30 Best Korean Restaurants in Garden Grove

“We’ve been here four times now, which is probably the best compliment I can give. When Mo Ran Gak is at its best, it’s one of my favorite Korean restaurants in Southern California. When it’s off, the inconsistency keeps it from being a five star experience.

The first visit was outstanding. The galbi was perfectly seasoned, not overly sweet, not overly salty, with great caramelization and tenderness. The naengmyeon was exactly what you hope for. Icy cold with crunchy ice still floating in the broth, crisp vegetables and incredibly refreshing.

The second visit was a completely different experience. The galbi was noticeably drier and under seasoned and the naengmyeon arrived only slightly cold. The ice had already melted, which takes away one of the best parts of great naengmyeon. The slices of beef that come with the noodles have also been consistently dry. That may be traditional, but it’s never been the highlight of the dish.

The service is probably the weakest part of the restaurant. Nobody has ever been outright rude, but it’s difficult to get someone’s attention and the staff generally feels indifferent. You can tell they’re busy, but hospitality often feels like an afterthought. I’d probably rate the service around a 3 out of 5.

The restaurant itself is older but clean, with a comfortable atmosphere and moderate noise. Parking can be frustrating and there’s usually a wait, but that’s expected for a popular spot.

One thing I really enjoy is the complimentary crispy pancake they bring out. Honestly, I’d happily eat an entire plate of it. The banchan are solid overall, though fairly average.

Despite the inconsistency, I still think this is some of the best naengmyeon and especially bibim naengmyeon you’ll find in the Los Angeles area. That’s why we keep coming back. I just hope they can deliver the same level of quality every visit because when they do, it’s genuinely excellent.“

“Awesome“

“This restaurant was a really good one! The service here was very friendly and welcoming, and the atmosphere was lively and extremely clean! I felt like my food had room to improve, but overall it was a delightful experience. I would recommend it to anyone who is in the area wanting Korean food.“

“My friend and I got their spicy marinated crab and it was soooo good. The perfect texture and flavor. It wasn’t too spicy and it paired so well with rice and seaweed. We also got the beef soup with dumplings and rice cake which was also amazing as well! The workers here are so kind too“

“All the banchan tasted fresh and tasted like it was made by a korean mom. The food was good, clean and simple. The seafood pancake was crispy and on point. The beef soup with the glass noodles was delicious 👌 pair with lemon Jinro sochu. You'll thank later. The portions of food they serve are out of control but the quality and taste is by far worth the price which is very reasonable. I would recommend of you are visiting from oit of town, must try. Service is above and beyond and the attention to detail is incredible as well.“

“Delicious korean bbq with great service!! Although some of the staff aren’t the most talkative, they still got the job done and provided us with everything we needed. For this kbbq, the staff cooks the meat for you, so if you’re worried about cooking your own meat, there is no need to. There was a constant flow of customers as well, and the staff did a great job with keeping that flow efficient.“

“Tried this place for the first time today and the quality is unreal! I got the ear, tongue, and stomach pork soup. Broth was silky and so much flavor, which can only comes from hours of cooking. All the side dishes compliment the soup really well too especially the salted shrimp! The service was incredibly nice, fast and welcoming. 10/10 definitely coming back soon“

“Kind of a hidden hole in the wall spot a bit off of the main Garden Grove Koreatown strip.

Good set of 반찬 (side dishes) and the portions were large. I ordered the 갈비탕 (rib soup) and it had large pieces of meat that fell off the bone.“

“Great experience here this past weekend!

The interior is pretty small, so it's mostly a food-to-go spot (which is what we did). Service was so friendly and sweet, even gave us some good recommendations.

We ordered spicy tuna kimbap, bulgogi kimbap, pork cutlet, and fried dumpling for a group of 4 to eat. It was a pretty big portion size! The kimbap tins came with probably 15+ rolls. For $12 - $16 per tin, this was such a good deal.

If I lived in the area, I would definitely come back to enjoy more kimbap combinations at the good prices!“

“Absolutely delicious food and amazing value for the price. The portions are huge. My Poké bowl was so big that I took half home and still had enough for another full meal. The bento boxes are also packed with food.
The quality and flavor were outstanding, and everything tasted fresh and well prepared. I highly recommend this place and will definitely be back.“

“Cute shop/stall in the AR market. I think they use some mixture of rice flour for the batter, which makes it a special kind of crispy. The portions are great. We got the boneless, expecting some pieces to be a little dry but we were thoroughly impressed with how juicy ever piece was. The sweet and spicy is more than just the typical gochujang and corn syrup mix, not too sweet and a good tang. We will be coming back and would recommend this place!“

“Our family loves Kaju food.“

“Absolutely love it here! This place exceeded my expectations. I was greeted with warm hospitality the moment I walked in, and the environment has a cozy, authentic atmosphere! Every dish was packed with unforgettable flavor :) My favorite has to be their jokbal and bossam!

Service was amazing as well. They were very attentive and answered questions about their dishes. You can tell that the food was thoughtfully prepared, and they truly care about the dishes they serve.

If you’re craving some comforting Korean food or want to try something new, this is a definite must-try!“

“Best Korean BBQ in OC! Love the food and the service. Did i mention free Thrifty's ice cream?“

“It's not bad I like it. If there were more selections I'd give it a 5 star“

“Paris Baguette is known for their amazing pastries. This was my first time at the garden grove location. I had just shopped at HMart. There are small cafe tables and it was clean and well situated with a few people enjoying food and drinks. We got several small and large pastries. The food is 5 stars 🌟 the fruit on some if the custard/cream pastries is fresh and delicious. The puff pastry is cooked to perfection, presentation was also 5 stars. The only issue which to me as a business owner is the absence of customer service and social Skills by the one person on the floor. Not one greeting, not even greeted when we came to the register. Not one social skill. Not friendly or kind. It doesn't cost you anything to be kind to your customers. Please train this person. Disappointing experience. All people should be treated kindly.“

“Excellent food. 👍. Will come back again.“

“This Korean bbq is pretty good. It's cheaper than the others n there isn't a salad bar but if the meats are good that's what's important to me. Bulgogi was good as was brisket. Attentive waiters to make sure you've got meat to grill without waiting“

“This place has been in the community for decades and they’re well known for Korean owner but great, very decent reasonable prices and the black ink noodles. I had been to this place over 3 decades. Used to go here with my kid and/or with his friends & cousins. I also had through family Christmas for a group of 70 people. The place is big and can handle over 250 people easily with private rooms and common area. Parking is easy since they do have a good size of parking lot. Clean and simple but Chinese vibe for sure. The staff here are very nice, attentive, helpful and only guys (have not seen a woman beside the cashier or owner at the front desk). The menu has plenty & simple of typical Chinese or American/Chinese dishes. Don’t get me wrong, I like it and reminded me of the early years. Easy and fast turn around for sure. Tasty and nice portion, it’s not the best nor the worst but worth it for the price and yummy. This place used to be Packed all the time during lunch time or weekends & holiday. But it easy less these days. Took my kid and went here for late late lunch or very early dinner so just 3-4 tables but same taste, consistency and nice, warm service. So glad I stopped by, been a long time since I was here.“

“Came here on a short vacation to Disney for the kiddo. My best friend is from South Korea, point of that is to say I’ve eaten a lot of shabu and kbbq. Great quality food, staff was literally grabbing the plates as they were emptied, very nice and fast. Didn’t try the shabu this time but the meat quality was worth every dollar. Highly recommend!“

“I like the big portion of this restaurant. I went 2 people so we ordered 2 dishes. We tried: 1. Pork Back Bone Stew: very huge portion. The meat is soft and you can feel the broth has been well cooked that gives you the sweet and rich taste. 2. Stir Fried Squid (because I love squid!): very good. This dish can be eaten with rice (if you want to be full) or will paired good with a taste of Soju. The portions are big so don't over ordering or you will have some food to go. The food is a little plaint and there's salt to add (if you are a salty food fan) to assure you don't leave the broth behind. You will feel healthy as you leave the place. Will be great to have for hangover or when you are sick. I went on a weekend night for dinner and the restaurant was a little quiet. I think this place is most suitable for lunch. I would definitely come back to try their other stews and pork belly!“

“Sooo delicious. We ordered the soft shell crab appetizer and it had such a delicate fried flavor. It hit the spot. It paired perfectly with the citrusy dressing in the side salad. We ordered the jalapeño bomb and Jessica roll. They're both shrimp tempura rolls but where the jalapeño bomb was creamy and spicy the Jessica roll tasted bright and fresh. We left full and very satisfied.“

“If you’ve ever driven by this cozy Korean spot with traditional hanok-style windows and a constant line out the door, you’ll know why I’ve been curious about Hangari Kalguksu for a while. I finally caught a quiet weekday afternoon and went in right away.

The menu comes in Korean and English, but the English side is mostly phonetic, so don’t be surprised if it doesn’t help much. I just pointed at the Korean menu and ordered their signature kalguksu ($17.99). They also offer sujebi, rice cake dumpling soup, cold noodles like buckwheat or soybean, plus classics like tteokbokki and fried snacks.

Banchan was simple yeolmu kimchi, light and refreshing. Then came the main event, a massive bowl of kalguksu, easily double the portion you’d expect, with a small side of barley rice (boribap). The broth was surprisingly clean and slightly sweet, loaded with shrimp, clams, potatoes, zucchini, and seaweed.

Pro tip: serve some noodles into your small bowl, then mix in their chili paste and sesame oil. It instantly levels up the flavor. Super comforting and honestly hard to stop eating so I ended up finishing the whole thing without realizing it.

Portions are huge, so sharing isn’t a bad idea. If you can’t finish, just ask for a to-go box.

They accept cash and Visa/Mastercard only.

Also worth noting, there’s another Hangari Kalguksu in LA (ktown) with a similar name and a more expanded menu. Not sure if they’re related, but something to keep in mind if you’re exploring different locations.“

“I used to buy the Jongga Kimchi (52.9 oz) from Costco. The flavor is actually pretty good, milder and not too sour but the jar is a bit too large for me.

Recently, I saw people in a Korean community group recommending Kimchi Nara, which is also available at H Mart, so I decided to try their smaller 32 oz size. Their kimchi is a bit more on the sour side compared to Jongga, but it works really well for cooking and I used it to stir-fry pork and it turned out delicious.

They also offer different size options at H Mart, which is great depending on how much you plan to use. Definitely a more flexible choice for different needs.“

“I would give this place 4.5 stars just for the chicken alone. It is extremely crispy and juicy, and it's not oily at all (like many fried chicken joints)

I would say the service isn't phenomenal. I think it must depend on the person who is working. I came in yesterday (Friday) and a lady with short hair was slightly careless, but nothing too horrible. I would still come back for the fried chicken.

The reason for the 4 stars on food is because of the western carbonara. I am convinced they must've forgot the salt or any other seasonings, but they definitely did not forget the cheese or cream, because it was creamy -- maybe too creamy. It would be way better if they added salt and pepper because that was the blandest pasta I've ever had. I had to add my own seasonings.

But nonetheless the fried chicken is really yummy. I would recommend the chicken with secret sauce (which tastes like orange chicken)“

“Extremely good crab dish for about $40 but you get a whole fresh (raw) crab and they show you how to eat it so I was quite happy about it. The server opened up the crab and squeezed the meat out right there for you. I didn’t expect this awesome food performance from the food court type restaurant. Other Korean dishes are very good too. My favorites are the seafood pancake and the tofu soup. Totally worth a stop! One of the not many places I want to be back!“

“This spots food was really good. Had the spicy pork stew, on point. Could've had a few less bones and more meat. I filled up a plate with them. A nice selection of little side dishes to go along with the meal. The stew broth was awesome.. looking forward to making some rice 2moro and throwing the broth on it.. im gonna go there again and try it for a 2nd time..“

“I don’t know what it is, but I absolutely love their cheddar filled fish“

“This place is about 8 miles from where I live but is always worth the drive. Food is delicious and is served right away. The price is cheaper compared to other Korean bar/restaurants. The army soup was slightly bland, but still hot the spot. Seafood pancake had enough seafood - they didn’t just put a ton of dough. The music was very loud though - I felt like I was at a club.“