K Peppers
In a word: Fine dining that's just fine.
The specs: #0522
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Yelp, 77 Square, EatDrinkMadison; listing at EatDrinkMadison; official web site.
Latest K Peppers news and reviews at del.icio.us
JM ate the bulgogi.
Nichole ate the rock cooker bibimbap.
Sue ate the tuigimmandoo with a Solomon's Seal hot tea.
The bill was $41, or $13.67/person, plus tip (thanks, Mom!).
JM gave K Peppers a B+; Nichole gave K Peppers an A-; Sue gave K Peppers a C+ (see our grading rubric).
Latest K Peppers news and reviews
K Peppers is a slightly upscale Korean venue in downtown Middleton. The decor is pleasing if spare, the dim sum dishes are served on a rolling cart, the parking is nearly nonexistent, the chopsticks are metal, and the tastes may be acquired.
The tuigimmandoo appetizer was a deep-fried affair, but light and filled with vegetables. It arrived just before our numerous dim sum banchan. These included a tart kimchi, a lightly-dressed mayo-apple-pineapple salad, coleslaw, sweet-glazed potato salad, and tempura broccoli. We were offered '"refills" of a choice of two, but the dishes available did vary even during the short span of our meal.
The rock cooker bibimbap was great. Rice dominated the dish, but there were plenty of crispy bits to tie together with a bit of shiny egg. Zucchini, mushrooms, and a few strips of beef for flavor filled it out.
JM's bulgogi was very good, with a tasty smokiness. The wrap-it-yourself lettuce on the side was a fun way to serve the dish. The filling made it to the end and then some, though when was said and done, JM was still a little hungry. Fortunately, the side dish refills arrived shortly thereafter.
K Peppers is a little spendier than a place like P.F. Chang's down the road, and a little less authentic (maybe) than New Seoul, so balance your needs accordingly.
I love this place. Nice vibe. Awesome grub. Glad you guys liked it too, but y'all earn a minus 1 for giving a shout out to the "Asian" chain restaurant i.e., their just-down-the-street competition :(
Posted by: John | April 06, 2010 at 12:53 PM
Guilty as charged. That whole area (PFC, Ruth's Chris, Abuelo's, Quaker Steak) doesn't probably need any help filling its massive parking lots.
Posted by: nichole | April 06, 2010 at 08:34 PM
Went there a couple of months ago with the Dining Out group. I thought the Bibimbap was great too and our waitstaff had a wonderful sense of humor (big plus in my book!)
Posted by: Paula | April 07, 2010 at 03:46 PM
Agree, this is the best bulgogi you can get this side of the pacific!
Posted by: CJB | April 28, 2010 at 08:09 AM
Absolutely the best Korean food I've ever had. I always thought Madison deserves a nice Korean restaurant like this but we never had anything like this before. Go for it!
Posted by: Bruce | August 18, 2010 at 11:40 PM
To be clear, those side dishes are banchan, not dim sum.
Posted by: Dan T | August 20, 2010 at 05:54 PM
Thanks, Dan T. We made the correction.
Posted by: EiMAtZ | August 20, 2010 at 06:17 PM
Nice to see that they're willing to change up the menu. We thought the new dishes (especially their banchan) were spectacular. Who knew small bits of potato in a soothing chicken broth could be that good?
Posted by: MadPipps | September 12, 2018 at 12:47 PM