Mapo BBQ Restaurant - Forest Lake

The best classic American burgers you can find in CambridgeThe brioche bun they use for the burgers is a star.

As an American, when I think of a "proper hamburger" I imagine a delicious patty with a nice, pink middle, known as medium rare.

Best burger in Cambridge! We really love this place, it has the flair of an American diner.

Mapo has been on my to-do list since start of this year. After seeing positive reviews from Espresso&Matcha and Joe K , we finally made our way to this Korean restaurant. We were there for weekday dinner & Mrs Tomcat was not keen on BBQ. After reviewing their vast offerings, we ordered: seafood pancake ($8 small), beef hot stone bibimbap ($14) and Ginseng chicken soup ($18). Appetisers arrived first containing: kimchi, spinach with tofu, clear noodle salad and shredded white radish. The kimchi was the star of the appetiser offerings with lightly picked Chinese cabbage maintaining the sweet and crunchy texture. As an overall package it’s a strong 4/5. Up next was the seafood pancake with onion & chives. Seafood lacked quality and quantity and did not work well with the other ingredients. Overall flavour lacked punch and left an unappetising oily after taste to the palate. The only positive was the large quantity of fresh onion and chives utilized. 3/5 The beef bibimbap arrived sizzling in a hot stone bowl. The generous serving contains marinated sliced beef, shredded veggies and a single raw egg all on top of steamed white rice. Mixed with sweet chilli paste, I was presented with an aroma that was sweet, spicy and meaty. The meat was perfectly marinated with balanced sweet and salty taste. The veggies were fresh, crunchy and paired perfectly with the chewy rice. This is by far the best bibimbap I have tried in Brisbane. Bravo! 5/5 Ginseng chicken soup was the last dish to arrive with ½ chicken in a white milky broth garnished with spring onions. The soup presents a strong ginseng and chicken scent which made Mrs Tomcat’s eyes sparkle. Meat was buttery soft and full of ginseng flavours. Half way through the dish we realized there was a whole ginseng, rice and chestnut stuffed inside the chicken. Mrs Tomcat happily demolished the whole bowl and gave a big thumbs up. 4.5/5 Update: Later in the week I had a Korean BBQ itch that needs to be scratched! I met up with Imco  for later supper and ordered Kimchi pork soup and BBQ set for two. The Kimchi soup was average at best but contained plenty of meat (3/5). The BBQ set consists: marinated wagyu beef, chilli chicken and a large piece pork chop. The meats were perfectly marinated and no doubt one of the best I have had in Brisbane. The shining star however was the buttery soft wagyu beef. (4.5/5) Hint: Their BBQ comes recommended, but I strongly recommend their bibimbap and ginseng chicken soup.

Here's to another supper run - Finishing work and I was rushing to meet my dining companion at Mapo for some nice Korean BBQ and Kimchi Soup.  I've only heard about Mapo so recently and so far all the comments have been 'great' and 'highly recommended'! Arriving here at 10:45pm, my companion had already sat down at a table cooking up some fresh marinated meats above the hot charcoal. On the side, we also ordered the Kimchi Soup w/ Rice. It is very common to be served side dishes with the mains in a Korean restaurant, in saying that we received White Radish, Bean Sprouts and Seaweed.  I've been craving Kimchi Soup for the past week and when I took the first spoonful, it was just oh-so-great! The soup consisted an adequate amount of spiciness. The sour tang came from the fermented cabbage which gave out a soft yet crunchy texture - delicious! Tofu, enoki mushrooms, sliced pork and shallots were also included in the dish. Together, it was just the perfect meal to indulge in the cool rainy weather ???? The BBQ set we had came with three plates of meat; including Chicken, Wagyu and Pork. Wagyu was by far my favourite, juicy and full of flavour. YUM!! The pork held in a nice porky taste; loved the slightly crispy texture it had after being on the grill. Lastly, the chicken was marinated well, tender and flavourful ???????? Fully satisfied supper ???????? Staff are polite and friendly ???? Thank you, Mapo!