Do Re Mi House Korean Restaurant in Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California

Once lucky enough to have tasted it, good Korean barbeque is something you never forget and always seek to rediscover afterward wherever you go. I was lucky enough to have lived 2 floors above a marvelous hole-in-the-wall Korean restaurant that does heavenly beef bulgogi for really cheap back in the University City Loop part of downtown St. Louis, MO, and so it was rather distressful when I realized after having moved to downtown San Diego, CA that no good Korean and affordable Korean restaurant is in business near my new abode.

But... there is some consolation to be had that once a month when I hop the bus up to Kearny Mesa to replenish my instant noodles cabinet at the Ranch 99 Market on Clairemont Mesa Blvd, there is a plate of flavorful and tender beef bulgogi with perfectly cooked short-grained (and therefore delightfully sticky) rice, steamed heads of broccoli, crisp lettuce salad with a splash of light sweet and sour Korean dressing (it looks somewhat like a thin 1000 islands dressing but tastes lighter and more vinegary), two bite size fried beef dumplings, and some cubes of sauteed potato in thick sweet brown sauce waiting for me for only $7 at Do Re Mi House Korean Restaurant nearby.

You really have to look for this little tiny little eatery tucked in the strip mall just east of Mercury Rd on Clairemont Mesa Blvd (between the notorious Cheetah (strip club) and Rockler woodwork and hardware dealer). There is plenty of parking, of course. Those of us who ride bus can get here on the 27 (get off at Clairemont Mesa and Mercury. It's on the south side of the street). The restaurant really looks nicer inside than from the outside; a thin but well laid out and cleanly kept restaurant with light interior that is made to look larger than it really is by the long mirror that lines its west wall. It is quite nice and airy inside... with a clean unisex restroom in the back. The dining facility can easily accommodate a party of 30, though is never very busy when I drop in.

There seems to be only one waitress there but she is very friendly and efficient. I guess it helps that the menu isn't huge and the items are numbered. They serve mostly barbequed beef, pork ribs, and chicken along with some noodle soups and dumplings. The entrees come in generous portion and range from $12 to $16, but if you drop in between 11AM - 2:30PM you can have a good lunch for $7.50-$10.

Beef bulgogi is my regular dish, though I have also tried their kimchi chige (kimchi with pork stew) and
seolung tang (beef soup). Both are very good. The vegetarians among us can perhaps go for the denjangchige (soy bean paste soup) or asked for tofu instead of meat with the kimchi.... But really, going into a good Korean barbeque eatery to order a tofu dish is like walking into a seafood restaurant only to ask for a plate of fried chicken. To say that it's pointless would be an insult to points!

Do Re Mi House: 8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Ste M, San Diego, CA 92111. Tel (858) 565-2085. Major credit cards accepted.