Gunbae - Did it once but need some clarification

[tbmrt]

On our last VV cruise we did Gunbae and from what I remember we all ate the same food which was cooked in front of us. Perhaps the waiter suggested we all get the same thing and we agreed without ordering off a menu?

 

I didn't care for most of this food we had and see things that look good on the menu online.  If I order from menu will my order arrive at the same time as the grilled items for others?

 

 

 

 

[jon81uk]

9 minutes ago, tbmrt said:

On our last VV cruise we did Gunbae and from what I remember we all ate the same food which was cooked in front of us. Perhaps the waiter suggested we all get the same thing and we agreed without ordering off a menu?

 

I didn't care for most of this food we had and see things that look good on the menu online.  If I order from menu will my order arrive at the same time as the grilled items for others?

 

 

 

 

Generally they will serve the starters/appetisers first, then rice and then grilled items. You can order more appetisers to come out later if you wish but if you want apps as your main you’ll need to make that clear with the server. 
 

Most of the time the server does “take control” and order for the table serving to share if everyone eats meat/seafood as it simplifies things, I also find some of the portion sizes (like the seafood pancake) is better for sharing as you can have one slice and share the rest amongst the table.

[CruisingWalter]

36 minutes ago, tbmrt said:

I didn't care for most of this food we had and see things that look good on the menu online.  If I order from menu will my order arrive at the same time as the grilled items for others?

 

Order whatever you want, if it's something to be cooked in the back they will try to time it to your grilled food. I recommend the Kalbi (Short Ribs) for the grill. On Valiant a friend order the pork belly and it was flavorless, she ended up digging into some of my short ribs which were really good. 

[jon81uk]

33 minutes ago, CruisingWalter said:

On Valiant a friend order the pork belly and it was flavorless, she ended up digging into some of my short ribs which were really good. 

The beef is marinated but the pork isn’t so you need to use the dipping sauces with the pork. That and cook it until it’s crispy and the fat renders a little.

[CruisingWalter]

5 minutes ago, jon81uk said:

The beef is marinated but the pork isn’t so you need to use the dipping sauces with the pork. That and cook it until it’s crispy and the fat renders a little.

The dipping sauces did nothing for the pork belly on the Valiant cruise. It was just grey, flavorless meat that was not enjoyable. I would not recommend it to anyone going to Gunbae. 

[tbmrt]

47 minutes ago, CruisingWalter said:

 

Order whatever you want, if it's something to be cooked in the back they will try to time it to your grilled food. I recommend the Kalbi (Short Ribs) for the grill. On Valiant a friend order the pork belly and it was flavorless, she ended up digging into some of my short ribs which were really good. 

I felt the same way about the food on the grill except for the short ribs.  Thinking I'll order off the menu next cruise.  I'm going with friends and would like them to experience the Gunbae game and atmosphere.

[jon81uk]

16 minutes ago, CruisingWalter said:

The dipping sauces did nothing for the pork belly on the Valiant cruise. It was just grey, flavorless meat that was not enjoyable. I would not recommend it to anyone going to Gunbae. 

I enjoyed the pork when it is cooked well, I think that’s the issue too. They probably should go back to allowing guests to have their own tongs and remove the meat when they think it’s ready.

[cantgetin]

For first timers, the servers asks whether they want to order off the menu or have him/her supply "the favorites."  We know what we want, so order off the menu.  It is all grilled at about the same time.  The non-grill items all come together.  Another vote for the Kalbi.

[CruisingWalter]

5 hours ago, tbmrt said:

I felt the same way about the food on the grill except for the short ribs.  Thinking I'll order off the menu next cruise.  I'm going with friends and would like them to experience the Gunbae game and atmosphere.

 

I tell folks Gunbae is a great "first night" dinner. You get to meet some new folks on the ship and it's a great ice breaker for the cruise. 

[-The-True-North-]

We are NOT a fan of GunBae. I don't mind sitting with people I don't know, but some people are gross.

 

The restaurant made us share dipping sauces and people were double dipping. Then they pass around the grilled food and people use there dirty used chopsticks to touch all the food as they put some on their plate. Not to mention that they were also using those same chopsticks to touch the food as it was being grilled.

 

We didn't eat 1/2 the food and another woman at the table had to asked the server to please use their tong to serve us.

 

We never book it anymore.

[neverendingcruising]

That’s an awful experience. When we’ve dined there the server always provided dipping sauces to each couple or individual person, same with all of the side items. They then used the cooking tongs to dish out the grilled food. I would have said something if they were making unknown people share, gross! 

[-The-True-North-]

19 minutes ago, neverendingcruising said:

That’s an awful experience. When we’ve dined there the server always provided dipping sauces to each couple or individual person, same with all of the side items. They then used the cooking tongs to dish out the grilled food. I would have said something if they were making unknown people share, gross! 

Very gross. And we are not ones to make a scene. To nice and polite I guess. Easier to just finish our drinks and go to The Galley.

 

Cool concept, but doesn't work for many. specially those who are interverts.

[cantgetin]

5 hours ago, -The-True-North- said:

We are NOT a fan of GunBae. I don't mind sitting with people I don't know, but some people are gross.

 

The restaurant made us share dipping sauces and people were double dipping. Then they pass around the grilled food and people use there dirty used chopsticks to touch all the food as they put some on their plate. Not to mention that they were also using those same chopsticks to touch the food as it was being grilled.

 

We didn't eat 1/2 the food and another woman at the table had to asked the server to please use their tong to serve us.

 

We never book it anymore.

We've been there at least 4 times (multiple cruises).  We never had this experience.  The server always provided dipping sauces to each pair or solo and served each of us separately from the grill.  NOTHING was ever passed around as a "take what you want and pass it on" deal.We never were served or ate anything that had been touched by anyone else.

Not my favorite restaurant, but not for any of the reasons you experienced.

[Tralfaz1138]

On 12/18/2023 at 5:53 AM, CruisingWalter said:

The dipping sauces did nothing for the pork belly on the Valiant cruise. It was just grey, flavorless meat that was not enjoyable. I would not recommend it to anyone going to Gunbae. 

The pork belly is not any different on Resilient either.  Gunbae really is, honestly, all about the social element and not really about the food.  We went twice since, given the length of our cruise, we ate everywhere at least twice.  We met great people both times, and really enjoyed the service both times, but for me the food itself wasn't the star of the show.  None of it was "bad".  Just most was less flavorful or interesting than food at the other restaurants.  (And we did have individual sauces versus the post that mentioned shared sauces, which sounds awful).

 

We just booked a 12 night cruise for next year and will most likely just go to Gunbae once (early) in the cruise.

[jon81uk]

19 hours ago, -The-True-North- said:

We are NOT a fan of GunBae. I don't mind sitting with people I don't know, but some people are gross.

 

The restaurant made us share dipping sauces and people were double dipping. Then they pass around the grilled food and people use there dirty used chopsticks to touch all the food as they put some on their plate. Not to mention that they were also using those same chopsticks to touch the food as it was being grilled.

 

We didn't eat 1/2 the food and another woman at the table had to asked the server to please use their tong to serve us.

 

We never book it anymore.

Sounds like you got a terrible server, when they supplied food for the table they gave a set of sauces per person or per couple, rice dishes per couple and some things like the seafood pancake the server shared a slice to each person. When passing round cooked meats he passed tongs round with it. Sharing with my husband isn’t a problem to me, but if they tried to give just one set of sauces to the table that would be weird! Unless you were a solo person and the server assumed you were part of a couple? Did you ask for some for yourself when they laid them out to share?

[-The-True-North-]

1 hour ago, jon81uk said:

Sounds like you got a terrible server, when they supplied food for the table they gave a set of sauces per person or per couple, rice dishes per couple and some things like the seafood pancake the server shared a slice to each person. When passing round cooked meats he passed tongs round with it. Sharing with my husband isn’t a problem to me, but if they tried to give just one set of sauces to the table that would be weird! Unless you were a solo person and the server assumed you were part of a couple? Did you ask for some for yourself when they laid them out to share?

That could be it.

 

No I was with my wife and some singles. It also happened to be even so maybe he didn't know who was with who and assumed we were all paired up?

 

It was our first time, so I didn't know what to expect or what was the norm. Glad this isn't the norm tho.

 

Either way, even if we got the best service we still didn't enjoy it enough to ever go back. All the other restaurants onboard beat it by a mile to us (food wise).

 

We do go every sailing tho for the $15 drink tho! 😂 Just get it as a take away drink.

[AussieOmni]

Honestly for me the best stuff at Gunbae is the apps.

[CruisingWalter]

On 12/18/2023 at 8:25 PM, -The-True-North- said:

The restaurant made us share dipping sauces and people were double dipping.

 

No, that's not supposed to happen and in our three times to Gunbae, this has never happened. Everyone gets their own dipping sauces. Next time insist they bring you your own. 

Edited December 20, 2023 by CruisingWalter

[CruisingWalter]

16 hours ago, Tralfaz1138 said:

We just booked a 12 night cruise for next year and will most likely just go to Gunbae once (early) in the cruise.

 

I always recommend it as a first night restaurant. Fun way to meet some of your fellow Sailors. But on a 4 night or less, I would skip it altogether.