han sung oak

han sung oak
6341 columbia pike, falls church, VA 22041
tel: 703) 642-0808

what was consumed: korean bbq! beef and chicken

han sung oak was the first korean restaurant (if my memory serves me correctly) i visited upon moving to the dc/metro area (what does it mean when it's taken me soooo long for me to actually write about it? hmmm). friend k wanted to try it out, so i happily obliged (note: she's also not korean, so mentioned something about wanting some assistance in ordering food as well). after doing a bit of research, because neither she nor i knew about where to go, we decided upon han sung oak.

we walked in and were immediately seated. there were a number of tables with patrons enjoying their food, but by no means was it filled. the restaurant is also quite large, so i imagine it would be easy to accommodate large(er) parties. we quickly ordered, but i was careful not to order too much. after all, there are just the two of us and, per usual with korean cuisine, i knew that a lot of my stomach would be filled with banchan. yum.

we were quickly served with our bbq menu after the table was filled with banchan (all of which were standard fare and really tasty). we cooked our own bbq a bit, but the servers did come around and did a bit of the cooking as well. i enjoyed the food and while i thought i could make something like this on my own at home, i probably wouldn't go through the effort of doing so. not regularly, anyway. all in all, i enjoyed my meal, enjoyed spending time with friend, and looked forward to other k-dining options i knew just had to be available in the dc/metro area, the 3rd most populous area with korean expatriots.

downsides? annandale is far in and of itself, so while this isn't a downside of han sung oak, it's a downside nonetheless. of course, this doesn't prevent me from frequenting annandale businesses (haha). also, if i remember correctly, han sung oak is a bit more expensive than some of the other options i've since partaken in. then again, thinking that you get what you pay for, the feeling of "higher-end" is definitely visible here. at this point, i would consider who i'm dining with (and whether that sense of fancy-shmancy-ness is important altogether). han sung oak is also probably a good place to go to if you're dining with someone who has never had korean food (who is that??!?!?!? silly goose). oh, and this last point is not a downside (haha).

now, as i pass han sung oak during my annandale adventures, i often think fondly of my first k-food experience and wonder if i should visit again. perhaps.