Jeong Won Korean BBQ Buffet- Convoy

4690 Convoy St, Ste 104
San Diego, CA 92111
858-292-4670
jeongwonkoreanbbqbuffet.com



I'm reunited and it feels so good.  Navy husband is finally home after a 13 month deployment overseas and I find myself adjusting slowly.  If he reads this, I am really trying not to be a Naggy-Mcnaggerson about the messes that you leave in each room, your pickiness in eating leftovers, the way you drive and other really trivial minutiae in the grand scheme of things.   that is one reason why I have been MIA as a poster, but still dutifully checking all my fave blog poster for sure.  The other?  This nagging bug I have had for several weeks now, one of which started off as a jinx to my own self.  Dont ever plot getting out of something under the excuse of sickness as it will become true.  As in 1000th degree.  So the reason I was pretending to be sick has come and gone and failed to take the sickness with it.  I will spare you those gory details and move on to the food. 


I had been looking forward to trying this buffet but purposely waited for hubby to come home so we could share the experience together.  Sickening, huh?  As a Korean girl who grew up with the traditional grill on the table setup, my standards are pretty high about this subject.  Especially since my mom is a phenomenal cook who in another universe, might be a world famous chef on part with Emeril or an Iron Chef.  Its right next door to a now defunct pool hall and San Tong Palace (a Korean style Chinese restaurant).  

The whole shebang.  Right here.  16.95  lunch special includes go get it yourself style meat, veggies, seafood, banchan, sauces and soft serve.  They bring you a bowl of bland miso soup and white rice.  I would have appreciated more variety in rice selection such as brown rice or even korean mixed rice (it looks purple in color).

• Veggies: sweet potato slices, tofu, sliced corn ears, tomatoes, pepper slices, raw garlic, bell peppers, mushrooms, green zucchini, yellow squash, and potato slices.  I'd avoid the sweet potato b/c they are impossible to cook since they are sliced on the thick bias.  
• Meats: marinated shortib off the bone, marinated ribeye, beef liver, spicy pork, marinated chicken, tripe, pork belly slices and brisket slices.  I found myself wishing that the ribeye was of higher quality b/c it kind of falls apart on the grill.  Husband didnt like the spicy pork b/c it was too sweet.  
• Seafood: some white fish, mussel, shrimp, spicy calamari.  I found the calamari to be tough when cooked FYI
• Banchan: fishcakes, seaweed salad, carrot and turnip mixture, potato salad, mixed greens, bean sprouts, sauteed zucchini, and cabbage and cucumber kimchi.  The cabbage kimchi was on point that day as was the fishcakes.  They also gave us a complimentary side of korean pancakes that were nicely fried up
• Sauces: these are just guesses on my part but they were one was a sweet soy sesame sauce, one was a sweet chili sauce and one had a thousand island kind of taste (not texture) to it.  My personal favorite is the sauce I made which is standard bill Korean goodness-- salt, pepper and some good sesame oil.  

Overall, here are my two cents.  Skip the miso.  Go for the pork slices, mussells and some of the shortrib.  Avoid the sweet potato since you will just waste your time and get frustrated.  Dont forget to leave room for the soft serve! 


(Im also playing with some changes to the blog format.  Input welcome)