9 on the Plate

New restaurant in the neighborhood so we tried it. Nice setting, great service, reasonable prices. We ordered 4 dishes for 2 people but took half home. Tacos, fried chicken, pork belly, and salmon risotto. Doesn’t sound like korean, but you get 4 small bowl of kimchi sides as well. Great value and quite satisfying. Interesting name. Ask the server why they call it 9 on the Plate.

This restaurant appeared on the radar after I read Tony T and Michael U’s reviews, then a UnilocalTalk thread about how the establishment was asking for help on Facebook. Here’s the FB post:
«EVENT ON SATURDAY JANUARY 18, 2014!
This event is to save 9 on the Plate! I am your charity case now! I have no shame I have never asked for anything when it came to my business and my restaurant, but now I am. HELP ME! Come and enjoy good food, good drinks, with great company!»
Well, from the good reviews, the fact that there was a
coupon available, and the owner was literally begging for business, I had dinner with Unilocal family there on Saturday night, the 18^th of January.
First impressions walking in were that the place is very elegant and much attention to detail was paid in the décor. It’s located in the Von’s shopping plaza at Desert Inn and Durango, next to Easy Life Boba. When Shirley, Tim, and I arrived at 7:00pm, there were only two other parties in the whole restaurant – uh oh. No wonder they needed help. The good news is that by the time we left, the place was full, so that Facebook post must have helped.
The three of us each chose two dishes:
–Spam and Egg Fried Rice (Tim)
–Crispy Bulgogi (Tim)
–Vegetable Curry (Shirley)
–Pot Stickers (Shirley)
–Kalbi (me)
–Honey Chicken Wings (me)
I loved the chicken wings and the kalbi. The Spam fried rice was good, but I stole some of Shirley’s white rice from her curry dish to eat with my kalbi. The bulgogi was ok, but there was not a whole lot of it. I didn’t try the pot stickers because Shirley said they were spicy and there were only two of them; they looked more like empanadas than pot stickers to me. She only ate one of them, Tim nor I wanted the other one, so one got left behind.
Service was wonderful and the staff was very pleasant. Most of the dishes were $ 10 and I agree with some other reviews that for the price, you should get more food. I guess I can’t complain too much because we used the
certificate that I had, which took $ 15 off our $ 63 bill. All in all, it was a lovely dinner with friends; check it out for yourselves while there’s still time.

If I open a lounge or higher end restaurant I want it to look and feel similar to what 9 on the Plate has done to this former Geisha House. The interior is so awesome in my opinion. The small dining room I was seated in was brightly lit, which was perfect for the foodie porn I usually document when I dine out. Plus Top Chef rerun was on the TV mounted on the wall in that room, so I didn’t have to occupy my attention on obsessively checking my Unilocal app.
The menu is fairly simple, and divided into «modern» and «traditional» sections. So I ordered items from both, just to round out my first experience at this Korean tapas style restaurant in Desert Inn & Durango section of Las Vegas.
Bulgogi Beef Sliders — $ 8. 2 sliders that were really delicious, although I would ideally like more meat in these sliders and none of the potato chips that it was served with. Better yet, make it a trio.
L.A. Galbi — $ 12. Still not sure what made it «LA-​style», but it was cooked well, but not extraordinary that I would order it again in my next visit.
Braised Oxtail — $ 15. Decent. Big pieces of tendered oxtail with carrots, daikon and mushrooms in a lot of braising liquid. Tasted just like the broth I make at home when I braised oxtail or beef ribs.
Food overall is good. Value-​wise, I think it fell short.
Service was fantastic. Very attentive without the feeling of getting smothered.
You already know what I think of their décor and ambiance.
With the very few number of customers that do drop in, from first hand experience and the general trend from reading the other reviews, I hope they survive long enough to amass a customer base to sustain them long term.
Upscaling my rating slightly to 4 stars.
Review #3 of 2014

This hidden treasure will be on my hit list from now on. LOVED the spicy pork tacos! Awesome music and contemporary environment ads to the experience. Great mix of both traditional and fusion dishes.

Items Selected:
Tofu Kimchi, Fish Cake in Peppers, Mushrooms and Onions
Honey Chicken Wings — Soy Sauce, Roasted Nuts, Honey
Bossam — Braised Pork Belly, Pickled Radish and Zucchini
Crab Pancake — Scallion, Calamari, Pepper, Soy
Deep Fried Rice Cake — Macadamia Nut, Sweet Tomato Pepper Purée
Barley Water
Having mentioned to a local chef/​friend a week prior that I’d been wanting to further investigate the local Korean dining market without being forced to rely on K-​Town BBQ as a ‘reference standard’ I was admittedly a bit surprised to hear him suggest 9 on the Plate — a restaurant I’d driven by daily without paying second thought while stationed in temporary housing, but one whose low priced tapas-​style menu seemed perfect… a
certificate further sweetening the deal to the tune of four impressive plates and a complimentary trio of condiments for less than $ 30 after tax and tip. A large, modern space with terrible music but superlative service and a well culled menu as yet lacking desserts it was just after 6:30pm when I arrived and finding the space devoid of other patrons for the first fifteen minutes I spent some time picking my servers brain prior to placing an order and deferring on suggested bugoli in place of personal favorites from his long list of suggestions it would not be long before dinner began; a welcoming trio spanning flavors sharp, spicy, saline, and umami awakening the palate for things to come. Moving on to plates ordered as more guests arrived and having requested dishes arrive in logical progression it was the fluffy crab pancake that arrived first and laced with peppers the sweetness of the crab proved an adequate foil, a touch of soy bringing flavors to a point and transitioning well into the sweet, sticky wings — undoubtedly the plate of the evening and something I’d love to see the restaurant adopt in whole bird form once business picks up, though a subsequent course of crispy pork belly served with simply pickled vegetables was nearly as impressive… particularly with crispy glutenous rice cakes in thick, smoky ‘ketchup’ riding shotgun.

The food at this place is AMAZING. A couple of Korean places have opened up in this corner of the neighborhood over the past year, and this food-​wise is definitely the best. I think all the other reviewers have said all that’s necessary about it; everything is great, they have modern and traditional dishes, portions are fair, they have a decent liquor selection. It’s not flawless and the staff are human; one time the galbi I got was a little dry, I think the soju and cocktails are overpriced, but overall, excellent.
It makes me nuts, though, that they’re only open for dinner and that they don’t have a happy hour. Every time I’ve gone in, it’s been dead — sometimes my party has been the only one in the restaurant for a solid hour or more, even on a weekend night. This area thrives on happy hours! And lunch! I really worry because the food is so great and every employee has been really friendly and helpful and they seem like awesome people. I hope they are able to be open more hours and have some specials that get more butts in seats here. Their prices would be unreasonable for lunch, but if they were open and had lunch specials, I know I’d been in twice as often as I am now, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

This place has so much potential, but they are missing the mark with the bar and certain food menu items. We were disappointed in everything except the oxtail short ribs, which are beef braised ribs on the menu. The bar was out of every ingredient we wanted for the specialty cocktails. I selected a different martini– didn’t like it but drank it anyways so not to waste a $ 9 drink. I wanted to try the salmon and substitute a vegetable for the risotto. The cook wouldn’t do it, which I could understand if they were busy but we were one of only two tables in there. We decided on the scallops instead but didn’t like those either. My last disappointment came when the «caramelized sweet potatoes» were really regular potatoes in disguise.
I would consider coming back to give this place another chance if they got more organized with the menu and understood that people like different side item options (note: I do not like risotto and would appreciate being able to substitute).

The salmon on the rice bed was delicious. The sad part was no scallops. This is a menu item we were disappointed.
The music was very loud for dinning room area. I hope out next visit will be better.

Wow, wow, wow. don’t pass up this place. Price is great. Food is incredible. really no joke.
A little deceptive from the outside appearance. Go ahead in and wow, very nice, clean and elligant. Take any Asian date or wife here and get points.

This new Korean restaurant offers an interesting selection of appetizers. Part of the menu is designated as being modern and the remainder features traditional Korean dishes. Like the menu, there are 2 dining rooms — a large plain room typical of Korean/​Asian restaurants plus a smaller, more upscale and modern room where we were seated.
We started off with a sampler plate of modern dishes that included bimimbop salad (rating 4.5), spicy pork taco (5), crispy grilled bulbogi (3.5) and sweet potato delight (3). Our second order included Japachae noodles (3) and tofu kimchi (4.5) from the traditional side. I am looking forward to further exploring the traditional section of the menu on a future trip.

We stopped in last night to pick up some take out. The menu has a traditional section and a modern section. We ordered the beef sliders and spicy pork taco from the modern section to go. The restaurant seemed pretty empty, probably cause they are new and don’t have obvious signage from the street. We ordered a couple of drinks in the bar while we waited. The staff was really friendly and helpful. The décor and ambience was contemporary and elegant.
Got home and the food was packaged well and was super delicious for the price. We got generous portions. I enjoyed the chips too! Will definitely return.

I am rounding up on this place a tad. There were a lot of dishes that sounded great but we didn’t order them since it was just my wife and I. Speaking of the 2 of us, we were also the only ones in the entire restaurant from 5:30 — 7:00pm. Thanks to Mike C. for his review because I wouldn’t have known of this place and apparently no one else does either.
It’s a pretty big place, the furniture and atmosphere are nice. I think this used to be a teppenyaki place based on how they’ve creatively redesigned the designated area where past chefs flung egg shells into their hats. They also have a little bar area. We chose to sit in the smaller room off to the side since they had a TV showing baseball. The music was mainly K-​pop with Britney and Taylor Swift thrown into the mix.
The menu is separated into «traditional» and «modern» sections. Some modern dishes that popped out for me were the seared beef belly salad and caramelized sea scallop that I’ll save for a future trip. We ended up going with one of their sets called «Amber». There are 4 sets to choose from and they consist of 2 dishes and 2 beers that accompany those plates well. So «Amber» came with 2 bottles of Sam Adams plus the «Crispy Bulgogi» and «Tofu Kimchi». We also got an order of the fried chicken because the photos of it looked so damn good and that was the first thing our server recommended.
Their «Tofu Kimchi» was pretty spicy and my favorite dish. The menu description was unfair since it only said «soft tofu, kimchi, pork» so I was just expecting a bowl of everything mixed but the thin individually sliced pieces of tofu then topped with a good portion of pork and spiced up kimchi made for a tasty surprise. I initially thought that was going to be the most boring dish we ordered but that turned out to be the «Crispy Bulgogi» which wasn’t really even that crispy and pretty dry. The fried chicken was awesome. The pieces were all dark meat, perfectly fried with crisp outsides and juicy insides. The dressing that it came with was really good too.
9 on the Plate would probably be a raging success if it were located on Spring Mountain but it might be a tall order in this shopping plaza even though Sen of Japan is also there. I wish them luck!

This is a hidden gem in Vegas! This is a GREAT place to get a drink after work, for causal dining or to impress a girl. Yes, it is that diverse.
The food is like a party in your mouth, your taste buds will dance to the sensational flavors. Tasting all of the food you can tell that it is homemade, even the sauces. I mean, I have sampled many a store bought sauce so I can tell you from experience that it is made fresh everyday.
We tried the the fish pancake, spicy rice cake, the pork roll, grilled Salmon with kimchi rissoto and and fried honey chicken. My favorite was the salmon and kimchi, it was so good I wanted to lick the plate. However, my boyfriend told me it is not socially acceptable, so I did it when no one was looking.
THEN when we thought we were full we had the the tacos, WOW. So my boyfriend does not like tacos, in fact he HATES them, but after one bite I thought I would have to leave him alone with his food. He fell in love and kept talking about how good they were even after we came back to California. Now, he keeps talking about going back to Vegas, just for the tacos.
We left our dining experience satisfied. So if you want something different from the typical Vegas, come here.

This is my first Unilocal review after getting Unilocal advice for couple of years already. Well, I am ready today to write one about this restaurant.
After having a heavy food marathon (buffet, fried chicken waffle and tons of drinks) for almost two days, I was craving for veggie focused healthy Asian Style cuisine in Vegas.
9 on the Plate is a Korean Fusion cuisine. Your eyes and tongue will be constantly amazed there. I was surprised that all the menu had fusion taste with DELIGHTLY merged Korean touch. If you are not used to100% Korean traditional food-​Pepper paste, soy bean paste, or/​and un-​ripen spicy kimchi, I recommend this restaurant for you to try them.
We were party of 9. Seriously, Everyone loved everything! We absolutely cleared all the plates and drinks. Let me tell you what we had:
1. Lightly fried chicken with super thinly sliced green onion with light sesam flavored sauce;
2. Beef brisket with spring salad with a very light soy bean paste;
3. Pepper paste (Gochu-​jang), garlic, onion marinated pork tacos;
4. Panfried white rice cake with chily sauce;
5. Bossam (steamed pork) with leaf veggies to wrap the meat;
6. Grilled Salmon with kimchi butter rissoto (not spicy at all); and
7. Cass (korean BEER) and Chumchurum (Korean SOJU).
Price satisfied everyone as well. After eating so well, we were so happy with the bill and we even tipped 25% of it. Come on, when you go to dinner buffet in Vegas (place like RIO and other hotels around it), you have to pay more than $ 30 per person. One buffet sounds good. However really, how many buffet would you have when you are in Vegas for only few days? Probably 2 times MAX?
Well, this place, i do not mind eating here for my three meals for a day. So many selection and new fusion Korean stuff to try out. I usually do not like asian fusion because I felt fusion means just more blended food without any distinctive character. This one was truly different.
Maybe you would thinkg the restaurant itselt, just looking at the building without looking at a menu will be a very expensive and fancy. Yes and No. Yes the restaurant looks fancy because the owner has a very good taste of interior sense.
No fancy and too pricy items because you will notice that immediately after checking out the menu. I bet a lot of people wanted to come in and eat however they did not; just because they were fooled by the exterior and interior of the place without even checking the menu. It is true the restaurant was quiete however that does not mean once you enter there, you will be eating all by yourself. Do not worry, you can see some more brave explorers without interior/​exterior bias are eating there too.
If you really want to check out the price, check out the menu from other people who had posted with their review.
I hope all of you do not miss this place where you can expand your taste trip!

Why is this place a ghost town? The food is great! The place is clean, modern and trendy. It’s also open late, closing at 2 a.m. This is a great place for a late night drink/​tappas!

I so wanted this place to be good. But the food is mediocre. Don’t get me wrong the place has really nice décor and atmosphere. But the food was a disappointment. We had the chicken wings which were a bit sweet for our taste then had the bulgogi burger which was also a bit too sweet the bun was kind of hard and didn’t taste fresh came with potato chips as well (seriously thats the best thing you can come up with! they were stale anyways!) also has another 2 dishes which I can’t remember what they were obviously also mediocre since I can’t remember what they were. Service was ok. Overall an average experience. Don’t think I would go back.

Loved the modern twists on Korean classic home cooking. This is not one of the all-​you-​can-​eat Korean BBQ places found around the Valley. We stopped in for a late lunch and were pleasantly surprised by the small-​plate, tapas concept with lively versions of bibimbap, bulgogi and other Korean standards. The «Sampler 9» platter with it’s spicy pork taco, crispy bulgogi, fascinating roasted sweet potato chunks and bibimpap salad were brighter and lighter versions of classic Korean dishes. Bulgogi sliders served with Korean spiced house made potato chips were a also a big hit.
The refreshingly cordial, expert-​but not pretentious service was unlike any we’ve experienced in a Korean restaurant in Vegas. other Korean restaurants should take note! (for some reason, some of the worst service we’ve received in Vegas restaurants has been in Korean BBQ restaurants in Chinatown here). With their innovative menu, outstanding service and and very handsome interior, we’ll be back soon-​we spotted crispy pork belly and poached sablefish that we must try soon.

Yes!!! This is what i’m talking about! Think «Modern Korean.» Just think about that for a second. «Modern» but «Korean.» Who else is doing something modern? Think think. t h i n k.. .. .
Friend told me about this spot and said it was really good. Actually I think that’s what she wanted to say because all i really heard was «tacos,» and i immediately withdrew from the convo and came straight here. That’s not what really happen, but it was something like that. Everything was a blur up until now. Crap, I think i even just pee’d a little.
Upon entry this restaurant is contemporary. A large layout with several compartments. A bar over here, a little room over there, and of course the main room. I had no idea what the whole concept was about; however, Jae, our server, was very helpful and offered some great suggestions. The menu is simple yet sophisticated serving modern dishes as well as traditional Korean dishes with a twist. Plenty of solid choices:
Fried Chicken $ 10: Loose pieces of Fried Ck perfectly battered over two piece of butterhead lettuce, mountain of julienne scallions, and a drizzle of sesame dressing. I really like this dish, but deep down i was begging for more of that sesame sauce. Just a bit more, so i don’t have to clean the plate with my chicken bits. For some odd reason the taste reminded me of Mc’D ck nuggets but better.
Bulgogi Sliders $ 8: Perfectly marinated beef in a brioche. Good but for 8 dollars they should either add a 3^rd slider or make it more meatier so you don’t have to have a mouthful of bread. Comes with Ruffle Chips. I didn’t bother to try but it better be made in house.
Spicy Korean Pork Tacos $ 9: What a surprise this was! Has an creamy avocado sour cream sauce, kimchi chutney (says in the description in the menu), and a special ssam sauce (that reddish Korean paste that you wrap your BBQ and lettuce in.) All that in a taco and it naturally work. If this was the only item served here i would not be mad at all. No water? That’s OK, I’ll get a drink later! Oh and the weird thing was the Ruffle Chips somehow made its way onto this plate too. Who’s in charge here?!
Bossam (traditional) $ 10: Braised Pork Belly. I don’t know how this was supposed to taste like but i thoroughly enjoyed it. Sweet and bold fatty flavor in every bite and even better paired with the pickled radish.
Braised Short Ribs (traditional) $ 13: I couldn’t taste much of this because they sprinkle some pine nuts all over it gAaahh. It looked rather small and the meat didn’t seem that tender. I had a little taste and resembled beef stew.
Although for $ 10 a plate we’re not getting much portion wise, but for the most part the imprints of the food left me curious for more. I’m already excited for my next visit. Would love to see a happy hour menu, and daily specials in the near future.
⁴⁄₅ easy. Lose the chips, seriously.
*bonus* They have Solomon’s Seal Tea. Drinking it with ice is so refreshing

Get the honey chicken wings!!! Just do it. You’ll thank me for it. They also gave us Bulgogi sliders for free, which were excellent. Japchae was also delicious. The staff was great and very on top of our table. The food came out so fresh, most times we had to wait for it to cool down a bit before we could even try it. This is a great restaurant with a great atmosphere, service and food.

Very clean and modern bistro. I ordered the Sample 9 which comes with a spicy taco, bulgogi, sweet potatoes, and salad. My sister got the salmon with risotto. The portions for the sampler plate was spot on and delicious! The sweet potatoes had honey underneath. It surprisingly taste good, as honey is something I normally wouldn’t put on a lot of my food, especially potatoes. Might have been a honey mixture. My sister’s salmon plate was very delicious! The cook was perfect with the skin blackened but not burnt at all. The inside of the fish was moist. The Risotto had a hint of spiciness without being overpowering and the sauce was good.
Our server Dae Y was very nice and polite. He was very attentive. Overall service was excellent. I Definitely recommend Unilocalers to check this place out! Hopefully there will be happy hour specials in the future, as there is a small bar on the right side and I wasn’t able to try out any of the drinks.
I give it 5 stars because the food was really good, service was excellent, the ambiance was very good and the entire place clean. I will review again in about 3 – 6 months or so when business has picked up. I will also try to come for dinner, as we came lunchtime on a Saturday.