Don Soo Baek

"We ordered pork broth and mackerel and were very disappointed. They were too sweet and had a bad aftertaste. Kimchi was too sweet as well."

"Don Soo Baek (돈수백) restaurant has a striking resemblance to ToDamGoal (토담골) restaurant, which I frequented while living in New Jersey. 토담골 was renowned for its 돼지국밥, and the flavors were absolutely delightful. The hearty soup had a knack for satisfying hunger and rejuvenating my body. So, when 돈수백 opened its doors some time ago, I was quite excited. Its taste closely mirrored my experiences at 토담골. The name "돈수백" translates to "Eating reliably cooked pork and enjoying a healthy life up to 100 years old." This name embodies the restaurant's commitment to culinary excellence. However, I was genuinely surprised when I noticed the restaurant's relatively low Google review rating. I couldn't fathom how such a place could receive a less than stellar rating. Upon some investigation, I uncovered two primary reasons. First, 돈수백 should consider focusing its menu solely on "pork" dishes, in line with its name, which relates to pork-based items like 돼지국밥 or 해장국. It was evident that most of the negative reviews stemmed from non-pork items such as 냉면 or 왕만두. Streamlining the menu to center around pork dishes might help elevate their offerings. I'd also recommend that customers try 돼지국밥, rather than venturing into other menu items that can easily be found in other Korean restaurants. This specialization could further enhance the dining experience. I thoroughly relished the 돼지국밥 today, as always. The thrill of adding 부추 to the steaming 돼지국밥, along with the marinated sauce and chopped pepper, was an adventure for the taste buds. The bowl was generously packed with slices of 돼지고기, perfect for dipping in the 양념새우젓. And, of course, combining the entire bowl of white rice with the 돼지국밥 was a must. To top it off, their 깍두기 and 겉절이 were exceptional. I savored every last drop of the soup and every grain of rice. This is how you savor the good life."

"The food at this restaurant offers authentic Korean cuisine that I enjoyed. But I was disappointed by aspects of the service. It seems that they are not capable to serve non-Korean customers - Koreans are obviously much more welcomed. I understand the language barrier they might have. What really annoys me is their manipulation of our tips - there was an issue with the tip amount being changed after the meal that made me really uncomfortable. And they refused to have argues after that. I know these folks are pretty okay even if they serve Koreans only as there are a lot of Koreans live nearby. But honestly they just deepened my impression with my friends that typical elder Koreans are stingy and unreasonable. Lol."

"Korean restaurant that specializes in soups and stews. You'll notice tables spread throughout the center area and also individual rooms containing seating for more privacy. I recommend getting Kongguksu 콩국수..! It was very refreshing. Things you should know: I. PARKING Don Soo Baek is within a plaza and shares parking with the adjacent businesses. You'll always be able to find a free, available space. II. SERVICE Friendly and timely. III. QUALITY This is where my rating is 3 stars. Keep in mind 3 is average ~ not superb and not terrible. While the food is authentic, the prices, in my opinion, are high for the lack of meat quantity in the dishes. You can get much much more protein for the same price in Korea and less "filler" items. My future Korean father-in-law kept mentioning how disappointing that detail was with my 북어국 dried pollack soup. It slacked in fish. IV. CAPACITY Fair amount of available seats for a weekend at lunch hours. Show this business some love and visit."

"I liked the food a lot. I don’t usually love ox blood but this hyejanggook was better than I expected. Service was good but they didn’t check up on us and no Korean style bell on the table. We had to raise our voices a bit to get side dishes refilled. Dinner for 2 was 30 bucks not including tip, a reasonable value."