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Central (Red)
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
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I'm a huge fan of Koreana. I've been there so many times. The food is DELICIOUS. I love Korean BBQ.
The side dishes are bottomless- so you can keep asking for more, which is AWESOME.
The only complaint would be that it is pricey. The annoying is that some dishes will be too much for one person, but then other dishes will be not enough. I got the bulgogi and it was delicious. But definitely do not share one dish for two people or you'll be hungry.
I ended up paying about $24 for my meal, which was the one entree of bulgogi. Again, I think that's way too much. Even as good as it was, I think it's overpriced.
Also, the staff will cook the meat for you right in front of you, but it's more fun and less awkward if you send them away and cook it yourself. Otherwise, you end up having somebodys arm in front of you while you're trying to have a conversation with your friends sitting across from you.
Koreana is wildly popular and I honestly do not understand why. Perhaps Cambridge residents have few other options for Korean food or each time I visit is an off night. In short, it is average tasting Korean food with a high priced bill. Not only is the menu pricey, but expect a 20+ minute wait on a weekend. When you finally are seated, definitely ask for a table away from the windows. The last time I went there, a cold breeze from the outside forced me to put on my jacket.
All complaints (service, atmosphere, and price) are second to the bland food, though. Everyone I have been there with has been disappointed with the food. It's not awful, just average. For the price you would expect more.
Overall, I've had better Korean food at the Hmart food court.
As a very recent transplant to Boston I was excited to see the number of options for Korean restaurants in the metro area. I had done some research and even asked around at work for suggestions. For our first Boston Korean dining outing, Koreana won based on proximity to our temporary housing.
Stopped in for a late lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The restaurant is very stylish inside. Koreana is definitely all about the BBQ and if I were to return I would come with more people and do the Q. On this occassion it was just the Dining Partner in Crime and myself.
Since this was lunch, I ordered the Chicken Gui (sesame and soy marinated chicken) and the DPIC had the Dolsot BiBimBop, because that is what he always orders at every Korean restaurant we go to.
The chicken Gui was very good, but a little dry. It comes with the requisite stainless steel bowl of sticky rice and six small bowls of banchan. The banchan were not served until after my Gui came out. Great Kim Chee and I loved the sliced Taro. The other banchan were rather bland.
The BiBimBop comes with a cup of Miso Soup and a large squirt bottle of spicy bbq sauce. The DPIC said it was very good and he relished the cripsy rice that formed on the bottom of the stone pot his dish came in.
My only real complaint with Koreana is price. My Chicken Gui was $17. The Dolsot BBP was $15. For those prices the banchan should come out early and often and there should be more than 6. Not sure if we'll be back anytime soon. Lots of other places to try first.
Best KBBQ in "Boston."
~Kim Jong-il
I've been to Koreana twice this month. Prior to that, I had never had Korean food (partly because I have been a vegetarian and I was always wary of "barbecue" joints).
Now that I'm a lapsed vegetarian, I am a meat lover who loves Korean BBQ.
The two times I went, I was able to sample several types of BBQ - beef bulgogi, pork bulgogi, and some chicken stuff. Everything was very tasty. The banchan was varied - we got 8-10 different plates. The waitstaff was very attentive, and brought us extra lettuce/sesame leaves AND banchan when we were out. I was very impressed with that!
The only thing that was kind of awkward, was when it was busy one night and there were a lot of people waiting, the owner (or someone) kept coming by the entry way to tell everyone to move out of the way. There was no place for anyone to move. It didn't detract from the meal, just something to note.
I know there aren't a ton of Korean restaurants around to give Koreana a run for the money, and admittedly, the food is pretty tasty. My only real complaints are about value.
Sparse on the banchan. Please, give me more.
Sparse on the perilla / sesame leaves for wrapping around your meat.
In their defense, they give you more if you ask. But that also means that some of your meat is less than ideal when you finally get to wrap it and shoved it in your mouth.
Also, $14 for a bowl of dwenjang jjigae or kimchi jjigae? Sorry, that's a bit much. When you order an order of meat in more heavily-Korean populated areas, the jjigae comes included.
All complaints aside, it's still at 3 stars because the food is decent, the service is good, and it provides a Korean option in an area that doesn't have much else to offer in terms of Korean food. But then again, maybe I've been spoiled.
I came here recently with one of my tall, blonde friends (I have many, it's kind of a running joke) for a friend date. She really wanted to try it after I told her how much I love Korean BBQ.
We had some plum wine at the bar before being able to grab a table, which we shared with an older couple. I ordered galbi, sam gyup sal, yuk gae jang, and soju - what would Korean BBQ be without it??? I'm an adopted Korean who grew up in an Italian-American family so all the stuff I know about Asian food, I learned from other people. It's still amusing to me when I go to Asian restaurants and they talk to me about what my white dining companion can handle in terms of spiciness or something.
We received many banchan (all were quite fresh) and the soup arrived first. It was delicious! The shredded beef had soaked up the spicy broth and there were plenty of scallions; the egg thickened it up just a bit and we both devoured them. Finally our meat was cooked by the server and I even helped a little bit when I saw it needed to be moved around. The sam gyup sal (pork belly) was nice and fatty but didn't get as crisp as I thought it would. The galbi was excellent and we both enjoyed wrapping everything up in lettuce. They did give us a nice dish of soybean paste and sesame oil, which is always very salty.
We stuffed ourselves silly and started to get tipsy off the soju. We had a few servers helping us and they forgot to give us more water. However, they were friendly enough and I never felt any rudeness. The bill was surprisingly very low for the amount of food we consumed and we left full but quite happy.
I can't wait to go back!
Koreana is definitely different than the other korean/jap outfits.
most orders come in hot bowl with rice and all sorts of goodies on the top. they are hot [as in temp] and you mix it up with variety of condiments [i hope thats what they call them].
bulgogi is my favorite
of course the BBQ grill is on each table, right in the middle. so gotta try out the spicy fork.
so, four stars...
My fiance and I tried out Koreana last week and we loved it. We generally go to a different place but decided to try a new restaurant and I love the ambiance here. The staff was MUCH nicer and more helpful than any other Korean restaurant I have tried. She loved that we really enjoy Kimchi and all the banchan was very fresh and delicious. The only thing I missed was the fish cake we usually get at our standby. It is a bit pricier than most other places but I did feel it was worth the money. The drinks and sushi were also really good.
Andy loved his bulgogi. My food was a bit bland. The prices were okay, not great. It was squarely average. Weak drinks (according to Andy).
They gave us a free dessert drink, which was yummy, kind of like a mulled cider.
3.5 stars, rounding down for awkwardness.
Koreana is quality food -- I can't really speak to the authenticity, but I can say that it's tasty! Of particular note are the ddok bok gi, which is Korean for "spicy rice tubes."*, and are a great way to start a meal, or just to eat a lot of.
I've never done the BBQ, as it seems like you pay a lot more for the novelty of having your food cooked at the table without showmanship, fire, and probably with lower quality than you'd get from the kitchen, but I have been happy with all the food I've been there.
Yes, lots of the main dishes are pretty expensive, but here's the secret: UNLIMITED side dishes. Content yourself with your $15 reasonably sized bibimbap by gorging on kimchi and pickled vegetables until you are sick! You have to ask for refills on them - or wait for the waitstaff to offer - but it's a hidden feature that make the slightly-inflated prices more palatable.
Sadly, there's the crippling flaw - somewhat awkward, inconsistent service. Sometimes it's waiters taking just a bit too long to get there, or waitresses being a little to quick to clear dishes, or a bit too fast with the check, or the little language difficulties that come up when asking questions about dishes or making adjustments that make you wonder -- is that going to come out how I asked? It's enough to make me think twice about the place and seals Koreana's fate as an occasional dining destination for me.
* This is a lie.
Koreana just reminds me of the typical average Korean BBQ joints in Boston. Everything is descent, nothing special. The atmosphere of Koreana closely resembles Korean restaurants in NYC (I grew up eating NYC Korean food so this brings good memories...). I didn't order sushi here and I want to remind yelpers to never order sushi from Korean restaurants in general. Just because it's an Asian restaurant, it's not always safe to order sushi, especially in Korean restaurants (save order sushi for nice Japanese restaurants).
I actually tried buncha dishes, from meats such as galbi to lunch boxes (spicy pork, galbi) and other random items that I don't remember (which means it wasn't great, but not terrible either). Again, nothing is exceptional here other than their NYC Korean-restaurant-styled ambiance.
I went to Koreana for the first time last weekend and was impressed. We had a party of seven, and I was glad I made a reservation.
I really liked the atmosphere. I wasn't expecting more casual for some reason, but it felt more upscale than I expected, though not at all pretentious. I thought it was quite pretty in there.
We ate Beef Bulgogi and Galbi (short ribs). Both were very good - the Bulgogi was better. We also had a spicy tuna roll, which was good and scallion pancakes, which were very thick and kind of gross.
One strange thing is that the waitress did not bring us back our change - we had to ask for it - it would have been a very large tip otherwise. I'm hoping this was just an error and not on purpose.
Despite the scallion pancake, the overall experience was really good. I'll definately be going back!
omg i love this place, my first korean bbq ever. so i can't really compare it to anything, but MAN was the beef tasty..when you dip it into the teriyaki sauce and put it over rice and wrap it with lettuce..MM! My "freshly brewed unsweetened ice tea" ended up tasting like water, so just skip on that..not worth the 2.50$ Each dish for the bbq was around 20$-23$ and we had 4 people and got 3 plates, which comes with a lil bowl of rice with each dish, so we ordered one more so we all had one :) The server cooked our food for us, idk if she's suppose to but she came back to turn if because obviously we didn't but it's good stuff. I LIKE!! And the server my friend had last time, came over to say bye and happy new years, AWWWW, charlie!!! It's a lil pricey..but whatever, it was PACKed when we got there.. i think they like didn't put us down for our reservation so we ended up waiting for like 10 minutes. There was like 2 -3 parties waiting too. They were nice to let us move to another table so we didn't have to be next to people in the middle. Very little parking!!!!
the little dishes were okay. i had better.
and at the end they come back with cold cinnamon tea, which im not a big fan of cinnamon, but if u like it, you'll love the flavor cause it's soo strong.
At first glance I thought this was a gimic type of place with their own rendition of hibachi, grills in the middle of the tables and whatever. But I have to be honest, the food here is amazing! The bulgogi seems to be everyone's favorite but there was a spicy pork that was much more flavorful.
The staff is very helpful, they take time to explain things even when they are busy. The food is a bit expensive but it is really good. I don't know if I am a huge fan of cooking my own food for that price, but the pro's outweighed the cons. Great place.
Pros:
-Korean food is exciting and popular. Koreana serves Korean food.
-The food was theoretically good, although my bi bim bop was ruined by putting it in a "hot stone" bowl, which burned the rice and food. I couldn't understand the waitress (language barrier), so I went along with her recommendation.
Cons:
-All beers are authentic cheap asian beers (Asahi, Kirin, etc.).
-Language barrier
-Impolite service
-My food was burnt to char!
-We were sat at the same table, and directly next to, a couple on their first date, which was awkward for everyone.
-They didn't bring the rest of my friend's meal until he asked for it.
-Pricey - the bi bim bop is way overpriced.
DELICIOUS. Amazing bbq, fab sides, fab kimchi pancake. Great place for a hot date or a group. The only down side is that it's pretty pricey, but the atmosphere and the food make up for it.
Really good food, love their BBQ. I have been to Seoul and was pleased to find some of my favorite dishes there.
I dont give a 5 stars because the waiters alternate being super nice and not nice at all...
I've come to this place three times now, and I have had only one bad experience with their dishes, but I guess that one I ordered, which was a soup with beef immersed in it, is just supposed to taste bad. But I've had bulgogi and their BBQ and they're both excellently seasoned.
They will also bring you more of the veggie appetizers if you finish them early, which I always try to do :P
The prices can be a little bit high, but if you know of other Korean place which charges less for the same quality and ambiance, let me know, and I will make the proper stellar adjustment!
Came here on a whim on a rainy day without a reservation. Luckily we got a table fast because it got really packed once we sat down.
The service was pretty good, in fact, a lot better than most Asian place I've been to.
We ordered some sushi rolls as appetizers. They were very... anti-climatic. The special rolls are not suppose to fall apart just trying to get them off the plate. They would've fell apart even if I used my hands.
The BBQ portion is always exciting to me, the side dishes were the usual suspects but lacked refilling of kimchi for me! They did however, refilled the lettuce. *shrugs* We ordered 2 Beef and 1 Pork just to mix it up a bit. They were seasoned well - my only problem was that they were really chewy even if when I got it off the fire before they were well done. This is usually not a problem even if the meat was well-done. My mother said it was good the last time she was there. Maybe I went on a not so great night.
The price looked average for Korean BBQ, but I feel like they just had less meat then the other places I've been. Great service, okay food.
Overpriced mediocrity. I had high hopes for Koreana as I often pass this place on my way to Central. On one of my first nights in Cambridge I stopped in hoping for some tasty grilled meat, but was told to pick something else off the menu because you can't BBQ solo here. So I picked a beef noodle dish which turned out to be one of the most bland meals I have ever had. I took the leftovers home to try and re-purpose with some added flavor but I ended up just throwing it all out. The sushi I had was horrible. Since moving to Boston, I have a new understanding of how spoiled we are on the West Coast to have so many delicious and affordable sushi places at our doorstep.
I gave Koreana a second chance this past weekend by taking my sister who is visiting from out of town. We ordered Jumullock Galbi and shrimp BBQ along with a spicy tuna handroll to start. The sushi is still horrible. The Galbi was tender and tasted good. The problem is that it was good- not great, not tasty. For the prices Koreana commands, I expect the food to be great. It looks like my roommate and I will continue to make our own Korean BBQ at home since it turns out to be just as good for a lot less money.
Been seeing this place forever. Always wondered, but never had a desire to go in.
I'm walking up to Central from getting my hair cut, and I'm craving sushi. What do I see? A sign in their window that says "sushi". Perfect, I think. How convenient.
The place is beautiful, and the hostess and servers were all very nice.
I ordered some sushi, and waited. NOT the place to go for sushi. First, the pieces were TINY, and the rice was hard and mushy. BAD. BAD. BAD SUSHI.
Maybe it's a good place for all the other dishes and reasons people have listed here, but if you're looking for SUSHI- STAY AWAY! Not cheap, either.
Koreana is definitely my go-to place for Korean BBQ near Boston. I like that they give you the option to cook for yourself - it's more fun that way. I've been to other Korean BBQ places where they are super strict with their grills.
For non-BBQ, I'd recommend being adventurous and ordering the Yook-Hwe appetizer (goes by various names at different places). It's basically shredded raw beef, raw egg, and asian pear, which doesn't sound very appetizing (or safe to eat), but it's SO GOOD! Last time, we also tried the KanPungSaeU entrée, and it's exactly how it's described: sweet & spicy shrimp - the fiery heat will wow your tongue! FYI: the shrimps are butterflied, shells/skin on, but easy to peel.
For BBQ: the galbi and bulgogi beef are both pretty amazing. I love the marinade used; great smoky taste after it's cooked. Make a lettuce wrap with the beef and the salty peanut butter sauce.. yum!
Good for dates and groups because it's a fun and interactive experience. Good for boys because of the delicious meat. Not good if you're wearing your nicest outfit because it's BBQ after all, and the smell will seep into your clothes. Expect a table wait if it's the weekend.
- 1 star for inattentive waitstaff
I was here last night with a few friends. We got there (on a Saturday night) without a reservation for 3 of us, and we ended up waiting around 45 minutes to sit down. This wasn't really a problem with us, but be warned. The ambiance is very nice there and all of us were very comfortable.
For dinner, I had the beef brisket, which they cooked at the table for us. The beef brisket had a little more fat than I would want on it, and I would say at our table, the pork was the best thing that was ordered. The sides that were served (around 7 or 8 of them) were good, but not the best I've had in my limited experience at other Korean BBQs.
All in all, this is a nice place to hang out with some friends if you're out of ideas and you don't feel like waiting for East Coast Grill to sit you.
Want the best Korean Bbq in the Boston area? This is where you can find it!
I was introduced to this place by some Korean friends and now i'm addicted. We tried the Korean place in Medford as well to compare the two and Koreana definitely wins. Great dishes and flavoring, good prices if you have a group for bbq, and the portions are a great size! The place in Medford had much smaller portions for bbq and was more expensive.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!
At 136 reviews there's really not much I can add so I'll keep it short.
Koreana, foodwise, is a solid three star joint - lots of options on the menu, great for veggies and omnis alike.
The sake is also delectable and will make you giddy and slightly tipsy as you chow down on your BBQ and sushi.
The fourth star factor comes in for service. It's top notch here. The servers are lovely, the hosts amiable, even the regular customers are congenial and kind.
So high fives to Koreana for being a topnotch neighborhood type of joint with a lot of class.
For me, the biggest indicator of a great Korean restaurant is the presence of Korean families digging into plates/bowls/grills of awesome food!
And of course, the other indicator is how happy my mouth gets with a ssam of lettuce + kken-eep (sesame leaf) + raw garlic slivers + grilled Kalbi + rice + dollop of ssam jang (soy bean paste with red pepper) + sliced spicy green peppers!! DELICIOUS. And mouth filling. I LOVED it. Perfect blend of flavors. Mmmmmmmmmm.
Went with a friend to eat awesome Korean BBQ and catch up about our lives. We ordered a serving of Kalbi (my first choice!) and he wanted a serving of the Bulgogi, and they were both sooooo tender and perfectly marinated and oh-so-good.
And the ban-chan they presented did NOT disappoint. I HEART their kimchee. I know it's standard Korean restaurant kimchee, but it's really good. Especially when wrapped around a just grilled piece of Kalbi. Mmmm. *mouth waters*
I have to say... the best Korean meal I've had in Boston! Other than the time my mom came to visit and cooked a massive meal for me. :)
The fact that I ate at Koreana is proof to all my family that I am no longer a picky eater and officially a "will try anything but mayonnaise or things that look like mayonnaise" kind of girl. It is Korean Barbecue. This is like American Barbecue in that you cook chicken, shrimp, and steak on a fire and it is delicious. This differs from American Barbecue in the available side dishes, of which I ate all of but have no clue what any were. There were some soft things, some veggie like things, and some squishy things. I did particularly like what I think might have been pickled beets. You then take unidentified side dishes, wrap them in something, and eat them. It is very tasty I swear. Please try it.
If you are less adventurous they also have a good assortment of sushi. The wine list and cocktail list are both nice and the waitstaff is lovely.
Hands down best Korean food in Greater Boston area!
Been going here since I was a little kid ... my parents have been going forever! They also own Reliable Market in Somerville as well which a great Korean grocery in the area.
I usually get the bulgogi, and the rest of the family would get the kalbi and different stews. I think you need at least 2 orders of the various meats to have the "bbq" done at the table. Everything is delish!
(I was also excited to see that there was a yelp sticker beside the main glass door.)
I went there for dinner tonight with my fiance. We didn't realize how hungry we were until we started eating. We had Catapillar Sushi - this was so delicious with the creamy avocado - However, just for information, this is the place to go to for Korean BBQ.
We had Kalbi - for 2 people and I love that the servers are attentive and continously looking over the meat to make sure that it's cooking well. The plentiful side dishes were delicious and colorful!
I love the rice that comes with it - I saw a couple on a different table put soy sauce into the white rice and I wanted to go over there and smack them! You eat the rice with the lettuce, some garlic, and some rice, with spicy paste and it is so good! Why ruin what's already perfect! People just don't know.
If you are wondering what korean food is - Koreana is a good place to start and finish - with great Kalbi and some beer. YUM! Go and be happy!
The food is good, the service is excellent, and the whole experience is worth what you paid.
I love the Korean vegetables they serve before the meal.
I live literally down the street and have not been here until last night, for my graduation dinner (Emerson '09 Wut!)
I went with my parents, younger sister and Theresa C. None of us really know anything about Korean food, especially my somewhat sheltered Vermont family (can't blame them...not much for Korean food up there), so I didn't really know what to expect. I ordered a Bibimbop dish, which is not only fun to say but an amazing mixture of strange things--beef, rice, mushrooms, carrots, and other veggies, with a fried egg on top and drizzled in hot sauce. The first bite was tasty, but I think I just ordered the wrong thing--it started to upset my tummy shortly thereafter.
My sister's beef teriyaki was tasty.
We ordered scallion pancakes as an appetizer, and they were tasty but quite rubbery on the edges.
They couldn't make us Mai Tais so we ordered gin & tonics which were okay.
Overall, everything was just fine, but I won't come here regularly...I can't really afford to frequent it now that I'm a college grad!
So, yum! I have lived in the area for years and passed by Koreana many times but never actually ate there. When I finally did, I found deliciousness! I went with a group of three others.
We split the steamed dumplings and they were good, but very average. For my main course, I had the Shrimp Dolsot Bibimbop. It was a big portion of rice, shrimp, and veggies that arrived sizzling in a stone pot. The flavors were great and I loved the numerous accompaniments that arrived with our food. It was one of those dishes that could either been very healthy or heavy depending on how much oil they added. I'm still unsure which it actually was. It was delicious though so I guess I would rather not know if it was bad for me. Their sushi looked good and it seemed like a lot of people were ordering it so it would be something I try on my next visit.
Went on a Saturday nite with large group - 12 of us. It's good they take reservations. Since there were 2 bbq grills, we asked for 2 checks to split the tables by grills. The waitress had no problem with this.
Service was pretty good. We did have to ask for a few things, but they were prompt in getting it for us. We ordered seafood pancake and asked the waitress is there was seafood in it (there was a little). She offered to make another one for us, but we declined. The host or mgr came over about 5 minutes later and asked the same thing about the seafood pancake again offering to make another one. We had eaten most of it already so we declined. She then offered to take it off the bill, nice.
Kalbi, beef tongue, chicken, stone pot Be Bim Bop were all good as well as all the side dishes that come with it. And you can ask for refills of those side dishes. The waitresses help you cook the meat, they get it started and then u finish cooking it.
It cost us $23 each (including tax & tip), which we found pretty reasonable. We'll be back.
Me: "Why is there a missile silo in the middle of our table?"
Her: "Its a grill."
Me: "For food?"
Her: "Yes, this place is a Korean BBQ."
Me: "How can I fit an entire rack of ribs on this little thing?"
That was me the first time I went to Koreana. Apparently Korea didn't get the memo that for a place to be a real BBQ joint they need the three C's: Chicken, cornbread, and ribs (see what I did there?). They do however, bring out a boat load of Korean side dishes for your taste. The Kimchi, or as I call it Hell Cabbage, is quite spicy. I should mention that I don't usually trust food that is buried underground then later dug up as part of the "preparation process". If you are new to more traditional asian fare you get a nice sampling here (traditional does not include General Gao's). The nice interior also makes it a great place to go on a date and show off your chopstick skills.
My favorite dish has to be the TangSu Yuk. Try to imagine what the best sweet and sour chicken would taste like. Now slam your head onto your desk. What was that for? Well, because you don't know nothin' 'bout no sweet and sour chicken until you had yourself a nice heaping plate of TangSu Yuk (also it looks like you are bleeding a little). Man I would go in the back and swim in this stuff if it wasn't a health code violation (at least that is what the manager said when I asked).
Koreana is a little off the beaten path, between the civilization of Central square and Inman square it sits on a corner across from a gas station. Entrees will run you someone from $15 to $20, but they are well worth it. If you are the type who likes to go out and then pay to cook your own food, you can rock the table grill. I would suggest the Bulgogi, paper thin bits of beefy heaven. Of course if you are me then you can also order it from the back where it is cooked by people who know what they are doing (note: the door to the kitchen has a sign in English and Spanish...what is Korean for "liars!").
Bottom Line: Go here.
I've been here a few times now, and each time I wonder why I've returned. The food is decent, but nothing special, and it's a little on the pricey side.
PROS: Good quality meat, marinated nicely. The tofu soup is also pretty tasty. The staff is friendly.
CONS: Their fish isn't great (have tried both grilled scallops and the sushi) - not gonna give you food poisoning, but just not that fresh. The scallion pancake was terrible. Also, the last time we went our grill didn't work properly, giving off a terrible smell.
The waitress we had tonight was a great listener.
She listened to my friend's relationship problem like Dr. Melfi listening to Tony Soprano while she cooked food for us.
It was perfect dinner for me and my sparring partner after productive and intense session. Although… Read more »
Let me start the review by stating that I am no Korean food connoisseur. I am merely a wannabe food aficionado on a budget. So I went recently for lunch on a Sunday because the Yelpers say it has great lunch specials. Ok, they do, but ya gotta go Mon - Fri. Otherwise, lunch on a weekend is the regular price. But I figure, I don't eat out that much, this is my splurge for the month.
My friend and I met up for casual Sunday lunch, a great time to go to this restaurant. It was not busy on an early Sunday afternoon and the restaurant was full of Korean families, which I thought was a good sign. We split a kimchee pancake and the seafood delight hot pot for 2. The pancake was perfectly crispy and flaky with a little heat. The burner for the hot pot is built into the table. The seafood included codfish, crab, and lobster along with the hot pot came with the usual array of sides (kimchee, bean sprouts) plus rice. Some of the sides were unusual (potato salad? really?), but they were a great accompaniment.
Service was attentive, the ambience was nice (lots of windows facing Prospect, dark wood furniture). I passed by this place on a Friday night after my first experience and the place was packed with a line 40 deep. If you go at a busy time, make reservations! And if you want to save some cash, eat lunch Mon - Fri! Otherwise, it's a worthy regular-priced meal, great for groups.
Korean BBQ and other dishes for beginners, excellent of its type, though hardcore fans of the cuisine won't be impressed.
I have friends who are averse to Korean food, and I know how they got that way: an unchaperoned encounter with a bowl of kimchi. Few Westerners take readily to the ubiquitous chili-laden condiment/side dish of fermented napa cabbage. One way to avoid this is to introduce neophytes to Korean cuisine at a restaurant that offers "Korean barbecue," tableside grilling of marinated meats and seafood. It also affords one of the great ways to enjoy steak for short money.
Besides tables with inset gas grills, Koreana has attractions not seen in many Boston-area Korean restaurants: an airy space with lots of windows, attractive modern furnishings, and a full bar with big TVs. The atmosphere won't wow jaded travelers who've dined in Seoul or Los Angeles's Koreatown -- the spaciousness and light quickly belie that kind of authenticity -- but first-time visitors will be heartened by the sight of non-Koreans tending their own grills. Start with steak: an order of bulgogi ($19), thin-sliced ribeye in a sweet and garlicky marinade. (This dish seems to have fallen on hard times here -- it's too thin, like frozen minute steaks, not a good idea.)
The server loads the grill for you; your job is to tend to those slices, cook them to your liking, and wrap each in a leaf of red lettuce with a dollop of soybean-paste condiment and bits of the half-dozen accompanying banchan (small side dishes). Banchan are a little mysterious at first -- blistering kimchi, sweet pickled daikon, sesame-dressed bean sprouts, rubbery fish-cake slices, briny chopped sea vegetables, spicy pickled cucumber -- but you'll warm to most of them. They not only add variety and crunch, but are replenished endlessly on request. Buttressed by a pot of rice, you will likely leave stuffed.
There's a minimum of two barbecue orders at the grill tables, so don't skip galbi (short ribs, $20), frankly a much better, tastier cut of beef than the ribeye here. Your server will wield poultry shears to cut the long ribbons of meat into bite-size pieces. Or go the Korean surf-and-turf route with a plate of shrimp ($19) to grill and dip in a thin teriyaki sauce. Between the heat, salty marinades, and excitement at your newfound mastery of table grilling, you ought to order something soothing, like an oilcan of mellow Sapporo lager ($7), a pot of no-name sake ($20), or a bottle of 48-proof Jinro soju ($16), a Korean white lightning that gets smoother as the night rolls on. After all, nothing cushions the jarring novelty of an unfamiliar cuisine like steak and alcohol.
went here for my dad's birthday. it was pretty crowded, but then again we had quite a few people. the food was pretty good, but i thought we got to cook it. The ladies stayed there and we watched them cook our food for us and they even told us how to eat it. it's not our first time eating korean food, but it was a nice gesture, and the food tasted great. Service is good price is ok, but I still like the korean places in El Camino Back in Cali. Like Buckshot said " aint no comparison, thats embarassin'" good for what's in the area and one of the better korean foods i have tried since i moved.
Neighborhood: Allston/Brighton
Category: Korean
Medford, MA
Category: Korean
Somerville, MA
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Allston/Brighton
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Coolidge Corner
Category: Korean
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