The food is really delicious and I think of it every time I want to take care of my body, so I go there at least once a month even if I haven't been able to do it in 2-3 years. However, the female boss is very kind, but the male boss has a very fiery personality. To put it in a good way, he shows signs of anger every time he yells or gets angry at the employees and the female boss. He also gets angry when we order something... He even curses at us when we sit near the counter. I'd like to stop by and pretend. That's why I always want to sit far away from the counter... I think it's something that can be said without getting angry, but he just gets angry every time I go there. Even at the staff who were dishwashing and cleaning up, they screamed and got irritated and called their names... Other than that, everything was fine.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
Vincent Pham
Honestly, the food was pretty good, and the service was okay. The one complaint I have here is the tipping. I felt very unhappy when I was tipping. If they see the tip is not enough, they ask for more. Tips should not be forced!The food is already over $100+ and tipped like 10%ish. I know it is not much, but I do tip. I work with tons of customers daily, and I don't even get tips. But when an employee there asked for more tips because I didn't give enough, it made me not wanna come back. It is very unprofessional to ask for tips.Also, tips should be above and beyond.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
L P
Worst service ever. We were party of 10. Asked for dish to share the portion of new food, which came late. The waitress looked at us unwelcomely. Instead of more dish, she gave us big bowl to empty the food in the existing dish to reuse it. Not worth a dollar.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Philip Suh
Straight up LEGIT!Been coming here for over ten years.Always consistent. Fresh. Generous. DELICIOUS ?.Try the haemul-tang. Mid-level spice.?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
jecky j
This area is basically filled with Korean stores. It tastes pretty good. The beef is so good, it’s not too chewy, haha.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
k kylie
I've been a regular for 3 years, and the male owner is really nice.It was so unfriendly. I put my name in for the wait and parked, but in the meantime, they said I didn't show up until they called my name 3 times, so they took my name off the list and didn't put it back in. It took an hour to get there due to traffic, but they didn't even give me a proper explanation and just waved my hand and pushed me away, saying the order was over. Is it because they mainly cater to Chinese customers, or is business so good that service is now at a standstill? The ladies were always kind.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Jae Park
Amazing!!! Big size fish bites. Complementary Dong-Chi-Mi is the best. Very friendly staff. Thank you. I had a wonderful dinner with my friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
XT Q
The food is good but kind expensive.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Sara Le
One of my fav Korean spots in OC. The beef short rib hotpot never disappoints. You have to order extra ramen and kimchi fried rice at the end. Trust me.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Beef
Chung Lee
One of my go to place. At first price may seem bit expensive, but if you think about the amount of food and the services it's not expensive at all. Also the food taste great.
Regardless of whether it's hot or cold, the beef rib soup with octopus is always on point. The service can definitely improve, as they limit the amount of the noodle bags that can be bought unless we buy a bigger size. The rib meat is chewy and the flavors of the hotpot compliments the noodle/rice and side dishes very well. We can skip the wait if we order to go as it tastes good still! Just remember to ask for extra broth!
Jennifer J.
This place is highly recommended so I decided to give it a try. The place is small so I didn't have as much expectation as I thought. We ordered #12 (beef ribs with octopus) with small size and shared among three ladies. They are very generous with their sides. I was surprised to see pancake, crabs and corn cheese. All of them are delicious. The food is amazing. The beef ribs is tender and easy to eat. The octopus was a bit hard/chewy. But the soup base is delicious. Just be aware. Even though we ordered mild. It was pretty spicy already. My favorite part is they put sweet potato and some rice cake in. The rice cake is shaped like a snow man and since it is smaller than usual. It soaked up all the soup and textured is perfect. Since some places when you cook the rice cake long it gets way too soft or sometimes hard to chew and digest. The portion is good for three people( we are meat lover) and all of us eat quite a lot. If you order instant noodle/fried rice. I think small size is good enough for 4-5 people.
Jung Lee
This is a traditional Korean jeungol (nabe or hotpot) place. Mostly local Koreans seem to come here so it is a good thing. You can add extra seafood or meat items to the pot. Large size can easily feed 4 people. You can ask to add more soup stock when you want and add in eggs or noodles if you choose. As one of the side dishes they serve spicy marinated raw blue crabs if you like that. Spiciness can be varied the chili paste level. Mostly medium is still on spicy side. Of course you should order soju or makoli as your choice for alcohol.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Kat V.
Are you tired of driving miles to get your authentic Korean food fix? Look no further than Ondal, the mom-and-pop restaurant where grumpy faces magically transform into culinary wonders! Brace yourself for a heartwarming experience that will leave you craving more (and maybe even questioning your life choices).Upon entering Ondal, I couldn't help but notice the older ladies at the helm, looking like they had just won a grumpy contest. Seriously, they could give the Grinch a run for his money. But hold your bibs, folks, because as soon as you took your seat, it was like witnessing a miracle in motion! Their frowns turned upside down faster than you can say "kimchi," and suddenly they were on a mission to turn your dining experience into a feast to remember.These ladies may have seemed overworked and unhappy, but their efficiency in presenting and prepping the dishes was nothing short of a culinary magic show. Forget about struggling with those pesky crab shells (best raw soy-marinated crab this side of town)--Ondal's superwomen swoop in with lightning speed, turning raw marinated crabs into ready-to-devour delights. It's like they have a secret stash of joy hidden in the kitchen, and they sprinkle it liberally on every dish!Now, I did my research before visiting Ondal, and I stumbled upon some less-than-flattering reviews, mostly complaining about the service. But here's the twist--I actually enjoyed the customer service here! The service saved me from enduring a long drive to K-town in LA, and honestly, the experience was worth every mile I didn't have to drive.Sure, the interior may be tiny, and the server's initial gloomy aura might make you question your life choices. But trust me, the food is pure Korean goodness that will make your taste buds do a happy dance. It's like teleporting straight to Seoul, minus the jet lag and passport drama.So, if you're in the mood for authentic Korean dishes served with a side of grumpy-to-gourmet transformation, Ondal is the place to be. Brace yourself for the quirkiest customer service you'll ever encounter, but don't be fooled by those initial frowns. Behind them lies a culinary treasure trove that will make you forget all about the bad reviews and thank your lucky stars you stumbled upon this hidden gem.
N. V.
Not sure why all the hate review. This small restaurant has been running for years in Garden Grove's Ktown. The food is excellent and service is great. All the servers are attentive and fast. We ordered the raw crab soy sauce and beef and octopus casserole. And their "medium" spicy hurts. I suggest ordering the mild level.
The food is really delicious and I think of it every time I want to take care of my body, so I go there at least once a month even if I haven't been able to do it in 2-3 years. However, the female boss is very kind, but the male boss has a very fiery personality. To put it in a good way, he shows signs of anger every time he yells or gets angry at the employees and the female boss. He also gets angry when we order something... He even curses at us when we sit near the counter. I'd like to stop by and pretend. That's why I always want to sit far away from the counter... I think it's something that can be said without getting angry, but he just gets angry every time I go there. Even at the staff who were dishwashing and cleaning up, they screamed and got irritated and called their names... Other than that, everything was fine.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
Honestly, the food was pretty good, and the service was okay. The one complaint I have here is the tipping. I felt very unhappy when I was tipping. If they see the tip is not enough, they ask for more. Tips should not be forced!The food is already over $100+ and tipped like 10%ish. I know it is not much, but I do tip. I work with tons of customers daily, and I don't even get tips. But when an employee there asked for more tips because I didn't give enough, it made me not wanna come back. It is very unprofessional to ask for tips.Also, tips should be above and beyond.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Worst service ever. We were party of 10. Asked for dish to share the portion of new food, which came late. The waitress looked at us unwelcomely. Instead of more dish, she gave us big bowl to empty the food in the existing dish to reuse it. Not worth a dollar.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Straight up LEGIT!Been coming here for over ten years.Always consistent. Fresh. Generous. DELICIOUS ?.Try the haemul-tang. Mid-level spice.?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This area is basically filled with Korean stores. It tastes pretty good. The beef is so good, it’s not too chewy, haha.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
I've been a regular for 3 years, and the male owner is really nice.It was so unfriendly. I put my name in for the wait and parked, but in the meantime, they said I didn't show up until they called my name 3 times, so they took my name off the list and didn't put it back in. It took an hour to get there due to traffic, but they didn't even give me a proper explanation and just waved my hand and pushed me away, saying the order was over. Is it because they mainly cater to Chinese customers, or is business so good that service is now at a standstill? The ladies were always kind.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Amazing!!! Big size fish bites. Complementary Dong-Chi-Mi is the best. Very friendly staff. Thank you. I had a wonderful dinner with my friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food is good but kind expensive.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
One of my fav Korean spots in OC. The beef short rib hotpot never disappoints. You have to order extra ramen and kimchi fried rice at the end. Trust me.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Beef
One of my go to place. At first price may seem bit expensive, but if you think about the amount of food and the services it's not expensive at all. Also the food taste great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Regardless of whether it's hot or cold, the beef rib soup with octopus is always on point. The service can definitely improve, as they limit the amount of the noodle bags that can be bought unless we buy a bigger size. The rib meat is chewy and the flavors of the hotpot compliments the noodle/rice and side dishes very well. We can skip the wait if we order to go as it tastes good still! Just remember to ask for extra broth!
This place is highly recommended so I decided to give it a try. The place is small so I didn't have as much expectation as I thought. We ordered #12 (beef ribs with octopus) with small size and shared among three ladies. They are very generous with their sides. I was surprised to see pancake, crabs and corn cheese. All of them are delicious. The food is amazing. The beef ribs is tender and easy to eat. The octopus was a bit hard/chewy. But the soup base is delicious. Just be aware. Even though we ordered mild. It was pretty spicy already. My favorite part is they put sweet potato and some rice cake in. The rice cake is shaped like a snow man and since it is smaller than usual. It soaked up all the soup and textured is perfect. Since some places when you cook the rice cake long it gets way too soft or sometimes hard to chew and digest. The portion is good for three people( we are meat lover) and all of us eat quite a lot. If you order instant noodle/fried rice. I think small size is good enough for 4-5 people.
This is a traditional Korean jeungol (nabe or hotpot) place. Mostly local Koreans seem to come here so it is a good thing. You can add extra seafood or meat items to the pot. Large size can easily feed 4 people. You can ask to add more soup stock when you want and add in eggs or noodles if you choose. As one of the side dishes they serve spicy marinated raw blue crabs if you like that. Spiciness can be varied the chili paste level. Mostly medium is still on spicy side. Of course you should order soju or makoli as your choice for alcohol.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Are you tired of driving miles to get your authentic Korean food fix? Look no further than Ondal, the mom-and-pop restaurant where grumpy faces magically transform into culinary wonders! Brace yourself for a heartwarming experience that will leave you craving more (and maybe even questioning your life choices).Upon entering Ondal, I couldn't help but notice the older ladies at the helm, looking like they had just won a grumpy contest. Seriously, they could give the Grinch a run for his money. But hold your bibs, folks, because as soon as you took your seat, it was like witnessing a miracle in motion! Their frowns turned upside down faster than you can say "kimchi," and suddenly they were on a mission to turn your dining experience into a feast to remember.These ladies may have seemed overworked and unhappy, but their efficiency in presenting and prepping the dishes was nothing short of a culinary magic show. Forget about struggling with those pesky crab shells (best raw soy-marinated crab this side of town)--Ondal's superwomen swoop in with lightning speed, turning raw marinated crabs into ready-to-devour delights. It's like they have a secret stash of joy hidden in the kitchen, and they sprinkle it liberally on every dish!Now, I did my research before visiting Ondal, and I stumbled upon some less-than-flattering reviews, mostly complaining about the service. But here's the twist--I actually enjoyed the customer service here! The service saved me from enduring a long drive to K-town in LA, and honestly, the experience was worth every mile I didn't have to drive.Sure, the interior may be tiny, and the server's initial gloomy aura might make you question your life choices. But trust me, the food is pure Korean goodness that will make your taste buds do a happy dance. It's like teleporting straight to Seoul, minus the jet lag and passport drama.So, if you're in the mood for authentic Korean dishes served with a side of grumpy-to-gourmet transformation, Ondal is the place to be. Brace yourself for the quirkiest customer service you'll ever encounter, but don't be fooled by those initial frowns. Behind them lies a culinary treasure trove that will make you forget all about the bad reviews and thank your lucky stars you stumbled upon this hidden gem.
Not sure why all the hate review. This small restaurant has been running for years in Garden Grove's Ktown. The food is excellent and service is great. All the servers are attentive and fast. We ordered the raw crab soy sauce and beef and octopus casserole. And their "medium" spicy hurts. I suggest ordering the mild level.