Ma Dang Sae - Lakewood

The all-you-can-eat concept was misleading, as the second round of meat we received was mostly fat, with just a strip of pork included. We couldn't tell if it was a mistake or intentional, as we were too focused on trying to find some flavor in our meals to notice the poor quality of the meat. There were countless issues, and we simply couldn't believe it. Whenever we ordered something, it arrived on the same plates, or she would take it back and return it on a different plate. We never received fresh utensils or plates throughout our meal. It's possible that the pork lamb came from another table, and she accidentally or deliberately mixed it into our beef order. When we got home, all four of us got sick with diarrhea and vomiting. Can you believe it? I wanted to call and explain the situation to her, but she hung up on me. That's why I'm writing this review.

To be honest, the meat is frozen, but it cooks up nicely on the grill. You have a choice of beef, squid, and pork belly, and the pork belly was surprisingly delicious! Once you start cooking the proteins on the gas-powered grills and add their version of chili sauce and seasoned oil, you’ll forget that it was frozen in the first place. And did I mention it’s all-you-can-eat? The ventilation is modern and effective, so it’s not too smoky—though it’s not a charcoal grill. Still, I can’t get over the low price. The side dishes include a variety of kimchi, black rice (which tastes like brown rice), salad with a brown dressing, flat rice noodles, macaroni salad, bean sprouts, and iced tea (which is more of a diluted version, but still decent). Plus, you can end your meal with a mini vanilla and chocolate ice cream for dessert. You can also order a small coffee for just 25 cents—though it’s truly small, comparable to a mouthwash-sized Dixie cup. Yet, it was still drinkable and tasted like coffee. The service was a bit slow, and we had to ask for things a couple of times, but the staff was friendly, and we did have a table of 10, so we ordered a lot of meat and requested extras when our grill was more than half full. The restaurant is run by a Korean couple, and the man seemed really nice. I didn’t look at the menu since I arrived a bit later. I’m giving this place 3 stars due to the wait, the frozen meat, and the overall freshness. If you know where I can find a similar deal at this price in K-Town or close to Hollywood, please let me know!