All you can eat Korean BBQ

1. travelerfoodie.wordpress.com http://travelerfoodie.wordpress.com/2014/06/19/all-you-can-eat-korean-bbq-at-izziban-sushi/
by Traveler
Foodie
All you can eat Korean BBQ at Izziban Sushi
Do you enjoy cooking your own food? You don’t, then order sushi. If yes, this is the place for you. What was once just
another strip mall sushi restaurant, with fancy lights, cool music, a bunch of cool kids pretending to be restaurant
people, gazillion choices of sushi roll combinations, has now added All You Can Eat Korean BBQ Buffet. Izziban
Sushi is now Izziban Korean BBQ (just my name for it).
Turn back the clock a couple of years ago when this place first opened. Sushi Pizza? Really, did I need to go to a
sushi restaurant to eat mozzarella cheese? For that matter how many which ways can you incorporate cheese into
sushi? Maybe they were going for the Italian/Korean/Japanese fusion. Needless to say after a couple of times I never
really got into their food.
Fast forward to now. The introduction of All You Can Eat Korean BBQ had me curious. What is Korean BBQ? Simply
put, it is bite size meat, mostly thin sliced, marinated and grilled. Some places serve already cooked, some have
individual grills on table tops and you do the grilling. This is a very interactive sport and all at the table can get involve.
There is an argument that this style of cooking is called yakiniku of Japanese origin or Korean origin. Take whichever
side floats your boat, I wouldn’t hold it against you. Bottom line, raw food is served you grill and eat.
For more interior pics go check out my Flickr.
Half of this restaurant has table top grills, while the other half are just tables, then there is the sushi and liquor bar.
Colored LEDs and focused mood lighting illuminate the place in a cool wash of colors. Various areas light differently.
However, a blue hue seems to bathe the entire space. Selfie takers will want to adjust for lighting. Most tables are
four tops with half wall partitions however along the back wall the tables can be put together for more space. The
ceilings are high with drop down vents on every grill top.
Since I was there for Korean BBQ, that is exactly what we ordered. A standard order comes with thin sliced beef
brisket, beef tongue, marinated short ribs, marinated spicy chicken, marinated sirloin and a few slices of onions. The
thought is, try them all and then reorder your favorites. Or, if you are a seasoned pro, order only what you want.
However, there is a penalty for not eating everything you order! Appetizers, selected sushi rolls and a reduced price
Soju are included in the All You Can Eat Combination for $24.99. Seafood is an additional charge. I did not see pork
on the buffet menu. Hmmm. These meats are laid out on the grill and you cook to your desired doneness. There are
also an assortment of dipping sauces, portions of Kimichi, Daikon and salad. For the price, it is hard to beat this
combination. Okay, maybe the meats are not top of the line, but hey, it’s an All You Can Eat Buffet at a reasonable
price. Stop complaining and turn the meat. I liked them all but the beef tongue was my favorite.
Chimsul Classic Soju – A clean fresh tasting rice wine that packs a punch as it gets warmer towards the end.
Tempura Ice Cream - After the meat feast there really wasn’t any room for this. But what the heck. Crisp coating and
nicely done.
This All You Can Eat Korean BBQ Buffet is a step away from the other Korean BBQ restaurants in Orlando which
offer only a la carte items. I’ll say a welcomed step away. Service was friendly and attentive. Our server offered
sound advice on how to proceed with the dining experience. We were allowed ample time to cook, eat and conversate
without feeling rushed. Isn’t this what dining is all about, good food shared amongst friends? I’ll definitely go back with
another posse of friends.