AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat) Korean BBQ is the one thing I missed the most this past year and a half. There’s just something about cooking and eating it with your friends that you can’t replicate virtually. From agreeing on what meats to order first, assuming the roles of the cook or the eater, to asking for more rice paper, it’s a whole experience! Thinking about AYCE KBBQ reminds me of all the great meals I’ve had before the pandemic, but also one unfortunate experience that I just can’t seem to forget.
I arrived at the KBBQ restaurant with some people (I’ll just call them “friends” to keep it simple) that I talk to but don’t eat with often, and this was the first time we were getting KBBQ together. I was excited. Food and company, what can possibly go wrong?
I was standing in the back of the group, so by the time I got to the table, everyone had already chosen their seats, which was fine. The corner seat is easier to ask for more rice paper anyway. We passed the simple and straightforward menu around, but for some reason, some people just couldn’t make up their minds on what to order first. And no, we are not going to order chicken first.
We finally order, the meat arrives, and the person sitting in front of the grill does not move. Um…are you going to cook the meat or what? The meat makes it to the grill, and not long after, he flips it and starts putting it on his and other people’s plates to eat. That, my friend, is clearly not cooked yet. Has he ever eaten KBBQ or cooked before? The meat had to go back on the grill.
The short ribs arrive, and by now, the cooks have gotten the hang of cooking, but that’s when this next challenge comes along: cutting the short ribs with scissors. I stared hopelessly as he struggled to cut the meat. “Do you want me to cut it?” I asked, and the response was, “No, I think I’ve got it.” Oh boy. That’s not what I wanted to hear. It was the most painful few minutes watching him struggle with that piece of meat and to this day I still remember the horror. This friend sat in the wrong spot. I love cutting meat with scissors. I do it all the time.
The bill came and we decided to put it on one card, then repay that person with cash or Venmo. When I eat with my friends, we would always wait until everything is calculated (tax and tip) before sending the money. It’s even easier with AYCE BBQ because you can just divide the final cost by the number of people since everyone is paying the same price. Surprisingly (maybe not that shocking after the meal), someone decided to do their own math, paid the cardholder the meal cost plus tax (he calculated tax himself too), and then sent a second payment for tip after the final calculations were done. I still do not understand why, but that’s okay because this was likely the last time I’d eat this sort of meal with this person.
AYCE KBBQ is great, but just remember, be careful where you sit and what role you take on during the meal. If someone else can do the cooking and cutting better and offers to do it, just let them do it. On a happier note, I can’t wait until the next time I get AYCE KBBQ with my friends!