Sterling Heights, MI — Of all the Korean BBQ joints I’ve visited, I am grateful I walked into this one. A week prior, my friend Dave had initially mentioned Chung Ki Wa to me during a round of golf. Sometimes referring to me as the ‘Vice Mayor of Flavortown, ‘ Dave knows I always appreciate a great food recommendation. Dave had been to Chung Ki Wa with some of his coworkers before and said it was a phenomenal foodie experience worthy of an adventure.

Dave told me about the Korean BBQ establishment, which he highly endorsed due to the quality and sheer amount of food served at a very reasonable cost. Honestly, he had me at Korean BBQ! So, it didn’t take much convincing. We decided to make it a group outing since we knew a LOT of food would be involved. Plus, with our varying work schedules and life happenings, it’s hard for my entire squad (or even most) to get together for occasions. So, we invited whomever we could and ended up with a solid group of six.

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Dave made reservations for everyone at Chung Ki Wa on Saturday, Sept. 9th, at 6:30 p.m. Thankfully, Dave had warned me not to eat much that day, so I headed out to the restaurant at 15 Mile and Dequindre roads on an empty stomach in earnest. Upon arriving, I barely got the last available parking spot in the back of the lot — a good sign and indicator of the restaurant’s popularity!

I was last to arrive, but I wasn’t worried since our table’s order was essentially already determined. Chung Ki Wa offers several BBQ combo plates for anywhere from 2 to 5 people. Outside of that, there are quite a few offerings in terms of appetizers, other dishes, and entrées. Chung Ki Wa offers other Korean delicacies outside of BBQ, as well as some Japanese dishes and Chinese entrées.

To help expand people’s palates, I ordered some fried squid rings to kick things off. Then, our group ordered BBQ Combos A and C. Combo A serves enough for two people, while C covers at least four people. Combo A comes with thin slices of grilled beef (bulgogi), marinated rib, thinly sliced beef brisket, marinated beef short rib, pork rib, thick unsalted bacon, and steamed egg custard. Combo C comes with all of the above but comes with two marinated ribs, a sirloin steak, spicy pork, and shrimp as well. As you’re soon about to see, we were in store for an enormous amount of food!

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Two plates of starting meat arrived with thin onions and green peppers marinated in a sauce. As my group diligently made the thin strips of meat on both plates disappear, an array of vegetables and sides also arrived. Across from me at our table was fellow foodie heavyweight AJ, a.k.a. “The Beef,” as we like to call him. He and I went stride for stride with our chopsticks, swiping away at kimchi, salad, zucchini in sauce, broccoli in sauce, tofu, bean sprouts, and steamed egg custard. These sides were all downright delicious in their own right; I particularly enjoyed Chung Ki Wa’s kimchi, zucchini (the sauce it was in was exquisite), and the steamed egg custard! Those eggs were delicious, steamed perfectly with a great consistency, and had just the right amount of seasonings mixed in to provide some pleasantly surprising flavors. I had to reel myself in at one point, aware of the fact that the main combo platters of meat had not even arrived yet. It’s also worth noting that all of the sides seen below were duplicated on the other side of our table since we ordered two combo meals.

After putting away several bites of the sides (definitely a couple of scoops worth of eggs since it’s always bulking season) and warm-up beef strips, it was time for the main courses! One of the combo platters was placed next to the grilling pan between my buddy Vince and me. Vince and Dave took the liberty of maintaining the grill pan since it was in front of them both, although I was somewhat jealous since I love to cook and grill (lol). At the very least, when Vince was eating or conversing with his fiancé, Kara, I jumped in for a couple of flips and monitor moments.

Once these lovely little beef slices were sizzled and slightly charred, we started tossing them onto the serving plates that flanked the cooking pot on either side. The feeding frenzy ensued, with chopsticks darting in and out for the finest slices with the least amount of fat on them, which were very few. As more meats were added to the grilling pan and then rotated to the serving plates, it became survival of the foodiest!

These meats were so good; I was quite blown away at the quality of this meal between the proteins and sides. The grilled beef (bulgogi) and marinated ribs were full of so much flavor, and it’s hard to top consuming freshly grilled meat within seconds of it leaving the grill pan. The bulgogi’s sweet and savory marinade gave it a great taste and was easy to chomp away within seconds due to its thin composition.

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My crew and I continued to peck away at the beef the second the strips were pulled from the pan until none were left. We tackled the sirloin and pork belly next and used the cooking time for these thicker meats to catch our breath following an epic inhale of tasty Korean barbecue — and we were just getting started!

The sirloin was no joke in terms of taste, and despite being an absolute monster of a steak, we were all limited to only 2 to 3 bites of it since we had to split it between six people. It was unfortunate because that sirloin was simply excellent, and I would have loved a few more portions! The sirloin and pork belly paired wonderfully with the barbecue dipping sauce provided to each of us at the start of our meal. It added some salty and garlic elements to the finished products, which only further progressed the flavor mission of both.

The sirloin seared well, and it was entertaining to watch Vince and Dave try to tag-team it, with one holding the steak up with tongs while the other tried to cut it into strips with the enlarged scissors. Our server (who was a rockstar that night) came by as often as she could, either with more platters/carts of food and drinks or to keep the grilling pan process moving along. She assisted with the grilling and demonstrated some fine techniques, including cutting up the sirloin into smaller, even portions at lightning speed as it cooked so everyone could enjoy a bit more out of it.

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The pork belly was easier to cut up and portion for the table and was loaded with the beloved bacon flavor. Although it was unsalted, the hearty and rich departments shined due to the amount of fat grilled off on the pan, only to go on and saturate the meat in juiciness. Dipping this bacon into the barbecue sauces (even the teriyaki sauce blend I had left from the fried squid rings) scored high points, pairing well with all three sauces. I snatched up a fair bit of the pork belly on my side of the table, for I had already had several NHL-style faceoffs with AJ over the most visually appealing meats tossed onto our serving plate. By the time we finished the sirloin and pork belly, our server was already throwing the next round of proteins onto the grill pan. As the next round began to sizzle (seen below on the left), we found ourselves exchanging glances of uncertainty at each other — we were all starting to slow down in our consumption rate.

Over the next 15 minutes, we attempted the remaining meats as best we could. We nearly finished all the remaining food, from the marinated ribs, bulgogi, pork ribs, marinated beef short ribs, spicy pork, and shrimp. There may have been a few leftover bites, but overall, I was proud of what we put away food-wise as a group. The bulgogi was exploding in flavor and was one of the favorites at the table. The marinade and seasonings really made that meat pop, giving it a mildly sweet and smokey flavor out of the gate and then giving way to some garlic and ginger aftertones and a hint of heat. The second favorite was the spicy pork, which packed the heat and delivered another eye-opening experience for its top-notch flavors from bite to swallow.

The chefs at Chung Ki Wa have the art of the marinade and seasoning down to a beautiful science. While we were there, most of the tables were in use by groups of at least four or more, so it was pretty busy! But the steadfast servers weaved in and around each other to ensure tables were being helped and kept up-to-speed in their cooking processes. I give serious props to that staff for not only their work ethic (amid peak dinner rush, our server remained calm and jovial and made sure that we had whatever we needed) but for churning out some top-tier quality food, and LOTS of it at such a solid and reasonable price. I’ll be back to visit without a doubt, including bringing any of my friends/family who visit me. If you need a new Korean BBQ place to check out or want an introduction to the dining experience, consider visiting Chung Ki Wa in Sterling Heights as soon as possible.

(p.s.) Be sure to go on an empty stomach and wear loose clothing!

For more information on Chung Ki Wa or to peruse the various menu options, click here.