Due to the University’s large Korean population, Korean cuisine is well represented in Auburn.
Thus, opening a new Korean restaurant is difficult. Competing with the likes of Naruto, Green Pig, Seoul and more requires either catering to a different market or providing a new type of dining. Last December, 167℉ Korean BBQ opened giving South College Street its fifth Korean restaurant.
167℉’s premise is in the name: Korean barbecue. Inspired by the long standing tradition and popular type of eatery, 167℉ invites customers to grill their food at the table while eating. The novel approach to dining allows for an entirely new culinary experience and interaction.
167℉’s menu is all you can eat. The lunch menu contains 28 items while dinner boasts 39. These range from the standard Korean meat dishes such as bulgogi and pork belly to side dishes including fried vegetables and several stews. Diners may choose up to four dishes at a time.
167℉’s interior vastly differs from the usual Asian decor. There are no paper wall shōji dividers or golden lucky cats.
Instead, LED lights tucked in the ceiling and walls cast a blue aura throughout the dining area, and Tom Haverford would swoon at the booths upholstered in thick white leather. It is the first buffet that I have been to that could be described as hip or chic. But the contemporary form does not follow the dining’s function.
Diners are supplied with a rectangular plate shorter than a folded napkin and narrower than a chopstick. At least it’s matte and black, right?
Did 167℉ think about the food that could not fit on the plate and left to burn on the grill? Did our waiter question placing our soup spoons on a plate with raw meat after he failed to find room on our table? No, no and no.
Aside from the dining ware, greeting you at your table when you sit down is a circle of eleven Korean side dishes, or banchan, surrounding the grill. These include the Korean staple kimchi (fermented cabbage), Korean potato salad and an assortment of pickled vegetables.
However, these pale in comparison when sized up against the likes of other Korean restaurants such as Naruto. Whether it is because they are set out on the table, at times long before patrons sit down, or not, these dishes lack flavor. The various fermented and pickled foods taste less like radish, onion and cabbage and more like pure acidity.
The assortment of buffet items prove to be better than the banchan. The crowd favorite, Hawaiian beef with pineapple, was unexpectedly delicious. The pork belly dipped in a red bean sauce is a must have.
167℉’s side dishes were much more consistent. Spicy silken tofu stew was great, even though it lacked spice and the house salad’s dressing could have been served with every single dish without complaint. It is no surprise that the best dish was also the most authentic. The old school Korean lunchbox with rice, kimchi and a fried egg, shaken and mixed, should be required fare for customers.
The issue of identity plagues 167℉. Unlike a majority of ethnic restaurants, the more authentic cuisine is not separated from the food catering to Americans.
Yes, there are dishes informed by American flavors like the Hawaiian beef, just like the Korean lunchbox is wholly traditional. But the majority of food lies in the middle of a figurative Pacific Ocean and suffers from its uncertainty. Nothing on the menu is truly spicy and lackluster cajun blends do not suddenly transform pork belly to be something recognizable. Appeasing both American and Korean palates leaves food unexciting and restrained.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
