Come for the Food, Stay for the Drinks at Carrollton's Gold Spoon Korean Restaurant

On the surface, Gold Spoon is deceptively ordinary. It's a Korean restaurant on Old Denton Road just minutes away from the center of Carrollton’s “Koreatown,” which surrounds H-Mart. Far from the sprawling Korean BBQ restaurants that are popping up in the surrounding neighborhoods, there’s nothing extravagant about the restaurant's exterior or interior. It sits in a basic, square building with a simple logo featuring a golden spoon.

With relatively few, tightly packed tables, the interior looks almost like a standard neighborhood diner, except this one has dimmer lights than we expected. Nevertheless, despite having no stand-up bar to order from, there’s something about the place that pulls you in and makes you want to have a drink. Maybe it’s the dim lights. Maybe it’s the inviting and fun personality of our server, who playfully referred to herself as “Queen Esther.”More likely, however, it’s the packed tables of people drinking with friends, loved ones or colleagues. Despite boasting what Esther jokingly calls the “best water in town,” it seems like Gold Spoon’s visitors don’t shy away from beer, soju or one of the other traditional Korean alcoholic drinks, like baekseju, bokbunja or makgeolli.

Gold Spoon’s menu pairs remarkably well with the alcohol. Dishes like bulgogi, crispy Korean pancakes, hot pot, dumplings and short ribs exit the kitchen with haste. Big plates encourage sharing. The more the merrier it seems.

This past go-around, our large group enjoyed the Nappa cabbage with boiled pork, braised pigs’ feet and stir-fried brisket— all of which, we should add, offer a beautiful ratio of tender meat and delicious fat. We also indulged in a seafood hot pot, kimchi stew with pork, stir-fried squid and the seafood-chive pancake. We recommend each of them.
Some of Gold Spoon’s dishes are generously seasoned with chili peppers or chili paste, fish flavors, garlic and sesame. Others, such as the boiled pork, are lighter in flavor, which makes them perfect candidates to pair with the other stars of the show: the sides.
As soon as you place your order, Gold Spoon delivers a wide array of sides, especially pickled and spicy vegetables. In our opinion, most of these sides are of higher quality than those being served at many other major Korean spots in town. Some of them can be particularly spicy depending on the day. If things get too spicy, you can always chase it with beer or soju. We cannot promise that alcohol will release the pain, but you’ll somehow feel better anyway.

If Gold Spoon’s remarkable Google ratings aren’t enough to get you there (5/5 in almost 1,000 reviews), then put it down on your list as a good spot for a meet-up with close friends, a casual dinner with those relatives who enjoy a good drink or a fun date night.

No matter your reason or company, expect a joyous welcome and laughter as you dine at this Korean hotspot that is —despite the ordinary — exceptional.

Gold Spoon, 3040 Old Denton Road, Carrollton. Monday – Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., 5 p.m. – midnight; Friday – Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., 5 p.m. – 2 a.m.