the food is average, but hightly priced. Sushi is not what you want to try here. their fish is just so dry that you don't feel like eating "Sushi." As for the Sushi, I would recommend GenKiYa or Daikanyama. Their Korean food is not really Korean, but Americanized with lots of MSG. The Only thing I like here is Kalbi, but they charge $28 dollars per order. This is 5 dollars more than usual. If you asked for side dish or lettuce, the waitlesses will give you stinky eyes. The worst thing I don't like about this place is their service. The waitlesses won't remember what you asked for; they sometimes don't appear for about 30 minutes. We were placed in the back side of their restaurant for BBQ, but no one appeared. So I had to chase them. Especially, a Chinese girl with glasses, a skinny one, she is terrible. If you complain against their bad servce, then you will see her fighting back to you. Scary! Don't go there
(1)
Asmika D.
I was so disappointed by this place that I had to rethink for a moment about whether Yelp!ers from Massachusetts know what they're talking about when it comes to Japanese/Korean cuisine. The boyfriend and I walked in at about 8:30 on a Thursday night - it was completely deserted but the place started filling up 20 minutes later. The decor was really nice and the restaurant was clean. Unfortunately, the pros end there. The cons? We ordered spicy tuna roll, Philadelphia roll, salmon sashimi, lobster avocado salad and fried udon with chicken. Spicy tuna roll - dime sized with tuna that tasted stale Philadelphia roll - rancid smoked salmon that had been salted a second time to mask the taste/smell Salmon - Decent sized pieces that were stale Lobster avocado salad - Served in a martini glass on a bed of daikon for $10 with mostly mayonnaise and hardly any avocado or lobster Fried udon with chicken - So greasy, it tasted like oil, broccoli was going bad, there were yellow spots on it, chicken was dry Writing this review is making me sad because all of my other food experiences in Boston/Lexington were amazing. I would never return and I'm so upset that I overpaid for terrible food and crappy service.
(1)
Dwayne S.
I visited this "Korean" restaurant one evening when I was in town, wondering where any Korean food was located in town. And I found this one! I had the pork bulgogi, which was on par! It came with the usual side dishes, Kimchee, pickled radish, and bean sprouts. I also had the fried pork dumplings, and they were amazing too! I was sad to know that they only made it with pork, and not with beef. I was very satisfied with the dish, and will go back when I'm in town again. The Miso soup was good too. This is not the best place that I have been to, but for the northeast, this is only the second Korean restaurant that I have had the pleasure of sampling. I have lived in Korea, and I have experienced amazing food there, to include here in America too. One of my favorite places that I have been, was in Valpraiso, FL, and the restaurant is called Suns Korean Restaurant. I should post a review for them one day soon. Another few others close by to that restaurant in Fort Walton Beach are called Korea House and Okki Dokki. Simply the best Korean Restaurants that I've ever experienced stateside! If you haven't tried those places yet, you must! If I could give them 10 stars, I would!
(4)
Zeeshan S.
Service is slow and non-existent. One chef behind the bar can't keep up with the orders. The sushi is below average.
(1)
J C.
Had the Chirashi bowl. Each slice of the fish felt fresh and had bright flavors. Decently priced.
(4)
Monica B.
I went to this place during my hour lunch from work and I loved it! It was around 12:45pm so the place was still a bit crowded and the service took a little longer than usual but, every place is like this in a Business Center area so, I can't blame them. I ordered the Bulgogi Bento Box. Oh me, Oh my! First, they brought me miso soup and tempura vegetables. The tempura was light and tasty. Then I got a cucumber and carrots salad, very cold and very delicious. It had a citrous-y dressing/marinade yummy! Then I got my box and just by looking at it, I was full!! Grilled beef marinated in special DaBin sauce, this beef was brought down to earth from the Gods!! Tender, tasty and perfectly seasoned. White rice, fresh salad with a delicious ginger dressing, an absolutely delicious dumpling. Oh, I can't forget the perfectly cooked yakisoba. Crunchy but cooked vegetables and the sauces were not overwhelming at all (like in other places). Green tea is complementary. I left that place feeling I had robbed them! My box was $10.99 only and I feel I ate lunch and dinner!! But, not to worry, a girl knows how to tip well when her stomach is happy. Mine, certainly was (still is)!!
(5)
Natalie K.
The food and service here are great. They have a few tables outside, which is lovely in nice weather. I ordered Dolsan Bibimbop and stuffed zucchini appetizer. Both were tasty and cams out quickly.
(4)
Tamara P.
just ordered Nabeyaki Udon Luncheon special right during lunch (12:30pm) on a Friday, for pick-up. Order was done within the promised 15 minutes. For under $13 (including tax!) I got the soup, shrimp tempura and a side of flavorful roasted bean sprouts! Everything tastes great! Service was pleasant. Will definitely go there again.
(4)
Alison R.
Ever since moving out to Massachusetts I've been craving real home cooked Korean food like at my fave OC Korean spot (Kaya). I hit up this Japanese/Korean place on a Tuesday evening around 6:30 and it was pretty quiet. I ended up ordering the "beef and scallion soup" since it sounded most like my all time favorite korean dish (Yukgaejang) and the regular chicken katsu. Both dishes were tasty but only 3 star tasty.. not great but not bad. The beef and scallion soup was kind of bland (not spicy enough) but the beef was super tender. They used a pretty thick filet for the chicken katsu which was a plus but you can't really screw up chicken katsu so I'm sticking with my 3 star review! Also, the restaurant was clean and the staff was friendly so I would go there again.
(3)
Tyler Y.
food here is just alright. nothing to be proud of. the best thing on the menu has to be the sapporo beer. but then again. its pretty hard to get bottled beer wrong. am i right? for how pricey everything is i rather cook for myself. way cheaper and definitely tastes better.
(1)
Vivian C.
The fourth star is for the pleasant service. Our waters were refilled several times through the night and they were patient about our waiting for the late arrival of the last of our party. This is a nice place to visit - the food's okay, the bathroom clean, there's a party room in the back for those who wish to take off their shoes and sit on the floor, and there are table top cooking options in the second dining room (and maybe even in the first, but I'm not sure). They had some difficulty getting all our orders to the table at the same time, so that wasn't ideal. But my taste of the scallop katsu was crispy outside, hot and juicy inside (10 in the entree order). My own order of dumpling soup was hot and floated with egg, vermicelli, and two plump dumplings ($4.95). The avocado salad ($6.95) was cute in a martini glass, but a bit too creamy... I had thought it might come in avocado chunks rather than like a guacamole. The maki roll with eel and salmon skin ($6.95) was okay.
(4)
Dana S.
been to Dabin for takeout and sit down. Very sweet staff. When I get sushi takeout they are attentive and helpful- offering me a cup of tea once when I was clearly sick with a cold while I waited for my sushi . When we went for sit down the atmosphere was much slower than anticipated but lots of food and it was all very flavorful. We got some kind of hot pot dish and one that cooked on the Korean style grill thingy at our table (that was a cool feature) Did NOT leave hungry! Only downside was that I felt a bit left out - maybe our waitress was having an off evening that time - would go back again though.
(3)
Kevin T.
It was good. No complaints just kind of normal Korean. Next time I'll try something different. Maybe give them a better rating.
(3)
Catie C.
I had a Deluxe Bento box over lunch here. The fish wasn't the best of quality, so bleh on the sushi. The color wasn't even vibrant - old fish. The tempura was good, not too oily. I like the salad dressing, not too overpowering. Bulgoki was alright, nothing to rave about. Same goes for the Gyoza. I like the fact that they handed out hot napkins to wipe our hands. With the Swine flu panic, this is a good compliment.
(3)
Joanna C.
Infinitely polite, even when I was sitting there waiting for forty minutes for a lost friend to show! I ordered some sushi to tide me over while I waited, and when my friend finally showed, we ordered some Korean Short Ribs (Kalbi!) for dinner. I had been CRAVING kalbi for a while now - hadn't tried Korean BBQ in Boston, and was dying for just a mouthful of rice and lettuce and meaty grilled goodness. And Dabin didn't disappoint! Although... yes, I did have one complaint. The ban-chan (the small side dishes) were woe-fully inadequate. They only gave us three small plates of goodies, and not one was of kimchee! How can I eat Korean BBQ without kimchee?? But they did bring me out a dish of it after I requested it. Service was right on the money. We were the LAST ones to leave (at 9:55PM, 5 minutes before closing), and not once did we feel hurried nor neglected. I am definitely fan.
(4)
pete k.
Had a fantastic bento lunch here - the Dabin Deluxe. Loved it! Really nice little Japanese restaurant with some Korean menu items. There was nothing not to like, aside from the metered parking lot in the back. Tempura was fresh and crunchy. Sashimi was very fresh and tasty (tuna and salmon). The box also included miso soup, salad, rice, teriyaki chix, gyoza, and some some california maki. I was very pleased and stuffed at the end. The chicken was the weak point here, a little bland and a little dry.
(4)
Bobby C.
From all the reviews, I was also expecting a lot from this place. Ordered the sweetheart. fried dragon, and fantasy maki rolls. The fantasy roll was very tasty. The sweetheart wasn't bad either. On the plus side, there is a metered parking lot behind the building.
(3)
Emily G.
I've been here a few times. I am a vegetarian, but even so there are a few great appetizer and entree options to choose from. More than you would expect to find in a Korean/Japanese restaurant, at least. It is sometimes hard to communicate with the waitresses, so I am not 100% sure that everything I ate was vegetarian... Most recently I took two friends here who are avid meat-eaters. They had the barbecued eel and the beef tongue BBQ. They said it was very tasty and were really full by the time we left. I've never been here when the restaurant is very busy, so I hope they stay in business. I really enjoyed the vegetable gyoza.
(3)
Robo T.
Dabin is off the beaten path in Lexington Center. It features sushi, japanese and korean dishes. I went here with a couple friends and we cooked japanese items. The meat gyoza (ordered steamed) were decent however their dipping sauce was a lot saltier than other places. The yakitori kushi were a disappointment. The chicken was very tough and dry and the marinade/sauce was a litle too heavy on the fish sauce base. Believe it or not the boiled edamame needed a little more salt. The tatsuta age were okay but nothing amazing. The chicken terryaki dinner was served with grilled apples which was a nice touch rarely seen. However the overall impression of the dish was low. The chicken was dry and tough. We didn't realize it until after that two of us ordered dinners that were supposed to come with miso soup. It never got served. I will probably go back just to try the korean bbq which you need to decide in advance so they seat you at a grill table.
(2)
Shannon F.
Went here for the first time about a week ago for lunch. Their portions are a great size, I ended up needing a to go box my lunch was so big- I had the bento box. The chicken was good if not a tad dry but the vegetables were perfect, still crunchy and just the right amount of flavoring while still allowing the flavors of the vegetables to come through. A really nice touch are the different salads and pickled things that come to the table first- I really liked the cucumber salad as well as the spicy pickled dikon.
(4)
Jane Z.
They're great! My daughter used to go here with her friends all the time, and I couldn't be happier with them. They're generally quite, which is nice. The food is tasty. Great place to take the kids!
(4)
Larissa C.
After arranging an impromptu night out with my sisters, we decided to try Dabin. After finding parking in the back lot we walked in to a relaxing and simple ambiance. Although I'm not a huge snob for atmosphere I liked the clean lines and simple decor. Although we came for sushi my new Korean food obsession popped up, and I ordered Bibim Bap. Although Dabin gave it a new spin Sashimi Bibim Bap! While my sister's kept with their maki game plan I got to experience the delicious combination of salmon, tuna, and hamachi over a bed of rice and vegetables with the Bibim Bap signature spicy red sauce. The spicy sauce here was particularly memorable, balancing out the fresh fish flavors with a little kick. I want to come back here asap to have this dish again.
(4)
Nikki C.
Great clean and flavorful food. A great lunch value in quiet Lexington Center. Best part: the amuse-bouche served before every meal!
(5)
Jenni D.
I've gone here quite a few times for dinner and I always order raw sushi when I go. Always made fresh and very tasty!
(4)
Rebecca R.
I have to say after reading the reviews, I was excited, but in reality it was very disappointing! The only thing I enjoyed was the plum wine. I ordered two sushi rolls, spicy tuna and salmon and avo, and a cup of miso soup. The three complementary samplers that arrived were OK. The salad was good, the tempora was cold and soggy, and the fish tasted like chicken. The miso soup was OK, but the rolls didn't have much flavor, the tuna was all mashed up, and the seaweed was extra soggy but chewy. I was excited to share sushi with a friend who had never tried it before, and I have a feeling she will never try it again. In the end, I have had much better sushi elsewhere and I will never go again.
(2)
J F.
We come to Dabin or get take-out about once per week, sometimes more. We really like it. It's hospitable friendly service, and good solid food. We love the free little Korean appetizers. Such a nice little treat. Sure, for serious sushi connoisseurs - it's no Sushi Yasuda in NYC or anything like what you get in L.A., but it's a great solid place in Lexington. The owners are really nice and put the customer first. No attitude. Before it was Dabin, it was Roka, and I started eating at Roka in Cambridge in the early 80s. They have the most yummy dressing for the Garden Salad, the same recipe as at Roka in the 80s. Always my favorite. Also love the tatami room for big groups (esp if you have young kids), and my kids love the comfy booths. Lunch is also the best deal in town and super quick. Definitely come here over Daikanyama. I don't understand why people go there.
(5)
L P.
Definitely not for sushi, anyway. Just moved to Lexington and tried it for the first time tonight. My husband & I thought "delux sushi for two" would be a good sampler, and threw in an eel avocado roll for our 2 year old. $60. What a disappointment!! Although the on-line description promised "18 pieces of maki sushi and 12 pieces of nigiri sushi," 12 of our 18 pieces of maki contained no fish. We received 6 pieces of plain cucumber maki (really???), a California roll with imitation crab, and 6 pieces of plain tuna maki (apparently they used their cucumber quota on the other roll, because they didn't add so much as a cuke, scallion or avocado to the tuna roll). SUCH a disappointment! Since they hadn't bagged my take-out sushi, I was able to see the cucumber roll and voiced my discontent. Three times, actually, explaining that I thought the menu was misleading and if they were worried about pricing they should raise the price rather than offer filler like plain cucumber maki. The person I spoke with said she would share my opinion with the manager. That was it. They had a chance to address an unhappy customer and chose not to. As for the nigiri, it contained shrimp, octapus, mackerel, eel, salmon, tuna, yellowtail. The cuts were chewy and not buttery. The quality left something to be desired. In fact, the best part of the whole meal was the kimchee sides. I should have just saved my money and ordered two of those! This definitely will not be my sushi joint in my new neighborhood... next up, Ginger in Bedford, which my neighbor told me is her pick.
(1)
Amanda P.
To reiterate: I'm a Korean food snob. This place is all right, but it's definitely not my favorite Korean restaurant, or even my favorite Korean restaurant in New England. While looking through the extensive menu, we got an order of the vegetable gyoza to keep the kids from going nuts. They came promptly and were perfect: crispy, not greasy, and not deep fried (I always hate when people think that you can deep-fry Asian style dumplings). The Korean menu was full of all the typical stuff, with soups and rice dishes, barbecue, and other classic dishes like pancakes, jap chae, and goma ae. We ordered our usual (boring, I know, but limited to veggie/fish and with two kids in tow, there are only a few things on the typical Korean menu that are both within our dietary restrictions and not too spicy or strong-flavored for the kids): vegetable pancake, dolsot bibimbop with no meat, and jap chae with no meat. The pancake was very tasty, but I was annoyed by the price. The plain vegetable pancake was actually not on the menu, but the price for a seafood/vegetable pancake was about $12. I asked if we left the seafood out, if they would lower the price. I was told no, that the price was the same whether the pancake contained such delicacies as shrimp and squid or whether it had just scallions and peppers. This struck me as a little unfair. The dolsot bibimbop was almost perfect, with lots of spinach and zucchini and some shiitake mushrooms. It came with a nice, strong miso soup, and had the requisite sunny-side up fried egg on top (for those concerned about the safety of this practice, flip the egg over before you eat, and it will cook on the other side). I would have preferred the rice be a little crispier on the bottom, but all in all it was good. The jap chae was very disappointing, though. It was way overcooked, to the point that the yam noodles fell apart when I tried to pick them up with chopsticks. Jap chae should be firmer. Ponchon were delicious, and included mackerel cakes (my favorite). There is also an extensive Japanese menu and a sushi bar. I can't comment on the quality of the sushi since I didn't try it, but the rolls offered are only the very basic types, nothing creative or fancy. Entrees run about $15 a plate, and the atmosphere is very much trying to be upscale, which fits with the neighborhood, but the food is strictly down-home Korean, so the whole thing is a little incongrous. The servers were delightful and very helpful. I've had better Korean for less money in other establishments, though. The next time I come to Lexington, I'm trying a different restaurant.
(3)
Rui W.
Too make a long story short, this place is like the New York city food with our the NYC price. We love it.
(4)
Gail F.
Dabin can be very good, and it can be very bad. Tonight our order was delayed behind a large party. The server's response? Ignore us altogether! No water refills and refusing to make eye contact when we tried to get her attention. When we finally got her attention after waiting for a full hour, she made apologies and excuses but still took another 10 minutes to refill the water. We've had several good experiences at Dabin but this is not the first time it's been infuriatingly slow. There are at least two other sushi options in Lexington. We'll be trying them.
(2)
Jessie H.
Woke up with a severe sushi craving and found this place with the help of yelpers. Very nice simple but elegant atmosphere. They have tables with heating elements for hot pot as well as private rooms you must remove your shoes to enter. Awesome tempura, crispy and light. The sweet potato came a little al dente but hey, it was actually a nice texture for a change. The miso soup is the BEST I've ever had, so flavorful and rich. We ordered so much sushi and sashimi I can't remember what they all were, but everything was delicious. They know how to make a tight and tasty roll! My new favorite is the spicy scallop roll, just amazing flavors and textures from the raw scallop. I went for lunch and was in and out in an hour, but I will definitely be going back for dinner.
(5)
Boris R.
Went here for lunch and ordered a sushi+maki combo. The quality of the fish was subpar. The sashimi had a jelly like consistency and contained connecting tissue. Some pieces were oddly cut. It's not sushi grade fish in my opinion. The rice in the maki rolls was also hard and slate. I also got a stomach ache about 30 minutes after lunch-assuming it was due to the quality of the fish.
(2)
Martha L.
It's alright. I didn't feel particularly inspired by Dabin after going there for dinner one evening with friends. The restaurant is in Lexington center area. I dislike looking for parking in the suburbs so that's a deterrent for returning to eat at Dabin. It's a medium sized restaurant with 2 areas, fairly clean, decent service. The menu offered nothing special or spectacular. The food is OK. It is the suburbs and there is limited choices in the area, so if you happen to feel like Korean, it's not a bad choice. It is a bit pricier compared to other Korean places in MA, but not outrageous.
(3)
Dustin P.
I think I have a problem. Every time I'm in Lexington I have to eat here. The last trip home for Thanksgiving we had 2 meals in 6 days. I think my personal record is 3 meals in a week. It's insane. I'm absolutely addicted to the Triple Mushroom Fields dish. You MUST request that they make it spicy and--if you are feeling adventurous--add some tofu. Seriously, I would eat this every meal if I had to... The Vegetable roll is quite good as well. Overall, the sushi is excellent all around.
(5)
Internet U.
Nice place overall. The food was well done, with chicken a little overcooked, but everything else was nice. One of best edamame i've ever had. The staff was polite although a little uncoordinated at times. Overall, we had a pleasant experience and will likely come back in the future once we are in the area.
(4)
Adrian G.
Food was OK. Miso Soup was good, in fact it was the best part of my meal.
I had the Dabin Deluxe Bento box for lunch and it was yummy. Lots of food.
(4)
Ria B.
I came here to eat Japanese food and was plenty satisfied. What made me even happier was that they serve you a few Korean side dishes even if you aren't doing Korean barbecue! Yay for yummy pickled veggies and egg coated fried fish. If you are going for Sushi, definitely try one of the house special rolls that contain sweet potato. I was skeptical at first, but the sweet potato totally blended well with the unagi rolled inside. The steamed egg custard appetizer is also a joy to eat. I enjoyed one in Tokyo a few years ago and this was definitely up to par. Lots of juicy seafood tucked underneath creamy and savory egg. My friend ordered the chicken katsu and sadly it was rather dry. That's just my minor complaint for an otherwise impeccable meal.
(4)
Rich M.
I was really happy that Korean BBQ is available in Lexington! Instant plus just because it exists... A very nice mix of Japanese and Korean food. Tables are good for small groups and there are booths as well. The food (Kalbi anyway) is pretty good but I wouldn't call it the best I have ever had. The wait staff is extremely polite and the manager is good. Usually they are not too busy and it's always quick to find seating. However, on one occasion I was there when they were totally understaffed for the number of patrons; they looked rushed and sometimes forgot to check on a table. If you need to get anyone's attention it is pretty easy and they are quite accommodating. Love the hot towels at the beginning of dinner, it's a nice touch.
(4)
Gretchen M.
Oh yum! Everything here is good. I especially like that the restaurant is spacious and has a handful of private rooms (the ones with the seats low to the ground) that can fit about 10 people. I've never had to wait here to get a table but it is a very popular place.
(5)
Deb D.
Great restaurant! The wait staff are really nice and accommodating.
(5)
David W.
Best Dolsat Bi Bim Bop with Tofu I've had. Delicious!!
(4)
Hyun-Min K.
This restaurant has decent atmosphere. You can invite your customers here. But the food we tried are not delicious. They look good and clean but not tasty. Street Parking Only.
(3)
Mark G.
Best Asian restaurant in Lexington. Excellent food. Good if overbearing service.
(4)
Karman L.
Great sushi/sashimi combo...generous portion and fresh fish. Also the stone pot rice was very good also. Service was attentive and restaurant was very cozy.
(4)
Ryan L.
This place makes a decent Soodubu (soft tofu) jigae and their sushi isn't too bad either. I generally come here if I don't feel like driving far. It's a quaint cozy little hole in the wall Korean place just off of Lexington Center. It may not be top notch Korean cuisine but I've had a good experience for the items I've ordered.
(3)
Yan L.
Pretty good Korean BBQ there. Nice atmosphere, nice service.
(4)
Nom Nom T.
Tempura is light, crisp and not oily! Watch out the salmon sashimi.... mine had 2 pieces of bone!
(3)
Peter M.
We have always loved Dabin...but we wish they would make their lighting more attractive. It's too bright inside...dimmer lights would make a nicer atmosphere. But, great food...
(4)
Taeminn S.
Both my wife and I have been here many many times. What a nice place! Food is nicely presented. Staff are well trained and nice. Quite a wide-range of options including some spice Korean dishes. If you need to entertain doing BBQ, it works well. If I have to choose one place to go in Lexington for a meal, this would be it.
(5)
Linda N.
I never would have found this place if it hadn't been for Yelp! The exterior looks almost like a small house and I've passed by it on the street and never realized it was a restaurant -- and a very good one at that. Even though the night was cold and icy the majority of the tables were full with a variety of folks -- families, dating couples and groups of friends. Everyone seemed to be pretty happy with their food so I was ready to have a good meal. The interior is brightly lit and the decor is plain and straightforward. Dabin's menu is extensive, with a large selection of appetizers and Japanese and Korean dishes. In addition to sushi, there's a variety of standard entrees (tempura, teriyaki, and stir-fried noodles) and also pot-cooked dinners (sukiyaki, geegae) and other different and intriguing dishes. Definitely alot to choose from, and more than usual for a neighborhood restaurant. Prices are moderate, and service is almost too good -- I caught our waitress hovering a few times as I was taking the last few bites of a dish. Although we didn't order alot, what we ordered was hot, fresh and nicely prepared. The nabeyaki udon had a flavorful broth and a nice variety of veggies, chicken bits and egg, topped with a couple of shrimp tempura. It was a filling and complete meal in a bowl. The tempura order was crispy and light and not oily. I'm only sorry I wasn't hungrier. Definitely worth multiple return trips to explore the rest of the menu.
(4)
Della C.
I love this place and eat here about once a week with my husband, my kids, my parents in any combination. We all find something we like here and they make us feel right at home. The food is Japanese and Korean and I have never had a bad meal. Try the specials and don't be afraid to branch out!
(4)
Cee C.
I have been going to this place for almost 12 years now. It is a very nice restaurant. There are booths that parties can sit together. The ambiance is really nice, and the service is superb. The food comes in very quickly, and it is very good. The sushi is fresh and not too pricey. I really also enjoy eating the udon noodles, they are huge portions, and mmm they have good Bi Bim Bap. It is one of the only family run restaurants besides Yangtze's River that has not closed. This means a lot as Lexington has had huge turn overs in restaurant businesses.
(5)
Matthias J.
I had been to Daikanyama for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The friend that took me there, pointed out that Dabin, just a block away, might be a tad better and more upscale, so I took my wife with high expectations. I was disappointed from the decoration to the service on to the food. The place looks more like your average Chinese restaurant. Somehow the much praised warm towels were never delivered tu us (maybe we looked too clean?). Finally the tempura and the Bulgogi were utterly unremarkable. I'll take a lunch at Daikanyama over dinner at Dabin any day.
(3)
Mk P.
I love there king maki!!! It is a little pricey but really good!!!!
(4)
Tiffany D.
Wow. Delicious and the waitstaff is really friendly. I've been here once a few years ago for dinner and once recently a few weeks ago for lunch. I love how it's two of my favorite cuisines, Japanese & Korean. They give out panchan (sp?) the little side dishes, with the Korean food.. they have bento boxes... my mom got a tempura bento and I got the stone pot Bi Bim Bap! DELICIOUS!!! I wish it was closer to where I live now tho...
(4)
M C.
Good service. A- on the food. Bi-bim-bop excellent. Bulgogi fairly good. Good price. We dig this joint.
(4)
Joy H.
I don't usually eat out in the suburbs, but this is definitely one of my favorite places. I go for the Korean barbecue, which is excellent. The pajeon was really good one night but not so great the next night. I like that it's really easy to find parking and that for a party of 5-6, there was no waiting on a Saturday night.
(4)
Lee D.
Awesome food. A bit on the pricy side though. And they have some wierd hours. I can't tell you how many time's I've wanted to order takeout from them only to have to wait an hour or so to order because they are closed. I love the Age tofu
(5)
Sam S.
Their sushi is pretty average, not bad at all but if you're looking for good sushi in Lexington center, Dabin is not as good as the 'Dyke' (other sushi place in Lexington center on Waltham st).
(3)
Christine P.
I have been dragging everyone to this restaurant since I heard about it about 10 years ago on the phantem gourmet. Friends actually told the real estate agent when we looking at houses, that it was because I wanted to be closer to the restaurant ( although that might be because when I was pregnant with my son I had my husband drive from Boston a couple of times a week for the salad dressing). Sushi is best around, the grill in the back is great fun, love just about every thing I have ever tried there.
(5)
jkhkjh j.
This restaurant turned me into a sushi lover. The waitstaff is extremely friendly. I love how when you first arrive you are given warm towels to wash your hands. Some of my favorites dishes are the Miso soup, Vegetable Rolls, Chicken Terriyaki, and California Rolls. The icecream is also tasty.
(5)
greg k.
This review is for their naengmyun. I haven't tried anything else. The naengmyun is the best I've had outside of Koreatown in LA. It's not in the menu mind you and served only in the summer. You know they serve it when you see a piece of paper with "naengmyun" written on it in Korean on the front counter. I live far away so I drive out there only on weekends and always call beforehand to see if naengmyun is available. I would probably go there more frequently if I lived nearby.
(5)
Holly A.
Dabin has always held a special place in my heart. Have been going for years with my kids who love their sushi and seafood pancake. Over the years I have gotten used to the haphazard service but when I went recently with an actual live grownup, I saw the place through new eyes and was sort of, well, appalled. First, the place needs a facelift. It's really showing wear and tear and doesn't seem especially clean. We were given a table in Siberia which made forgetting us really, really easy. At first, our server was pretty insistent we order NOW and after slinging our myriad dishes our way and all at once, she disappeared. At one point I had to chase her down for more beverages and ginger. And once our meal was over, our server jumped into action to get us out of there as fast as possible. I don't blame the service on the servers who seem generally inept and confused. I think the staffing is insufficient for the tables served. That said, I do like their sushi rolls. The nigiri rice was a little dry and the sashimi was just okay. I will probably take my kids again when they beg me but probably won't go again with an actual grown up who understands food and service. Their mints are really good though and be to sure stuff your pockets on the way out.
(3)
dan w.
Quite possibly the worst service I have experienced in a local restaurant. Non-existent would be a better description. After setting down all the food at once (appetizers and main courses) the waitress (who barely spoke English) simply disappeared. The food itself, from the steamed shumai, to the fried tempura, to the sushi, was at best uniformly mediocre.
(2)
Rosalie J.
Expensive for mediocre food. Ordered a $13 dollar seafood pancake for only 2/9 slices to have any sort of seafood and 7/9 slices to only have peppers/veggies. But even that pales in comparison to the service. Came in as a party of 2, with the 3rd one coming at a later time. As we were being seated, I noticed that we were the only table in which we didn't receive warm towels upon being seated. Although we were curious as to why we didn't receive those towels, we didn't bother to ask. Then, we were served our banchan, complimentary side dishes, one of the joys I look forward to whenever I eat at Korean restaurants. Except, we were the only table with 2 banchan (bean sprout and cucumber), while I noticed all of the other tables have 3. So we asked our waitress, a skinny girl with glasses, as to why we only had 2 banchan. She then said that the number of orders we had were insufficient to have a 3rd one. I've been to many Korean restaurants and have never heard of such a thing, especially for only 2 banchan. But we said that we had a 3rd party who will order when he arrives and were wondering if she could bring out a 3rd banchan (white raddish) a bit earlier. She begrudgingly brought it. The food took a very long time to come out. So we finished eating the banchan before our food came out. While waiting, I asked the waitress to bring refills. She looked baffled at the idea of me asking for seconds and sternly said 'this is your last time.'The way she said it and her attitude towards us made us feel inferior, almost as if we were begging her for food. Now, our 3rd party came and ordered his food. As he was waiting for his food, he asked the waitress for some banchan. The waitress silently and unwillingly brought them. We then noticed that she was talking about us with another waitress in Chinese (as we speak Chinese ourselves). In addition to the banchan, the waitress did not bother to refill our tea nor check in with our table. Bothered by the attitude we've received from the waitress, we asked her to bring her manager. But it was evident that the waitress has talked to her about us as the manager immediately defended the waitress and offered an insincere apology. We left feeling very angry and belittled by the staff, especially that waitress. There are a lot of better restaurants with much better service and better food (even Hmart has better food for a cheaper price). I will not be returning to this restaurant.
(1)
David T.
Small Korean/Japanese restaurant in Lexington Center. My favorites here are their Chap Chae, Tempura, and Donburi.
(4)
Richard C.
I've been there at least 4 times. Not once received fair service. One time, took 15 minutes to order food and another 30 plus minutes past and still no food nor any info whether the food is being prepared. Left the restaurant with an hour of wasted time. Later realized greedy owner who hires two servers to serve 10 plus tables each. Prolly has only one chef. Held year end Korean Christmas party with fellow co-workers. Horrible service. Ridiculous. Never go there. I'm a Korean, and been to every single Korean restaurant in Greater Boston area. This is definitely the worst.
(1)
Andrew Q.
I cannot stand how overpriced this place is, but I suppose that's a problem that occurs at all Japanese and Korean restaurants, right? The food doesn't strike me as particularly spectacular or demanding of their pricetags. Everything, from the cuts of their sushi, to the flavor of their udon, is average. I'm just not seeing where the price is coming from. Service is good, and the decor is pretty standard. The entire restaurant makes me think it's your standard Japanese Korean fusion restaurant, but the dishes all have a $5 bump, and I still can't figure out why.
(2)
AShwin G.
We have lived in Lexington for the past 8 years and have enjoyed quite a few meals at Dabin. Unfortunately, our most recent experience was extremely disappointing. We ordered bibimbop which contained large chunks of mushrooms which had been hydrated enough and we're disgusting. The Kimche bokoum tasted great but we were surprised that the portion size was so much smaller than in the past. The scallops in the teriyaki were overcooked and it was clear that the sauce was added as an afterthought. All in all, I think we will be looking for a new place to get our korean food fix.
(2)
David L.
This is your typical Goldilocks Korean restaurant in Boston/sleepy suburbs of MA - not too hot and not too cold. The apps like mandoo aka gyoza, shumai, and seaweed salad are of the frozen fare, but that's to be expected. The Korean entrees satisfy my spicy cravings during the cold winter months...pork kimchee bokeum, pork bulgogi, or ddukbokki. Ditto for the dolsot bibimbap and soondooboo jigae (a bit watered down/bland the last time I ordered it). My wife likes the vegetable maki combo... The service is a-OK. A bit stingy when it comes to the banchan, but that's life. On a couple of occasions I got the "stink eye" when I asked for more banchan...sorry, I'm Korean and I have the appetite of a 7 year old Somalian girl.
(3)
Jessica W.
This restaurant is in my hometown, and I happen to work down the street so I will pop in here every now and again for lunch. The food is great and if you like bi bim bap, they have the hot stone as well and its awesome! I am a fan of the food here, I think there traditional korean dishes are delicious, I just don't like the waitstaff here. I have found them to be really rude the last few times I came in and it was actually a bit annoying. Say hi! I know you can...lol
(3)
Wei W.
I had no idea this place existed til I did a Yelp search. And now, I'm hooked. I have to admit that my very first visit was a takeout order for a girls' night - we ordered about $90 worth of appetizers, sushi and sashimi - Oyster Tempura, Fried Softshell Crab, Sashimi Deluxe for Two, Tuna Maki, and Salmon Maki. They told us it would be about a half hour, so we got there around the 20-minute mark. Lo-and-behold, our food was ready to go! Much quicker than we'd expected. We went back to my place and proceeded to devour our takeout. The oyster tempura was quick succulent despite having been in a takeout container for 20+ minutes. The sashimi deluxe came with rice and miso soup, a great plus since we needed something to keep our appetites going as we dug into the rest of the sushi. Towards the end, amongst four girls, we still had what amounted to a roll and a half of sushi leftover. Even though it was so delicious, we'd stuffed ourselves (eyes too big for our stomachs!). Nevertheless, it was a great first meal at this restaurant and I'm definitely making a lunch trip back there!
(5)
Karen G.
Dabin is a lunch time favorite of mine, just a short drive away from work. My go-to is the dolsot bibimbap. It always comes out fresh and hot. The portion is enough for lunch the next day, too. I like the panchan (the little appetizers) they serve as you wait for your meal. I love the bean sprouts! They also have fish cakes, radish and carrots, cucumber, and kimchi. The green tea is also great and they don't charge extra for it!! Yes! Today, I tried the Chirashi and was not blown away by it. It came with 3 tuna sashimi, 2 salmon sashimi, 2 yellowtail sashimi, 2 mackerel sashimi, 2 pieces of imitation crab, 2 pieces of sweet egg, and 1 shrimp. All served over a bed of sushi rice. It was a good portion for lunch and I was overall happy with the meal. But the yellowtail and mackerel were not great - either old or the cut was weird. The tuna and the salmon was fine though. Next time, I would just go for the tekkadon next time I'm in the mood for sushi, but otherwise, I will stick to my dolsot bibimbap. I also came here for my best friend's rehearsal dinner for her wedding. I am not sure what we got, there were plates after plates of Korean food, but everything was great. They have private rooms in the back area where you take off your shoes and sit in little recessed areas with short tables. Overall, the service here is good, but not outstanding. The waitresses are very forgetful if you ask for something after your meal comes out. Maybe they get overwhelmed easily when it is busy.
(4)
Samantha W.
4 of us were here for a Sunday dinner and split quite a few apps and entrees. We started out with some dumpling soup ( house-made dumplings and a little bit of clear noodles at the bottom!), beef & scallion soup, veg tempura, & kimchee pa jun - very generous sized and not skimpy on the seafood at all.The tempura was tender and perfectly crispy. Entrees were Pork bulgogi, beef bulgogi, kalbi and tukboki ( dukbokki, a savory, peppery stewed rice cakes and fish cakes), all excellent. The tukboki was especially rich and warming on a rainy cold day, the meats were all cooked perfectly and seasoned well too. We did have to ask for rice, but the banchan was actually quite generous and we had at least 6 different kinds to go with all our food. We didn't try the sushi though the sushi bar was immaculate and had a nice looking selection of fresh fish... Endless refills on the green tea & water. Service was just right, not too 'hover-y' so we had lots of time to visit and enjoy our meal. The prices were on the higher side yet still reasonable since the quality was very good. Nice cloth napkins, I know it's a small detail but I like that when dining out. The atmosphere was clean and comfortable. The manager/owner (?) thanked us on the way out, always a nice touch. I would love to go back again and try them for lunch.
(4)
Diana G.
Absolutely wonderful - fresh, tasty food and a warm, homey environment.
(5)
Carrie C.
We ordered the pork belly BBQ and it's a little different from the one we have in Allston( Korean neighbor). fried tempura was too dry, noddle was ok. price is reasonable. It's Korean and Japaneses restaurant, but i don't feel it's so Korean or Japanese. service is ok.
(3)
D J.
Was very happy with the dolsot bibimbap. The waitstaff was helpful and was very pleasant. This will definitely be a repeat lunch option
(4)
Anne W.
Meh. Went here yesterday after being told it was a decent place to get Korean bbq. There really isn't any Korean places in Boston to be honest. Most places in Boston are overpriced.. but I still think I would rather stick to Allston area instead of coming out to this spot in Lexington. First off.. the side dishes can only be refilled once. That's kind of weird for me since most Korean places just keep giving it to you. Second off.. the bbq is just overpriced and there is no grill to cook it on. It's precooked and comes out. We got the kalbi (which was okay but only two pieces for $20+), chicken (which was really tough and not that tasty), and bulgogi (okay but not that tender). We also got the tempura which was okay.. yeah, it's okay... but it's just deep fried stuff. Meh.. for an Asian, I would say it wasn't very good. Perhaps I needed to get the noodles or soups or bimbimbap. It's way out of my way.. so probably not going again. But it is near Burlington Mall so that's a plus!!
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
Johnny P.
the food is average, but hightly priced. Sushi is not what you want to try here. their fish is just so dry that you don't feel like eating "Sushi." As for the Sushi, I would recommend GenKiYa or Daikanyama. Their Korean food is not really Korean, but Americanized with lots of MSG. The Only thing I like here is Kalbi, but they charge $28 dollars per order. This is 5 dollars more than usual. If you asked for side dish or lettuce, the waitlesses will give you stinky eyes. The worst thing I don't like about this place is their service. The waitlesses won't remember what you asked for; they sometimes don't appear for about 30 minutes. We were placed in the back side of their restaurant for BBQ, but no one appeared. So I had to chase them. Especially, a Chinese girl with glasses, a skinny one, she is terrible. If you complain against their bad servce, then you will see her fighting back to you. Scary! Don't go there
(1)Asmika D.
I was so disappointed by this place that I had to rethink for a moment about whether Yelp!ers from Massachusetts know what they're talking about when it comes to Japanese/Korean cuisine. The boyfriend and I walked in at about 8:30 on a Thursday night - it was completely deserted but the place started filling up 20 minutes later. The decor was really nice and the restaurant was clean. Unfortunately, the pros end there. The cons? We ordered spicy tuna roll, Philadelphia roll, salmon sashimi, lobster avocado salad and fried udon with chicken. Spicy tuna roll - dime sized with tuna that tasted stale Philadelphia roll - rancid smoked salmon that had been salted a second time to mask the taste/smell Salmon - Decent sized pieces that were stale Lobster avocado salad - Served in a martini glass on a bed of daikon for $10 with mostly mayonnaise and hardly any avocado or lobster Fried udon with chicken - So greasy, it tasted like oil, broccoli was going bad, there were yellow spots on it, chicken was dry Writing this review is making me sad because all of my other food experiences in Boston/Lexington were amazing. I would never return and I'm so upset that I overpaid for terrible food and crappy service.
(1)Dwayne S.
I visited this "Korean" restaurant one evening when I was in town, wondering where any Korean food was located in town. And I found this one! I had the pork bulgogi, which was on par! It came with the usual side dishes, Kimchee, pickled radish, and bean sprouts. I also had the fried pork dumplings, and they were amazing too! I was sad to know that they only made it with pork, and not with beef. I was very satisfied with the dish, and will go back when I'm in town again. The Miso soup was good too. This is not the best place that I have been to, but for the northeast, this is only the second Korean restaurant that I have had the pleasure of sampling. I have lived in Korea, and I have experienced amazing food there, to include here in America too. One of my favorite places that I have been, was in Valpraiso, FL, and the restaurant is called Suns Korean Restaurant. I should post a review for them one day soon. Another few others close by to that restaurant in Fort Walton Beach are called Korea House and Okki Dokki. Simply the best Korean Restaurants that I've ever experienced stateside! If you haven't tried those places yet, you must! If I could give them 10 stars, I would!
(4)Zeeshan S.
Service is slow and non-existent. One chef behind the bar can't keep up with the orders. The sushi is below average.
(1)J C.
Had the Chirashi bowl. Each slice of the fish felt fresh and had bright flavors. Decently priced.
(4)Monica B.
I went to this place during my hour lunch from work and I loved it! It was around 12:45pm so the place was still a bit crowded and the service took a little longer than usual but, every place is like this in a Business Center area so, I can't blame them. I ordered the Bulgogi Bento Box. Oh me, Oh my! First, they brought me miso soup and tempura vegetables. The tempura was light and tasty. Then I got a cucumber and carrots salad, very cold and very delicious. It had a citrous-y dressing/marinade yummy! Then I got my box and just by looking at it, I was full!! Grilled beef marinated in special DaBin sauce, this beef was brought down to earth from the Gods!! Tender, tasty and perfectly seasoned. White rice, fresh salad with a delicious ginger dressing, an absolutely delicious dumpling. Oh, I can't forget the perfectly cooked yakisoba. Crunchy but cooked vegetables and the sauces were not overwhelming at all (like in other places). Green tea is complementary. I left that place feeling I had robbed them! My box was $10.99 only and I feel I ate lunch and dinner!! But, not to worry, a girl knows how to tip well when her stomach is happy. Mine, certainly was (still is)!!
(5)Natalie K.
The food and service here are great. They have a few tables outside, which is lovely in nice weather. I ordered Dolsan Bibimbop and stuffed zucchini appetizer. Both were tasty and cams out quickly.
(4)Tamara P.
just ordered Nabeyaki Udon Luncheon special right during lunch (12:30pm) on a Friday, for pick-up. Order was done within the promised 15 minutes. For under $13 (including tax!) I got the soup, shrimp tempura and a side of flavorful roasted bean sprouts! Everything tastes great! Service was pleasant. Will definitely go there again.
(4)Alison R.
Ever since moving out to Massachusetts I've been craving real home cooked Korean food like at my fave OC Korean spot (Kaya). I hit up this Japanese/Korean place on a Tuesday evening around 6:30 and it was pretty quiet. I ended up ordering the "beef and scallion soup" since it sounded most like my all time favorite korean dish (Yukgaejang) and the regular chicken katsu. Both dishes were tasty but only 3 star tasty.. not great but not bad. The beef and scallion soup was kind of bland (not spicy enough) but the beef was super tender. They used a pretty thick filet for the chicken katsu which was a plus but you can't really screw up chicken katsu so I'm sticking with my 3 star review! Also, the restaurant was clean and the staff was friendly so I would go there again.
(3)Tyler Y.
food here is just alright. nothing to be proud of. the best thing on the menu has to be the sapporo beer. but then again. its pretty hard to get bottled beer wrong. am i right? for how pricey everything is i rather cook for myself. way cheaper and definitely tastes better.
(1)Vivian C.
The fourth star is for the pleasant service. Our waters were refilled several times through the night and they were patient about our waiting for the late arrival of the last of our party. This is a nice place to visit - the food's okay, the bathroom clean, there's a party room in the back for those who wish to take off their shoes and sit on the floor, and there are table top cooking options in the second dining room (and maybe even in the first, but I'm not sure). They had some difficulty getting all our orders to the table at the same time, so that wasn't ideal. But my taste of the scallop katsu was crispy outside, hot and juicy inside (10 in the entree order). My own order of dumpling soup was hot and floated with egg, vermicelli, and two plump dumplings ($4.95). The avocado salad ($6.95) was cute in a martini glass, but a bit too creamy... I had thought it might come in avocado chunks rather than like a guacamole. The maki roll with eel and salmon skin ($6.95) was okay.
(4)Dana S.
been to Dabin for takeout and sit down. Very sweet staff. When I get sushi takeout they are attentive and helpful- offering me a cup of tea once when I was clearly sick with a cold while I waited for my sushi . When we went for sit down the atmosphere was much slower than anticipated but lots of food and it was all very flavorful. We got some kind of hot pot dish and one that cooked on the Korean style grill thingy at our table (that was a cool feature) Did NOT leave hungry! Only downside was that I felt a bit left out - maybe our waitress was having an off evening that time - would go back again though.
(3)Kevin T.
It was good. No complaints just kind of normal Korean. Next time I'll try something different. Maybe give them a better rating.
(3)Catie C.
I had a Deluxe Bento box over lunch here. The fish wasn't the best of quality, so bleh on the sushi. The color wasn't even vibrant - old fish. The tempura was good, not too oily. I like the salad dressing, not too overpowering. Bulgoki was alright, nothing to rave about. Same goes for the Gyoza. I like the fact that they handed out hot napkins to wipe our hands. With the Swine flu panic, this is a good compliment.
(3)Joanna C.
Infinitely polite, even when I was sitting there waiting for forty minutes for a lost friend to show! I ordered some sushi to tide me over while I waited, and when my friend finally showed, we ordered some Korean Short Ribs (Kalbi!) for dinner. I had been CRAVING kalbi for a while now - hadn't tried Korean BBQ in Boston, and was dying for just a mouthful of rice and lettuce and meaty grilled goodness. And Dabin didn't disappoint! Although... yes, I did have one complaint. The ban-chan (the small side dishes) were woe-fully inadequate. They only gave us three small plates of goodies, and not one was of kimchee! How can I eat Korean BBQ without kimchee?? But they did bring me out a dish of it after I requested it. Service was right on the money. We were the LAST ones to leave (at 9:55PM, 5 minutes before closing), and not once did we feel hurried nor neglected. I am definitely fan.
(4)pete k.
Had a fantastic bento lunch here - the Dabin Deluxe. Loved it! Really nice little Japanese restaurant with some Korean menu items. There was nothing not to like, aside from the metered parking lot in the back. Tempura was fresh and crunchy. Sashimi was very fresh and tasty (tuna and salmon). The box also included miso soup, salad, rice, teriyaki chix, gyoza, and some some california maki. I was very pleased and stuffed at the end. The chicken was the weak point here, a little bland and a little dry.
(4)Bobby C.
From all the reviews, I was also expecting a lot from this place. Ordered the sweetheart. fried dragon, and fantasy maki rolls. The fantasy roll was very tasty. The sweetheart wasn't bad either. On the plus side, there is a metered parking lot behind the building.
(3)Emily G.
I've been here a few times. I am a vegetarian, but even so there are a few great appetizer and entree options to choose from. More than you would expect to find in a Korean/Japanese restaurant, at least. It is sometimes hard to communicate with the waitresses, so I am not 100% sure that everything I ate was vegetarian... Most recently I took two friends here who are avid meat-eaters. They had the barbecued eel and the beef tongue BBQ. They said it was very tasty and were really full by the time we left. I've never been here when the restaurant is very busy, so I hope they stay in business. I really enjoyed the vegetable gyoza.
(3)Robo T.
Dabin is off the beaten path in Lexington Center. It features sushi, japanese and korean dishes. I went here with a couple friends and we cooked japanese items. The meat gyoza (ordered steamed) were decent however their dipping sauce was a lot saltier than other places. The yakitori kushi were a disappointment. The chicken was very tough and dry and the marinade/sauce was a litle too heavy on the fish sauce base. Believe it or not the boiled edamame needed a little more salt. The tatsuta age were okay but nothing amazing. The chicken terryaki dinner was served with grilled apples which was a nice touch rarely seen. However the overall impression of the dish was low. The chicken was dry and tough. We didn't realize it until after that two of us ordered dinners that were supposed to come with miso soup. It never got served. I will probably go back just to try the korean bbq which you need to decide in advance so they seat you at a grill table.
(2)Shannon F.
Went here for the first time about a week ago for lunch. Their portions are a great size, I ended up needing a to go box my lunch was so big- I had the bento box. The chicken was good if not a tad dry but the vegetables were perfect, still crunchy and just the right amount of flavoring while still allowing the flavors of the vegetables to come through. A really nice touch are the different salads and pickled things that come to the table first- I really liked the cucumber salad as well as the spicy pickled dikon.
(4)Jane Z.
They're great! My daughter used to go here with her friends all the time, and I couldn't be happier with them. They're generally quite, which is nice. The food is tasty. Great place to take the kids!
(4)Larissa C.
After arranging an impromptu night out with my sisters, we decided to try Dabin. After finding parking in the back lot we walked in to a relaxing and simple ambiance. Although I'm not a huge snob for atmosphere I liked the clean lines and simple decor. Although we came for sushi my new Korean food obsession popped up, and I ordered Bibim Bap. Although Dabin gave it a new spin Sashimi Bibim Bap! While my sister's kept with their maki game plan I got to experience the delicious combination of salmon, tuna, and hamachi over a bed of rice and vegetables with the Bibim Bap signature spicy red sauce. The spicy sauce here was particularly memorable, balancing out the fresh fish flavors with a little kick. I want to come back here asap to have this dish again.
(4)Nikki C.
Great clean and flavorful food. A great lunch value in quiet Lexington Center. Best part: the amuse-bouche served before every meal!
(5)Jenni D.
I've gone here quite a few times for dinner and I always order raw sushi when I go. Always made fresh and very tasty!
(4)Rebecca R.
I have to say after reading the reviews, I was excited, but in reality it was very disappointing! The only thing I enjoyed was the plum wine. I ordered two sushi rolls, spicy tuna and salmon and avo, and a cup of miso soup. The three complementary samplers that arrived were OK. The salad was good, the tempora was cold and soggy, and the fish tasted like chicken. The miso soup was OK, but the rolls didn't have much flavor, the tuna was all mashed up, and the seaweed was extra soggy but chewy. I was excited to share sushi with a friend who had never tried it before, and I have a feeling she will never try it again. In the end, I have had much better sushi elsewhere and I will never go again.
(2)J F.
We come to Dabin or get take-out about once per week, sometimes more. We really like it. It's hospitable friendly service, and good solid food. We love the free little Korean appetizers. Such a nice little treat. Sure, for serious sushi connoisseurs - it's no Sushi Yasuda in NYC or anything like what you get in L.A., but it's a great solid place in Lexington. The owners are really nice and put the customer first. No attitude. Before it was Dabin, it was Roka, and I started eating at Roka in Cambridge in the early 80s. They have the most yummy dressing for the Garden Salad, the same recipe as at Roka in the 80s. Always my favorite. Also love the tatami room for big groups (esp if you have young kids), and my kids love the comfy booths. Lunch is also the best deal in town and super quick. Definitely come here over Daikanyama. I don't understand why people go there.
(5)L P.
Definitely not for sushi, anyway. Just moved to Lexington and tried it for the first time tonight. My husband & I thought "delux sushi for two" would be a good sampler, and threw in an eel avocado roll for our 2 year old. $60. What a disappointment!! Although the on-line description promised "18 pieces of maki sushi and 12 pieces of nigiri sushi," 12 of our 18 pieces of maki contained no fish. We received 6 pieces of plain cucumber maki (really???), a California roll with imitation crab, and 6 pieces of plain tuna maki (apparently they used their cucumber quota on the other roll, because they didn't add so much as a cuke, scallion or avocado to the tuna roll). SUCH a disappointment! Since they hadn't bagged my take-out sushi, I was able to see the cucumber roll and voiced my discontent. Three times, actually, explaining that I thought the menu was misleading and if they were worried about pricing they should raise the price rather than offer filler like plain cucumber maki. The person I spoke with said she would share my opinion with the manager. That was it. They had a chance to address an unhappy customer and chose not to. As for the nigiri, it contained shrimp, octapus, mackerel, eel, salmon, tuna, yellowtail. The cuts were chewy and not buttery. The quality left something to be desired. In fact, the best part of the whole meal was the kimchee sides. I should have just saved my money and ordered two of those! This definitely will not be my sushi joint in my new neighborhood... next up, Ginger in Bedford, which my neighbor told me is her pick.
(1)Amanda P.
To reiterate: I'm a Korean food snob. This place is all right, but it's definitely not my favorite Korean restaurant, or even my favorite Korean restaurant in New England. While looking through the extensive menu, we got an order of the vegetable gyoza to keep the kids from going nuts. They came promptly and were perfect: crispy, not greasy, and not deep fried (I always hate when people think that you can deep-fry Asian style dumplings). The Korean menu was full of all the typical stuff, with soups and rice dishes, barbecue, and other classic dishes like pancakes, jap chae, and goma ae. We ordered our usual (boring, I know, but limited to veggie/fish and with two kids in tow, there are only a few things on the typical Korean menu that are both within our dietary restrictions and not too spicy or strong-flavored for the kids): vegetable pancake, dolsot bibimbop with no meat, and jap chae with no meat. The pancake was very tasty, but I was annoyed by the price. The plain vegetable pancake was actually not on the menu, but the price for a seafood/vegetable pancake was about $12. I asked if we left the seafood out, if they would lower the price. I was told no, that the price was the same whether the pancake contained such delicacies as shrimp and squid or whether it had just scallions and peppers. This struck me as a little unfair. The dolsot bibimbop was almost perfect, with lots of spinach and zucchini and some shiitake mushrooms. It came with a nice, strong miso soup, and had the requisite sunny-side up fried egg on top (for those concerned about the safety of this practice, flip the egg over before you eat, and it will cook on the other side). I would have preferred the rice be a little crispier on the bottom, but all in all it was good. The jap chae was very disappointing, though. It was way overcooked, to the point that the yam noodles fell apart when I tried to pick them up with chopsticks. Jap chae should be firmer. Ponchon were delicious, and included mackerel cakes (my favorite). There is also an extensive Japanese menu and a sushi bar. I can't comment on the quality of the sushi since I didn't try it, but the rolls offered are only the very basic types, nothing creative or fancy. Entrees run about $15 a plate, and the atmosphere is very much trying to be upscale, which fits with the neighborhood, but the food is strictly down-home Korean, so the whole thing is a little incongrous. The servers were delightful and very helpful. I've had better Korean for less money in other establishments, though. The next time I come to Lexington, I'm trying a different restaurant.
(3)Rui W.
Too make a long story short, this place is like the New York city food with our the NYC price. We love it.
(4)Gail F.
Dabin can be very good, and it can be very bad. Tonight our order was delayed behind a large party. The server's response? Ignore us altogether! No water refills and refusing to make eye contact when we tried to get her attention. When we finally got her attention after waiting for a full hour, she made apologies and excuses but still took another 10 minutes to refill the water. We've had several good experiences at Dabin but this is not the first time it's been infuriatingly slow. There are at least two other sushi options in Lexington. We'll be trying them.
(2)Jessie H.
Woke up with a severe sushi craving and found this place with the help of yelpers. Very nice simple but elegant atmosphere. They have tables with heating elements for hot pot as well as private rooms you must remove your shoes to enter. Awesome tempura, crispy and light. The sweet potato came a little al dente but hey, it was actually a nice texture for a change. The miso soup is the BEST I've ever had, so flavorful and rich. We ordered so much sushi and sashimi I can't remember what they all were, but everything was delicious. They know how to make a tight and tasty roll! My new favorite is the spicy scallop roll, just amazing flavors and textures from the raw scallop. I went for lunch and was in and out in an hour, but I will definitely be going back for dinner.
(5)Boris R.
Went here for lunch and ordered a sushi+maki combo. The quality of the fish was subpar. The sashimi had a jelly like consistency and contained connecting tissue. Some pieces were oddly cut. It's not sushi grade fish in my opinion. The rice in the maki rolls was also hard and slate. I also got a stomach ache about 30 minutes after lunch-assuming it was due to the quality of the fish.
(2)Martha L.
It's alright. I didn't feel particularly inspired by Dabin after going there for dinner one evening with friends. The restaurant is in Lexington center area. I dislike looking for parking in the suburbs so that's a deterrent for returning to eat at Dabin. It's a medium sized restaurant with 2 areas, fairly clean, decent service. The menu offered nothing special or spectacular. The food is OK. It is the suburbs and there is limited choices in the area, so if you happen to feel like Korean, it's not a bad choice. It is a bit pricier compared to other Korean places in MA, but not outrageous.
(3)Dustin P.
I think I have a problem. Every time I'm in Lexington I have to eat here. The last trip home for Thanksgiving we had 2 meals in 6 days. I think my personal record is 3 meals in a week. It's insane. I'm absolutely addicted to the Triple Mushroom Fields dish. You MUST request that they make it spicy and--if you are feeling adventurous--add some tofu. Seriously, I would eat this every meal if I had to... The Vegetable roll is quite good as well. Overall, the sushi is excellent all around.
(5)Internet U.
Nice place overall. The food was well done, with chicken a little overcooked, but everything else was nice. One of best edamame i've ever had. The staff was polite although a little uncoordinated at times. Overall, we had a pleasant experience and will likely come back in the future once we are in the area.
(4)Adrian G.
Food was OK. Miso Soup was good, in fact it was the best part of my meal.
(1)Kalynn H.
We went to Dabin for the first time last night and we were pleasantly surprised. I had looked up the menu online before going and decided I was going to get some Korean Barbecue. NOTE: If you want to do the Korean Barbecue where you cook it at your table, tell the hostess. They had to move us to a different section of the restaurant. We received three different "snacks" as part of our pre meal. They were good, but nothing to write home about. As an appetizer we ordered Hamachi Collar. This is one of the favorite parts of the fish for us, so it is always a treat. I got sirloin Korean Barbecue and my husband got a hot and spicy pot dish. We both really enjoyed our food and ended up with lots of leftovers. We will definitely be back, but maybe just get an appetizer and split an entrée next time!
(4)Jennifer K.
I had the Dabin Deluxe Bento box for lunch and it was yummy. Lots of food.
(4)Ria B.
I came here to eat Japanese food and was plenty satisfied. What made me even happier was that they serve you a few Korean side dishes even if you aren't doing Korean barbecue! Yay for yummy pickled veggies and egg coated fried fish. If you are going for Sushi, definitely try one of the house special rolls that contain sweet potato. I was skeptical at first, but the sweet potato totally blended well with the unagi rolled inside. The steamed egg custard appetizer is also a joy to eat. I enjoyed one in Tokyo a few years ago and this was definitely up to par. Lots of juicy seafood tucked underneath creamy and savory egg. My friend ordered the chicken katsu and sadly it was rather dry. That's just my minor complaint for an otherwise impeccable meal.
(4)Rich M.
I was really happy that Korean BBQ is available in Lexington! Instant plus just because it exists... A very nice mix of Japanese and Korean food. Tables are good for small groups and there are booths as well. The food (Kalbi anyway) is pretty good but I wouldn't call it the best I have ever had. The wait staff is extremely polite and the manager is good. Usually they are not too busy and it's always quick to find seating. However, on one occasion I was there when they were totally understaffed for the number of patrons; they looked rushed and sometimes forgot to check on a table. If you need to get anyone's attention it is pretty easy and they are quite accommodating. Love the hot towels at the beginning of dinner, it's a nice touch.
(4)Gretchen M.
Oh yum! Everything here is good. I especially like that the restaurant is spacious and has a handful of private rooms (the ones with the seats low to the ground) that can fit about 10 people. I've never had to wait here to get a table but it is a very popular place.
(5)Deb D.
Great restaurant! The wait staff are really nice and accommodating.
(5)David W.
Best Dolsat Bi Bim Bop with Tofu I've had. Delicious!!
(4)Hyun-Min K.
This restaurant has decent atmosphere. You can invite your customers here. But the food we tried are not delicious. They look good and clean but not tasty. Street Parking Only.
(3)Mark G.
Best Asian restaurant in Lexington. Excellent food. Good if overbearing service.
(4)Karman L.
Great sushi/sashimi combo...generous portion and fresh fish. Also the stone pot rice was very good also. Service was attentive and restaurant was very cozy.
(4)Ryan L.
This place makes a decent Soodubu (soft tofu) jigae and their sushi isn't too bad either. I generally come here if I don't feel like driving far. It's a quaint cozy little hole in the wall Korean place just off of Lexington Center. It may not be top notch Korean cuisine but I've had a good experience for the items I've ordered.
(3)Yan L.
Pretty good Korean BBQ there. Nice atmosphere, nice service.
(4)Nom Nom T.
Tempura is light, crisp and not oily! Watch out the salmon sashimi.... mine had 2 pieces of bone!
(3)Peter M.
We have always loved Dabin...but we wish they would make their lighting more attractive. It's too bright inside...dimmer lights would make a nicer atmosphere. But, great food...
(4)Taeminn S.
Both my wife and I have been here many many times. What a nice place! Food is nicely presented. Staff are well trained and nice. Quite a wide-range of options including some spice Korean dishes. If you need to entertain doing BBQ, it works well. If I have to choose one place to go in Lexington for a meal, this would be it.
(5)Linda N.
I never would have found this place if it hadn't been for Yelp! The exterior looks almost like a small house and I've passed by it on the street and never realized it was a restaurant -- and a very good one at that. Even though the night was cold and icy the majority of the tables were full with a variety of folks -- families, dating couples and groups of friends. Everyone seemed to be pretty happy with their food so I was ready to have a good meal. The interior is brightly lit and the decor is plain and straightforward. Dabin's menu is extensive, with a large selection of appetizers and Japanese and Korean dishes. In addition to sushi, there's a variety of standard entrees (tempura, teriyaki, and stir-fried noodles) and also pot-cooked dinners (sukiyaki, geegae) and other different and intriguing dishes. Definitely alot to choose from, and more than usual for a neighborhood restaurant. Prices are moderate, and service is almost too good -- I caught our waitress hovering a few times as I was taking the last few bites of a dish. Although we didn't order alot, what we ordered was hot, fresh and nicely prepared. The nabeyaki udon had a flavorful broth and a nice variety of veggies, chicken bits and egg, topped with a couple of shrimp tempura. It was a filling and complete meal in a bowl. The tempura order was crispy and light and not oily. I'm only sorry I wasn't hungrier. Definitely worth multiple return trips to explore the rest of the menu.
(4)Della C.
I love this place and eat here about once a week with my husband, my kids, my parents in any combination. We all find something we like here and they make us feel right at home. The food is Japanese and Korean and I have never had a bad meal. Try the specials and don't be afraid to branch out!
(4)Cee C.
I have been going to this place for almost 12 years now. It is a very nice restaurant. There are booths that parties can sit together. The ambiance is really nice, and the service is superb. The food comes in very quickly, and it is very good. The sushi is fresh and not too pricey. I really also enjoy eating the udon noodles, they are huge portions, and mmm they have good Bi Bim Bap. It is one of the only family run restaurants besides Yangtze's River that has not closed. This means a lot as Lexington has had huge turn overs in restaurant businesses.
(5)Matthias J.
I had been to Daikanyama for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The friend that took me there, pointed out that Dabin, just a block away, might be a tad better and more upscale, so I took my wife with high expectations. I was disappointed from the decoration to the service on to the food. The place looks more like your average Chinese restaurant. Somehow the much praised warm towels were never delivered tu us (maybe we looked too clean?). Finally the tempura and the Bulgogi were utterly unremarkable. I'll take a lunch at Daikanyama over dinner at Dabin any day.
(3)Mk P.
I love there king maki!!! It is a little pricey but really good!!!!
(4)Tiffany D.
Wow. Delicious and the waitstaff is really friendly. I've been here once a few years ago for dinner and once recently a few weeks ago for lunch. I love how it's two of my favorite cuisines, Japanese & Korean. They give out panchan (sp?) the little side dishes, with the Korean food.. they have bento boxes... my mom got a tempura bento and I got the stone pot Bi Bim Bap! DELICIOUS!!! I wish it was closer to where I live now tho...
(4)M C.
Good service. A- on the food. Bi-bim-bop excellent. Bulgogi fairly good. Good price. We dig this joint.
(4)Joy H.
I don't usually eat out in the suburbs, but this is definitely one of my favorite places. I go for the Korean barbecue, which is excellent. The pajeon was really good one night but not so great the next night. I like that it's really easy to find parking and that for a party of 5-6, there was no waiting on a Saturday night.
(4)Lee D.
Awesome food. A bit on the pricy side though. And they have some wierd hours. I can't tell you how many time's I've wanted to order takeout from them only to have to wait an hour or so to order because they are closed. I love the Age tofu
(5)Sam S.
Their sushi is pretty average, not bad at all but if you're looking for good sushi in Lexington center, Dabin is not as good as the 'Dyke' (other sushi place in Lexington center on Waltham st).
(3)Christine P.
I have been dragging everyone to this restaurant since I heard about it about 10 years ago on the phantem gourmet. Friends actually told the real estate agent when we looking at houses, that it was because I wanted to be closer to the restaurant ( although that might be because when I was pregnant with my son I had my husband drive from Boston a couple of times a week for the salad dressing). Sushi is best around, the grill in the back is great fun, love just about every thing I have ever tried there.
(5)jkhkjh j.
This restaurant turned me into a sushi lover. The waitstaff is extremely friendly. I love how when you first arrive you are given warm towels to wash your hands. Some of my favorites dishes are the Miso soup, Vegetable Rolls, Chicken Terriyaki, and California Rolls. The icecream is also tasty.
(5)greg k.
This review is for their naengmyun. I haven't tried anything else. The naengmyun is the best I've had outside of Koreatown in LA. It's not in the menu mind you and served only in the summer. You know they serve it when you see a piece of paper with "naengmyun" written on it in Korean on the front counter. I live far away so I drive out there only on weekends and always call beforehand to see if naengmyun is available. I would probably go there more frequently if I lived nearby.
(5)Holly A.
Dabin has always held a special place in my heart. Have been going for years with my kids who love their sushi and seafood pancake. Over the years I have gotten used to the haphazard service but when I went recently with an actual live grownup, I saw the place through new eyes and was sort of, well, appalled. First, the place needs a facelift. It's really showing wear and tear and doesn't seem especially clean. We were given a table in Siberia which made forgetting us really, really easy. At first, our server was pretty insistent we order NOW and after slinging our myriad dishes our way and all at once, she disappeared. At one point I had to chase her down for more beverages and ginger. And once our meal was over, our server jumped into action to get us out of there as fast as possible. I don't blame the service on the servers who seem generally inept and confused. I think the staffing is insufficient for the tables served. That said, I do like their sushi rolls. The nigiri rice was a little dry and the sashimi was just okay. I will probably take my kids again when they beg me but probably won't go again with an actual grown up who understands food and service. Their mints are really good though and be to sure stuff your pockets on the way out.
(3)dan w.
Quite possibly the worst service I have experienced in a local restaurant. Non-existent would be a better description. After setting down all the food at once (appetizers and main courses) the waitress (who barely spoke English) simply disappeared. The food itself, from the steamed shumai, to the fried tempura, to the sushi, was at best uniformly mediocre.
(2)Rosalie J.
Expensive for mediocre food. Ordered a $13 dollar seafood pancake for only 2/9 slices to have any sort of seafood and 7/9 slices to only have peppers/veggies. But even that pales in comparison to the service. Came in as a party of 2, with the 3rd one coming at a later time. As we were being seated, I noticed that we were the only table in which we didn't receive warm towels upon being seated. Although we were curious as to why we didn't receive those towels, we didn't bother to ask. Then, we were served our banchan, complimentary side dishes, one of the joys I look forward to whenever I eat at Korean restaurants. Except, we were the only table with 2 banchan (bean sprout and cucumber), while I noticed all of the other tables have 3. So we asked our waitress, a skinny girl with glasses, as to why we only had 2 banchan. She then said that the number of orders we had were insufficient to have a 3rd one. I've been to many Korean restaurants and have never heard of such a thing, especially for only 2 banchan. But we said that we had a 3rd party who will order when he arrives and were wondering if she could bring out a 3rd banchan (white raddish) a bit earlier. She begrudgingly brought it. The food took a very long time to come out. So we finished eating the banchan before our food came out. While waiting, I asked the waitress to bring refills. She looked baffled at the idea of me asking for seconds and sternly said 'this is your last time.'The way she said it and her attitude towards us made us feel inferior, almost as if we were begging her for food. Now, our 3rd party came and ordered his food. As he was waiting for his food, he asked the waitress for some banchan. The waitress silently and unwillingly brought them. We then noticed that she was talking about us with another waitress in Chinese (as we speak Chinese ourselves). In addition to the banchan, the waitress did not bother to refill our tea nor check in with our table. Bothered by the attitude we've received from the waitress, we asked her to bring her manager. But it was evident that the waitress has talked to her about us as the manager immediately defended the waitress and offered an insincere apology. We left feeling very angry and belittled by the staff, especially that waitress. There are a lot of better restaurants with much better service and better food (even Hmart has better food for a cheaper price). I will not be returning to this restaurant.
(1)David T.
Small Korean/Japanese restaurant in Lexington Center. My favorites here are their Chap Chae, Tempura, and Donburi.
(4)Richard C.
I've been there at least 4 times. Not once received fair service. One time, took 15 minutes to order food and another 30 plus minutes past and still no food nor any info whether the food is being prepared. Left the restaurant with an hour of wasted time. Later realized greedy owner who hires two servers to serve 10 plus tables each. Prolly has only one chef. Held year end Korean Christmas party with fellow co-workers. Horrible service. Ridiculous. Never go there. I'm a Korean, and been to every single Korean restaurant in Greater Boston area. This is definitely the worst.
(1)Andrew Q.
I cannot stand how overpriced this place is, but I suppose that's a problem that occurs at all Japanese and Korean restaurants, right? The food doesn't strike me as particularly spectacular or demanding of their pricetags. Everything, from the cuts of their sushi, to the flavor of their udon, is average. I'm just not seeing where the price is coming from. Service is good, and the decor is pretty standard. The entire restaurant makes me think it's your standard Japanese Korean fusion restaurant, but the dishes all have a $5 bump, and I still can't figure out why.
(2)AShwin G.
We have lived in Lexington for the past 8 years and have enjoyed quite a few meals at Dabin. Unfortunately, our most recent experience was extremely disappointing. We ordered bibimbop which contained large chunks of mushrooms which had been hydrated enough and we're disgusting. The Kimche bokoum tasted great but we were surprised that the portion size was so much smaller than in the past. The scallops in the teriyaki were overcooked and it was clear that the sauce was added as an afterthought. All in all, I think we will be looking for a new place to get our korean food fix.
(2)David L.
This is your typical Goldilocks Korean restaurant in Boston/sleepy suburbs of MA - not too hot and not too cold. The apps like mandoo aka gyoza, shumai, and seaweed salad are of the frozen fare, but that's to be expected. The Korean entrees satisfy my spicy cravings during the cold winter months...pork kimchee bokeum, pork bulgogi, or ddukbokki. Ditto for the dolsot bibimbap and soondooboo jigae (a bit watered down/bland the last time I ordered it). My wife likes the vegetable maki combo... The service is a-OK. A bit stingy when it comes to the banchan, but that's life. On a couple of occasions I got the "stink eye" when I asked for more banchan...sorry, I'm Korean and I have the appetite of a 7 year old Somalian girl.
(3)Jessica W.
This restaurant is in my hometown, and I happen to work down the street so I will pop in here every now and again for lunch. The food is great and if you like bi bim bap, they have the hot stone as well and its awesome! I am a fan of the food here, I think there traditional korean dishes are delicious, I just don't like the waitstaff here. I have found them to be really rude the last few times I came in and it was actually a bit annoying. Say hi! I know you can...lol
(3)Wei W.
I had no idea this place existed til I did a Yelp search. And now, I'm hooked. I have to admit that my very first visit was a takeout order for a girls' night - we ordered about $90 worth of appetizers, sushi and sashimi - Oyster Tempura, Fried Softshell Crab, Sashimi Deluxe for Two, Tuna Maki, and Salmon Maki. They told us it would be about a half hour, so we got there around the 20-minute mark. Lo-and-behold, our food was ready to go! Much quicker than we'd expected. We went back to my place and proceeded to devour our takeout. The oyster tempura was quick succulent despite having been in a takeout container for 20+ minutes. The sashimi deluxe came with rice and miso soup, a great plus since we needed something to keep our appetites going as we dug into the rest of the sushi. Towards the end, amongst four girls, we still had what amounted to a roll and a half of sushi leftover. Even though it was so delicious, we'd stuffed ourselves (eyes too big for our stomachs!). Nevertheless, it was a great first meal at this restaurant and I'm definitely making a lunch trip back there!
(5)Karen G.
Dabin is a lunch time favorite of mine, just a short drive away from work. My go-to is the dolsot bibimbap. It always comes out fresh and hot. The portion is enough for lunch the next day, too. I like the panchan (the little appetizers) they serve as you wait for your meal. I love the bean sprouts! They also have fish cakes, radish and carrots, cucumber, and kimchi. The green tea is also great and they don't charge extra for it!! Yes! Today, I tried the Chirashi and was not blown away by it. It came with 3 tuna sashimi, 2 salmon sashimi, 2 yellowtail sashimi, 2 mackerel sashimi, 2 pieces of imitation crab, 2 pieces of sweet egg, and 1 shrimp. All served over a bed of sushi rice. It was a good portion for lunch and I was overall happy with the meal. But the yellowtail and mackerel were not great - either old or the cut was weird. The tuna and the salmon was fine though. Next time, I would just go for the tekkadon next time I'm in the mood for sushi, but otherwise, I will stick to my dolsot bibimbap. I also came here for my best friend's rehearsal dinner for her wedding. I am not sure what we got, there were plates after plates of Korean food, but everything was great. They have private rooms in the back area where you take off your shoes and sit in little recessed areas with short tables. Overall, the service here is good, but not outstanding. The waitresses are very forgetful if you ask for something after your meal comes out. Maybe they get overwhelmed easily when it is busy.
(4)Samantha W.
4 of us were here for a Sunday dinner and split quite a few apps and entrees. We started out with some dumpling soup ( house-made dumplings and a little bit of clear noodles at the bottom!), beef & scallion soup, veg tempura, & kimchee pa jun - very generous sized and not skimpy on the seafood at all.The tempura was tender and perfectly crispy. Entrees were Pork bulgogi, beef bulgogi, kalbi and tukboki ( dukbokki, a savory, peppery stewed rice cakes and fish cakes), all excellent. The tukboki was especially rich and warming on a rainy cold day, the meats were all cooked perfectly and seasoned well too. We did have to ask for rice, but the banchan was actually quite generous and we had at least 6 different kinds to go with all our food. We didn't try the sushi though the sushi bar was immaculate and had a nice looking selection of fresh fish... Endless refills on the green tea & water. Service was just right, not too 'hover-y' so we had lots of time to visit and enjoy our meal. The prices were on the higher side yet still reasonable since the quality was very good. Nice cloth napkins, I know it's a small detail but I like that when dining out. The atmosphere was clean and comfortable. The manager/owner (?) thanked us on the way out, always a nice touch. I would love to go back again and try them for lunch.
(4)Diana G.
Absolutely wonderful - fresh, tasty food and a warm, homey environment.
(5)Carrie C.
We ordered the pork belly BBQ and it's a little different from the one we have in Allston( Korean neighbor). fried tempura was too dry, noddle was ok. price is reasonable. It's Korean and Japaneses restaurant, but i don't feel it's so Korean or Japanese. service is ok.
(3)D J.
Was very happy with the dolsot bibimbap. The waitstaff was helpful and was very pleasant. This will definitely be a repeat lunch option
(4)Anne W.
Meh. Went here yesterday after being told it was a decent place to get Korean bbq. There really isn't any Korean places in Boston to be honest. Most places in Boston are overpriced.. but I still think I would rather stick to Allston area instead of coming out to this spot in Lexington. First off.. the side dishes can only be refilled once. That's kind of weird for me since most Korean places just keep giving it to you. Second off.. the bbq is just overpriced and there is no grill to cook it on. It's precooked and comes out. We got the kalbi (which was okay but only two pieces for $20+), chicken (which was really tough and not that tasty), and bulgogi (okay but not that tender). We also got the tempura which was okay.. yeah, it's okay... but it's just deep fried stuff. Meh.. for an Asian, I would say it wasn't very good. Perhaps I needed to get the noodles or soups or bimbimbap. It's way out of my way.. so probably not going again. But it is near Burlington Mall so that's a plus!!
(2)