Joy Kitchen

Love the self serve sides stand and the food! Authentic Korean home cooking at its finest!

Excellent food! Great prices. A gem in Richardson. This isn’t a fancy place… You serve yourself to Kim Chi, rice and tea. You also bus your own table. But the flavors a here are incredible. We usually get spicy beef or pork with squid.

Very authentic. Amazing homestyle taste. One of my favorite places

I really like the tofu soup here. highly recommend it. everything is simply and easy.yummy. Yummy

Food: 4 out 5
Price: 5 out of 5
Value: 5 out of 5
Service: it’s self served.
My parents go here all the time for it’s value and for their tasty food. I remember coming here back in 2003 with my parents. I wasn’t really impressed by it back then. But when I visited this place with my parents last week, I was really impressed with the whole experience. If you are looking for a good, cheap, and fast Korean food, please give this place a try.

I’ve come back several times, always satisfied.
Tried several entrees, all very good.
Great Korean option in the area…

Do NOT be fooled by the images on Google maps. At the same time, do not be discouraged when you pull up and leave. It’s a place to get a yummy dinner for $ 10, but do not expect impeccable service or ambiance. Here’s the breakdown for my experience:
Food– 4 stars. Good home cooked Korean food, but would not be worth my trek from Plano. If you’re in the neighborhood, it’s worth a visit. The side dishes, which are my favorite part of Korean food, are self serve. The catch, there’s only 3 sides, at least when I was there – Kimchi, radish, pickled mustard greens.
Ambiance– fluorescent lighting and cheap cafeteria feel.
Service– Poor. At 7:55PM, the owner loudly proclaimed, «We close at 8 so yeah. Oh, does anyone want a to go box?» So… after being kicked out at 7:55PM, I’ve decided this place is not for me to return to in the future. However, I’m glad that I got to try it.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked in, but I used to live in this area even though this was the first visit. I ordered chicken with potatoes and my husband had the noodles with Korean dumplings.
They have daily specials on the board along with some extra food items you can order, but will take roughly 10 minutes longer. Rice is the red/​purple type and you can get as much as you want from the rice maker. There’s also a sweet rice drink as well for free along with water and tea options. Pricing was about $ 8 – 10 per entrée.
Food was delicious and comforting. there’s enough to share a dish or bring some home. Kimchi is available for free on a cart. I’d definitely go back!

This is a hole in the wall Korean BBQ restaurant that has great service and food! Everything on the menu is $ 8.50 so you can’t go wrong. This is the place to go if you just want authentic Korean food and don’t care too much about ambiance. The service is great she was very friendly and helpful with explaining the menu, since I was a newbie. I decided to go with the grilled Mackerel. I went with friends and they had pork feet, spicy fish stew, and beef bulgogi.
After ordering, there is a kimchi bar buffet thats self serve. You just grab whatever type of sides and purple rice you would like. Drinks are included too and they have this barley drink with rice on the bottom that is very delicious and sweet but not too sweet.
I would definitely order the grilled Mackerel again and again. The plate came out sizzling and you get ½ a portion of fish. It was seasoned perfectly and very tender. Hands down the Grilled Mackerel is my favorite out of the other dishes! The Fish Stew and beef bulgogi were also very tasty. They both came out sizzling as well. You can choose the spicy level you would like on each meal. If you love spicy food your in for a treat because most of their meals contain a decent amount of spice unless stated. Portions were a good size enough for one person without leftovers.

It’s a very quaint little place.
It looks rundown, but I feel like it adds to the décor especially if you’re brave and adventurous. Every time I’ve come here the prices have been pretty reasonable. Everything is usually around $ 8 and they do take card OR cash!
They have a pretty decent large menu and this place is family owned. It’s run by a nice little lady who remembers her customers and is really friendly and greets all of her customers in Korean (OMG, must be authentic Korean place).
But in all seriousness, the food is pretty good! I’m no expert, but I usually go for the beef tofu soup on a cold day (which could happen on any given day since we have freakish weather here in Texas). The other foods on the menu seems intimidating but I’ve tried at least half of them and they’ve all been wonderful experiences.
They offer all the purple rice you would want (yes I know it’s purple), it’s very similar to white rice and tastes pretty much the same. They also offer kimchi and other preserved vegetables as well as tea /​water /​and this sweet barley or rice drink.
I absolutely adore the sweet barely or rice? drink. Heck, I don’t even know what it is, but it’s really refreshing. It doesn’t look appealing however, but it’s always refreshing and sweet to the taste.
I didn’t rate this restaurant based off of the décor, I rated it based off of the experience in terms of food taste /​choices. Overall it’s definitely a place I would go if I were looking to try a new place

If you’re looking for an authentic Korean restaurant, this is your place! Whether your with friends or taking your order to-​go, Joy Kitchen is there to serve you!
SERVICE
Everyone here is so sweet and they go out of their way to make you happy and give you a good experience. It almost feels like I’m eating at home. I love that «home-​y» feeling to this place and love how everything is self serve (rice, drinks, etc) Once your order is ready, they will call your name to let you know. Sometimes they’ll even bring the food out to the table. But seriously though, the people here go out of their way.
FOOD
It’s authentic Korean food. What more can I say? It’s delicious! I always order the bulgogi (grilled marinated beef) plate because it’s my favorite Korean dish. I eat my bulgogi with the yummy purple sticky rice. I wasn’t a big fan of the dumplings. So I highly suggest everyone to AVOID ordering the fried dumplings. Way too greasy.
OVERALL
Highly recommend this place. I’ve been here a few times and always end up coming back! Great service and cheap food. With only $ 8.50ish you’ll have yourself an authentic Korean meal.

Authentic Korean Restaurant. The food is pretty good. You order first and then sit yourself. They call you once your food is ready. The rice and vegetables are self serve.
Decent place and moderately priced. No more than $ 10 dollars. Good option for a quick work lunch.
Tip: Get the Spicy Pork and Squid.

This small hole in the wall Korean place is amazing. I lived so close by for so long without ever knowing it was there! I only discovered it from looking at Unilocal reviews and I’m so happy I found it! There is an Asian lady that owns the place who takes your order, cooks it and checks you out when you’re done. You get your own rice and sides, with signs to not take more than you can eat. The food is priced really well and the food is so flavorful! My favorite was the rice cakes and the Bulgogi. You can even call in for Togo. The wait can be long if there’s more than 7 people in the restaurant because she takes each order then completes it before moving on but it is worth the wait. I cannot wait to return, unfortunately the last time I came she was gone for holiday vacation!

If you’re looking for cheap and authentic Korean food, this is the place to go. This hole in the wall is a gem! It was by far the best bulgogi I’ve ever had. Also, the lady working there was a boss because she’s taking orders and cooking at the same time all by herself. I will definitely be coming back.

I came here with low expectations, not because of the hole-​in-​the-​wall appearance but because I’ve never found Korean food super appealing… (I’m sure I’m gonna get some haters for that statement) but Joy’s def converted me!
My biggest complaint with Korean food is that they usually make it so spicy, you can’t really taste the other flavors, but at Joy’s they made it so that the spicy doesn’t overpower.
The tofu soup and the «oh sam» (?) were both amazing. The oh sam is served on a sizzling plate and it fries the rice cakes super crispy! The tofu soup was spicy but I could still taste the seafood in it.
Joy’s has definitely made me into a believer!
Would recommend!

Overall, the place was average. They were fast to get my lunch order prepared, and they didn’t hang up on me like the Jin Mi restaurant did when I called in.
I got the seafood tofu soup, and it was good. They do include an egg and it, so that’s was a big plus. I wasn’t wowed overall, and it didn’t stand out compared to the other ones I’ve had around Irving (since it seems to be a mini Korea town there). Maybe it’s not fair to compare them since I did order it as a take out orer? But then, there was a small mussel shell in my soup…
The rice they serve is purple! I’ve had purple rice before, but it’s usually not the grain most places serve. Kudo points to Joy Kitchen for that, but the rice I got was mushy. I think I got a portion from the bottom of the rice cooker.
Not sure if I’ll come back, but at least the people working there seemed nice!

Omg, I love this place.
Food: I can’t tell you how much I love this place. I love this place. There’s two walls with all their main dishes. One side is the complete menu and the other side has their weekly specials. My all-​time favorite is jaeyook kimchi, a combo of stir-​fry kimchi, fatty pork, rice cake, and more kimchi. Spicy and delicious. AND FOR $ 8.50. I used to get this when it was $ 16 in NY. Dang, I’ve been overpaying. My friend got the bulgogi and that was of course, sweet and juicy. ANOTHER $ 8.50. Each came smoking hot on a stone (clay?) pan that you pick up at the counter. Careful when you pick it up! Even though it is on a super authentic wooden board. Gah, so good.
Service: Self-​service! Order at the counter, kimchi, sides, drinks, and rice are all on the side counters where you can get as much as you would like. Don’t waste food, though! When you’re done, just get up, say your «thank you“s to the nice lady at the counter, and head out! :)
Ambiance: Half feeling like a dining hall, half feeling like a cheap Asian take-​out place. BUT what’s wrong with that? Super chill and authentic. When you see single Korean guys ordering a dish and just eating in the corner, you can tell that they’re here because the food probably tastes as close to home-​cooked as it’ll get. And since Korean food is my comfort food, this is probably as close to home-​cooked as it’ll get for me too.
Even though I kinda understand why they’re only open on weekdays (just kidding, I really don’t), I still wish they were open on weekends :(

JOYSSSS! I love this place!
My sister and her boyfriend took me here the first time to celebrate her birthday. Delicious! The boyfriend ordered the seafood rice cake hot plate for me and it was amazing. A tad spicy for my taste but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. And I was able to enjoyed it with purple rice which is healthy than white rice. This place is self served: so drinks, side dishes, and rices, you have to get it yourself. I have absolutely no shame in going back to the serving station multiple times. I ate at least three bowls of rice with that dish. Definitely recommend getting that if you’re not sure on what to get!

If you’re craving for some homemade Korean food, this is one place I would highly recommend. They have great dishes for reasonable prices. They also have daily a lunch special. I usually go with my coworkers so we would all order a few dishes and eat as family style. If you’re planning to arrive during lunch, come early to get seats since it gets filled quickly.
Before arriving, check their hours since they close early. The rice and other sides such as kimchi and cabbage are unlimited including the barley and rice drinks. The rice drink is a sweet refreshing drink that is also known for great hangover cures. The barley drink is not as sweet, but still refreshing.
As for the main dishes, I usually get the chicken potato soup which is one of my favorite. The seafood tofu soup is pretty good. Another added dish I would recommend is the stir fry squid with rice cake added. If you’re wanting a meat dish, I actually prefer their stir fry spicy pork. The beef isn’t as great as you would think. What I like is that you can add anything to the stir fry dishes with an extra cost. Make sure to grab the Bilbao which is wrapped and displayed by the cashier.
Overall, one visit isn’t just enough. Just be prepared to smell like Asian food when you step out. Bön appetite!

At first glance, Joy Kitchen isn’t much to look at. When you walk in, you will see a very plain dining area without much decoration. That’s fine by me as the savings go back to the customer in the form of price!
The second thing that you’ll notice (if you’re like me) is that you’re probably going to be the only non-​Asian customer. This is a good thing. It means you’re in for something authentic! After looking at the menu, which is written on the wall, you’ll also notice that everything on it is $ 8!!! Score!
My first time here, I was not brave enough to order anything other than what I knew, so I ordered the bulgogi. Now I may not have had a Korean grandmother, but I have been to all of the Korean BBQ restaurants in Carrolton and Irving, and this was the best I’ve had. Served on a sizzling platter, I often refer to these as Korean fajitas. So good!
Since Joy won my trust after my first visit, I have since tried new dishes. My all time favorite is the chicken and potato stew, which is a special only served on Tuesdays.
In the backleft corner, there is a delicious kimchi bar where you can help yourself to kimchi and rice. In addition to water, there is a very good rice drink, which cleans the palate and is quite refreshing.
Overall, I don’t know where else you can get a delicious, large portioned meal, with sides, and a drink for $ 8. Keep it up Joy, keep it up. I will be back.