Hee Been Korean Restaurant (Alexandria, Virginia)

I have been spending the past week at the Courtyard by Marriott Pentagon South. The hotel has a few nearby fast food and pizza restaurants. I have been venturing out different directions in search of good dining opportunities. At lunch time today, I traveled South one exit to the Little River Turnpike. There is a small shopping center on the left if you exit West on Little River. The shopping center looks old and worn down. I noticed a wide variety of ethnic selections on the sign, which intrigued me. There is a pan Asian restaurant, a chicken joint, a Latin restaurant, an African restaurant as well as Hee Been Korean Restaurant. Looking in the front windows of the restaurant as I passed painted a different picture from the aging shopping complex. The interior appeared crisp and well maintained. Being a huge fan of Korean fare, I opted for Hee Been.

As I entered the restaurant, I noted that they proudly displayed awards (taped to the door) from Zagat and the Washington Post. Although taping the Zagat cover to the front door might seem a bit tacky, it certainly reassured me as I entered the restaurant. The restaurant advertised a lunch buffet (for $15.95), which I am often not a big fan of. If you go to a Chinese Buffet, you will often find a wide range of choices made from poor cuts of meat...those buffet's tend to be loaded down with filler. This buffet was nothing like the Chinese Buffet's I have come to disdain. The buffet is set up in a large square with the grill centered within the buffet. The buffet contained an array of interesting salads made from a variety of fruits and vegetables. Following the salads are a decent selection of panchan (Korean appetizers). Small bowls adjacent to the panchan make it convenient to eat the panchan in a more traditional Korean style...I just put mine directly on the plate. After the panchan is a variety of raw meat (which I used a separate plate for). The meats included Kalbi, Bulgogi, beef tripe, spicy Pork, Squid and Shrimp. After loading my plate down with a variety of meats, I continued filling my other plate. The raw meat section is followed by a variety of rice, sweet rice and fried rice as well as several soups. The buffet then offers a selection of prepared meats (teriyaki chicken, ribs) as well as tempura squid and vegetables, Udon soup, tofu, mandoo (fried), and Jap Chae (a noodle dish). Above the square shaped buffet is a sushi bar, which is included in the price of the buffet. A variety of sushi sits ready for grazers. The sushi chef will also prepare to order.

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