50 Best Korean Restaurants near Lake Forest

“I've been wanting more healthy food in lake forest and this definitely hit the spot. The salmon bento lunch special was light, crunchy, and perfect portion. I would say I wish the fried stuff was more hot. I think they pre fry it and throw it in. But if they flash fry it for each order would be better. Definitely gonna come back and try different dishes! Glad there's an authentic Korean spot here in lf!“

“The food here is incredible! Always fresh and hot and super tasty. The people behind the counter are incredibly friendly and they get the food at fast. For how much food you get, the price is also reasonable. Cannot recommend this place enough!“

“This spot is great for hungry teens or adults to grab an after school snack, dine in, or get a meal to go. \n‘Twas hard to believe the perfectly cooked brown rice and generous portions of my “half and half” bowl—beef n chicken with veggies topped by their Magic Sauce—-totally delicious!“

“Best, new family owned place! My first time trying Korean BBQ...had the spicy pork...soooooo good! Environment was very welcoming...and customer service was awesome! Kuddos to owners Maggie and Earl...you’re doing a great job! #customerforlife“

“Annie’s Table feels like a hidden gem with homestyle cooking done right. The dishes tasted fresh and comforting, almost like a home-cooked meal. The staff was warm and welcoming, creating a family-like atmosphere. The desserts were especially good and worth saving room for. A wonderful place for a relaxed meal.“

“We ordered the bulgogi and the galbi dosirak boxes which were like large deluxe bento boxes.

Each box included the main meat selection, a large serving of rice (which they graciously offered to split 1/2&1/2 with salad), 2 of their meat/noodle fried dumplings, 3 small servings of banchan/veggie pickles, and a scoop of japchae/glass noodles.

This box was a generous serving of food. As pictured, the fork is extra large... It's lots!

I want to go back to try the Kimpap. We especially liked their dumplings and galbi was tender and delish!“

“People probably come to this restaurant for the donkatsu, but they absolutely have one of the best chicken bowls here! Crispy yet tender, it’s perfectly done. The owner is also incredibly nice and welcoming with a warm smile. We tried the spicy rice cake skewer, and it tasted just like the ones I had in Korea. I highly recommend their handmade matcha ice cream — it’s rich, sweet, and absolutely delicious! 사장님이 친절하시고 모든음식이 양도 많고 맛있어요!“

“Everything is great! Love the food, service & atmosphere! Strongly recommended good restaurants!🙏🥰“

“Moobongri Soondae is one of those Korean comfort food restaurants that people in the area seem to really like. It offers hearty soups, rich broths, and dishes that are filling and authentic. It’s especially popular among those craving soondae (Korean blood sausage), hotpots, and various soups. It tends to draw a crowd, especially in the evening.“

“Staff are friendly. Place is clean and wait time was very minimal“

“Great service, really premium meat, family friendly, we tried Halal lamb and it was vey delicious, tender and perfectly marinated with great spices.
This place is definitely GoTo when you want to Try Korean BBQ style.
Homemade desserts worth the try“

“Our family loves Kaju food.“

“This Korean spot in Irvine is a fantastic destination for satisfying comfort food, particularly excelling in its flavorful chicken wings and spicy rice cake dishes (Tteokbokki). The menu features a strong variety of Korean staples, including excellent kimbap and hearty noodle soups, making it a great place for sharing. Portions are generous, and the overall quality is consistently high, making it a reliable favorite among locals for a casual and tasty Korean fix“

“This place is one of the top and best Korean restaurants in the country and we've been to many, from east to west coast, and all over Korea. Amazing food, great service, very good environment. Japchae was delicious, love thinner noodles they use. Marinated galbee (short ribs) to die for, top quality meat: Beef tongue was excellent. Great portion sizes for price and quality is top notch. Best korean food restaurant hands down from quality of food to service and ambience.“

“I love this ZIP BBQ in Tustin, Its small placed but it well management the store are very clean the services are great and fast the foods are excellence. Thanks will coming back and recomend“

“This place is a hidden gem. 10/10 would eat again. The food is great. The staff are friendly. There are a TON of choices for drinks and sides (bottled drinks and individual chip bags). Large enough menu for both lunch and breakfast and they have rotating daily specials. They will be happy to make you a lunch time sandwich even at 8am.Can’t compliment this place enough. If you are in the area and want a quick and easy breakfast/lunch this is the place!“

“My friend brought me to this place and I was excited to try. I ordered the tonkatsu and rice cake/dumpling soup. Not gonna lie, my expectations were shattered. I can't go back to my usual spot to enjoy the soup and tonkatsu anymore. Soup was so flavorful and tasty, the dumpling was massive, the tonkatsu is enormous. For the price, it was worth it. Would come back here again.“

“Very good 🥩 steak. Will come here again ❤️“

“とても美味しいスープがお手頃なお値段でいただけます。“

“Staff were very welcoming with us and checked in frequently to make sure we had water and banchan. We got the pork and chives mandu and the original Yuk Gae Jang with glass noodle / ramyeon. Would happily come back to this restaurant chain and location next time we visit “

“Went here on a weekday to grab dinner.

- jjolmyun was amazing. Portion size was big and it also tasted great.
- surprisingly the cheese katsu that came with it tasted really good. Kinda felt bad for the katsu place next door.
- mix of dumpling was also good. The mandus have really chewy covers, which I really liked. The chili pepper and shrimp mandus were my favorites.

Service was meh. We ordered 3 dishes but they know gave us one napkin. Also they forgot to give us dumpling dipping sauce. I had to go back to the counter to ask for these.“

“Clean store and tons of Asian products too“

“Cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. Always perfectly fresh and tasty for all of the times I have gone over the many years--- Consistently perfect !! And the staff is always amazing and the restaurant is crystal clean! I love this restaurant!! Oh and I love the music too, it is so positive and uplifting that I go away feeling so happy and uplifted - thank you to whoever owns this restaurant for imparting such a wonderful experience, the food, the staff, the atmosphere and the MUSIC!
Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!“

“incredibly fast service, clean, good food

Parking: there's a small parking lot right out front but you can park in the huge lot on the other side and walk around the building as well if needed

Kid-friendliness: people bring kids here all the time. the food is pretty simple (kid friendly) and the restaurant is welcoming“

“My sister and I were craving kimbap and this place delivered. Because of the prices we thought the serving sizes would be small but it was very generous and filling. I really liked the beef vegetable and the spicy tuna which definitely had a kick but was tasty. But we also tried the spicy fish cake which we enjoyed more than expected (was not fishy at all which is what we were worried about but also wasn’t really spicy). Overall loved it all and the person who helped us was very kind and quick with the order.
It is in the grocery store and we ate at home but I think there is some places to sit outside. Not much of an atmosphere for this place but the coffee shop next door seemed great too.“

“Good food and very friendly environment“

“If you are really hungry this is the place. The all you can eat menu offers 30 protein options, choose between beef, pork, shrimp alor more exotic things like octopus, tongue, etc. Not only that you can cooked as you like.

Definitely a place I will return.“

“Its been about 2 years since I went here and now they have so much more amazing dishes on their menu. I tried their new arrival dishes such as their bulgogi fries which were crispy with delicious meat. Would have wished for a different type of cheese, but not mad about it! Their stir fried udon was al dente, which I loved and their korean fried chicken had a nice crunch. The service was fantastic and had a dim interior which is great for a late night group gathering.“

“Clean store and tons of Asian products too“

“Very traditional Korean Bqq. Restaurant love their variety of meats. My friend comes to Vegas to visit me once a year and we go there at least twice. First when he lands we have to go to eat there and another one before he goes back home. And he is from NY where is plenty of Korean restaurants 😁😁😁“

“Burning X really surprised me. Lately I have been eating AYCE KBBQ too many times that the flavor and meat quality has been just okay and these spots claimed to be really top tier kbbq spots has been a let down. It's good but not OMG, I want to go back again vibes.

BUT!!! Burning X's LA Galbi, is absolutely delicious. I am soooo in LOVE. To the point we stopped eating the marinated boneless short rib, rib finger, wagyu beef belly, premium short ribs, pork jowls and just focused on LA Galbi with the 3 bones. We order 5 orders. It comes in a set of two. It really has a great balance of flavor not being too salty or sweet or bland and the tenderness, amazing . Honestly all the pieces were excellent!

Next time, I'm gonna ignore all the meats and just get the LA Galbi Short Rib ( with the bones)!!!

I also enjoyed their kimchi bar, the pickled soy onions & radish and their salad with all of my LA Galbi Short Rib pieces. Absolute heaven and the service was amazing!“

“Really really busy (but you should expect it at an Asian restaurant)
Location: plaza with Zion Market.
We were sat down quickly.
Ordered a mixed tofu soup and galbi combo as well as a hot stone bimbimbap.
Ban chan was bean sprouts, mung bean jelly, fish cakes, kimchi, japchae, and dried anchovy.
Tofu came with a small fried croaker, hot stone rice, and a raw egg. Tofu was absolutely delicious.
It was very busy but we got served about a moderate pace. Enjoyed everything, definitely would visit again.“

“Nice place to hang out with friends“

“Cho Dang inside H-Mart Irvine hits the spot every time! Located right in the food court — super convenient, lightning-fast service, HUGE portions, and next-level quality. Everything came out hot and came with delicious banchan. Although it was busy during lunch, they managed to get our food out quick! Presentation was on point too. I highly recommend going here on your lunch break!

What we had:
🍚 Hot Stone Eel Rice - so much umami!
🍲 Beef Rib Tofu Soup - super comforting!
🍜 Cold Chicken Noodles - unique and perfect for the summer weather!
🍚 Bulgogi Bibimbap - so much meat and delicious!“

“It is a great place that opens till very late. We came at almost midnight and had some cold beer and authentic food. Some of the food is very authentic such as the blood sausage. We tried that and some fried whole chicken, fried tofu, and squid. It was nice you can just ordered thru the pad and they served quick. They gave us some free orange slices too.“

“The chicken is cooked to perfection every time at this location. Customer service is always top tier. I cheated and went to another location and let me just say no comparison what so ever! Anytime I want a 18 piece 😋 😩 Honey Garlic Chicken Wings I'm bringing all family and friends 🧡 to THIS LOCATION! 🤤❤️‍🔥“

“Their specialty dishes are: 1. Sullungtang: taste amazing and very light. A good meal for winter/ 2. Cold noodle: the best I've tried so far, especially when you get a combo with spicy pork or bulgogi 3. Meat: spicy pork/bulgogi was homemade and were not like other korean restaurants. Taste very delicious!“

“My experience here was very good. I came in a bit later so there weren’t many people there and the service was fast. The food was so good it flew off the table before I could snap a picture. It a very good restaurant with reasonable prices and tasty food. They have dishes designed for 2, which I find very convenient if you come with your significant other.“

“I have given my review once before which was my first time visiting there and I had hosted a Mother's Day party there! I had the best experience at that time! This time I was invited by friends for celebrating a friend's birthday and enjoy with all my girlfriends dancing, singing and walk like a Bollywood Star showing off our dress, hair and style!
It was a great experience! Food was yummy as usual and the owners always so sweet and accommodating! The service is excellent and unbeatable ambiance! Young or old, you are guaranteed to enjoy here!“

“Service was friendly and quick, and i got food.“

“They give you a lot of rice and banchan, which is good, but banchan tasted quite mediocre. It's a nice meal < $20 - that comes with rice, soontofu and the fried fish. But the taste when compared to kaju and bcd, it's slightly subpar. Service was really nice. We got all the extra bowls asked for without any issues. Oh also, we had a 2 yo boy in our group who really enjoyed their bone broth kalgulsoo“

“Wow I can't believe I didn't come here sooner. I passed by so many times just thinking it's an ordinary katsu curry place. I ordered the Curry Katsu (spicy) and it was SO GOOD!! The Katsu itself was thin and crispy, and curry flavor was rich (reminds me of Vermont curry, which is my fav Japanese curry sauce), and they paired perfectly together.

The girl that took my order was very friendly. The food also came with macaroni salad and a cabbage salad, and they were both very good as well. I'll definitely be back soon!“

“Super solid cold noodle spot inside a food court. The bowl was big and really hit the spot.

Mul Naengmyeon: Get
This was so refreshing and flavorful. Broth was ice cold, the noodles had a nice chew, and the whole thing just felt super satisfying. Great combo of savory and tangy flavors. Perfect on a hot day or if you just want something light but still filling.

Nothing fancy here, just good food. It’s in a food court so don’t expect much on service or atmosphere, but for what it is, it’s great.

Food: 9/10
Value: 8/10“

“This restaurant is located inside H Mart Northpark, and this was actually my second time visiting. They serve really good quality food here. On my first visit, I had the spicy octopus stone pot bibimbap, and this time I went with the pork cutlet set. Both dishes were delicious and definitely exceeded my expectations.

One thing I love is that the prices are noticeably more affordable ($12 - $22) compared to other places in the H Mart food court, yet the food quality is just as good — if not better. Since it’s close to my workplace, it’s super convenient for lunch. Plus, I appreciate that there’s less pressure around tipping, which makes the dining experience feel more relaxed.

Overall, it’s a great spot for a quick and satisfying lunch. I’m planning to come back regularly and keep updating my review as I try more dishes!“

“Well originally I didn’t like going to this place because the front person was not very friendly. However we decided to give this place another chance when they introduced their new spicy flavor. Now we either order it online or subversive will go and pick up our order because the new flavor is delicious. It has become our new work favorite.“

“Food here is ok, sushi was good and generous portion, but they didn't use the right sauce for the takoyaki and the mango on the rolls were not good. The dumplings were overcooked and had some burnt pieces. It was empty for Sunday lunch, but I would maybe give it another chance and order differently.“

“My firm has been a tenant here for several years and in two different suites. Office rent and ancillary costs are very reasonable, leasing office staff is always helpful and accommodating, and any needed repairs are addressed promptly. 10/10 would highly recommend!“

“FOOD WAS AMAZING but what really matters was the service! I didn’t get her name but amazing service! Always so nice and smiley! Would def recommend to everyone! The portions are big and I was expecting all of these to be ~$80 since some places in OC charge that much but it was only ~$50!“

“Was in the Irvine area and searched for fried chicken. Found this place, the food was amazing. Korean chicken at its best. We tried the fire fury chicken which was like super spicy but very tasty. The chicken katsu meal and the boneless chicken meal box was also amazing. The sides served were potato salad, pickles, pickled radish, jalapenos, a brownie, and a nice cabbage bed with sauces. Absolutely delicious. The location only has a few tables, restrooms were really clean, plenty of parking available.“