Bally Budaejjigae

"Resides in a plaza with nothing but Korean biz. Pretty tasty soup with sausages and K Ramen. Restaurant was a casual place."

"I had a wonderful dinner experience at Bally Budaejjigae (발리 부대찌개) in Suwanee. It was a gathering of five friends after a meeting, and we decided to try their specialties, Bally Budaejjigae (발리 부대찌게) and Bally Budae Steak (발리 부대 스테이크). The Bally Budae Steak paired perfectly with Soju, as the rich flavors of rib-eye steak, sausage, bacon, and onions with marinated sauce melted in our mouths. We raised our glasses to health and happiness, thoroughly enjoying the delightful combination. As we savored the Budae Steak, the Budaejjigae was prepared and ready to be enjoyed. This flavorful dish paired perfectly with freshly cooked white rice, making every bite a true delight. The service provided by the young waitress and even the owner was exceptional. The middle-aged owner attended to us with patience and willingness, treating us like family. When I complimented her on the service, she mentioned that her employees also embraced an owner's mindset when it comes to serving customers. It was evident that the owner's confident comment was reflected in our personal experience. The menu proudly stated, "This is a place where there are delicious foods carefully made with handmade broth that is boiled every day." I was deeply inspired and touched by this commitment to quality. It felt like the owner truly walked the talk, and the taste of the food and the service provided created the perfect atmosphere, evoking memories of old-day Korea. My best wishes go out to the owner and the employees for creating such a memorable experience. May they continue their great work and service with humility and humanity. It's establishments like Bally Budaejjigae that bring forth beautiful memories and blessings to all who dine there."

"Love coming here for Budaejjigae. We usually get the one for 2 people when it's just my husband and I but today we had my brother too so we had the Large which feeds 4. It's consistently good, great bold, spicy flavor. Plenty of meats. We add ramen. $2 extra per pack but worth it! We have tried it with American cheese which is popular add on but we didn't prefer it at all so we always just add ramen. They give you good banchan to share and sizzling rice for each person. Highly recommend!"

"Service is on point when you press the red button! Nice cozy booths for privacy. Hot plate on table to keep food hot! Mungbean pancake was good dipped in the A1 sauce... lol. Sticky rice served with fish cake kimchi bean sprouts and macaroni salad. Budget steak dish comes with steak and sausage bacon onions red and yellow bell peppers and pineapple chunks... yum!"

"I'm embarrassed to admit that as a Korean American in Atlanta, one, I didn't know that this beautiful dish even existed until a few years ago, and two, I didn't know restaurants like this existed. Budaejjigae found its provenance in war-torn Korea, when citizens used what little they had - along with US rations such as luncheon meat, processed cheese, and hot dogs - to create a spicy and deeply satisfying hot pot meal that has now taken Korean street stalls and restaurants by storm. It's not hard to make, but it's difficult to find it outside someone's home...until now. Bally Budaejjigae is tucked away in the corner of an overwhelming complex of restaurants and shops (with Assi Plaza, a Korean supermarket, as its retail anchor), but it's well worth the short and confused search around the labyrinthine square. The folks who work there, particularly the woman who served us, greeted us warmly and didn't blink an eye at our request for an English menu even though we clearly spoke Korean. There's a convenient doorbell-like button at the side of the table that calls over a waitress without you needing to use your voice, and a gas grill waits patiently at your table for the yummies to come. And boy, was it yummy. The kimchi-based broth is spicy, savory, and made me expel a happy "ahhhhh" before I even realize I said something. Orders are per serving size, and the 'Medium 2-3 serving' pot came with rice cakes, tons of sausage slices, spam, and bean spouts (it typically also has ground beef, but they amicably left it out for me when they heard I avoid meat). There are also add-ons, and the tofu and American cheese we chose added the most sumptuous touch. My spendthrift husband balked a little when he discovered we'd essentially be paying a whole dollar per slice of American cheese, but he clammed up once he tasted what that melted loveliness did to the taste of our broth. The accompanying rice comes in a hot metal bowl, which is thoughtfully placed in a wooden base so that clumsy dummies like me don't burn themselves on the servingware. The kettle they bring you is so that you can scoop out the rice and pour water in to cover the rice line. By the end of your meal, all the tasty burnt bits (like the coveted socarrat, or caramelized paella bits, at the bottom of a pan) can create a nice, warm rice porridge for you to end your meal with. I also suspect this makes cleaning far easier on the workers at the end of the meal. Win-win. We had to drive nearly forty minutes out of our way to get here, but by the time we tumbled out of the restaurant with distinctly rounder bellies, we weren't sorry we came."