All-you-can-eat Korean BBQ (for cheap!) at Charcoal Mine Barbecue House, Parramatta
There are two golden rules for any all-you-can-eat: wear loose clothing, and arrive hungry. You’ll face instant regret if you don’t do both when you rock up to Charcoal Mine, said to be Australia’s first all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurant.
Overhead barbecue smoke ventilators
The fact they opened over 20 years ago goes some way in explaining the dated but perfectly functional décor. The room full of Korean families, students and couples don’t care though. Let’s face it. Everybody’s focus is on the self-serve buffet. Hit it hard.
Buffet island
Time to gather all the meats
Marinated pork and chicken
You'll be in protein central with meats that run from marinated scotch fillet to spicy bacon strips, chicken wings and pork sausages. Seafood choices include mussels, octopus and squid. The more adventurous will venture towards kidney, intestine, giblet and liver territory. Leave your vegetarian mates at home unless they’re happy to binge on kimchi and lettuce leaves.
Meat on charcoal. Oh yeah.
Load up, head back to your table and resist the urge to throw everything on the charcoal barbecue. Yep, you’ll have to cook your own meat but trust us, it’s a cinch. Plus there are few things more satisfying than transferring succulent meat straight off the barbie and into your mouth. Plus, the charcoal really makes a difference, adding a smokier flavour to your sizzle meats. Most other Korean barbecue joints use cheaper – and less flavoursome – gas.
Cooked in a flash
The buffet selection isn’t huge but neither is the price tag. You’ll pay $35-$37 for dinner, depending on which night you dine, or binge at lunch for maximum value when the price drops to $28. Bargain!
Lettuce wraps and fresh watermelon and oranges
Fresh watermelon and orange wedges make for a sweet and refreshing dessert – or mid-meal palate cleanser. They have an alcohol license too, so you can barbie on up with a beer by your side. Maaate.
Fellow diners showing us how it's done with the lettuce wraps
Dining tables with inset barbecue grills
Charcoal Mine Barbecue House
454 Church Street, North Parramatta, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9630 3299 or +61 (02) 9630 4401
Opening hours
Monday 12pm-3pm, 5pm-11pm
Tuesday 5pm-11pm
Wednesday to Sunday 12pm-3pm, 5pm-11pm
This article first appeared in Time Out Sydney. Read this article online or read more of my Time Out Sydney reviews.
Labels: All you can eat, Barbecue (Japanese and Korean), Korean, Parramatta, Sydney west
posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 5/15/2018 06:07:00 pm
3 Comments:
At 5/15/2018 9:37 pm, Sarah said…
Omg all you can MEAT!
At 5/16/2018 11:48 am, Ramen Raff said…
$28 is totally a bargain!
At 5/20/2018 10:21 am, Max said…
I was a regular at this joint back in my university days in the late 90's.
Would always visit with a university student's appetite which made it worth the money.
Glad to see they're still operating - truly a classic.
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