What is DoShe: Located in the former Bell + Gray space at 8 Erie Street, DoShe is downtown’s first Korean BBQ restaurant.
Interior: DoShe is very spacious with minimal clutter. It has the same L-shaped layout as Bell + Gray with tables for two, four, and larger parties. The restaurant has multiple HDTVs playing a non-stop stream of Kpop videos. The TVs seem over the top for a restaurant, but I’d rather they play Kpop than a baseball game or CNN. Tables are spaced out comfortably from each other and they’re all outfitted with proper ventilation for tableside grilling.
The Menu: DoShe serves a mix of soups/casseroles, BBQ/skewers, and grilled seafood. There are a few veggie-only options, but you’ll want to check with staff to make sure broths are meat-free. I took some photos of the menu here. Prices are on the high side for some entrees; expect to pay New York K-Town prices or at times even more.
We Loved: The soups and casseroles at DoShe are comfort food at its best. The sundubu-jjigae, or tofu stew, is served sizzling hot with generous portions of soft, silky tofu. They don’t ask if you’d like it mild or spicy, so I’d recommend telling them beforehand. The mandoo ramen — a mix of ramen and dumplings — was flavorful, and overflowing with heaping portions of ramen. The Haemul Pajeon, or seafood pancake, is also massive and could be an entree by itself. It was a bit oily, but excellent overall. Portions in general are very generous. Service is also friendly and accommodating.
Could Be Better: The banchan — those side dishes served with your meal — are unlimited, but none of them really stood out for me. The kimchi, for instance, was good, but not as good as the homemade kimchi you can get from P&K Food Market across the street. For what you’re paying, it’d also be great to know more about the ingredients being used. Most downtown restaurants mention whether their meats are grass-fed, hormone-free, or if any MSG is used in certain dishes. Service is friendly, but can be disjointed at times. For instance, we got a complimentary steamed egg side dish — gyeran jjim — but we received it toward the end of our dinner. Our entrees were also delivered about 5 minutes apart from each other. These are all growing pains typical of any new restaurant, so I expect things to get smoother with time.
Go Now or Wait: Go now, but know that the restaurant is still going through some kinks. I can’t comment on the BBQ portion because I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll update my review when I do. Overall, DoShe is a great addition to the downtown scene and a fun spot to satisfy any Korean cravings you may have.
DoShe BBQ | 8 Erie Street | www.doshebbq.com
