My Adventure at Renaissance Fest

A TRIP TO KOREAN BBQ

By: Jassy Jubilee

August the 14th was my birthday, and my boyfriend suggested going to a restaurant with Korean cuisine for dinner. At first, I was a little skeptical. Would this place fit my realm of birthday deliciousness? Would it make an exciting night for my 24th birthday, one that would last forever in my memory? I actually have a little system I like to follow when it comes to eating out. Wherever I go I have a few criteria that must meet my match for a good night: 1) A friendly, warm exterior. The staff is inviting and so is the restaurant. The seating is open. Not too cramped. Space for privacy. The waiters are respectful, attentive, and welcoming. The floors and tables are clean. The restrooms are comfortable. This criteria makes me feel welcomed and relaxed in the restaurant. My criteria number 2) is of course the food. Does it make my mouth water on first glance and smell? Does the taste feel like home? In that, I like the food so much I WILL COME BACK SO MANY TIMES THAT THE RESTAURANT WILL FEEL LIKE HOME? When it comes down to it, I'm a simple person, and this is all it takes to win me over.

We arrive at 6:45 PM at this place called Gin's in Metairie, Louisiana, about 20 minutes away from the bustling city of New Orleans. Outside, a huge artistic mural catches my eye, a wall of beautiful hues of yellows, greens, and pinks painted on the side of a building. I absolutely decide to take a picture with one of my girlfriends in front of it.  

We happily saunter inside of the building, all four of us, appreciating the evening sun as we walk. Entering the restaurant, I immediately notice the vibrant blue and silver hues decorating the walls, floors, and furniture, giving it a super cool and retro design. The bar, located on the left side of the room, encloses a huge flat screen TV. There are also small flat screen TV's up on other walls and pillars, designed to give the guests extra entertainment and homeliness. The kitchen's swinging silver door opens to where you can see the staff quickly moving about. An old man talks with excitement to another worker standing nearby. We finally choose a booth to sit in: my boyfriend, his best friend, and my best friend. The booth seats feel spacious, soft, and cozy. We tell jokes to pass the time before the server arrives, enjoying each other's company. It did not take long. 

"What would you like to order?" he asks, a stroke of green in his hair. The menu presents a variety of diverse options, but of course we choose the all you can eat one. Conceding that the thirty dollars for each of us would be well spent, with much excitement, we order this all you can eat special, some green tea, and some waters. The waiter brings out sides of pickled cucumbers, potato salad, carrots, and some delicious kim chi. In the all you can eat special, we could choose as many meats as we want, as long as we eat all of them with nothing to waste.  

He brings out the first plate of raw, marinated chicken. At Gin's, you get to cook the food right in front of your eyes. Doing this is all the more appealing and mouthwatering, because you actually work to eat your food. Doug, my boyfriend's best friend, flips the chicken and serves it to all the starving birthday guests. Cutting the chicken ever so tenderly, I take a small bite, and feel entirely satisfied. This chicken definitely meets criteria number 2. Our server again comes and asks us how we are doing. We proceed on to get pork belly and brisket. I am not a huge beef or pork person, so I pass on those, but I happily order more chicken. The potato salad tastes absolutely delicious, light in my mouth, and slightly sweet. Maybe my taste buds are just off, but I order another helping of this sweet, fluffy mixture. We also eat sticky rice as a side to our extensive meat dishes. The last plate we order is baby octopus. As soon as I hear "baby" I opt out. The slimy, withering tentacles of the alien vs. predator seafood grosses me out and only serves to make me quake with fear. I promptly pass on it, even though Alice reminds me, "But you said you would be open-minded!" Sorry, but not this open minded! My pickiness wins over my open-mindedness. I sneak to the restroom to avoid the octopus. I check the first stall. Spotless. It wasn't long after that that the waiter approached with the bill, and our fair night ended. 

All and all, I enjoyed my experience at Gin's, a Korean cuisine restaurant in Metairie, Louisiana. The waiter presented himself frequently to us, politely checking on us to make sure we needed anything. He was kind and cordial, replacing our mini-grill often. He laughed and joked around with us, creating a relaxing and fun environment. The bathrooms were actually clean, and I didn't have to worry about the cleanliness of the kitchen, as I took a peek inside at the very beginning of our evening. Criteria 1 met. I practically drooled over the freshly cooked and pre-marinated chicken coming off of our little mini grill. The yummy sides served like potato salad and sticky rice accompanied the heavy, satisfying meat dishes well. My friends thoroughly appreciated the pork belly, brisket, and octopus. Gin's is a very professional establishment with talented customer service and obviously a gifted chef and prep team. I say thank you to my boyfriend for suggesting this place and to God for a happy night on my birthday. I wouldn't have changed anything.