Wal Mi Do

Bleh. Unfresh dry-​ish old nigiri? Sad.
You’re far better off buying a bento from Marukai.
Only saving grace was their speciality rolls and decent prices.
Nothing else to write, as I am still getting the dry and very blah taste of old tuna out of my mouth. Let me go brush my teeth for a few more times again.

$ 6 chicken terriyaki lunch bento and $ 7 short rib lunch bento. Food wise everything was solid.
Fair prices! Great portions!

Once upon a time I got sick. This place was open late and had some great tasting kimchi soup to cure me.
Not too many weeks later I returned. And I got drunk here. Not the out of control I can’t handle myself drunk, but the oh my that was good may I have another until… ruhoh I had one too many. Good times. Good food. Prices are what you would expect to normally pay for Korean/​Japenese food.

Found out about this place cause my favorite sushi chef in San Diego used to work here. Ever since he left, the fish and sushi at Wal Mi Do is not the same. I’ve notice their ahi tuna is just not like before. The quality dropped as they dropped their price off 50%. I’m big on quality over quantity so that’s a no no for me.
However, this place deserves a 4 stars for their live halibut and their late night Korean food. I prefer Korean food at Wal Mi Do over House of Orchid (newly opened). It’s more rich in flavor and their live halibut from the tank is just amazing. This is THE SPOT when my hubbie and I go out for live halibut. Come with a group of 3 or more and just order a halibut. It’ll come with all the traditional Korean side dishes and by the time you’re done with the side dishes you’ll probably already stuffed. I got out of work pretty late and whenever I’m happy or sad Wal Mi Do here I come.

Wal Mi Do is quickly becoming one of my late night favorites. With soju for only $ 6.95 a bottle during their late night happy hour, the food here pairs well. They’re open ’til 2 am, and while I haven’t stuck around that late, I’m pretty sure they serve food until then as well.
Eating here really makes me question what American «drinking food» is. It seems that every other culture but ours has it down, especially Koreans. Granted, we’ve got pizza and wings (which, as a die-​hard Buffalonian I can’t deny are awesome!), but our options don’t really stray far, especially when drinking out.
Wal Mi Do DOES have chicken wings… The KOREAN version! They are absolutely delicious. Covered in a spicy, sweet and sour-​like sauce and topped with sesame seeds, they kind of remind me of orange chicken, but way better because there’s no breading!
Try the pork, oyster and salted cabbage dish. Sounds like a strange combo, but with all the panchan they serve along (make sure to ask for it!) it’s surprising filling and really tasty for about $ 14. Also around $ 14, is the seafood pancake which is the size of large frying pan!
*Note: I have yet to try the rolls or sashimi because the sushi bar has closed right before I’ve gotten there both times. So if you want sushi, make sure to go before 11 PM!

OK, so the ONLY reason this place is getting 5 stars is that Sammy works here. That’s right, if you guys know Sammy Sushi which used to be on Engineer Rd and closed back in October of 2008, this is the place where he currently slices and dices. It’s a long and crazy story but worth re-​telling another time!
AGAIN, I REPEAT, the ONLY reason I am giving this place 5 stars is that Sammy is the sushi man here. The sushi bar seats 6(8?) but if you were a fan of Sammy then you need to come here.
So I hope all you fans find him! He is the best and see Sammy, I told you I would help all your loyal customers find you! Oh and look for him on Facebook, I am trying to get him setup there so people can find him as well.

I was expecting those korean Sahimi places that are prevalent in the LA/​OC area. Those places have unique korean side dishes that are very good. I was disappointed to not get many of those side dishes. The rolls were OK, nothing spectacular. The fish is mediocre, not really superfresh but not fishy at the same time, just very mediocre. Overall it is not quite a Korean Sashimi place and not quite a sushi place.
One more thing, this place has live octopus, which is an experience. BUT it is not listed on the menu, it is 30 freakin dollars. They should let you know how expensive it is before they stick you with that cost just because you thought it would be cool to try.

The only cool thing about this restaurant is that 1) it serves live octopus on a platter, and 2) their happy hour after 10pm serves soju for 50% off. That’s about it. Ok, the live octopus is kinda cool, but I dont know– something about the tentacles sticking to the insides of my mouth makes me a little uneasy.
So, I tried the «Wal Mi Do» special, which includes Don-​Katsu (fried pork) and a plate of sashimi. The sashimi came in very generous portions, but the quality of the fish was very mediocre. The pieces were gigantic, and lukewarm. Also, the don-​katsu was thin and stale. My friends ordered different rolls off the menu, and they all came out at different times; probably within a span of 1 hour. If you are not Korean, I would not recommend you go there because 1) the majority of the menu is not in english, and 2) the servers do not speak english. I guess that makes it tough for one to order food.
Not only was the food slow, and sporadic, in coming out, they were playing ONE cd on loop. This mean that I had to listen to Mariah Carey’s «All I Want For Christmas» song twice in one night; not that I haven’t heard that song enough times in my lifetime. UGH.
Overall, I’m not sure that I would go back, unless for the after 10pm 50% off soju specials.