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Wang Ga Ma
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
9 reviews for Wang Ga Ma
9 reviews in English
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Review from Wendy Y.
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I couldn't stop saying "oh my god", "amazing", "this is so good" and no I am not talking about my partner.
If there was a 6th star I would totally give it to Wang Ga Ma. This place is now my official favorite Korean restaurant. I love how the menu items are limited (cook what you are good at and stick to it) and you are the one determining the saltiness of your food. There is a vial of sea salt on every table. Go ahead, be your own boss.
The one downside I must say about the restaurant is that the menu is not very descriptive. For a non-Korean like me, it's hard to order based on words like "beef broth soup with beef, beef broth soup with beef tail, spicy beef broth" etc. I took a gamble and ordered a spicy beef broth and my partner ordered a stone bowl rice. I told the waitress to reduce my bowl of rice down to half but she said the kitchen couldn't do it. *This will be explained later as you read on.
While we were waiting we were munching on kimchi. I must say the kimchi tasted very home-made and tasted different than the mass produced ones from K Mart across the street. And the mass produced ones from K Mart I had were pretty darn good already.
When our orders arrived I was surprised to find my spicy beef broth soup still bubbling and another big stone bowl for my order. I don't recall ordering any more food. And that's when I found out the "other" stone bowl was actually - rice. It finally hit me that rice was made fresh to order!! No wonder the kitchen couldn't give me any less rice. I am glad I had my full bowl because I polished off every grain of it. The rice was fresh and aromatic. I have never had rice this good.
Now, the spicy beef broth. What's really in it is shredded beef. I call it shredded beef because the beef is cooked long enough that the muscle fibers have broken down hence you see long strands of beef. There were plenty of large been sprouts, rice noodle made from green bean powder, and a type of Asian mushroom that looked like brown skinny branches. This soup base was different than most I've tried because the soup was not thick; in fact, it was light and flavorful. I was crying and sniffing a lot because the soup was indeed very spicy.
My partner's bibimbap was solid. I think it's the best I've had.
The bill came to $20.05 after taxes.
I will be back again, again, and again.....Listed in: Korean Food
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Review from Michelle L.
Burnaby, BC
1/27/2012
I had high expectations for this place sicne they had a specialty. Since having tasted their various dishes, not sure what their specialty is. I found their basic broth to taste a bit burnt. However, I did enjoy their kimchi and radish kimchi. the food is okay. service is okay.
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Review from Maggie L.
Vancouver, BC
4/10/2011
If you're looking for a bowl of spicy ook jae jang (spicy beef broth) this is the place to get it.
Lets be honest, Wang Ga Ma has gone downhill since the original wait staff left. However, food is still yums to me!
Service: Meh. I miss the old staff who were friendly and conversational. Everyone now just seems like they're there to do a job. Not so much creating a relationship with their patrons.
But I do remember one specific time I was really not impressed. A waitress there had a major attitude problem. I asked for another set of cutlery, but she didn't understand/hear me and gave me this look of "what the ef are you talking about" and said WHAT?! super loud that other tables turned to look. Sorry, bitch. Didn't know asking for cutlery was such an insult. Anyways, from what I know she doesnt work there anymore..I wonder why.
Food: The menu is VERY limited, VERY. However, this is the beauty of Wang Ga Ma. They focus on a small selection of food to get the best quality. I always order the spicy beef broth and the beef stew (the hot plate with beef). All the soups come with a bowl of rice in their concrete pots.
AND I LOVE that mustard dipping sauce for the meat! I want to figure what it is!
Price: Can't complain. Pretty cheap if you ask me considering I am super full by the end of my meal.
Ambience: I wish they would clean the tables a littlte bit better but cleanliness isn't that big of an issue. I like that it's bright. However, could use a better A/C -
Review from Van B.
5/24/2011
This past weekend I spent in Coquitlam/Vancouver/Richmond but mean while in Coquitlam I was able to stop by Wang Ga Ma for some korean eats.
As a non-korean speaking patron I felt that the menu was not useful enough for those who don't know what all the different korean dishes are called. The menu isn't large which means they should be able to add photos of each item on the menu to better the service of their patrons.
Lucky for me we had a korean friend that came along with us who was able to translate and describe each dish.
The one thing I really disliked about this place is the fact that the two ladies that work there (not sure if they are owners or what) were not very friendly at all.
It felt like we were causing an inconvenience to them by being there and in my books that's a no-no. Staff should be friendly, conversational and at least crack a smile every now and then.
Most of my friends had some sort of broth soup however, I decided to go the spicy cold noodle route as it was a hot day and I needed to cool off.
Let me tell you this is a delicious dish that is so refreshing to have on a nice hot day like BC has been having. After cutting up the noodles and mixing everything in the bowl I was on my way to spice heaven.
The first few bites you can barely taste the spices but once you're about half way through the bowl your mouth starts to engulf which for me as a Vietnamese person who loves spices is pretty awesome!!
Anyway, if you are ever in the area check this place out, forget about the people working there and concentrate on the food. -
Review from Mike P.
8/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
Packed on a holiday Monday, we just avoided the lineup. In a neighbourhood with tons of Korean restaurants, people were willing to wait for this place so I knew it was good.
The menu is small but full of goodness. I ordered the bossam (steamed pork dish that I like but a lot of Korean restaurants don't serve). The last time I had this dish was in Seoul, and this version wasn't quite as good as that one, but close....and a lot closer to home.
I also tried the seafood pancake, which was better than most I have had (just the perfect amount of crispiness, not to doughy).
The prices were very reasonable, only $10 for a giant portion (they also have a large size for 16, this must humungous).
Anyways with stiff competition in the neighbourhood you need to be on your game, and although they don't have many items on the menu, the ones they do have are excellent! -
Review from Al R.
New Westminster, BC
1/23/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Ate here once. Didn't like it too much. Menu selection was very limited, and they seemed to like putting eggs in just about everything (soups, etc) on the menu, and didn't like me trying to order things MINUS the eggs.
I'll probably go back again some time to get a second take on things, but for now, from what I recall of my first visit, it was only just so-so. I've never really HAD any desire to go back to Wang Ga Ma. -
Review from Simon K.
The menu is very small, and there is not much selection, but that is alright as this place is delicious and authentic. My co-worker was feeling hungry and decided to come to this place to have lunch. We were seated at a small booth where the menu is taped to the wall.
The menu consist of just one page, and most of the items are of a soup variety, and there is a bowl of Bee Bim Bop (which I just had) which was prepared just right. The egg was just cooked, and the egg yolk was just waiting to be popped, and mixed with all the vegetables and beef, and adding the sauce on the side, it was a fun mixing experience. The bowl was a nice big stone bowl where the bottom of the rice was nice a crispy. Also soup came along with the meal. The one thing they do not do with their soups, is add salt, and there is natural salt at the table to which you add yourself, this is a nice touch.
At the start of the meal they also give you a big dish of spicy turnip and kimchi with a fork and a big set of scissors for you to cut yourself. I notice many restaurants nowadays are starting to go this route. I wish they had the potato appetizer which I really like. I had a chance to also try my co-workers spicy beef soup, and it had the right amount of kick, and taste. I would definately recommend this place to others.
The restaurant is right across from a Hannam (big Korean supermarket) and right in the thick of competition. I have to give this place a thumbs up from many others I've eaten around the area! -
Review from Sarah O.
4/23/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Really good korean soup. The broth is rich and full of flavor and the rice is cooked perfectly and comes in an individual hot stone bowl. You are going to love every moment the food burns the roof of your mouth because you simply cannot wait for it to cool down. In my opinion, it's worth the sacrifice.
Listed in: Delicious Korean Food
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Review from Dan H.
8/23/2010
If I had written this review a year ago, I would agree to give this place at least 4 stars. Went there today with a group - here were my findings. The kimchee used to be superb - probably next to NYC's Gamiok, I would have given this place a distant 2nd. The kimchee was certainly not near as it once was - matter of fact the store bought (across the parking lot at H-Mart) would have been better. Yeah, I do get that some seasons the kimchee may not be good b/c of the temperature, change of ingredients etc. But, the actual broth tasted like some plastic was burnt in there or there was use of POWDERED CREAMER (like u put in coffee). There was a group of eight of us, a majority agreed. The waitstaff was nice about it and offered to bring us another batch - it was the same. I don't know if there's a new owner, a cook that started messing up in the kitchen, or if it's the tough economy and the owners are cutting corners - but for sure it wasn't the near four stars I would have given it the last time I was there. Matter of fact, I was embarrassed to bring my friends there after having verbally raved about the place. A total let down and YES, I shall not be going back. Trust me when I say, I am bummed too to give it such a low rating - I want a place like this to do well and maintain it's high rating. There aren't too many places like this that can do it well. Please suggest alternative places if any.
