Good for: carnivores, groups, big eaters
Bad for: those squeamish at the sight of meat
Price per person: $16/all-you-can-eat with Yelp coupon ($18 w/o), $10 vegetarian bibimbop
This place is no joke when it comes to meat. Jas and I went with 2 of Jason's strapping young friends and they ate for almost 2 hours. TWO HOURS. They enjoyed it, but watching started to freak me out.
This place was open and clean with good ventilation, so we didn't smell like KBBQ when we left. This alone would recommend the place. However, the greatness didn't stop there. The menu had pictures and and the food actually resembled them. The waitstaff was also very accommodating. We had to wait almost an hour for one member of our party to arrive and they brought our delicious sidedishes (kimchee, broccoli, fried potatoes, tofu, pickles, etc.) while we waited. Also, according to the menu, in order to get all-you-can-eat, all people at the table have to participate. The waitress hesitated when we said all-you-can-eat for three, but when I said I was a vegetarian she immediately understood and said that was fine.
For a place that sells heaping plates of raw meat, this place was surprisingly vegetarian friendly. They don't have "+ tofu" in the name for nothing. They had several vegetarian and pescatarian menu items to choose from. Also, they were careful to ask if it was okay for my bibimbop to come with an egg and they warned me that my miso soup was fish-based. Unlike many other restaurants, Ginseng was both conscientious and prepared. A+.
Now for the meat. According to Jason, it was "high quality and deliciously seasoned and wanted only for a greater variety of dipping sauces". However, this did not stop him or his friends from eating for 2 hours straight so clearly it wasn't a dealbreaker.
All in all, this was a great place for an outing with a group of friends. The grill-it-yourself style lent itself to conversation and there were food options for everyone. A bit expensive, but worth the price.
