Arirang Korea Restaurant Reviews

Submitted by Kay V. on 01/08/2022

Kay V. 4 stars rating.

I came here with my son and husband on a Thursday at 6:30 PM to eat in. It was really small and there were a lot of people standing around.

ORDERING PROCESS:
I was confused as to what the process for ordering and eating in was as the workers said nothing. I asked one of the customers what the process was and they informed me that, first, you place your order at the register. Second, once your order is placed, you will get a receipt with a number. Third, find a place to sit (if you're eating in) and wait for your number to be called.

RESTAURANT DESIGN AND OPERATIONS:
Parking was pretty bad. With all the snow, street parking was inconvenient and limited. We had to park in a neighborhood further away. The restaurant was small and all the tables were occupied. It is an open-kitchen concept, so you can see the workers cooking your food right there. The trash, dirty plates, silverware, trays, and extra stash of drinks to be sold are all within reach of the customers. There were piles of dirty dishes and trays laying in the open. It was very messy-looking and didn't feel sanitary. They also don't recycle and throw every plastic water bottle and pop can into the trash. Because it is an open-kitchen concept, the smell of the food encompasses the whole space. For this reason, they open the back door and sometimes the front door, so cold air sweeps through the restaurant. My toes were frozen by the time I left. When I left the restaurant, all my clothes smelled like fried food. The smell sticks on, too, as it is now one day after and my jacket still smells.

We stood around and waited with the others who were getting their food to go as there were no chairs. We waited for about 10 minutes for a table to open up, but it took 45 minutes for our food to be ready. It was busy, but that’s just too long to wait - especially for a deli-type eatery. The restaurant needs to prep vegetables and meat in advance, and they need more workers with a bigger kitchen. Forty-five minutes is unbearable - especially for people who are getting food to go, because there is no where to sit and parking is limited.

CUSTOMER SERVICE:
I don't think the workers really focus on giving their customers a spectacular experience, which is fine with me. No one greets you or thanks you. You just pay for your food and then go up to grab it. They're kind enough to do what you ask, but won’t go out of their way to appease you. The service is mediocre.

FOOD:
We ordered the spicy chicken breast with vegetables, beef bulgogi, mackerel, and hot seafood with rice bowl. I think the chicken dish was the best out of all the dishes we had. The sauce was yummy and the spice level was perfect - the meat was tender, too. I also really liked the sauce. The mackerel was rubbery; the beef bulgogi and seafood rice bowl were mediocre. The chicken dish was huge. It is enough to feed two people! Each dish is quite sizable - good value! With each dish, you get a bowl of rice and two small bowls of sides. One bowl has potato with bean sprouts, while the other bowl has kimchi. I really wish there were more sides.

I was excited to see them offer Korean drinks. Though pricey (half a can is $2), I bought all the three flavors they had that day, which was peach, rice punch, and Asian pear. All the drinks were yummy, but if I could only pick one, I would do the rice punch.

SHOULD YOU GO?
If you don't mind the messiness, lack of space, uncleanliness, and mediocre service, the food does taste homey and warm. My husband and son loved it, so I think we will be coming here again in the future.