Hinoak Korean Charcoal BBQ

An amazing kbbq place. The food was delicious,the staff were a delight and the place was dazzling. The meat is cooked with what I assume to be charcoal heated up and placed like two sections of a man-made beehive into the table, where one can hardly feel any heat from where you're sitting. The staff were adept at the cooking of the meat,from the timing down to the cutting. I had the soju and could taste the fruits. The toilets were clean with ample toilet paper. Thanks to all the staff for making such a dynamic experience.

Nice decor and atmosphere. Well trained and attentive staff. First time see this way of cooking in a Korean restaurant. Overall nice meat, but pork belly was a letdown. I expect it to be more juicy. I think they use drumsticks meat to make Korean fried chicken which is surprising to me. I like the original one the most. The japchae was nice as well.

This jumps into my top Korean BBQ restaurant list. They have a huge list of combos/sets for you to choose, from premium to classic. We chose Fly Me To Korea and Mums Beef & Mushroom Hotpot and one extra serve of Beef Rib. The hotpot is well seasoned and topped up with a lot of mushroom and beef bulgogi. We were all amazed with their vertically grilled mechanism. This is the first time we see this. Meats are grilled evenly from hot charcoal racks from two sides. Hence, the grilled meat tastes amazingly delicious. They also give unlimited bbq side dishes (pickle, bean sprouts and kim chi), and lettuce to use with BBQ. This is also first time we eat Korean BBQ without smell on clothes after meal. The staff is nice, friendly and attentive. They grill and suggest time to eat. The price is a little bit higher than average KBBQ places but we all feel it is worth it for a good meal and experience.

The venue is so sleek, the timber panelling gives it such a great aesthetic. I loved that we didn't have to actually cook our food, the waiters come and set everything up so everything is cooked to absolute perfection without having to think about a thing. We tried the dumplings, pork neck, wagyu scotch fillet, ox tongue, cheesy corn and fried chicken and everything was phenomenal. Great cocktails too. The stand out for me was the smoked salt and pepper powder, I would buy this by the kilo if they sold it!

Mixed Feelings about Hinoak Korean Charcoal BBQ Hinoak Korean Charcoal BBQ, located conveniently close to my home in Glen Waverley, is one of the few Korean BBQ places that I frequent. The restaurant is distinct for its unique charcoal grilling method, with the grill embedded vertically into the table, an arrangement that effectively eliminates oil smoke. This feature contributes to a cleaner and more enjoyable dining atmosphere. On the topic of food quality, the ingredients are generally fresh. However, there was an instance when the Wagyu beef had a slightly off taste. Other than that one occasion, the food has been quite good. One downside is the dining environment. It feels rather crowded due to the tightly-packed table arrangement. It gets to a point where we have difficulty placing all the dishes on the table, which can detract from the overall dining experience. There are other Korean BBQ options in the vicinity, and considering my less than perfect experiences at Hinoak, I anticipate that I might not visit as frequently as before. Unless the price-performance ratio improves, which seems unlikely, my visits might become less frequent. While Hinoak offers a unique dining experience, it might need to work on some aspects to enhance its competitiveness.

Everything is outstanding here, the delicious food (especially the Japanese Miyazaki Wagyu), the decor, staff services and also the charcoal cooking techniques for the meat. The 1 star minus is for the not ideal table arrangement for 5 adults (usually it is set for 4 people) is a bit uncomfortable for me and due to the vast amount of food we had ordered for the bday celebration night, there was no room to fit them all on the table setting. If these issue are improved or avoidable in the future then your customers may have a much more enjoyment dinning experiences with their friends/family.