Rich Forest Korean-Japanese Restaurant

On our way into our hotel downtown, I stopped in and asked for a take out menu. «A paper menu?», asked the hostess. «Well, are you on the web? Is there a full menu online?» I asked. Receiving an enthusiastic «yes» in response to both questions, I said, «I’ll just look at it on line once we get to the hotel then. Thanks» and off I went. Imagine our surprise when we googled rich forest and couldn’t find a website for the place. Crappy photos of the menu were available on line at the urban spoon site and, with more googling we eventually found a phone number for the Quinpool location. I called it… and there was no answer and no voicemail. I guess they reallly just didn’t want to sell us dinner.

We have driven by this place a hundred times and have been meaning to try it forever. With Koo E-​Nami, our favourite Korean BBQ place, closed it was time to give it a try.
Unlike E-​Pin and Koo E-​Nami this is not an all you can eat Korean BBQ, but fear not, you will still leave stuffed. And in our case, with a doggy bag.
The waitress was pretty friendly, took ages to bring our water, but very attentive and genuinely concerned with how we were enjoying our meal. For me she was probably overly attentive as I’ve had Korean BBQ lots and don’t especially need/​want help with my table, but for first timers or people who enjoy the cooking aspect less she would probably be ideal.
We ordered the Combo Korean BBQ for 2 which is 55 $ plus tax. For that you get 4 kinds of meat (kalbi, bulgogi, chicken and pork belly). Lettuce wraps, rice, sauce and 4 side dishes and an order of deep fried dumplings. Which when they arrived she said were on the house. The food was all fresh and tasty.
All in all we would definitely go back.

I have ever eaten Korean food before, except once years ago when Bach’s first opened. I was on my way to a fast food place next door, when I found myself wishing that Steamy’s was still there. I used to eat there a lot. As I parked in front, I noticed that the place was now a Korean/​Japanese restaurant. Thinking it must be better than fast food I decided to give it a try.
The place was empty (Friday about 1:45) and the young lad working there spoke minimal english. I saw lots of «California rolls» which I had always believed to be sushi. I asked if this was a sushi food place and he said No. we have no sushi.
I told him I likes spicy Chinese food, and I liked chicken beef and pork, not seafood.
He suggested BUL-​GO-​GI. The picture seemed like kind of a beef stirfry with steamed rice for $ 8.99 so I said YES.
It came in about 10 minutes with two side dishes, One was Kim-​chee a fermented cabbage dish, but I couldn’t understand what the other was, but it seemed like spinach or some other greens in a fragrant vinaigrette type, with red slivers in it.
(Wonderful reviewer aren’t I??)
Suffice it to say that the meal was hot and flavorful but not spicy. I ate almost all. My mom used to tell me that Chinese people always left a little food on the plate for their ancestors. As an adult I now know that moms lie, and the real reason was Caucasians couldn’t eat the last bits of rice on the plate because we kept pushing it around with our chopsticks.
I would go again to try other dishes. I noticed a few tables with cooking devices in them, I am not a big fan of going to a restaurant to cook my own food, so I may have to do a little research first.
I am glad I chose to go here rather than one of the neighbouring fast food conglomerates. The food was good and I felt good supporting a small local business.
Please give them a try.