Wajoe

I had the worst meal I have ever had here at Wajoe. We arrived to order some Kalbi for 2 and were told that it was out of stock. Kalbi out of stock at a Korean BBQ restaurant? Nevertheless, we decided to be open minded. We ordered the Bulgogi for 2, thinking we would try something new. It was horrible. The waiter told us that the marinade is similar to Kalbi but the meat was rough and chewy with little flavor. We had 2 small pieces each and gave up on the rest. The side dishes were minimal and not abundant like other korean restaurants. We had to ask our server for every component of a traditional korean BBQ dish, the rice, soy sauce with scallions, lettuce, and even straws for the water which came near the end of our meal. Each item came one at a time spaced 10 minutes apart. I really wanted to give the server the benefit of the doubt and told myself that it’s not his fault the food was horrible but there was barely anyone at the restaurant.
The menu advertised a free seafood pancake and soup with a Bulgogi order for 2 but when we asked about it, the waiter told us that this is outdated and they no longer do that. I suggest updating the menu. To his defense, he offered to make an exception for us and included he soup. For the quality and amount of food, the price is ridiculous. I would NEVER recommend this place to anyone.
We ended up eating rice the entire time because everything else was inedible. To top it off, the server forgot to turn off our stove. I can deal with some of the other stuff but forgetting to turn of the stove? Talk about a safety hazard. We came here to get a quick and delicious bite and the meal was pretty much the opposite. We definitely won’t be coming back to this place.

**CLOSED**
I used to eat here quite a bit but I think it’s gone downhill. The food is pretty salty and their sides (a reason why I LOVE Korean restaurants) are disappointing. They give you three sides plus one small plate of kimchi, and without fail one of the sides will be boiled, cold broccoli. I like broccoli fine, but as a side dish at a Korean restaurant? No thanks.
Tip: if you do decide to come here, you get a small discount (5% or 10%) if you pay with cash.

First of all. I hate writing bad review but this place needs to read all their bad reviews and take it as good criticism in order to improve their restaurant. I feel if they do not start improving. then they will not be operating in CC in the near future.
1) On Unilocal people said it was a BYOB place. My BF and I brought a bottle of wine. The server did not even ask us if we needed a wine opener or wine glasses. We had to request them about 10 minutes after we sat down at our table (we were the only patrons at that time as well) Service is already lacking.
2) The Banchans (small side dishes) were alright, they were average four dishes. which I am more used to about 12 different banchans at other Korean Restaurants. The server never asked if we wanted our banchans to be refilled (yes refills are free from other restaurants I have been too)
3) The menu was very simple. however when we ordered our kalbi for 2 it said it would come with a vegetable pancake and a traditional soybean soup. When our food arrived, we got the pancake and the kalbi, but when the check came, they charged us for the vegetable pancake. When we asked the server, he said the kalbi for 2 does not include the vegetable pancake or the soup. *They need to clarify that on their menus or they have been just double charging all their patrons.
4) We had the option of cooking the Kalbi at our table or the kitchen would cook the meat. We requested that they cook the meat in the kitchen. When the meat came out, I was a bit shocked at how small the portion was since it was meant for two people.
5) When we requested the check… the server mentioned again that we would get a 5% percent discount off our check if we paid in cash. If you are going to offer a discount. it should be shown on the check.
The only real positive thing about the restaurant was that it was a clean restaurant. (DIdnt check out the restroom tho)
The restaurant is in CC but I think I will take the 15 – 20 minute drive up to my other favorite korean restaurants.

I’m sorry I let you down world. The last time I was here I must have been either 1. drunk (it is BYOB after all) or 2. clouded by nostalgia and the yearning for Korean food.
Came back here tonight with a fellow former Korean English Teacher and we were determined to have a reunion worthy of our blackoutkorea days (google it). We stopped by the Wine and Spirits conveniently located a block away and picked up the small green bottle that was a staple of many a dinner back in the day. I downplayed it a bit because, I know this isn’t the best Korean, and we’ve obviously had better (lately every time I go to NYC I magically end up in Koreatown before doing anything). Nevertheless, we couldn’t help but get super pumped about the vaccums that come down and up at the click of a button. But that’s where our excitement dwindled.
The service was lacking, but, lets be honest, who goes to an Asian restaurant for stellar service? We went with the Bulgogi Set for 2 (around $ 40, comes with veggie pancake, rice, and tofu soup). Turns out the tofu soup never came (when I asked he said it was a choice of veggie pancake or soup, and I guess he chose for us). The Bulgogi was not that tender or flavorful, and the banchan were tiny and boring (steamed broc, mashed potatoes, and bean sprouts). The veggie pancake was fine, nothing special. The price was reasonable, but more than you’d pay in Chinatown for way better Asian food.
Will have to be REALLY craving Korean BBQ to come back… might be worth just waiting to be in NYC or trekking out to the northeast.

Why do I need to travel to North East Philly for amazing Korean BBQ? This place is the epitome of OK!!! The BBQ is not full of flavor and it feels like they don’t use the best cuts of meat. When I crave Korean BBQ I come here because its the only option I have (because sadly I don’t have a car, so I can’t get out to the North East).
It is priced normally for Korean BBQ if you want the meat grilled on the table you sit at but I don’t think its worth it.
Try it, eat it but go into Wajoe knowing there is better Korean BBQ a couple of miles away.

They really skimp on the banchan here. I’m used to getting a tableful in most Korean places in SF and here they only give 4 choices for an entire table of 4 that are all are very small and somewhat bland (steamed broccoli, seriously?!).
The waiter was unaccommodating at first when we wanted to share a 2-​person order of the bbq beef among 3 people. He told us something confusing along the lines of if we shared, we would have to forgo the two sides of rice that come with the order, despite the fact that we were also ordering and sharing a seafood pancake. After talking to his manager, we were allowed to do it and get the sides as well, but it seemed awfully odd that they would have such a strange policy around sharing given how much food we were ordering.
Came here another time and ordered the tofu bibimbap. They FORGOT to put in the egg that’s supposed to come with it and ended up making me a fried egg that came out about 10 minutes later as a side. The portion was also kind of small compared to what I’m used to getting at Korean places.
I am not sure why so many people think this place is so great and authentic. Unfortunately this is one of the few options for Korean in Center City, so I’m guessing they don’t have much incentive to step up the quality of the banchan, increase portion sizes, or lower prices.

Place seems to be going down hill. The BBQ doesn’t taste as fresh anymore, the quantities have been reduced and the kimchi and sides are such plain Ol dry. So Sad because this place used to be pretty good.

Not bad for the city. Probably one of the better Korean spots within center city. All tables have a pull down exhaust for bbqing at the table. The meat was seasoned rather well, but there isn’t very much room to cook a lot of meat for a large party. As a result, there was a lot of waiting around for the pork belly to be cooked. I would definitely not recommend coming with a party larger than 6 or so.
The dumplings weren’t that great. I was actually expecting something else when ordering the steamed dumplings, but they were basically chinese dumplings that you can get from any chinese restaurant. Maybe it’s unfair, but I was expecting a style similar to one I’ve had in other restaurants with different shapes and textures.

This is the best Korean restaurant in Center City. And you should trust me. I lived in South Korea for a year. Their banchan, bibimbap, and Korean pancake are superb!

If I could give an extra star for giving me more sides than I could count/​needed I would. Well, I can. But I won’t. Mainly because, even though this is Korean BBQ and my normal KBBQ spot is Sammy Chon’s, I still don’t know what I’m ordering and getting six sides, no matter how nice of a surpise it was, if I don’t know what any of them are, chances are I’ll probably only have a bite or two of each.
All I know is that I like kalbi beef bowl. And the only reason I know that is because I play a video game set in Japan and the main character loves «Kalbi Beef» so I figured if it is good enough for him, it’s probably good enough for me. At Sammy Chon’s, it definitely became my favorite right away, so much so that I brought three friends back the next time and from my raving reviews they all ordered that.
At Wajoe, it was a bit different. It was around $ 14 for my lunch which, if it was as delicious as I’ve previously had it elsewhere, would be worth it. But the beef was very bland, even the sides were bland, at least what I had of them. Those that weren’t bland were only spicy because they were drenched in some spicy red sauce.
It possible that I just ordered something that isn’t the greatest of their dishes. It’s also possible that this dish is meant to be enjoyed at the restaurant rather than take-​out. But, I had a sub-​par experience here and quickly crossed it off of the local places that I’d go for lunch.

I haven’t tried any other Korean places in Philly so this is just based on what I had here.
If you want your staple Korean dishes then you will enjoy this place. We sure did. We ordered the beef bibimbap and the japchee. The portions were large and tasty. The side dishes include Kimchi which I LOVE! Anything with Kimchi makes my day.
We went in the middle of the day at 3pm and so the place was empty. We will go back to try their korean bbq which is assembled at each table.
Good place and good food!

A friends and I both had Kalbi ($ 13) lunch boxes here. Panchan was OK — not great. (Bean spouts were good, fish cake is not my thing and pickled cukes were ok.) Kalbi itself was tasty. Salad was iceberg and raw white onions in a mayo-​ish dressing.
For $ 13, I’d rather get sushi at Vic or a bowl at Tampopo (which is also mediocre.)
I miss a really GOOD kalbi or bulgoki.
This place is OK — not bad but not great.
It is on par with what Miran was.

I came across this place meeting a friend for lunch. Because of school, I never really venture into center city for lunch, but it was a pretty open Friday afternoon, so I figured why not.
It was surprisingly empty for a lunch crowd, with only other two other tables occupied. We were seated and immediately seated. They have a full menu as well as a special lunch menu. I ordered the Bulgogi Beef Lunchbox and my friend ordered the soft tofu stew.
After we placed our order, they brought out individual appetizer platters, free of charge, traditional in many Korean restaurants. We have seasoned potatoes, bean sprouts, and pasta salad. The potatoes were surprisingly tasty and very tender, easy to chew, but still holding their shape. The bean sprouts have always been a favorite of mine and these didn’t disappoint. Not too salty and tasty enough that I quickly downed them all. The pasta salad was good but felt a little out of place for me. It reminded me a lot of American pasta salad, with its mayonnaise base.
The timing of our meals was perfect, right after we finished appetizers. The presentation was amazing, with each compartment filled to the brim with deliciousness. Unfortunately, the portion were a little small, but I didn’t let that stop me from digging in. The bulgogi beef was okay. Not the best I’ve had, but it wasn’t awful. It was cooked well though. The salad was just salad, but a refreshing contrast. The potsticker was good, but there was only one. The tempura shrimp and veggies was delicious, as tempura always is. There was a verimicelli noodle salad on the side which also pleased the palete.
My friend said her tofu stew was pretty good, but I didn’t have a chance to try it. Overall it was a nice lunch experience. Loved the variety of the lunchbox and it wasn’t terribly expensive. Despite not so great reviews, I’m thinking about going back to try their Korean BBQ.
Pros: Specials, presentation, variety
Cons: So-​so flavors

I give 4 stars because I think it’s better than the other korean restaurants in center city. The food is definitely not so «americanized» and more authentic than the other places. I dont’ think this place is cheap, but I guess it is the city! It’s awesome that it’s BYO. One thing I wished they’d work on is giving better and more banchan/​side dishes. 3side dishes that are salty per person at a korean restaurant? Cmon, you need to serve more than that if it’s korean owned. But the entrees are good and I like i said, it’s less americanized and I don’t taste as much MSG (dunno if Wajoe uses it or not but definitely uses less) compared to the others. Their dishes are clean and served well. I would come here with a big group and some booze

This Korean restaurant changed ownership in 2011 and has only been open a few months. There are hardly any banchan and what they serve is very poor, but the food is authentic and well-​done. Korean bbq is always pricey but the meat was marinated well and served with the bones the meat came off from (for those who like to cook those as well and eat off the bone like Amreican ribs). The kimchi was not good but the seafood pajeon was tasty, much better than b.b.go’s (and not greasy either). The service is impeccable and everyone speaks Korean and English. The young male waiter was especially friendly and attentive. Actually since my bf and I were the only patrons at the time, the waiter and waitress were play fighting in the back, My Sassy Girl style, haha.
I haven’t tried the bibimbap, nengmyun or soondooboo chigae but all were offered at very reasonable prices, cheaper than b.b.go actually! The dwen jang chi gae was also really tasty and I finished the whole pot. The place is nothing fancy, not as nice as Miga, but the food is the real deal so I’m glad it’s so close by! It’s also BYO!

Miga has been my favorite Korean restaurant in CC for the past few years, so I had to come to Wajoe several times to make a fair comparison.
My main issues with the place:
— Manduguk is my absolute favorite Korean dish, and Wajoe does not offer it. –10 in my personal book.
— The banchan variety is disappointing (seriously, cole slaw?). On each occasion, we were only provided 3 options (one of them always being cole slaw, yuck) whereas at Miga you can get 6+ (and you get at least 4 when you buy takeout)
— Service speed can be iffy if it’s crowded but to be fair, the staff could still be learning how to effectively deal with the dinner rush.
But alas, the food is what really counts, and I have to concede that it’s good at Wajoe. In fact, this may become my new go-​to place, mainly because the food is just as good as Miga’s and several dollars cheaper. Wajoe has a nice, comfortable vibe that is much more casual than Miga’s, and although it is on the smaller side, Wajoe does have a few large tables that can comfortably accommodate groups of about 7.

3.5 stars
This place is pretty good — granted, my expectations of Asian food have drastically lowered since moving to Philly, but this place is pretty good for the area. The portions are pretty small and the service can be slow, but it is tasty, fairly authentic and with decent prices (compared to the other Korean restaurants in the area). Of the three Korean spots in Ritenhouse, I’m about tied on Miga/​Wajoe, with Giwa in a distant second.

Were you sad that Miran closed? Fret no more & get yourself to BYO Wajoe!
I’ll lay my CC Korean food chops on the table to help you gauge my review — I’m Korean but didn’t grow up eating K-​food, I liked Miran back in ’08 but not so much in recent years, Giwa bb-​bop is fresh & huge but the stews lack flavor & heat, hate BBGo, find Miga bland & I light a candle each night for the passing of Pastoral.
With low expectations we ordered a kimchee pajun & dukbokgi to start. The plan was to bail out if things were terrible. After the deliciously crisp & steamy pancake with just the right chewy texture & the tender, spicy dukbokgi we decided to share a kimchee hot pot bi bim bap. The gochujang was thick & spicy, and the kimchee was aged just the right amount. Could it be that I no longer need to mourn the loss of Pastoral?
*No Amex accepted.

The portions are small. Laughably small. The service was not good – our server forgot our appetizers and just served us our main course of Beef and Pork Bulgogi. My girlfriend just wanted to eat and leave so instead of correcting him we just dove in to the BBQ. Both plates of meat ($ 20 each, mind you) fit on the tiny electric grill. After we finished 5 minutes later, disappointed with the service and the food, and still hungry, we left to eat somewhere else. Can somebody who has actually had good Korean food please tell me where there is a good Korean place in this town?
Wa Joe gets one star only because the few slices of beef were good.

my roommate and i were walking by yesterday, and we happened to catch wajoe on the first day of their grand opening! FINALLY!
after seeing a closed miran all summer, last month we finally saw a change in the canopy sign, but there was no indication when the new restaurant would open. we waited and waited, and when we had all but forgotten about wajoe, yesterday as we walked by, the large GRAND OPENING sign and a lit up OPEN sign immediately caught our eye.
hungry and curious, we wandered in. i’ll admit it, we were a bit hesitant too because korean food is our favorite type of food to eat, but this city has offered little in the way of korean food to excite our taste buds.
when we sat down to order, we were pleasantly surprised to find the prices VERY affordable, especially for a sit down restaurant that serves large portions and a decent number of free sides and miscellaneous freebies throughout the meal. (each person gets their own set of 3 banchan, there’s common kimchi for the table, some entrees come with a side of soup, and there’s complimentary watermelon at the end of your meal!) and for you closet alcoholics (raises my hand!), here’s another byob for the books.
the veggie ingredients in my roomie’s beef dolsot bibimbap were fresh and the gochujang (chili paste) was spicy albeit a bit too pasty for my taste. and at $ 10.99, such a steal!
my soondubu was just average as there wasn’t enough of a kick for my poor numbed taste buds. but the soup base itself was flavorful and the use of silken tofu really blended the flavors together well. $ 9.99.
i think this is going to be our new go-​to spot for korean food from now on. and i’m looking forward to coming back for the weekday lunch specials, which include a lot of menu favorites at a reduced price.
i’m hoovering around 3.5 stars for the actual flavor and quality of their food, but they deserve a big boost for their proximity to my apt, their cheap prices, and their large portion sizes.
aja aja fighting, wajoe! (please google this if you don’t understand the reference)