NADEFO - 06600 Ciudad de México

Update June 5, 2020: Still amazing! Still delicious! The LA Kalbi here is still my favorite. This time we ate outside in the patio area with no problems. The waiters were very attentive and they even replaced the charcoals when the flame started to die out. Original: The buffet was quite enjoyable. There were mainly 3 options available: pork belly, steak tips, and LA kalbi. I definitely preferred the kalbi as the flavors were definitely on point. The prices aren’t cheap, especially for Mexico, but you can easily eat your money’s worth if you come with an appetite. The ambiance is alright with pretty of indoor and outdoor seating. They’ve definitely got the ventilation system down, sucking up that smoke and reducing the smell on your clothes. I wish they had bulgogi, but for now this will remain one of my favorite Korean joints in Mexico City.

Good korean food. Grill and soups. Must try lychee sorbet!

Update February 2022: Bi bim bap and side dishes are still fantastic. Service was good. Previous review: The bi bim bap was delicious, as were the kimchi side dishes. Service was friendly and quick. Prices were reasonable, considering the quantity and quality of food.

The experience was a disaster. We were in a group of 5 and purchased 1kg of meats. We had to track down the waiter when we needed something. The waiters + manager said we could not refill the side dishes because we didn’t buy enough meat. The waiter and manager started talking trash to us after we chose not to tip. Save your money and go elsewhere, there are tons of better Korean BBQ places around!

Food is okay. The service is horrible. Not only are they inconsistent to non attentive, but they are also incredibly passive aggressive. I have been there one hour before closing, which is plenty of time to order a simple dinner, eat up, and leave before they close. However, every single one of the wait staff needed to come to my table and remind me the kitchen was closing in an hour. On top of that, every single thing I ordered, be it food to water to a request to package my stuff to go, became an opportunity for them to again aggressively remind me the kitchen was closing. And they would glare at me. As expected, I ate and left before they closed. I have no clue what their problem was. Honestly just go somewhere else, CDMX has so many other options. These people don't want you as customers.

Fast paced, great food. Excellent service. Was my favorite location of the four Korean places I tried. Everything I tried was excellent. Even though it was always crowded, it didn't take long to get a seat and service was very attentive.

At Nadefo in Reforma, you can expect a good K-BBQ for CDMX standard, an unfussy environment and lack of customer service. Let me explain further - the meat and menu selection is decent, portion size is generous and the banchan are tasty but customer service is a major issue. After you are served majority of your meal you realize - hey how come I am missing some banchan the table next to me has more or where is my bowl of rice that I ordered. Frenzy moments like these whilst grilling your meat and trying to get the waiter's attention are common. You can wave, say excuse me, hi, hello, hola, oppa, serious non blinking eye contact but the waiters will ignore your gestures at all cost. It was a cinematic tense moment, I knew he felt my eyes on him and saw my dramatic wave and he knew I felt his lack of acknowledgment. It was a matter of who gave in first - I am not a quitter and I want my banchan and rice so I was prepared to play the long game. Classic Nadefo moments. So, before you go ask yourself - Is a consistent meal worth inconsistent customer service? .

We have eaten at Nadefo over nine times since November 2021. At first, panchan was legit and since gone downhill in quality and variety, kimchi is super salty now, the serving size of rib eye got smaller, and service went from ok to horrible with high turnover. Twice we went and they were doing construction during dinner time - loudly knocking out the wall next door and metal work near the kitchen. Tonight the waiter first sat us at a table with dirty seats, then we waited while the waiter came to our table - without saying another - went to another table and took their order, came back and took our order, went to the counter - came back and asked us twice what we wanted. He came back a third time (mind you, still no banchan or drinks served) and told us we had to order more than one serving in order to have coals and bbq at our table. If that is the new policy — TELL your customers before they sit around for 20 minutes wasting their time. Print your requirement on the menu or hang a sign. The waiter also had his mask hanging below his nose. Every time we have visited, the grumpy owner/아저씨 just sits in the outdoor area, drinking with friends. Will never return. Treating any customer, especially local return customers like this is not a way to run a business. I don’t expect special treatment as a Korean, but this is ridiculous. Walk two doors down and eat at Mapo Galbi.