ANNOUNCER: Lovers of u-cook Korean barbecue have a friend in Cham's in Lakewood.  The boys discovered this unique dining experience to deliver the goods once they got past the weird rules.

JASON: The first time I stopped in was a Tuesday at 1 p.m.  The place was empty.  But, standing at the front door was a sign that explained Cham's only accepts dining parties that are two or more people.  The owner assured me that he couldn't afford to offer his services to single diners.  I looked around at the empty tables and asked if he was sure he could afford to turn my business away?  He didn't budge.  And I left wondering why one person, eating one-person's worth of food, paying a one-person's share when the place was absolutely dead made business sense to this guy.  I returned ... with my son ... and this time we were shown to a table, but not before I saw another warning sign.  This one stated that patrons would be charged for any leftover food on their plates.  OMG ... I felt like a little kid again at my parent's table staring down lima beans to the beat of my mom's explanation that I couldn't leave the table until I finished my meal (and something about poor starving kids in China). 

JAKE: It's all you can eat and I guess Cham's hates to see their money (food) go to waste.

JASON: Thing is, despite the rules, I think I'd still go back because the food is that good.

JAKE: There is so much to choose from here - hot Korean soup, sides that include three different types of kimchi, and several raw meats and veggies for grilling.  Keeping with the authenticity of the cuisine, Cham's also offers several Korean beer and Saki choices.

JASON: They maintain a nice cold bar of Korean sides plus another display of raw grilling meats.  The table-top grills are nicely kept, and there are plenty of serving tools to keep the health department satisfied.

JAKE: I like that several of the meat choices were already marinated with sweet and spicy options, as well as salty pork belly and jowls.  Add the fresh garlic, jalapenos, or special soy sauce that is already at the table, and I didn't have any problem creating an expansive choice of flavors.  I tend to lean toward that spicy end, and had more than my fill of both the spicy chicken and the spicy pork Bulgogi which had a bit of a sweet element to it as well.

JASON: The boneless rib was my favorite, as was the fresh mushrooms that grilled perfectly next to the meats.  I stayed mindful of the food wastage rule, so I went back and forth from the selections a lot.

JAKE: The veggies soaked up the flavors already on the grill and created a complete textural meal when piled atop the sticky rice which was also available at the table.  It was easy to supplement my meat choices with the wide variety of cold sides like crunchy, spicy kimchi, salty fish cakes or seaweed, and even the sweet apple salad.  The small set-up inside makes for a perfect casual environment for chatting with friends or family over your cooking food, and the fact that the buffet is all you can eat, allows you to take your time, socialize, and go back for more and more and more.

Cham's Garden Korean BBQ, 10518 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood, 253.584.2287