Woo Nam Jeong Stone Bowl House

My sister and I had been craving some good old Korean comfort food due to attending a full wedding weekend of American foods. I texted a friend who was a professional Unilocaler and she recommended us to this place. And, man, Woo Nam Jeong Stone Bowl House was WOWZERS AMAZING! It filled our cravings down to a tee. I got the kimchee dolsot bibimbap while my sister go the regular beef one. They were both SO GOOD and so big; hit our taste buds all in the right places. The side dishes were great as well; they kept them coming, we barely had to ask! As large as the portions were, we cleaned the entire meal up down to every piece of rice (no exaggerations). We are definitely going back to try out the mushroom and squid dolsot bibimbaps!

Went here after reviewing on Unilocal Korean restaurants on Buford Hwy. Stopped in on Memorial Day so there were very few people inside, which suited us just fine. The service was good. We got the kimbap for an appetizer and it was really good & flavorful. Loved the dipping sauce that came with it. I got the Dolsot Bibimbap (hot stone bowl) and it was really good. I had to wait quite awhile for it to cool down cause man that thing was SIZZLING. My husband got the bulgogi and it was a huge platter. We easily could have split it. We did ask for additional vegetables that are served and never received them. The only reason I’m not going 5 here is the prices. Some of their traditional items start at $ 23 and upwards. But overall we were very pleased and would definitely come back.

Their dolsot bimbimbap is delicious and as authentic as it can get served with plethora of sides. Quick service, great food!

Early evening weekend dinner. Place was not crowded so we virtually had our choice of booths. The open booths along the right side are nice, as are the semi-​enclosed ones on the other side. Open floor tables not so much.
Banchan — all good. I could have a meal of this.
Dolsot bulgogi — mostly solid. Beef and other ingredients are top notch. Broth was not sumptuous, was a little sweet and could have the spice level kicked up (from zero). I’d say I didn’t like the broth and it drags the dish down.
Wife liked her dolsot bibimbap, although she had to re-​order after discovering it wasn’t vegetarian (the menu doesn’t actually say, unlike with the non-​stone bowl bibimbap). We kept the beef bibimbap for take-​home and it reheated quite nicely. I’m not a huge fan of bibimbap, though.
Service was friendly and mostly good but the re-​order of one entrée was delayed by a large party who had a reservation but still seemed to surprise the restaurant with their arrival. The person who took our re-​order found himself busy re-​arranging tables all of a sudden and we had to repeat our order to the next person who came by. Annoyingly, a couple of the staff dropped by to offer unnecessary tips on how to eat the food. I am somewhat surprised they didn’t bring us forks.
Terrible alcohol list. The one Korean beer — Hite — is not good but still better than the three American crap beers they offer. If you’re going to offer beer and don’t choose to stock decent Asian beer, how about offering a Sweetwater 420 at the least? Small selection of rice wine. Non-​alcoholic drinks are even more limited. They need to work on this section of the menu.
Fairly loud pop rock music playing. Not a fan at all.
Woo Nam Jeong seems like a Korean restaurant tailored to non-​Asians. Along with the things I’ve mentioned (music, beer, minor condescension) consider the listing for the dolsot bibimbap on the menu — rather than provide the ingredients, they tell you how to eat it. I haven’t had that impression with the several other Buford Highway Korean restaurants I’ve been to, such as So Kong Dong, 88 Tofu House (RIP), Cho Dang or others.
Expensive. Too expensive.
Woo Nam Jeong is not bad but in keeping with the literal description for two stars, I’ve had better.

Definitely worth the drive to get their fantastic stone bowl bibimbap!
The Food
I ALWAYS get one of the bibimbap stone bowls. That’s the signature item for a reason! Your meal is served in a sizzling hot bowl, so the rice continues to cook and burn just a little, adding nice crunchy bits to your meal as you stir it around. I actually prefer their original dolsot bibimbap stone bowl of all of them. Plus, your meal also comes with a bunch of small dishes of dim sum, which you can much on as a pre-​meal snack or choose some to dump into your bowl. I always leave stuffed, and with leftovers.
The Service/​Atmosphere
The service is very fast! The atmosphere is fine. Not fancy, but not a hole in the wall either. This is the kind of restaurant where you want to come eat a great meal and then once you’re done eating, leave. It’s not like the ambiance makes you want to linger and enjoy a couple more beers (oh yeah, no liquor here!)
Parking
I ALWAYS miss the turn in, and turning around gets complicated. So go very slowly and look out for a two story tall, dark brick building in which the side is facing the road. The turn lane is very short, and if you miss it you’re going to have to do some big loops around/​turn around a for your second try. But there’s parking right outside the restaurant, when you enter the «ground level» which is actually the second story of a deck. If that’s full, from there is an entrance to drive down into the deck.

I love the Stone Bowl Bibimbap here. So legit.
Parking — Same lot as Man Chun Hong. Plenty of parking upstairs and downstairs. I’ve never had trouble when coming here. Esp during a lunch or dinner rush. I mean, yes, you may have to walk an extra 10 steps, but it won’t kill you!
Space & Service — One reason why I like coming here… it’s very calm. It’s very peaceful to eat here. It’s a nice alone place. I would say this entire place is medium sized. Service is solid. They move quickly & the food comes out in a good pace.
Food:
Banchan here is awesome. They give so many! I wish though, they had ripened Kimchi. But hey to each their own. I just have certain taste buds.
Kimbab — These were fresh. The Kimbab here are the normal ones you’d get at a regular food shop. I could taste every ingredient. Also, it was warm. I kind of dislike cold Kimbab/​reheated ones… Nice app between 2 – 3 people. Don’t eat too much banchan/​Kimbab! You’ll be full.
Kimchi Stone Bowl — A bit pricy, but the Stone Bowl itself is worth it. MMM. Honestly, best bibimbap in Atlanta here. My only wish is they use ripened Kimchi. I hateeee the unripened ones. But that’s just me. Everything else in this was delicious. Came out piping hot! Also, the portion size is generous. I ate ¾ then quit.

My husband and I ventured out to this restaurant after finding it on Unilocal,and it did not disappoint. My husband had an unfulfilled craving for a good bowl of dolsot bibimbap, and this place finally hit the spot. He ordered the kimchee pork bulgogi dolsot bibimbap and I ordered the dolsot bulgogi since the noodles appealed to me instead of the rice.
I’m not sure what I expected with the dolsot bulgogi, but I was definitely surprised that it came out as a soup dish served with rice. (I may have missed it in the description? Who knows.) Although I was surprised and felt iffy about my order initially, once I really dug in, I loved it. The broth had a very good flavor from the bulgogi. There were loads of mushrooms in it (I *LOVE* mushrooms) as well as rice noodles and the clear noodles. It was just absolutely delicious all around. The husband was in heaven with his order.
We’ll definitely come back again, and I might even order the dolsot bulgogi again since it was that darn good. The portions are huuuuuuge, so definitely come very hungry. We both came on an empty stomach when they opened at 1130, but we left stuffed for a good remainder of the day.

I thoroughly enjoyed my meal here. All three of us ordered entrees served in hot stone bowls, dulsot bulgogi and bibimbap between us. We also shared a dumpling appetizer.
The dumplings and assorted banchan were good. The bulgogi was served in a savory, slightly sweet broth with an assortment of veggies and noodles. Next time, I want to try the bibimbap. I kept eyeballing my husband’s dish as he stirred sizzling rice around his bowl. Yum. I had a small taste, and it was good.
I will say their refill service leaves a little to be desired. Our waiter came by only once, and he only refilled my husband’s water glass. Before I could swallow my food and ask for a refill on mine, he was gone. I was glad I also ordered a soda, so I had something else to drink. But this small issue is not something that would keep me from returning for more excellent Korean food.

The service was great and the décor is super cozy! I really loved the side dishes that they give you with your meal. I got the Dolsot Bibimbap Stone Bowl, I wish they put more meat in the bowl and seasoned it to taste a bit more. I liked how there’s plenty of vegetables and the meal was very light and not oily, but I’ve gotta say the portions are huge. We also ordered a seafood pancake and that was absolutely delicious!

I’ve been to two korean restaurants in the Buford area, and this one was pretty decent. My boyfriend and I both ordered the stone bowl bibimbap, which shined with it’s variety of veggies. I wished it had had just a bit more meat, but overall it had great flavor. The banchan were solid, but unlike the other korean place we frequent, they didn’t offer to refill any of our favorites. It wasn’t a huge deal, as I was super full, but I would have loved another taste of the cucumbers. They were AWESOME.

Very nice Korean restaurant. We went here with our son who had been here with Korean co-​workers. Everything we had was delicious, but the seem to specialize in several types of bibimbap. One of us had the spicy squid bibimbap, another had the buhsot which was vegetarian and came with a soy sauce rather than the gochujang (red pepper paste), and a third person had the traditional bibimbap. We were served several banchan and they all were tasty. We also had a vegetable pancake which was crispy and not doughy.
We were seated in one of the private rooms and they forgot about us so initially service was slow. Once we got their attention though service was fine and everyone was very nice including Grandma who stopped by to say hello.

Only been once, and lunch only, but it immediately warrants the 4^th star. This is very, very good food. On this occasion we had the pork dolsot bibimbap, some dumpling and a gigantic squid pancake that were all divine.
The service is friendly and authentic – if profoundly «grandma-​like» in that they really tell you what you should and shouldn’t do and aren’t afraid of mixing your bowl for you if you demonstrate incompetence in your technique.

Been here again… as always, the Dolsat Stone Bowl Rice with meat and vegetables was the way to go. Assortment of prepared condiments were yummy too. Also had the bulgogi (Korean BBQ meat). It was good. A previous visit was better.
Grandma (Matriarch) was in the house making her rounds greeting each of us. Our out of the country guest was impressed with this ethnic dining experience.

I’ve heard great things from a friend so I’ve decided to give Woo Nam Jeong a shot. We ordered the tempura squid as an appetizer and bosam (one of my favorite dishes). My date ordered the hot stone bibimbap. Our server was pretty attentive and nice.
Appetizer left a lot to be desired and I regretted ordering it, but ate it anyways. After a long work out, you tend to eat what you can. The bosam came out and it was definitely gigantic! I was excited to dig in, but found that the dish didn’t have any raw oysters to be found. The pork was delicious enough on its own but if I’m going to pay 35 for a dish, then I want it exactly the way it was described. It’s an extremely traditional dish that is simple to serve and I’ve come to respect the little to no differences in variations of the way you serve it. The biggest variation seems to be the raw oysters part, sometimes restaurants don’t serve bosam enough to warrant a purchasing of a supply of raw oysters (they can get expensive), but Woo Nam Jeong had oysters in the description.
I was excited to dig in, but that expression soon turned negative as I couldn’t find a single oyster. I called over the friendly waitress and she informed me that the restaurants I go to serve oysters with theirs, but Woo Nam Jeong doesn’t. I responded «But in your description on the menu, it says you serve it also.» She asked me to wait and return a moments later with «They blended it into the sauce.»
It was extremely upsetting to know they just lied to me. First off, you do not blend raw oysters. Oysters are very expensive and deserve to be treated as such that it doesn’t loose its texture. It’s like blending sashimi or steak. I expressed my disappointment. She goes back and I hear an argument ensue. It was loud enough to be heard over the music. I didn’t think it was about my disappointment in the dish but after 20 minutes of waiting on the stone bowl for my date, the cook comes out and lays my date’s order on the table with a stern look on her face. Muttering «thank you» as she left. She couldn’t look me in the eye but she definitely wanted to see this table. The server was then switched from the first friendly female to a new male server without our notice.
I assume this was getting heated in the kitchen. This in turn caused tardiness in the delivery of the dish for my date and we couldn’t have been more unsatisfied. The stone bowl was great, but I just didn’t like the idea of being lied to. Just tell me you ran out of oysters or discount me for the absence of it. I asked our new server why they purée their raw oysters as I received the check. He says that’s how they traditionally make it. I was appalled that they continued this. I gave them a fair tip. I was once a server as well, so I understand how little they get paid. I just hope they continue their business with a bit more honesty. I’m not an idiot and would love a bit of respect when I ask for fair business.

This is a great Korean option in the area. I can’t remember exactly the name but we got 2 dishes, a fish and squid dish. Each can feed 2 people and cost in the high $ 20s or low $ 30s (I didn’t pay obviously). They tasted great and the portions were well matched for the price. They offered about 8 different side dishes that all tasted good and presented well.
The place is pretty large and they even have tables in enclosed areas, which worked out well for people with babies. The service was very friendly and attentive. They keep the place well maintained. They have some pictures at the front of famous people that visited. One of them was Park Chan Ho in his younger days.
I would recommend this place.

Lunch is AWESOME! Dinner… not so much.
LOCATION & ATMOSPHERE:
Parking can get a little tough in their main parking lot since this place is located in one of the smaller shopping centers on Buford Highway. There are extra parking on the lower floor though. The restaurant is cozy, small, and comfy. I like the way they have arranged the place and sectioned off tables to give their guests some privacy. Unlike most Korean restaurants I’ve been too, this place does not have a service button to call up a waiter.
FOOD:
3 out of the 4 times I’ve been here have been during lunch time and I’m generally really satisfied with the food from each of those visit. My fourth time here just so happen to be my first time having dinner with them and it wasn’t quite a pleasant experience. I’ll get into that a bit later but let me comment on lunch vs. dinner:
–Lunch:
Dolsot Bibimbap
The 3 times I’ve been here, lunch has been awesome! I love their bibimbap and I love that I get the option to choose from mushroom, squid, or kimchi pork. If you’re not familiar with bibimbap, it’s a mixed rice bowl that comes with different vegetables and meat of your choice. It’s a decent sized portion and it comes out really hot in a stone bowl with an egg on top. Super delish!
Sundubu Jigae
As a lover of sundubu, I had to try it at this location. If you’re a vegetarian, I think this location’s sundubu would be great for you. There weren’t any meat in the dish, unless you count the egg that was in there. It was jam packed with mushrooms, tofu, some jalapeños, scallions, and other vegetables. It wasn’t my favorite sundubu but still good. I would have preferred some meat in mine though.
Bulgogi
Hands down the best bulgogi, marinated beef, I’ve ever had to date. They did a fantastic job marinating their meat and it came out really flavorful. Sooo good!
–Dinner:
Dolsot Bibimbap
For dinner, the bibimbap comes with bulgogi. I didn’t ask if I could get it with something else but there wasn’t an option to pick on the menu. Was really disappointed… Not sure if they charged more simply because if was bulgogi, but the portion size is the same with less meat… My bowl consisted more of rice than anything and it wasn’t evenly balanced. Did I mention that there was hardly any meat? Also, I don’t know how they prepare this dish, but my rice was burned instead of being crispy in the stone bowl… and that’s my favorite part! Was super disappointed…
Bulgogi
Still super good during dinner as it was for lunch. Only difference is the price. For an extra $ 10, you can get almost the same amount of bulgogi you’d get for during lunch… I don’t know what warrants such a huge price increase but there wasn’t anything extra given. Not impressed.
SERVICE:
Service during lunch has always been great, especially my most recent lunch trip. Dinner… not so much unfortunately. Here goes my rant:
I’m generally a patient person when it comes to how my dining experiences goes because I’ve been in that industry. So when our server told me that they had accidentally delivered my food to the wrong table, I was fine with it. When they finally brought my food out, I was really disappointed. The dinner portion of their Dolsot Bibimbap in a stone bowl was the exact same size as the one they have for lunch BUT with less meat. It was also cooked a little too long so instead of the rice being crispy, it was burned.
They also decided to give us the check right after they delivered me my meal, which is fine. Little did I know that they were actually really trying to close up shop early. It was 8:45pm and they close at 10pm… It got really annoying when they kept coming up to the table trying to see if we paid and signed the bill yet. What made me crack was when one of the server actually told us to sign it since their kitchen was closing up. She sounded annoyed and so did we. We signed the check and then I proceeded to ask them when they actually closed. So they told me that it varies on whether or not the restaurant is busy or not.
So be warned: if the restaurant isn’t busy, they will start closing earlier and kick you out even though it was their fault for delivering the food late. We weren’t even loitering around. I was still eating my food…
OVERALL:
So yeah, dinner was a no go. Same or smaller portion size and double the price of the food. I think I’ll stick to lunch. I’ll rate this place a 3.5 star but bump it up to a 4 because the lunch experiences I’ve had have been great. I just hope they can step up their game for dinner.

DELICIOUS! 5 stars for food, 3 stars for price, 4 stars for everything else.
I came here with my friends last night since we were craving Korean food. I was excited to try the well known dolsot stone bowl, which is the signature bibimbap in a sizzling stone bowl to keep everything warm and the rice crispy. We actually all ended up ordering this since it’s the thing to do… it’s like how when you go to SKD you HAVE to get tofu soup. The downside is it’s quite pricey. I’m used to $ 12 max bibimbaps, but the stone bowl here is about $ 16 plus tax plus they automagically charge tip. It came out to $ 19 each.
The inside of the restaurant is very pretty. I would love to come here for a sorta nice date (not the fanciest, but more than casual). It was also cozy and made for a great place to catch up with my friends. The servers were nice but didn’t come by much since it was just.
First though, the ban chan. It wasn’t to my liking which is unfortunate because I always look forward to the side dishes. The sides were very plain, both in variety and taste.
Out stone bowls came out soon after. They were sizzling hot when they arrived, with the egg perfectly done. The veggies inside looked very fresh and best of all… the rice! Because the rice is on the bottom where it’s hottest, it kinda sticks to the bottom and becomes crispy. Super delicious. I immediately mixed up my bowl until it was a jumble of goodness and dug in. My food kept perfectly warm the whole 40min O spent eating it and I loved the bites of crispy rice I would eat once in a while. Also make sure to mix in the red sauce that comes with it… I love spicy food so it added some flavor, although it was much more sweet than spicy.
This was a great meal. I definitely look forward to coming again. I just wish it wasn’t so pricey for a bowl of rice and veggies.

Absolutely amazing, easily my favorite place for bimimbap (and I’ve tried a good number of other restaurants). The dolsot bibimbap (rice, vegetables, and beef in a stone pot designed to keep the meal warm for its duration), though plainer than some of the other options, still has great flavor, and the gochujang (sauce) is on the side, so you can flavor it to taste. The kimchi pork also has great flavor and is a bit spicier. Everything really does come as expected, all dishes are flavorful, and I’ve yet to have a bad experience. Also, the banchan (side dishes) are varied and delicious.
The only downside is that the restaurant is closed on Wednesdays («Grandma needs a rest,» the sign says), and it is a bit pricier than other Buford Highway options.

Amazing food — the best Korean I’ve ever had. Everything we tried was delicious and had great, balanced flavor (ok — aside from the soup), including the large variety of sides. It’s not cheap but you get a lot of food — I had enough leftovers for 2 more meals.
Also, it was a nice, clean restaurant with very helpful/​friendly staff. If I lived in Atlanta, I’d be a frequent visitor!

Best bibimbap that I’ve had in the Atlanta area so far. The stone bowl comes out nice and hot, which allows your rice to be cooked to your desired level of crunchiness. Plenty of meat and vegetables. I’ve had both the standard dolsot bibimbap and the one with the squid. The squid bibimbap was delicious. Served spicy, it had the right level of «spicy» which was hot, but not intolerable.
Also of note is the seafood pancake. It’s considerably thicker and fluffier than the pancakes that I’ve ordered at other restaurants. You can definitely taste the egg in this pancake. It’s almost too much to order a bowl of bibimbap and this appetizer.
You can sit either a table or in booths which have large dividers that give the ambience of a private room.