Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hyeon Een]

HBC in HBC:

What's the craic with this bar/cafe/whatever it is?

I went in there once and they only had one beer that was on their menu and the price was more expensive than what was printed on the menu. The service sucked. I have no idea whether I should have gone to the counter to order a beer or wait at my table to get one. It took me more than 5 minutes to get my order in anyway. Then another few minutes before it arrived. Rubbish experience. The owner was busy chatting away in the corner and the waitress was god-knows-where doing something more important than her job. If she was doing something important, the owner should have picked up the slack in the mean time. It'll be bust in a year or less unless I caught them on a ridiculously bad day.

Who owns this bar? Do they plan to make any money off of it? If they do then they best start selling crack or improve their customer service.

Cafe Alexandra:

I gotta say the kebab shop across the road is little better. I waited about 20 minutes to get served while the owner/chef/waiter whatever he is talked on his phone in his back room before he deigned to serve us. About 10 minutes of that was me and the wife sitting dumbly at a table before a further 10 minutes of me standing at the counter after figuring out it wasn't a table-service joint. Or maybe it was and I should have waited 20 minutes at my table? I have no idea. Service sucked. Food was mediocre. He should have at least tried to upsell me and get me to buy a drink after ordering food. Actually, he should have got me to order a drink BEFORE I ordered food, but apparantely it's the "wait-15-minutes-and-leave OR wait-20-minutes-and-get-served-badly" kind of joint.

Maybe I should have yelled into the kitchen. If it was a Korean joint serving seollung-tang or something I would have, but I don't know Egyptian culture so it might have been rude if I did. Whatever, they lost out on a couple who would have been regulars.

And to get on to my third rant: All Western/Foreign bars/cafes in General:

I don't know how Western bar/restaurants/cafes work in Korea. I'm a Westerner myself. I've lived in the UK, the US and Australia. When I go into a 'western' style bar or cafe in Korea I NEVER know the procedure. Do I wait at my table for service? Do I go to the bar? Do I yell "Hey get over here ye bastard!"? I really don't know.

In these situations doing the opposite of what you're supposed to do will insult or annoy the owner/manager/bar tender. But I never know what I should do since their is no indication. I know the form in Korean bars and hofs, it's easy. it's the same across the country. In 'western' ones? No. They should have signs up with directions to make things easier for customers who are either Korean OR foreign. Either that or good customer service at the door. I find these kind of joints kind of intimidating myself; god knows how many korean customers they lose.

Indigo:
This place I understand. They have a sign TELLING YOU to order at the bar at lunch time, with the implication that it is table service at dinner time. Easy. I get it. I don't have to get confused or embarassed when I go in. Thank you. Also their service is good.

Anyone got any other comments about bars or restaurants or cafes in Haebangchon? Did you have a better experience than me? I'm curious.

[prideofidaho]

I eat at Jacoby's once in a while, and everytime I'm there, I get depressed by the waiter. I mean, he seems alright, but he is sad. Very, very sad. He almost smiled last weekend because of a cute puppy, but that's it. I just want to give him a hug or something.