I would consider myself an adventurous eater. I am always trying to find new places to eat at and to expand my palate and food experience. One of my most recent discoveries is a Korean BBQ restaurant named Sura. The address is 27 Riverside Avenue in Medford. This place not only allows you to cook your food on your own grill, but it also has fair ‘all you can eat’ prices as an option. My friend and I decided we wanted all you can eat, which starts around $30 depending on the day and time you go. When you call to make your reservation, make sure to confirm prices for the time of when you would be going in to eat. We went on a Friday night. We were worried it probably would have too many people for our comfortability. However, Sura is completely reservation based, they do not allow walk-ins. Due to them monitoring the number of reservations for the night, it never got busy. They scheduled everything so there was plenty of space between customers, which left us feeling more comfortable. They kept their numbers very modest and controlled which I appreciate. Also, they take your temperature and write down information like your name and phone number upon entering. We were sat at a corner, separated from other eaters. There was one larger group at the restaurant, however Sura only seats four people at a table and separates larger groups. Their COVID procedures and protocols were standard, but reassured us during our meal and allowed us to enjoy our experience there.

When you sit down to check out the menu, you’re met with a bunch of different options of meat, sides, and appetizers. Some examples include prime brisket, marinated beef, scallion pancake, dumplings, and rice. Most of the menu is included in the first ‘all you can eat’ price. However, you can upgrade for only a few more dollars and get more luxurious items that are listed on the extended “premium” menu. This included things like LA short rib, pork belly, calamari, shrimp, and mushrooms. 

 We tried as much as we could and were extremely surprised and satisfied with our food. We paid a little extra for the premium menu and couldn’t get enough of the LA short ribs, they were tender and packed with flavor. All the meats were delicious and addicting. The appetizers were also great. We got dumplings and scallion pancakes which were crispy and hot.

One thing to know before going into this type of Korean BBQ experience is that you are cooking your food yourself. There is an element of patience needed. If you are uncomfortable with the grill, you can of course ask a staff member to assist you with cooking. The staff are another reason to love this spot. Someone is constantly checking your grill to make sure it hasn’t been used too much. Once it has been used a little too much, they switch out your grill for a new one every time. Leaving you to have a fresh surface to continue to cook on. They were on top of this without us having to ask, so that was a plus.

Korean BBQ is a great time to socialize so I recommend bringing a friend or two, people you feel comfortable sitting down and eating with. We spent almost two hours -the suggested maximum for a sit down- and talked and ate. It was an enjoyable time with delicious food. I would highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a Korean BBQ place or if you are wanting to try something out of your comfort zone!