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It's good food at a reasonable price. I usually stop in for their Galbi (Kalbi, Garhbee, Garbi) lunch box. The meat is fan-danm-static. I am not a big meat-eater, but when I do crave grilled meat, it's my default dish. The flavor is perfect and I could suck on the bones like a piece of hard candy to get every bit of flavor.
I also favor the Duk Boki (spicy rice cake). every place has a different spelling. Good consistancy of the rice cake, nice flavor and heat level.
In the winter time, you can't go wrong with a bowl of the Duk Guk (rice cake soup). It's tame, good flavor, and an excellent alternative to chicken noodle soup when you are feeling under the weather. There is also a version with Mandu (dumpling), but I don't care for their rice-noodle filled bland dumplings. I'd rather have more room for rice cake and it's cheaper.
Ok... so... this is one of my favorite places. So favorite that as a special treat, my husband and I have driven from Ferndale to eat here. This having been said, I can only actually comment on one dish--the dol sot bibimbap.
UH-Mazing!
This is pretty standard bibimbap but served in a stone bowl so your food keeps cooking long after they serve it and well into your enjoyment of it. AWESOME. This is the best dol sot bibimbap I've had anywhere and I pretty much seek it out whenever and wherever I can.
Why didn't I give Maru 5 stars, you ask? Well... Maru is located in an old service station and it's interior has definitely seen better days. It's pretty run down and not so easy on the eyes. While they've attempted to update it with some vertically placed (kinda weird) wood panelling and pretty pictures of flowers under the plexiglass table tops, it's still the dingy inside of a former service station. If you can get past that, the food is definitely worth a trip.
This place switches management but since the last switch the food has gotten a lot better. The quality is better then anything else on campus but also is a few dollars more so it's more if its worth it for you or not. The meats are cooked veryyyy well ad everytime I have eaten here I order some new and it has all been a good choice.
My girlfriend and I have been here twice and both trips were great. For the first trip I got the "military stew" which, despite having spam in it, was delicious. My only complaint is that I couldn't find the cheese that was supposedly an ingredient in the stew. But maybe that was a good thing? I can't imagine what kind of cheese would possibly go in a Korean stew...
The second trip I got the Manduguk, a pretty simply dumpling soup with some beef and noodles in it. I tend to avoid Korean food because almost everything seems to contain a mountain of vegetables (yuck!), but if you're like me and haven't matured past the 2nd grade, then this soup is for you!
The prices were pretty fair for Ann Arbor, although as with everything here I wish everything were a couple dollars cheaper.
I've been here many times since they opened. My wife and I are big fans of the Kimchee and Mandu jeon gol. Its for 2 people and its cooked at your table. Plus their duk bok ki is probably the best around.
Their side dishes (ban chan) are simple and excellent.
Other soup dishes are decent...like the Sun dae gook and bu dae chi gae.
Decent prices for good sized portions. And they are open on Sundays! Which makes them the only choice for korean food on sundays..at least on campus.
Pretty good food at a fair price with decent service. It is amazing how hard this simple-sounding combination is to find in Ann Arbor, but Maru delivers.
While not being the best and most authentic Korean food I have had, this place is comparable or better than the other restaurants in town that I have tried. My strongest recommendation goes out to the soft tofu stew with seafood, at $8, is pretty tasty. The tofu are silken smooth. The few squid pieces and clams compliments the tofu well. (There are also seafood stews if you want more.) Ask for it spicy or extra spicy. So delicious! The portion is generous especially if you eat it with rice. The only small flaw is that the egg, being already in the soup, becomes too cooked. It would be better if they gave you a fresh egg and let you crack it over the stew yourself!
The other dishes are less spectacular, but still good. Their dol sot bibimbap is about on par with other places in terms of ingredients, but they do make sure that there is a nice crunch. Their stews, though, are what set them apart. Their seafood pancake is delicious, and generously-sized, but not exceptional. Their military stew has such interesting ingredients, but did not really mash together.
A good bonus are their side dishes... those small plates that come with your entree. They seem to have some different stuff each time. A sweet zucchini kimchi, simple bean sprouts, and fish cakes were my favorites. I only wish that they would continue to replenish the small dishes whenever their contents have ended up in your stomach! (You can ask for more, but they were not particularly friendly about offering.) A big plus: their napa cabbage kimchis are homemade.
Overall, a good place to go to if you're okay with spending around $10 for a very full and satisfying meal.
I was piqued when I heard that the Vile Seoul Korner (the restaurant that formerly lurked in the space now occupied by Maru) had been replaced by Maru - and new owners. I've had lunch at Maru 3 times now and it was quite tasty:
The Dol Sot Bim Bim Bap was delish = nice crunchy rice on the bottom of the bowl and lots of toppings.
Their Bento boxes are large and the items are fresh and of good quality (not always the case with box lunches...) The real stars of the menu are the noodle soups and stews - of which there are a good selection. I last ordered a spicy seafood and wheat noodle soup that was awesome: a good helping of clams, mussels, squid, and shrimp with veggies and tons of noodles.
Their dumplings are very good too (frequently you can view staff making huge batches of these past the noon hour). Service was prompt and friendly - very homelike :O)
Maru is delightful. I think it can be a bit pricey for lunch, but you get lots of food and little condiments. I've only had two things: the "box lunch" which comes with a choice of meat, white rice, a dumpling, sushi, a little salad, and miso soup, and then the dolsot bibimbap (served in a sizzling bowl). The spicy beef bulgogi is good, and the bibimbap is deliciously sizzly. All of their condiments are yummy too--potatoes, sprouts, kimchee, and seaweed. I think their menu is a bit confusing, as there are many errors and not too much explanation, but there are pictures and it looks like everything is good. There are always lots of people here too, even on weekdays, so that means it must be tasty.
Let's start with the fact that i am Korean...
Now I've tried a bunch of restaurants in the ann arbor area and I think this sits up there in terms of quality and price. I don't think the prices are too ridiculous, you get a decent amount of food and it tastes like how it's supposed to. I like the galbi and the spicy pork/chicken. Their soups are just okay. The service is quicker than most korean restaurants and the place is always clean.
the new ownership has def. improved the place...but yea, their decor and outdoor signage needs work, but that's not why i go to eat anyways...
I ask myself, "how can I give a plce that I used to eat at weekly only 3 stars?" Simple. I used to live across the street from it, back when it was called Seoul Korner. Since it has taken new ownership, I have to admit that it has gotten better, but they've also upped the prices too.
Here's the LD: food: decent, service: acceptable, prices: decent. The only thing that needs improvement is the decor. Seoul Korner was a dive (i.e. you wouldn't want to touch the floor with your bare hands). Maru is an improvement, but they should've spent a few more bucks and completely revamped the inside.
Now for the details:
Food: The bi bim bop is my favorite. No matter what anyone says, on campus, theirs is the best. Yes, yes. I've tried them all, but ever since the old Korean couple that ran Kana near the medical center retired, Seoul Korner and now Maru have the best bi bim bop near campus. The other dishes are decent as well.
Decor: This place is sort of dirty and that's what irritates me about it. I always think twice about throwing my bookbag on the ground, and frankly, most of the time I sit at a four top and put it on the chair next to me. I know the wipe the tables down, but why oh why are they always sort of sticky? I don't think they have a toilet at this place and if they did, I'm sure it'd look like the inside of a highway side rest area.
Service: Stereotyping is bad, kids. Don't ever do it, except when talking about service at restaurants. Asians have not figured out the secret of consistent service, nor will they ever. Having said that, Maru's service ain't half bad. They try their best.
If I'm going to get Korean food and I'm downtown, this is the place I go, but since I don't live near campus anymore, it's rare that I eat here anymore because there are three joints that are much better: Seoul Garden, Arirang, and Be Won. Go read my reviews of those places if you want some good Korean cookin'.
The husband loves bee bim bop so we went here for a quick lunch - bee bim bop was pretty decent, though the husband claimed he'd had better and he knows his bee bim bop from frequenting all such places in North Chicago area. A close friend had the glass noodles which was yummy but greasy. I would go back, like the quick service and the prices.
I wanted to try the curried vegetables over rice, but they were out of it.
Ordered the bibimbop and was surprised at the size of it and all the teeny-but-tasty side-dishes that come with it.
It's an ultra-casual restaurant: My drink was served in a plastic bottle. And the prices are right in line with the lack of pretense. Expect to spend a few dollars less for lunch than you would someplace else downtown. More like $8 to $10, rather than $10 to $15.
Bring cash if you eat by yourself because they have a $15 minimum for debit or credit.
It looked to me like most everyone else in the restaurant was a college student, so don't bring your important banker friends from out of town, if you have any. They'll just wreck the atmosphere for everybody else.
I've been traveling to Ann Arbor and sad to say I consulted my Yelp pages too late in my visit. So today I spent the second day in a row eating the most delicious Korean food here. It's amazing. Not too heavy, oily, or greasy like many others. I mentioned I wanted to try their Mandu but 6 pieces sounded too big, so she brought over a few for me to try, and they were amazing! Glad I didn't order them, because 6 of them would've been enough for lunch on their own.
Yesterday I had the bubbling pot of Kimchee Jigae (soup) and today I tried their stone pot Bibimbop. Delicious. I am sorry to be leaving tomorrow and will miss this delicious food.
Staff is tremendously friendly, and fast. Each day with tip I spent $11 or $12, which I think is more than worth it!
This place has a gobi dish that is off tha hook! I am addicted. It comes with many side dishes and is worth the $9 price The best Korean food I've had in a long time. I've considered just camping out here and living off of their grub.
Be prepared to sit down for a feast because they will bring out the itty bitty side dishes -- kimchee samples and little savory treats. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
I thought I would miss Seoul Korner, but I don't. Bring it, Maru!
Five and four stars... I just don't get it? ....This place is good and I dine here often but it is most definitely not the best Korean food I've had.
Can't compare it to other places in Ann Arbor but every time I leave here I am miss the Korean restaurants around the detroit area. I have sampled many of the dishes... none of which has been outstanding. The dishes always seem to be lacking something. Also not spicy at all!
Due to the low prices and convenient location, you can find me dining here weekly. Oh, I guess this means I forgive them for the time they rudely kicked me out cause they wanted to close.....
The only sad thing about Seoul Korner turning into Maru is that the name isn't nearly as Krazy Kool.
I really liked it when it was Seoul Korner, but the "ambiance" was "somewhat lacking". Be bim bop wasn't bad, but once my husband got kim chi stir-fried rice and it was the greasiest thing I've seen in awhile.
Anyhoooo, this time around I again got be bim bop (I'm the most boring eater ever), and it was still delicious, and the Mister got some sort of kim chi stew, which was also tasty and decidedly less grease-tastic. And we had some sort of tasty beef/pickle/fishcake sushi roll to start with. And the tasty Korean side dishes. So yeah, yaaay Maru and your better food and nicer surroundings!
I think the food here is pretty 'bleh' in terms of Korean food. My favorite part is probably all the little side dishes that you get with every order.
Wonderful, friendly place with great, inexpensive food. I usually have the bibimbop, which comes in a big stone bowl orbited by tiny porcelain bowls filled with tasty bits of pickled cabbage and other unidentifiable, delicious items. Dumplings are hot, crispy and delicious. Tonkatsu is also very good (we have tried both chicken and pork). Really nice place to have a quick and tasty lunch or dinner.
I kind of wish I could give this place a 3.5.
Overall, it's a vast improvement over the restaurant that was in this space before, Seoul Korner. I also think that food-wise, it's my favorite Korean spot in the Ann Arbor area, for the most part. But there are certain dishes, like Soon Dubu and Dolsot Bibimbap that I prefer at Rich J.C., on South University.
I guess I'd give it a solid 4, good, but not outstanding, if not for the $15 dollar credit card minimum. As a student, I usually only carry my debit card and books with me, and don't like to mess with cash, so this seems rather unreasonable.
By far the best Korean restaurant I've eaten at. If you ate here when it was Seoul Korner come back now that it is Maru. The new owners and new cook have really improved the restaurant. It is much better than it used to be. Their Stone Bowl Bi Bim Bob is excellent! My favorite place to eat in A2 and there are a lot of good restaurants around.
i love this place. they have a huge selection of real authentic korean foods, some things that i'd be hard pressed to easily find in LA. it's decently priced, especially for the amount of food you get, and it's just very tasty home-style cooking. the soon tofu and spicy pork are probably my favorites, altho the new goat hot pot looks pretty amazing. i also really want to try the military stew. and they're pretty close to campus, too so it's possible to come here for a quick lunch. and one time after a long work day i came by just after they closed, but the owner was still nice enough to make food for me. this place is wonderful. i love it
Ann Arbor, MI
Category: Korean
Ann Arbor, MI
Category: Desserts
Ann Arbor, MI
Category: Vegetarian
Ann Arbor, MI
Category: Korean
Ann Arbor, MI
Category: Korean
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