Kalbee Restaurant

I HIGHLY recommend this place! The owners are some of the nicest people you will ever meet and it is reflected in their food, which is absolutely amazing! I had the BEST dumplings ever followed by equally amazing and large portions of bibimap and spicy pork. And did I mention how nice the owners were? Definitely go here! You will not regret it!

The food proportions were very large. The food was great. Service was fabulous. Our experience all together was great and would recommend eating here.

The best Korean food I have ever had! Absolutely delicious! I have tried pretty much everything on their menu and must say it was all good. The portion size is pretty huge so you won’t mind spending some extra dollars (some dishes may be $ 2-​$ 5 more expensive than other restaurants). I have lost count of the times I have been there… Planning to visit soon.

While visiting my in-​laws, I saw the restaurant. Stopped to get to go for dinner. The owners were very friendly. The food was awesome!!! If you guys crave korean food this is the place.

The hours are:
Thursday, Friday 4:00 — 9:00pm
Saturday 12:00 — 9:00pm
Sunday 12:00 — 6:00pm
Literally, some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life, ever.

Even though I have not eaten there in the last 5 years, I still remember and miss the awesome food there! No one can beat her version of chicken bulgogi!

Finding a great Asian restaurant in SW Virginia is not easy. Kalbee restaurant is a hidden gem. 20 min north of Blacksburg, it is literally in the middle of nowhere. The owners are both your chefs and servers and make your experience very personal. One of the strengths of the restaurant is the home made kimchi. Five types were served with my meal. Each was fresh and unique, although not as spicy as advertised. The jham-​pong (spicy seafood soup) was great and somewhat spicy. The flavors were balanced, but the squid and shrimp were a little over cooked. The price of $ 17 for it was a little steep and I could have gotten more in Blacksburg. However the uniqueness of the food, the homemade kimchi, and the family atmosphere all make it worthwhile. If you are ever in the middle of nowhere in SW Virginia and are craving Korean food, stop by Kalbee Restaurant.

Came here with my husband after hiking to Cascade Falls. It was fantastic. Portions are huge so expect to have leftovers for your next meal!
I had the Korean Style Vegetable Fried Rice. It was super, nothing like the fried rice you get at the Chinese place. It was a bed of sticky rice piled high with fresh vegetables and an amazing sauce.
All of the kimchi options were so good. The service was absolutely fantastic.

Connie the chef and owner is wonderful. The food is always freshly prepared. The cuisine is original and very tasty. It doesn’t matter what you order there it will be good. It’s Korean comfort food that the entire family will love. It’s the best Korean food I’ve eaten anywhere. Connie says that she makes her food from the memories she had when she lived in Korea

I wish this restaurant was in downtown Blacksburg! Very good taste, huge portions. Very friendly, sometimes the owner/​chef is your waitress. A beautiful drive. Great restaurant if you are looking for an intimate experience.

Connie and her staff are extremely personal and attentive. I called before coming and she answered the phone and she said, «You come and I will cook for you!» Connie is most beautiful inside and out!
The food is unbelievable and freshly prepared. We were amazed at the presentation of each dish and the quality of taste. You will not be disappointed by dining here. No doubt the best kept secret in Pembroke! Pastor Hall

Excellent food. Small restaurant with a lot of character. The portions are very large. Price is right for the amount of food you get. Service is friendly and prompt.

Chicken stir fry and veggie dumplings were great! The owner does the cooking and both are authentic. I would definitely recommend the drive from Blacksburg to visit this place… you will not be disappointed. Pembroke has a gem.

The food here is excellent… The meats are succulent and cooked perfectly. The bibimbap (or bee-​been-​bop) is excellent. The kimchi was yummy. Truly exceptional

A wonderful and authentic Korean restaurant that we always stop at when we are in the area. Hubs lived in Korea and we had our honeymoon there, so we don’t say this lightly! Delicious food and gracious service! HIGHLY recommended!

Excellent food. Warning: split the entrée. Good service. Very friendly. We were passing through and we’re lucky enough to happen into this place.

Four of us had lunch here today after a hike. We ordered the dumpling appetizer and Bul-​Go-​Gee and a stir fry entrée all recommended by Connie the owner/​cook. All were fabulous and Connie was very charming and welcoming as was her husband! She is completely delightful! We had no idea what to expect having never had Korean food before but it was delicious. We also ordered a scrumptious (and huge!!) strawberry shortcake; enough for the 4 of us! We can’t wait to return! What a find!

Great service and huge portions didn’t make up for this completely over priced meal. For me, the best part was the banchan, and even that was mediocre. I see great reviews here… so maybe I went on a bad day? I don’t think I’ll be making the trek back to find out.

IMO best food in and around Blacksburg. The chef grows her own veggies and ingredients and her passion for food shows. The dumplings are amazing and so is the bi-​beam-​bap.

If you frequently eat Korean food, don’t expect what you order to be what you are familiar with.
If you are unfamiliar with Korean food, and don’t have access to hot spots in Northern Virginia, please, by all means, try it. Korean cuisine is truly unique, and something I believe everyone should try at least once.
To the untrained eye, the food served here is satisfying and seems convincing to many. But unfortunately for me, I just couldn’t get past it. What we ordered:
— Sangchussam
— Dosolt bibimbap
— Japchae
— «Spicy Pork w/​Green Onions»
— Dwaeji bokkum
The side dishes to start with were pretty basic. Your various kimchis (3 different kinds). They were not bad, pretty normal. Since there was one person cooking, it took a little longer, and each dish came out one at a time. The only dish that looked like I was expecting was the bibimbap. The other dishes were much different than what is traditionally served. I’ll go dish by dish to explain each one.
*Dosolt bibimbap was in the standard stone bowl, but it didn’t have egg in it, which seemed a little strange. It had a very average taste to it. Is it worth $ 16? Not really. I’m used to getting $ 9 bibimbap in Annandale which tastes much better than what I had here. I advise that you save your money and DO NOT buy the bibimbap.
*Japchae was missing a lot of flavor, I didn’t taste any soy sauce at all. I have a feeling it was tailored to customer preference. This dish is not really a bad choice, but it’s not very authentic.
*Dwaeji-​bokkum AND «Spicy Pork w/​Green Onions» were, hilariously enough, literally the same thing. Both used slightly different cuts of pork, and the same sauce. It wasn’t bad tasting, but in terms of authenticity, it’s not in the ballpark. I would say only one or the other should be ordered, but not both. If you like samgyupsal, you will prefer the dwaeji-​bokkum, which seemed more like samgyupsal anyways.
*Sangchussam was probably the best out of these dishes that were ordered. Thankfully, there was the paste that came with the lettuce to make it. Unfortunately… the steak was prepared in a rather odd way. It’s supposed to be similar to bugolgi style, but was awfully thick and strange to eat as «sangchussam». Again, the authenticity was lacking, but it tasted alright.
All in all, I feel like this place is too pricey for the food served. It’s just not what «Korean» food really is, but is still worth a shot for those who really want to try it.