Review 2: Da Won Restaurant - Waterloo

Dawon: don't get me wrong, it's a good restaurant, but the wait was a little long.

Hey, The Bouffe publishes nothing but the truth and the truth is... I'm picky. Dawon is a Korean/Japanese restaurant located at 160 University Avenue W., Waterloo. When I first got there I didn't expect anything decent. I mean it's a University Plaza restaurant... At first glance, the place seems big and roomy. It even has a big screen television, too bad the waitress sat us in front of the support beam which blocked the view of Narnia, Prince Caspian. She handed us the menu, which was thinner than our elementary school math assignment (1 page!). My date dressed to impress, but she seemed self-conscious of her smell. It wasn't her though, it was the sticky table that smelled something undistinguishable.

The orders were taken by us once again. It should have forshadowed the slow service from the (shy? lazy? annoyed?) waitresses. Newcomers watch each other's example to learn what to do about the tea: should we just drink one cup or should we invite ourselves to an all-you-can-drink buffet at the counter where the tea container was? The latter became an instant custom. As mentioned, the wait was somewhat lengthy, especially with Narnia far from sight. We expected some side dish prior to the main course, but they only came with the meals themselves.

The meals were big and satisfactory, but I couldn't stop ourselves from getting addicted to the thrill of greed when we asked for multiple refills of anything I can think of: kimchi, rice, and things that I still don't know what they were! The table behind us did the YMCA to get some attention from the staff but the servers kept their eyes down and avoided greedy eaters. My plate of BBQ ribs was pretty decent however some ribs did feel like dollarama rubber balls when chewed on.

Ratings:
Food: 3/5
Service: 2/5
Atmosphere: 2.5/5
Value: 3.5/5
Going back? Yes, no car not far

The Bottom Line
Although Dawon has slow service and they take out your money from your bank account under a different name (Miju Restaurant?!), the food is good for hungry university students. Don't be shy, do the YMCA if you even want the waitresses to look at you and go get your well deserved cups of tea by yourself. Food safety inspection report here.