Kosoo Korean Restaurant Chicken & BBQ (Robson)

In 2018, I had visited Kosoo on Cardero for some Korean eats and it was pretty tasty!  Since then, they have expanded aggressively with different themed restaurants bearing the same Kosoo name.  They have a Korean BBQ in Coquitlam, a Pocha in Chinatown and now a location on Robson specializing in KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) and BBQ (but not at your table such as the one in Coquitlam).   Jackie and I checked out the newest Kosoo on 2 separate visits.

On our first go-around, we focused on BBQ and chicken.  We were started off with some Banchan consisting of sprouts, potatoes, daikon and kimchi.  All were pretty good, especially the potatoes as they were tender and sweet but didn't fall apart.  All of our dishes arrived at once, yet I'll talk about the Yangnyeom Chibap first. This was massive amount of sweet & spicy KFC atop chewy rice.  I found the chicken to be juicy and tender (it helped that it was chicken thigh) while the sauce was more sweet than spicy.  There was some greens on top with corn and a mild mayo-based sauce.

Up next we had 2 BBQ items in the Pork Belly and the LA Galbi.  Now one look at the menu and you might be wondering why they are $45 and $52 respectively.  It was obvious to me why, as the amount of meat on the sizzling cast iron plate was enough for 2 people.  Another obvious clue was the 2 bowls of rice, lettuce, spicy salad and huge bowl of soup.  In that case, for 2 people, the prices are actually a steal.  But what about the food?  The meats were nicely grilled being charred and caramelized.  The meats were tender and the galbi was especially flavourful.

At the end, we got to the KFC with a mix of honey butter and mayack (cheese powder).  Since this consisted of bone-in chicken, it required a bit more effort.  There was a mix of white and dark meat where both were moist and tender.  I loved the crispiness of the batter and the cheese powder was impactful.  Lots of cheesy saltiness.  There was also a mix of fried rice cakes (additional cost) whereas the honey butter had corn, rice cakes and some chips.

On the side, we added the Dirty Fries and they were fantastic.  The fries were crispy despite the amount of components on top.  About those components, we had cheese, sauce, corn, olives, jalapenos and bacon.  Normally, I'm not a fan of fries that are loaded with so much stuff, but this was different.  The crispy fries took on the toppings very well and there was a little of everything including tanginess, spice, saltiness and even sweetness with the sauce.

On the next visit, we started off with the Chive Pancake with melted cheese on top.  Now this might look eerily similar to a pizza, but it sure didn't eat like one.  The actual pancake was relatively thin, but still moist inside.  The exterior was crunchy on the edges and plenty nutty tasting.  For the rest of it, it was crispy, even with all the cheese on top.  The grease level was low and the cheese really did add to the pancake texturally and mild notes of cheesiness.

We love spicy cold noodles, so the Makguksu was right up our alley.  It consisted of buckwheat noodles with spicy sauce, carrots, cabbage, onions, seaweed and sesame oil.  First of all, this was served in the right temperature being ice cold.  Secondly, the sauce was on point.  It definitely had a kick, but was also balanced off by some sweetness.  The rest of the ingredients ensured there was some brightness and crunch.  Enjoyed the aromatic nuttiness of the sesame oil too.

Getting a soup into the mix, we had the Selleong Tang with ox bone, beef brisket, mushroom and green onion.  This came with a bowl of rice.  Like many other versions of this soup, it was great for the cold weather and mild-tasting.  However, this had more meatiness and salt content and hence, was decently flavourful with natural sweetness.  The big pieces of brisket were tender and meaty.  Loved eating this with the rice as it was total comfort food.

We ended off big with the Gamjatang Geongol that arrived in a huge pot served on a butane burner.  This came with 2 bowls of rice.  Sure, this was $53.00 but this had 8 large pork backbones that were tender, but still meaty.  The flavours of the pork bone broth were rich, sweet and a bit spicy.  Could definitely taste the perilla seeds.  Overall, the food at Kosoo Robson is fantastic.  Portions are huge and preparation is on point.  Sure, the prices are on the higher end, but usually, the portion sizes are for 2 people or more.  So don't let the prices fool you, it is actually a really good value, especially for a location right on Robson.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Large portions
- On point food
- Good location for those in downtown

The Bad:
- The place could use some renovations