On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
NOTE FOR THOSE PEOPLE TRYING TO FIND THIS PLACE: THE ENTRANCEWAY IS IN THE PARKING LOT UNDER THE BIG YELLOW CANOPY/AWNING. I write this because the last time I tried to find it I found 1. Abner's 2. The Strip club entrance. 3. The Chili's Entrance. and 4. The Pourhouse entrance. All of the above are located at 3801 Chestnut. There is some irony in having a family friendly restaurant on top of a strip club. But I digress.
The place is pretty no frills with basic tables and chairs and a small counter area. I ordered the Bim Bim Bap and a ginger ale. The Bim Bim Bap came out after a little wait and was accompanied by kimchee, a clear soup(which helped cool my mouth down) and a sauce that the lady said I should try on the Bim Bim Bap. The vegetables were really fresh and tasty and I liked the sauce a lot. The fried egg was odd at first to eat along with everything else, but it actually tasted pretty good mixed in with the beef and vegetables, rice and sauce. The beef was tender and tasty. The clear soup helped clear my palate and cool my taste buds down.
The owner/manager and the staff were all real friendly. The owner/manager guy recommended I try the number 8 or 9 squid dish or the squid in the hot pot. Next time I'm going to do just that.
Oh yeah and the total for all of this 9 something bucks. Pretty sweet.
They now deliver and have coconut bubble tea.
Koreana, get out of my head.
So good.
So cheap.
I've never had AUTHENTIC Korean food, so I like to assume this is it. I usually get…
Read more »
As a pseudo-vegetarian deathfully afraid of slimy and unknown meats, I had always assumed that I had few Korean choices. Koreana, you broadened my world! Not only do they make a mean hot pot bibimbop but they make a handful of other dishes vegetarian. Some are a bit greasy, but this makes for good brain food.
If you're in the mood for a sugar bomb at the end, try the tapioca dish. It's a mix of red beans, tapioca, syrupy fruit, and various unidentifiable sugar items.
P.S. They are closed on Mondays.
Love this place! Great for when you're craving Korean.
They have a pretty extensive menu, which can be daunting if you're indecisive. Better to go in there when you're on a mission. The food is tasty, cheap (most dishes are under $8), and the service is speedy. They're very friendly!
Bonus: aloe juice! And ramen and other Asian goodies for sale. The GOOD Korean ramen. Not like...Cup Noodles. AND THEY DELIVER NOW on http://campusfood.com! Yay!
Remember when Koreana was 38th & Pizza? Well things have changed since then!
Their food is so delicious and wallet-friendly for the mostly college-student crowd. Their menu keeps growing so you might be a bit puzzled if you've never had Korean food. Try the bulgogi/kalbi/bibimbap if this is your first time! My favorites are the ma po tofu, soondubu, jajangmyun, and deokmandoogook.
They started serving bubble tea for quite awhile now and the taro is simply divine (in comparison to The Bubble House on Sansom and 34th). Food is quick and fresh (and they deliver now!). Plus the owners are lovely people! Highly recommended!
I give this place a 3.5 star - this may change as I try more dishes, but I liked how you just order at the counter and they bring you your food right away. I order the kimchee bokum bap, and it was great - looked just like it did in the picture! (That was my first thought). The place is clearly meant to be there for college students - great idea. Quick, pretty-good, Korean food. I'll be back there again.
SO MUCH FOOD FOR SO CHEAP!!
Also, there are lots of food that are / can be made vegetarian.
Beware though, the free soup that comes with your meal has fish stock!
As does the noodles!
The owners are great, really nice and the food comes very quickly. Downside is that when you make a dish vegetarian, it doesn't come any cheaper even though you omit the most expensive ingredient.
If you're craving Koreana on a Monday, you're out of luck! That's the one day they're closed.
This is perhaps my favorite restaurant near Penn. It is run in a quasi-self-serve fashion. You first order and pay at the counter, and then your food is delivered to your table. As a result, there is no need to tip, and everything on the menu is between $6.50 and $9. The owners of the restaurant, Charley and Mike, are very friendly towards their frequent customers. The food is very high quality. To keep prices low, the menu is a bit heavier on rice and noodle dishes, although some meat-heavy dishes are available in the $8+ range.
This is the type of casual place that I go to twice a week with my buddies. If you want a "formal" Korean restaurant where you will have to pay more, but receive more formal service, go to Hanwool instead. Given the tasty food and low prices, I go to Koreana far more often.
Favorite place to eat, and a staple for the Penn campus. The owners are incredibly nice and the service is efficient and helpful. It's the best Korean food in the area, and the prices are very reasonable.
I cannot give this place enough props! There were periods last year when I was on a rotational system with this place and the Boston Market (I know you're impressed) where I was basically going every other day and I'm still alive to tell the story. The owners are amazingly nice people, and they even know my name. I strongly recommend the Kim Chi fried rice, and I was definitely very attached at one point to the Soon Dubu (maybe it will make a comeback in the winter for me). I've even seen people bring alcohol in here though I'm not exactly sure if it's really BYOB or just because it's University City...
Just what I've been looking for! I've been having my cravings for cheap, good, and quick Korean food and restaurants in Center City just don't do it for me. Thank goodness for this place! It is very accessible in University City and is a great lunch spot for a study break. It does get pretty crowded but it's worth it. Most of their dishes are under $10 and since it's self served, no need for tip. Don't be expecting the greatest quality of food but this definitely hits the spot when you're craving some kimchi fried rice or ja ja myun. :)
Im not trying to trash people who review here... but those of you that eat a lot of korean food... its probably one of the most expensive foods to eat.
Now u have koreana: one of the most inexpensive korean foods i have ever had and tastes good.
Do you want GOOD, FAST or CHEAP? In my opinion Koreana does a very good job at providing all 3.
Dear Koreana,
You're the best--open 7 days a week, unbelievably quick service, and very reasonably priced food. There are so many good options to choose from on your menu; I'm glad you always have a good recommendation ready. You're always full with students happily eating and chatting away. I just loved visiting you with my friends to get lunch or dinner and chill out. Whatever I got, I knew you'd be smiling and happy to have me over. Now, I'm in San Francisco, but I miss those times a lot.
I hope you're doing well.
Best,
AC
The most remarkable thing about this place is the speed at which your food comes out. Seriously, I've never waited more than 5 minutes for my food (it might be re-heated I don't know). The menu is extensive and includes all the Korean staples (minus dolsot bibimbap but the cold bibimbap is fine) As for quality and taste, it's OK--but since it's not that expensive I really shouldn't complain. The ambiance isn't bad but not a first date kind of place (unless your date can laugh at the neighboring gentleman's club). Definitely my pick for Korean food near Penn but not the city as a whole.
EDIT: Dolsot bibimbap is now available!
Koreana, why did it take me so long to find you? Is it because you're hidden behind place I will never go to (Chilis, Abners, Atlantis Gentleman's Club)? Is it because I usually pack my lunch, and so haven't fully explored my near-work options? I don't know, but there is just no excuse. I'm sorry.
I can only give three stars now, because I've had better BimBimBop, but your service was fast and friendly and fairly priced. I'll be back for another shot.
This place used to be known as 38th Pizza and Korean food, but ever since it changed owners and is now called "Koreana", it focuses solely on Korean food. I'm told the Korean food now tastes better (but I can't really judge, because I never visited it before the change).
I used to called it the $6 place, because all their dishes used to cost that much. Unfortunately, they've raised the prices slightly, but I enjoy their food. It's not stellar, but in way of close, cheap and fast Korean food around the UPenn area, you can't go wrong with Koreana.
Try their bulgogi or kalbi, traditional Korean dishes they don't ever mess up. Their noodle dishes are alright, but don't ever seem to fill me up. Lastly for dessert, there's always the Korean shaved ice - a cute fun way to end any date if you're nearby.
Update-May 6. I took off a star (so now it's 3 stars) because the quality of this joint has gone down. For example, their pork meat doesn't taste like meat anymore. Prices have also gone up (which is understandable with the crazy world food situation at the moment), but I'm disappointed in Koreana's lack of adherence to quality. The ONLY dish worth getting now is their kalbi.
Koreana (or, Stripper Korean, as my friend prefers to call it) is a great option when you feel like taking a break from the food trucks and actually sitting down to eat a meal. Plenty of FOBs come here so there's a high credibility factor. While it doesn't take too long for them to fulfill your order, I'd suggest calling in a take-out order before heading over so it'll be ready for you by the time you arrive. Definitely not a fancy place, but tasty. Most dishes are under $10.
I wish I could give this place a higher rating, because the guy behind the counter is really friendly, but I just can't do it. the food is really flavorless. It used to be a little bit better, but I would go becuase it was like 4.99 for most dishes, and I could get some fairly good food. These days, the prices are about 50cents off of what I would pay at a full serve Korean restaurant, and it just does not taste good. The food lacks a lot of flavor. It's too bad because it's so close to home, and it would be nice to have a good Korean place by home besides upper Darby. It's like getting McD's but paying top dollar for it.
I don't know about you, but I find pizza and Korean food to be an unusual combination. That's exactly what you'll find at 38th Pizza.
38th's menu has 25 items, including udong (seafood noodle soup), ramen (spicy instant noodle soup with vegetables), kimchi chigae (spicy casserole containing kimchi and pork in soup), omurice (omelette), kib bop, and sullungtang (beef and ox bone soup) - every item except one is $6.
The Korean food we ordered tasted OK (and similar!), save for one different ingredient:
- I ordered #6, the jeyook dupbop - steamed rice topped with marinated pork and hot pepper paste.
- My friend got #7 okingeo dupbop - my dish with squid.
Their house special menu has Korean BBQ chicken pizza and bulgogi pizza on it. Pies run $6-7 for a small or $11-13 for an extra-large - can also order by the slice. French fries and drinks available. I will go back and try the bulgogi pizza...
FYI, other styles that can be ordered include Plain, Hawaiian (ham, pineapple, sausage, or beef), Meat Lover's, Brocken (white), and Vegetarian.
It's cheap Korean food, and you can do as well and pay as much at the KO-JA truck right down the street. I recommend trying their pizza, for the novelty.
I don't have extensive experience with Korean food, but I really like Koreana. They're relatively quick, and I often pick something up from here on my way home to West Philly. Everything is really affordable and tasty for what you get. I try something new every time I come and most of the time it's really good. I especially like their Kimchee! Once again, I can't speak on the authenticity of it, but I still think it's delicious.
Koreana is a good quick bite for lunch or a quick college dinner. The prices are fairly reasonable, a bit more than the food trucks nearby - but hey you can sit down here.
The food is pretty decent for the price and service is significantly faster than other Korean/Japanese restaurants in the area. The portions are also quite generous.
I fell in love with Korean food while doing on internship there in Seoul this summer.
I recently found Koreana and I am happy to say it is great food at good prices. Most dishes are around $6. All of them that I have tried was great.
My fav is #27 (dumpling, rice-stick, and beef)
Neighborhood: Penn Center
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Olney
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Market East
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Market East
Category: Korean
Upper Darby, PA
Category: Korean
