Gogi House Review

Gogi, or Gogi House, is a famous Korean-style barbecue restaurant chain. Oddly enough, I’ve experienced Korean before I was in my 30s, but the only time I tried was in a barbecue inside a US campus, and it was food to go, so the first time I’ve really tried was actually gogi.

I’ve always heard echoes about how great Korean barbecue is, so I was very excited about trying it for the first time. It’s fair to say I was impressed by this style of barbecue, which was completely foreign to me.

The locations

Example of sleek and minimalistic interior design in Gogi

The first time I’ve tried Gogi was in Aeon Mall Long Bien, where the setup is pretty standard but still good enough for the experience.

The second time was in Hoan Kiem, not too far from the church, in a hidden but huge place with at least 40 tables, a very impressive place.

Gogi restaurants have a Korean type of decoration that is very simple and neat. The tables are usually made for four people.

Gogi has tons of locations across Asia; it’s for sure one of the most famous chains when it comes to barbecue.

The menu

Gogi is basically a buffet for barbecued meat, but as always, you can find some starting prices for regular menus to very expensive ones with waygu meat.

Concerning the buffet, you have different formulas starting at 229,000 to 399,000 vnd depending on the time and including more or less premium meat.

One thing interesting about Gogi is that the menu is available on a tablet for you to order from. There are a lot of different kinds of meat but also some interesting side dishes, like bacon salads, fruit salads, lau, and other Korean specialties.

These salads are honestly pretty good quality, with tons of sauce and fresh product. I would definitely recommend that you try one. Perhaps it’s their strategy to steer you away from the meat.

You’ll also have the basics on offer when it comes to drinks and desserts—nothing special here really.

The experience

Gogi House is part of the Golden Gate Group, which owns most of the restaurant chains present in Aeon Mall and sometimes outside. Gogi is perhaps their best chain restaurant, or at least the most famous one in Vietnam, I believe.

Eating Gogi House with my wife in Hoan Kiem near the Church

The service in Gogi is running well; as opposed to a newer franchise like iSushi, the waiters know perfectly how to do the service and how to bring the food. The customer is also used to ordering from the iPad.

Note that it’s rare that orders are perfectly delivered in one shot. It usually takes a few tries to get all the orders right, since the logistics are pretty complex.

The service is overall great; there are waitresses coming out to clean and replace the grill every time it has too much burnt grease or matter on it.

Panna cotta desserts proposed by Gogi House

The tables are equipped with an aspiration system, so the smoke won’t ruin your experience or your odor.

The food is fresh and tastes great; overall, the quality of the meat and food in general is very good. It’s not the best piece of meat you’ll ever have, but it’s up there for a chain.

Note that the Koreans use metal chopsticks, which are definitely not the easiest to handle.

Verdict

8.4 out of 10

Gogi is for us the most interesting restaurant chain out of the Golden Gate group. We already love to eat barbecued meat, and Gogi checks all the boxes when it comes to Korean barbecue.

Eating in Gyu Kaku competitor of Gogi House with my wife

Every ingredient in Gogi is fresh and comes from a high-quality source. For everyone lusting after meat, I can assure you, you’ll be satisfied. For me, the quality is better than places like Gyu Kaku.

The diversity of the meat is large enough for you to be full before finishing a second round, and you’ll probably end up ordering your favorite piece of meat anyway.

Gogi is a good place for people who know exactly what they want to eat when it comes to Korean barbecue. As when it comes to Hotpot, we unfortunately never had the chance to try it, but we doubt Hotpot is their main focus.