said about this other than it was fresh with no browning on the leaves.

Considering that the Deluxe Dinner is $152.00, one would think that is expensive.  Alas, it was not as the plate of Meat was impressive to say the least.  There was more than enough for 6 people if not more. It included both types of beef short rib, chicken, pork chop, thinly sliced beef and beef steak.  I thought the overall quality of the meat was good where there was the right amount of fat.  This helped with not only keeping the meat moist and tender, it also built flavour and sizzle.  Marinade was typical sweet with a touch of saltiness, including the pork shoulder (no spicy pork here).  They were very generous with the short ribs as we got both cuts.  The one downer was the grill as was either too weak or too strong.  Somehow we weren't able to get the right setting where it would caramelize the meat without burning.

Also included in the meal was Soft Tofu Soup and Japche.  With only a few small shrimp, the soup base was a little weak in terms of depth in my opinion.  However, it was plenty spicy where if we drank it too quickly, it would invoke coughing.  There was plenty of soft tofu which was had a good mouth feel.  It came bubbling hot which enhanced the spiciness and was welcomed since it was a cold night.  As for the small plate of japche, it was quite good.  Despite not showing up in the picture, there was plenty of thinly sliced beef underneath.  The noodles were moist and not clumpy with an appealing chewiness.  I liked how this version wasn't overly sweet where there was a balance of flavours.  Moreover, the level of grease was low which was also quite remarkable since the noodles didn't stick together.

Lastly, the Steamed Eggs was as fluffy as it appeared.  However, it was also as watery as it appeared as well.  So we were a bit indifferent about it as some parts were good while others were not.  I understand why there is moisture in the hot stone bowl as the egg does cook really quickly, but this was just a bit too much water.  In the grand scheme of things, the egg was not a big deal as it wasn't terrible.  Furthermore, the amount of food we got for the price made this a good value.  Food quality was fine and the service was decent as well.  If I had the chance, I'd got back.

The Good:
- Well-priced
- They don't skimp with the meat
- Decent service

The Bad:
- We couldn't get the grill to cook at the right temp
- Parking spaces are limited