Ever Try Korean Barbeque?

My Convoy lunch brigade tried Korean Barbeque in April.  None of us had tried it before.  We thought it was too spicy, and didn't know if we'd like all the unusual foods.  Well, there were only two side dishes that were spicy.  One was sliced zucchini with spicy sauce, the other was kim chee (pickled cabbage) with spices.  Everything else was comfortable for even the blandest pallet.  Other appetizers included sliced fish cake which was delicious, mixed green salad with a wonderful dressing, pickled radish and bean sprouts.

We ate at Manna Korean Barbeque in Mira Mesa.  Actually, we originally planned to go to their Convoy Street location, but the reviews on Yelp were higher for the Mira Mesa location, and the parking was easier.  We're glad we went to Mira Mesa.  We had a friendly, helpful waitress, who explained everything to us, and since we still didn't know what most of the food was, she just selected foods for beginners, and brought, and brought and brought.   Manna is an all you can eat barbeque.  There is no a la carte ordering.  We ordered the $22.95 meal.  There is also a  $27.95 meal, the difference being more expensive meats in the more expensive option.  Cooking of the main course meats and vegetables takes place at your table.  We all agreed we liked the boneless short ribs the best.  They were meaty and well seasoned.  We also had bulgogi, a marinated beef, and beef brisket, also marinated.  Eggs with spices were served in a little black crock and were very tasty.  Glass noodles in a wonderful sauce were also a favorite.  Veggies were grilled and so, so good.  Corn on the cob, mushrooms, zucchini and onions were grilled to perfection by us.

Manna Korean Barbeque has many more exotic proteins, like octopus, intestines and squid.  We had none of these, but I might be willing to try them in the future.  It was a great, social lunch, and everyone tried something they'd never had before.  It's for adventurous eaters, but it's definitely not spicy.  Manna in Mira Mesa takes reservations for parties of 8 or more.  It's lots of fun.  Kind of like Bennihana, but you do the cooking.  Give it a try.