Dana Sullivan
Korea Restaurant has a pretty predictable but large menu of gimbap, various soups, bulgogi, bibimbap, hotpot, KFC, teriyaki, and more, with some Japanese-style dishes in addition to the Korean. This restaurant, like the others on this street, is in a converted house, and the environment is comfortable and unpretentious. They had K-pop music videos playing on a TV in the dining room. There was an older man and a woman serving together; the woman was very sweet, the man came off as quite serious.
I ordered the tofu hot stone bibimbap which also came with an assortment of banchan. None of the food really stood out to me but it was all pretty good. I definitely would’ve liked more tofu in the bibimbap, but I did appreciate that it seemed to be lightly pan-fried rather than deep-fried. With hot sauce added, the bowl was very flavourful but not too salty. The vegetables were all cooked well and the fried egg also had nice crispy edges. The portion was filling, especially with the banchan. The bibimbap came out literally seconds after the banchan, so I was a little worried it would get cold before I had the chance to eat the banchan, but the stone bowl kept it nice and hot until the last bite.
I would say this is an okay place for vegetarians/vegans since they do have a number of entrees that I believe should be vegetarian or vegan (more if you remove the egg), but they don’t label which dishes are vegetarian, so you might have to ask questions about hidden meat/seafood ingredients if you’re not familiar with Korean food. If you are vegetarian, let them know when you order, because even though the bibimbap I ordered was vegetarian, some of the banchan (fishcakes and likely the kimchi) contained seafood.
The overall experience was positive but not outstanding in terms of the food or atmosphere, so while I might return if I’m craving Korean, I want to try other Korean places in the neighbourhood first to see what else is out there.
… moreMariah Hunter
Staff was friendly and got us seated right away, the food was delicious and very filling! Prices were more than affordable, especially with the bug portions you get. Will definitely be coming back to try more!
… moreSY G
This place is definitely worth trying to Korean food. Wanted to try this place for a while and finally had the chance to taste their food. So far, best Korean food in Bloomington. Side dishes were also legit. We are coming back for more Korean food.
… moreDylan St. Clair
In terms of pure experience, hospitality, and service, this authentic Korean restaurant ranks really high. The owner is the sweetest lady I’ve ever had wait on me at a restaurant. The food was also a different flavor than I’m used to, but also was a cuisine I’ve never truly experienced. I highly recommend this for someone who wants to attempt Korean food for the first time. I think you can’t go wrong with the Bulgogi Hot Pot, as it’s a mix of their patented bulgogi while in a broth that warms you up on a rainy day.
… moreLilac M.
They have the best glass noodles and chicken spicy soup. As much as the food is good, the portion get smaller than my first and second visit. They are trying their best, but customer service wasn’t very pleasant.
… moreEllie Pfeiffer
I love this place! I come here about once every other week and it’s always good! It’s in a safer location than some other places along Kirkwood as well so I always feel safe coming here by myself as a student. Service is great and the food is authentic!
… moreM Nedloc
I pretty much crave Korean BBQ in any state I’m in at some certain point in time. Korea Restaurant was the choice of the moment and the food here was great. This is a little shop on a busy street amongst other wonderful little restaurants but I was able to dine in and enjoy the atmosphere. I ordered the Tteok-kochi (rice cake skewer), which is a spicy fried rice cake served with a Korean style sauce as an appetizer. It was fried, crispy and chewy, everything I expected with good flavor. For an entrée I ordered Samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) served with grilled onions and green onions. Pork belly is one of my go-tos whenever I order Korean BBQ and luckily this place did not disappoint in the slightest and came sizzling on a hot plate, yum! It comes with rice and side dishes that include sprouts, tofu, potatoes, kimchi, fish cakes, and a house sauce for dipping. If I am ever in town I would definitely come back here and order again, busy or not! The service here is decent and quite nice, quick to take your order and ready to go when you are. Hope to see you again Korea Restaurant!
… moreAnitha
Really good and authentic Korean restaurant! The tofu stew and ribs are on point! The bibimbap was excellent. You won’t be disappointed! Cute university neighborhood with lots of walkable stops to check out. Parking was easy during lunchtime on a Saturday, too.
… moreNicholas Klein
I feel bad that we only came to try a couple of appetizers (what with so many places in town we wanted to try). We tried the Korean Fried Chicken and Spring Rolls. The spring rolls were fantastic! I do wish the fried chicken sauce wasn’t as sweet or thin but it was very good. The owner was EXTREMELY nice and insisted on bringing us 5 of their side items normally serviced with entrees, as she felt we needed to have that full experience. Kimchi, tofu, slaws, potatoes, a little of everything and it was great to try. Would come back 100% with an empty stomach to properly eat their entrees!
… morePauly Tarricone
Got the spicy kimchi stew carryout. The food was all ready promptly and packaged well. I rode my bike home with it pretty cold outside, but the stew was still quite hot and fresh by the time I was home.
Solid portions, I stretched it to two meals easily. SUPER tasty too! All the sides were quite delicious too. I’m excited to try more food from here.
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