It’s my job to eat out at as many places as possible. That means that I rarely make return trips, unless I’m writing a review that requires it. But I’ve already been to Gogiville in Centreville twice this month.
As the fun-to-say name suggests, it’s a Korean barbecue joint. It’s not all-you-can-eat and there are no major bells and whistles, but it’s becoming my low-key favorite spot for satisfying my grilled meat cravings.
Why? For one thing, I feel pretty safe. There’s an outdoor dining option, but even indoors, guests undergo a temperature check and are asked to sanitize their hands before they enter. Once inside, tables are separated by large plastic dividers. It’s not a cook-your-own situation like at Sō Korean Barbeque, but servers keep their distance as much as possible and wear masks. Those servers are the best I’ve experienced at a Korean barbecue spot in NoVA. They have good recommendations, are knowledgable about the menu and can read cues for when their help is wanted or not.
But this wouldn’t matter if the meats weren’t top flight. The ultra-garlicky bulgogi isn’t too sweet as it is at many other KBBQ restaurants. The spicy pork ribs? They may actually draw a bead of sweat. And it’s the only place I’ve seen a cut referred to as “seasoned cube rib,” a thick-cut chunk of beef rib that’s my new replacement for galbi.
I prefer ordering à la carte than going with one of the combos, which is a little bit less expensive than going with the prescribed picks. If you choose three meats, you still get a choice of two sides among steamed egg, corn cheese and soybean soup. I think it’s madness to fill up on soup during a heavy KBBQ meal, so the choice is obvious. And this is the best-balanced corn cheese around—a perfect niblet-to-mozzarella ratio. Like pretty much everything at Gogiville, it’s just right. // 14101 St. Germain Dr., Centreville
For more foodie news, subscribe to our Food newsletter.
