あかさ
It's the first basement floor. Wow, it's spacious and beautiful! The seats are also comfortable, and there were some guests who seemed to be having a company year-end party, but other than that, it was mostly women, 90% female ratio! I imagined it to be an izakaya or dining restaurant from the name, but it's actually a Korean cuisine restaurant. K-pop music was playing, but the volume was low and you could hardly hear it at the tables. In the restroom near the entrance, you could hear it a bit, but it wasn't the trendy upbeat music, more like a mellow and nice vibe. If they played Sik-K or Jay Park, that would've been amazing. I heard BTS at the table, though! I ordered what I thought was "Samba Set Go" but it turned out to be "Samgyupsal Set" haha. The set included various side dishes like Namul, Daikon sweet vinegar pickles, Kakuteki, and Wakame and Kombu mix. There were over 15 types of fresh leafy greens available for unlimited refills. Negi salad and garlic were also unlimited! I thought there was only one type of meat, but it turned out to be Samgyupsal (pork belly) and pork shoulder. You could choose one item from the meal menu, so I chose Kimchi stew and cold noodles. The presentation of the leafy greens platter was beautiful and eye-catching. The meat was grilled on charcoal, and the grill was still clean. The staff grilled the meat for us and cut it with scissors. We wrapped the Samgyupsal in leaves and dipped it in miso or added garlic as we liked. It was delicious! We could eat as much as we wanted... The pork shoulder was a large piece, enough for two people. We wrapped it up and took a bite. Delicious! We could eat as much as we wanted... Once the meat was grilled, they transferred it to a small plate to prevent overcooking. The leaves were fresh, and we had seconds. I found the easiest to eat were the Sangchu (lettuce) and lettuce. Here are some brief impressions: Kakuteki had a mild pickling taste. The balance was a bit off. I love Kakuteki, so I wish it was more delicious. Namul had a strong sesame oil flavor, very aromatic. Wakame and Kombu had a good chewy texture. The cold noodles were made with ice and broth. The noodles were thin and easy to eat. I like this kind of Korean cold noodles. The stew had some sweetness, but also a rich flavor, not bad, but maybe the commercial Gochujang was too sweet... The drink all you can for 1500 yen was charged separately. The cost-performance ratio wasn't great, but the fresh vegetables for unlimited refills and the satisfying amount of meat made it worth it. They also had Pingsu! I want to try it next time. A similar restaurant in Shin-Okubo turns leftover vegetables into smoothies. They also offer lunch, which is convenient, but it's hard to find the time to go. This place seems to be a franchise of a restaurant in Akasaka. It was delicious! Thank you for the meal!