If Siam Square wasn’t filled with hordes of restaurants vying for the business of the young and trendy with good-value meals and inviting ambiance, Chin Choo might be an option. Unfortunately, things aren’t like that and this shabu shabu shop does a pretty poor job of trying to impress. The two-story eatery feels a bit cramped, with tables so close together that you can’t help but eavesdrop on the conversations of neighboring tables. Like the amount of legroom, the staff’s knowledge of the menu (featuring Korean-style hot pot and Korean dishes) is limited. When asked how its Korean Pizza, which looks very similar to okonomiyaki, differs from the Japanese-style pancake, our waiter replies with a laugh, “Well, frankly, I don’t know.” Later, it is déjà vu when we ask him what the shabu dipping sauce at Chin Choo is made of. At least give him some credit for being honest. As for the food, despite the fact that the owner is said to have spent months taking Korean cooking classes in Seoul, the food is not strictly what you would call Korean. Here the shabu is exactly like the Japanese version, except that it’s accompanied by a two-dimensional salty-and-spicy sauce that only begins to make the food taste better after you add copious amounts of chopped chili and garlic. Regrettably, the quality of the thinly sliced meat doesn’t justify the expensive price tags. We were also disappointed with the skimpy portion of Dol Sot Bibimbab, which barely filled the bottom half of the bowl and was desperately in need of more kochujang chili paste. The Marinated Pork BBQ should have been called stir-fried pork in tomato sauce; even worse was the cabbage salad topped with mayo it was served with—neither appeared or tasted very Korean. Don’t bother with the “recommended” gyoza, either. If we had to choose the best thing about Chin Choo, it would be its selection of Korean liquor soju. Drink enough, and the food might seem more authentic—it might even seem good.
