Hoe Lee Kow

Hoe Lee Kow

Dubai Hills Estate

Korean restaurant 04 255 5142

Hoe Lee Kow is an unconventional Korean BBQ restaurant in Dubai Hills Estate, with a modern fusion approach rather than a strictly traditional menu. Reviews highlight shareable dishes such as HLK gimbap and grilled bulgogi, while weekend brunches add cocktails, live music and a lively social atmosphere.

Reputation Score
4.8
★★★★★
846 ratings
5★
87%
4★
9%
3★
1%
2★
1%
1★
2%

Source: Google Maps

The Good Stuff

Showing 2 of 7
01

Attentive service

Service is repeatedly described as warm, friendly and attentive, with servers explaining unfamiliar menu items and offering useful recommendations.

02

Brunch atmosphere

Sam-Cha brunches are praised for their relaxed energy, varied food and live music that can turn the meal into a lively weekend outing.

Let's go!

What to Eat at Hoe Lee Kow

Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Hoe Lee Kow, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.

Food 4

  1. Beef mandu Net +2
    “Beef mandu. Very delicious and well put together. Great textures too”
  2. Hlk gimbap Net +2
    “My favorite dish was the HLK gimbap. It was crunchy that comes with an amazing sauce.”
  3. Jeju scallops Net +2
    “We ordered Jeju Scallops, Steamed Buns, Glazed Lamb Ribs, Sweet Potato Brulee. The sauce for the Jeju Scallops was so afterwards we ate the scallops we were trying to scoop the sauce.”
  4. Sam cha brunch Net +2
    “Tried the Sam-Cha Brunch at Hoe Lee Kow by Reif, amazing experience! Great balance of bold Korean flavors with a modern touch. Everything was fresh, tasty, and well presented. Fun, laid-back vibe and excellent service. Highly recommended!”
Honorable mentions (33)
  1. Australian angus fillet Net +1
    “I forgot to take photos, but the Australian Angus Flank and Australian Angus Fillet were delicious.”
  2. Australian angus flank Net +1
    “I forgot to take photos, but the Australian Angus Flank and Australian Angus Fillet were delicious.”
  3. Baked mushroom Net +1
    “The best cauliflower I have ever had (I’m not usually a fan), baked mushroom was delicious, the gimbap was brimming with flavour, the dumpling was absolutely exquisite.”
  4. Baked oven mushrooms Net +1
    “Delicious food, perfect service, and great drinks! The cocktails were excellent, the baked oven mushrooms were so flavorful, and the grilled duck with its sauces just SO yum.”
  5. Black cod Net +1
    “The flavours of each food we tried were really on point. Highly recommend the Steamed Bun Slider, Ori Gogi, Black Cod and Butter Mushroom.”
  6. Black sesame desert Net +1
    “Only thing I liked is soup and black sesame desert.”
  7. Bluefin tuna Net +1
    “Hidden gem. Food was fantastic. Would highly recommend the bluefin tuna and the seared beef from their seasonal collection.”
  8. Butter mushroom Net +1
    “The flavours of each food we tried were really on point. Highly recommend the Steamed Bun Slider, Ori Gogi, Black Cod and Butter Mushroom.”
  9. Cheesy tbokki Net +1
    “great cheesy tbokki! A little heavy so good to share with the table”
  10. Chicken mandu Net +1
    “Recommended dishes- chicken mandu, dak bulgogi, red & white kimchi (served complimentary), jeju scallops, ramyun, gimbap.”
  11. Chicken wings Net +1
    “Also had the chicken wings which came in a delightful kfc style container, also delicious.”
  12. Chimaek (wings) Net +1
    “Food was brilliant and the Chimaek (wings) were honestly some of the best we've had.”
  13. Dak bibimbap Net +1
    “I had their business lunch and chose the Dak Bibimbap as my main and upgraded it to include appetizer, dessert, and coffee or tea. I went with beef mandu, which had an interesting cheese sauce with it, and the hot chocolate cake, which was rich and chocolatey. All of the items were tasty but nothing that really wowed me sadly.”
  14. Dak bulgogi Net +1
    “Recommended dishes- chicken mandu, dak bulgogi, red & white kimchi (served complimentary), jeju scallops, ramyun, gimbap.”
  15. Glazed lamb ribs Net +1
    “We ordered Jeju Scallops, Steamed Buns, Glazed Lamb Ribs, Sweet Potato Brulee. The sauce for the Jeju Scallops was so afterwards we ate the scallops we were trying to scoop the sauce. The steamed buns is very good. The lamb ribs were our FAVORITE! This was just so divine, and the lamb just melted in your mouth. You can tell it was smoked for hours.”
  16. Grilled bulgogi Net +1
    “Grilled bulgogi was a great main. Nice to share too. Yummy lettuce wraps filled with soft marinated meat.”
  17. Grilled duck with its sauces Net +1
    “Delicious food, perfect service, and great drinks! The cocktails were excellent, the baked oven mushrooms were so flavorful, and the grilled duck with its sauces just SO yum.”
  18. Hlk greens Net +1
    “Surprisingly, the highlight for me was the HLK Greens (AED 48) – light, fresh and actually very enjoyable.”
  19. Hot chocolate cake Net +1
    “I went with beef mandu, which had an interesting cheese sauce with it, and the hot chocolate cake, which was rich and chocolatey. All of the items were tasty but nothing that really wowed me sadly.”
  20. Kimchi Net +1
    “The kimchi was tasty but leaned very mild and slightly too sweet.”
  21. Korean fried chicken Net +1
    “I tried the Sam Cha Brunch at Hoe Lee Kow today and really enjoyed it. The food was fresh and flavorful, especially the dumplings and the Korean fried chicken. The atmosphere was relaxed and the service friendly and efficient.”
  22. Korean garlic bread Net +1
    “I love the Korean Garlic bread, extremely delicious!”
  23. Ori gogi Net +1
    “The flavours of each food we tried were really on point. Highly recommend the Steamed Bun Slider, Ori Gogi, Black Cod and Butter Mushroom.”
  24. Ramyun Net +1
    “Recommended dishes- chicken mandu, dak bulgogi, red & white kimchi (served complimentary), jeju scallops, ramyun, gimbap.”
  25. Seared beef Net +1
    “Hidden gem. Food was fantastic. Would highly recommend the bluefin tuna and the seared beef from their seasonal collection.”
  26. Steamed bun slider Net +1
    “The flavours of each food we tried were really on point. Highly recommend the Steamed Bun Slider, Ori Gogi, Black Cod and Butter Mushroom.”
  27. Steamed buns Net +1
    “We ordered Jeju Scallops, Steamed Buns, Glazed Lamb Ribs, Sweet Potato Brulee. The sauce for the Jeju Scallops was so afterwards we ate the scallops we were trying to scoop the sauce. The steamed buns is very good.”
  28. Strawberry bingsu Net +1
    “Strawberry Bingsu 8.2/10 🔥”
  29. Sweet corn ice cream Net +1
    “Desserts were excellent specially the sweet corn ice cream (I love corn).”
  30. Sweet potato brulee Net +1
    “We ordered Jeju Scallops, Steamed Buns, Glazed Lamb Ribs, Sweet Potato Brulee. The sauce for the Jeju Scallops was so afterwards we ate the scallops we were trying to scoop the sauce. The steamed buns is very good. The lamb ribs were our FAVORITE! This was just so divine, and the lamb just melted in your mouth. You can tell it was smoked for hours. The sweet potato brulee was very different but very delicious. My husband was hesitant to try it, but we cleaned that dish up!”
  31. Bulgogi Net 0

    Mixed feedback

    “A bit pricey it might seem, but bulgogi was great!”
  32. Ramyeon beef soup Net 0

    Only neutral feedback

    “The Reif lunch box and ramyeon beef soup were ok and a bit spicy. They did taste authentic.”
  33. Reif lunch box Net 0

    Only neutral feedback

    “The Reif lunch box and ramyeon beef soup were ok and a bit spicy. They did taste authentic.”
What to Avoid (5)

Food 5

  1. Crispy prawn kimbap Net −1
    “We ordered bulgogi, angus striploon, Korean crispy squid, crispy prawn kimbap, and a bowl of rice each for two people.”
  2. Korean crispy squid Net −1
    “We ordered bulgogi, angus striploon, Korean crispy squid, crispy prawn kimbap, and a bowl of rice each for two people.”
  3. Sea urchin toast Net −1
    “The sea urchin toast didn't need avocado or pickles.”
  4. Seabass Net −1
    “The seabass (AED 158) felt overpriced for what it offered, and the Strawberry Cheesecake Bingsu (AED 60) was pleasant but lacked depth of flavour.”
  5. Strawberry cheesecake Net −1
    “We tried the strawberry cheesecake dessert but it was just ok. I would not order it again.”

Tips for a Better Visit

Showing 2 of 6
1

Share dishes. Share heavier items such as cheesy tteokbokki and grilled bulgogi; one brunch review found the tteokbokki filling and the bulgogi suited to sharing.

2

Try brunch. Choose a brunch visit if you want live music and a more energetic atmosphere; reviews specifically mention Wednesday and weekend brunch entertainment.

Plan the visit

Practical details

Dubai Hills Business Park, Building 4
Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, Dubai
04 255 5142
Get directions

Common Concerns

Showing 2 of 4

Small portions

Some diners found the servings smaller than expected, so sharing dishes may require ordering more than you initially anticipate.

Fusion menu

This is modern Korean fusion rather than a traditional Korean restaurant, which may disappoint diners seeking classic preparations.

Customer-reported prices

These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.

AED 58

Haemul Pajeon

“The Haemul Pajeon (AED 58) came with too much batter and wasn’t the thin, crispy style I personally prefer”
Google review · October 2025

AED 48

HLK Greens

“Surprisingly, the highlight for me was the HLK Greens (AED 48) – light, fresh and actually very enjoyable”
Google review · October 2025

AED 158

seabass

“The seabass (AED 158) felt overpriced for what it offered, and the Strawberry Cheesecake Bingsu (AED 60) was pleasant but lacked depth of flavour”
Google review · October 2025

AED 60

Strawberry Cheesecake Bingsu

“The seabass (AED 158) felt overpriced for what it offered, and the Strawberry Cheesecake Bingsu (AED 60) was pleasant but lacked depth of flavour”
Google review · October 2025
DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

Hoe Lee Kow is a modern Korean BBQ restaurant in Dubai Hills Estate, but it is more Korean fusion than a traditional specialist. The menu gives you plenty to share, from HLK gimbap and beef mandu to grilled bulgogi, Korean fried chicken and BBQ meats. Its Sam-Cha brunch adds cocktails, live music and a lively weekend atmosphere, making it a social choice rather than a quiet meal.

Service is the clearest consistent strength. Reviews describe the team as friendly, attentive and helpful when explaining unfamiliar dishes, and several diners found the cocktails unusually exciting as well as tasty. The strawberry bingsu also earns specific praise for its refreshing texture and four strawberry variations, including jelly and boba.

Set your expectations around pricing and portions. Some diners felt the food was expensive for the casual pub-style setting, while others reported small servings; one review spent AED 175 per person without drinks. Food opinions are mixed too, with praise for the bulgogi, lamb ribs and gimbap alongside complaints about salty bulgogi, dry meat and a batter-heavy pajeon.

If driving, valet is available, but collection reportedly took about 20 minutes and incurred an additional AED 10 charge.

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