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Arirang Oriental Market
Categories: Food Specialty Food Ethnic Food Restaurants Korean Ethnic Food, Korean [Edit]
1526 Bethel RdColumbus, OH 43220
Neighborhood: Northwest
(614) 459-8070
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 9 pm
Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
21 reviews for Arirang Oriental Market
Review Highlights
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"The dolsot bibimbap was as good as any." In 1 review -
"The Bulgogi and soft tofu stew are both really good." In 5 reviews -
"...this is mainly a grocery store with a delicious bonus in..." In 5 reviews
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Lydia J.
Columbus, OH
2/6/2012
First things first: ORDER AT THE REGISTER in front of the store! Then take your order to the back :)
What a great value! Expect some pretty decent kimchi side dishes with your order. I got the ojinguh bokkeum (stir fried squid) which is my go-to. Excellent portions.
If you've never had it before, grab a cup of hot barley water near the counter!
Inexpensive, delicious Korean cuisine located in a pretty solid Korean market. -
Review from Bryant M.
5/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
If you're looking specifically for Korean goods, then head on over to Arirang!
I am of the pale, white-boy variety, so my review is written from that perspective. In other words, please excuse my ignorance.
Here's what Arirang had:
* Lotte products - like my delicious Lotte waffles!
* Rice - big bags of rice
* Beans & legumes
*Spices
* Bottled sauces (we were specifically looking for miren, and found it!)
* Some produce - but this really isn't their thing
* Frozen seafood
* Fresh meats
If you just love big, Asian markets like I do, then I would probably choose CAM or Tensuke. But if you need Korean goods, then Arirang is your place!Listed in: 100/2012, Markets & Grocers
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Review from T M.
Columbus, OH
5/16/2012
Food is hit or miss. I've been there four times to eat because I really wanted to like it, because their eat in food prices are very reasonable. But, their food is bland, and some times old. But, the worst part is the service. The staff is extremely unfriendly, bordering downright rude. I felt like I was bothering them by being a customer, even after spending $138, just in groceries! So, I'll take my business back to Lotte on High St!
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Review from Judy C.
9/10/2011 ROTD 12/1/2011
My new go-to Korean place. Quick, cheap, and tasty.
Order up front, pick up and eat in the back. I love the lil' Asian mamas and grandmas cooking your food. Feels like homemade! The dolsot bibimbap was as good as any. My only complaint is you don't get much banchan.
There's a whole fridge with jars of kimchi for sale. Plus, you can get marinated kalbi/bulgogi or banchan by the pound. Yay, now you can have Korean meals at home.Listed in: Everything Asian in Columbus!
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Review from Matt R.
Athens, OH
10/23/2011
The restaurant section has closed as of 9/30/11!!!! Now just groceries.
Very disappointed. -
Review from Monica T.
Columbus, OH
6/11/2011
This review is strictly based on the two dishes that I tried at this place. Perhaps the other reviews raised my expectations? Perhaps. I had ordered the seafood soon tofu and seafood pancake and was very underwhelmed by both dishes. The soon tofu was bland city and not at all spicy or flavorful. The seafood pancake was so heavy on the flour that it weighed a ton. Being super greasy and (literally) heavy is not a good combo. :(
On the positive end, this is the first marketplace that I have ever seen banchans being sold by the weight. That was a pretty cool sight. -
Review from Michael T.
Columbus, OH
6/1/2011
The selection in the market itself is a mix of Korean, Japanese and Chinese staple foods.
The diner in the back is a different story.
Korean food. It's homemade, fresh, and served in generous portions. Enjoy! -
Review from Mark K.
6/12/2011
Went here because of the reviews on Yelp, and I'm not sure I can add much. Small, cheap, authentic. Anything else?
We had bulgogi, short rib soup, spicy pork stir-fry, and a slightly spicy chicken dish I can't remember the name of. All were great (well, the short rib soup was judged least great, but it was still good.) You can buy drinks from a cooler up front (almost nothing "American" in there; we got rice milk and plum juice, which were both great.) As others said, they only give you a few banchan dishes, which disappointed me a bit, but the ones we had were good.
The grocery has a good selection of Asian items, and I will definitely be back for groceries and dinner. -
Review from Helen S.
Westerville, OH
7/19/2011
The restaurant in the back of the supermarket has been okay to me. They don't have an extensive menu, but it does the trick if you want some quick decent Korean food.
You may be confused if you are a first timer because you have to order at the front of the store and take your order ticket to the cooks in the back.
I love soon tofu stew and when I ordered it here, I thought it was a little too bland. The dol sot bi bim bap (mixed rice with veggies and meat in a hot stone pot) was pretty good. But in my opinion, it's hard to mess this dish up! I put a lot of the goju jang (hot pepper paste) sauce in it to make it extra spicy. The tonkatsu (deep fried pork cutlet) was good, except I was confused by the gravy colored sauce they used for it. It wasn't the typical deep colored tonkatsu sauce that usually comes with it.
One negative is that the last time I went, they only gave us two side dishes. Korean meals always come with many side dishes, so this was disappointing to me.
I don't LOVE this place, but it's in a convenient location and price isn't too bad. -
Review from Joseph A.
Novi, MI
9/3/2010
(This is a capsule review- I wrote a Summary of the North Burb's Korean dining scene in my Silla review if you are interested)
This is a grocery store that has a small café in the back. The food is 85% as good as the three above mentioned restaurants (Kaya, Silla, Min-ga), but cheaper. (And no need to tip). You pay at the front grocery store counter, and hand the receipt over at the counter at the back. You'll get some of the small kimchi bowls, but not as much as the other restaurants. The people working in the back seem to speak very little English. I think they understood it though when I rubbed my belly and gave them a thumbs up!
A good tip here too is that you can buy bulk raw marinated meats in the back at a pretty good price. Buy a pound of raw bulgogi, grill it up at home, put it in some soft taco shells with a squeeze of lime and pretend that you live in LA! (If I could read Korean I'd be all over the small soft shell crabs and some of the other seafood offerings, but I don't know if it's $8/lb or $24.99/lb. Maybe I should learn Korean- I hear it's a very efficient language...)
My wife and I also buy Japanese and Korean ingredients here because the price is lower than the Japanese markets, but cleaner and more trustworthy than some of the pan-asian markets.. (The Japanese grocery stores in town are kept in business by Honda workers from Japan with company subsidised lifestyles. They can afford $8 bottles of mirin and sesame oil, I can't. /conspiracy theory rant).
This is the place to go when you just have the craving for Korean but would rather spend $10/person than $20+ like you will at the other places. -
Review from Matt W.
8/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
Arirang's actual grocery selection is pretty good compared to Koyama Shoten or Tensuke Market, but where they shine is the small restaurant / lunch counter at the back. Order at the front, take your receipt to the women preparing the food, grab a cup of the barley tea in a large dispenser at the back, and enjoy! You'll get called up when your food is ready for you to pick up.
The Bulgogi and soft tofu stew are both really good. I also really like their ddukbolgi, rice cakes and veggies in a hot spicy pepper sauce. It's great either as a lunch or split with someone as an appetizer. -
Review from Josh Y.
Pickerington, OH
5/8/2010 ROTD 10/24/2010
The restaurant in the back is...
Authentic. (as far as I can tell).
You order your food up front at the cash register. The guy takes your order and sends it to the cooks in the kitchen at the back.
While I don't think they speak much English, they are nice people.
The Bulgolgi (barbeque beef- the first thing on the menu) is the most popular menu item. It is delicious. the barbeque pork is really good too.
This prices are $8.95 an entre. While that is not super cheap, it is probably the cheapest Korean food in Columbus and definitely cheaper than Kaya, Pung Mei, or Silla a couple minutes away. The food here is just as good or better than all of the fancier restaurants.
If you can't finish your food, they have boxes so you can take it home.
The place has a friendly atmosphere but it is small so I imagine it can get crowded when busy although when we went there (saturday night) it was fine. Weekend lunches are probably prime time for them. -
Review from Nan L.
Portland, OR
2/3/2010
Korean food rule #1, do you like it hot and spicy, rule #2, see rule #1. Now that we've laid the ground rules, if you like Korean food this place should be on your radar.
I'm sucker for hole in the wall restaurants that's all about the food, and this place isn't even a restaurant. So it's a grocery store with a kitchen attached in the back and make shift dining area. Half the menu is Korean (which is probably for the extremely adventurous folks), and the order is taken at the cash register. The receipt is handed over to the chef who barely speaks English, and when the orders ready it's announced in Korean. The dining area are always packed with Korean shoppers stopping for a bite.
I've tried several dishes and the soup comes out bubbling hot in the stone ware, and pork ribs were fall of the bone tender. I've never been to Korea, but the dishes have this authentic feel and appears to be catered to the shoppers (i.e. not Americanized/Westernized).
To translate authentic: if adventure means KungPao Chicken at the Chinese restaurant, then this isn't the place for you. Sorry to burst your bubbles and feel free to read Wikipedia on KungPao Chicken if you want to get academic. -
Review from Jasmine M.
Bellevue, WA
3/6/2010
This is the only restaurant I will miss when i move away from Columbus. We go to this place a lot because the food is excellent and the price is reasonable. We've been to Korea and the food at Arirang is comparable to the food there! This place by far has the best Korean food in Columbus. It's also clean, fast and friendly!
Oh FYI, it's been 5 months since I have moved to Honolulu where there is a huge population of Koreans and lots of Korean restaurants but I still think Arirang's food beats them all!
Keep on eating, diners! -
Review from Sher Y.
Morgantown, WV
As people already stated this is mainly a grocery store with a delicious bonus in the back where the food is cooked fresh.
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Review from Paul F.
3/5/2011 7 photos
I don't profess to be an expert on Korean food but I stopped in here this morning to browse around a bit. It seems to be a well stocked grocery and the food is pretty good based on the other reviewers. I'll have to come back for a meal real soon.
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Review from Ernest C.
Blacklick, OH
Read reviews from fellow Yelpers and decided to give Arirang a try. Overall, good food, good price.
You order up front at the register (this place is a grocery store with a "food court" in the back). The menu is right behind the register and items are broken down by price. Most dishes don't exceed $9. The cashier took my order, took my credit card and gave me the order slip to take to the back kitchen. Everything is self serve... They call out your food and put it on the counter, silverware is in a bin on the table and you get your own water from a cooler (smuggle in pop if you need it bc I couldn't find any inside!)
4 types of banchan and the kimchi was fresh. The bulgogi was a bit more "watery" and greasy than accustomed to and the pork bulgogi was pretty good (just spicy enough).
Don't be afraid of the staff... Their English is just fine even if they greet in Korean (nodding and smiling usually works as a response). Got out of there on $23 for two meat dishes and a Korean roll.
Recommend! -
Review from Peter L.
Columbus, OH
11/7/2010
There's a small Korean market in the front -- it isn't H-Mart but they've got everything you'll need. But like everyone else is saying, it's the food counter in the back that is money. Reasonably priced at around $8-10 per dish, they've got your typical stews and soondubu.jigae. The pajun (scallion pancake) ain't bad either and is a pretty good size. The food might not blow you away, but for the convenience and price you can't beat it.
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Review from Sandy M.
New York, NY
1/10/2010
There needs to be two reviews for Arirang: one for the market and one for the food court.
So, as for the maket, they really do carry almost every necessity needed for cooking and for everyday life. The variety of things they carry is great. They have kimchi by the jars imported from Chicago and also made on site, different Korean meats such as samgyupsahl (thinly sliced pork belly) and banchan you can purchase by the pound. However, I'm often very disappointed with the produce. The fruits (persimmons, Korean pears, Concord grapes) are way too expensive and very often, they are too ripe to be purchased. If they can't sell their produce because of the high prices, they should either A) lower the prices so they would be sold or B) sell it at a lower price when it is no longer perfect to consume. The market deserves a 3 out of 5 stars.
Now, for the food court in the back-- it really is the best authentic Korean food you can find in Columbus for the most reasonable price. It's self service: you get you own water/tea and pick up your entree from a "pick-up window." It's not like Silla or Kaya, where you get a lot of banchan (side dishes) and you can't grill your own meat at the table but the authentic Korean soups and casseroles are extremely delicious. Their ddukboki, gimbop, and pajun (scallion seafood pancakes) are also very good. During the summer, they were also serving sangaetang, which I was very surprised about. This is not where I would take a non-Korean friend to introduce Korean food to. But, to every genuine Korean person, who needs nothing but a dish of kimchi and a bowl of steaming white rice to accompany one's meal and is reminescing about what mom would make back at home, I would definitely recomend this place. Naturally, I would give the food court 5 out of 5 stars. So... 4 it is! -
Review from B K.
Columbus, OH
10/2/2009
Arirang is a Korean grocery store with a small food court in the back.
Grocery - typical Korean groceries complete with fresh veggies and meat and store made banchan. Selection is not as large as that of Lotte but adequate. Sesame leaves (Kkatnip) are sold (very important part of my diet lolz). Staff is friendly.
Food court - food is GREAT!!!! Best bang for the buck in Cbus, Korean food wise. Trust me, many other Koreans agree that this place is the best tasting in Cbus. Their soup dishes are cheap and great: Soondubu, Yukgaejang, Uguhji Dwenjangguk for about $8!!!! You might say that's not too cheap but It's self service so no need to leave tip!!!!! God I love this place!! -
Review from Felix L.
Columbus, OH
1/30/2010
Korean food on a budget!!! food is good...place can be a little bit filled,especially lunch hours on the weekends, but if you manage to get a seat, their foods are pretty good, especially for the money,.. only thing keeping me from giving a 5 star is the fact that the old ladies making your foods don't speak a word of english..so have fun trying to tell them "Don't make my food too spicy"
