Dining area is not open, but luckily my office is nearby & I just took it to go. I got the Japjae noodles & wished it had more beef in it , but the flavor was good. My husband got a very spicy beef stew dish I didn't try, but he loved it. My son-in-law got spicy calamari & he also really liked it. Got some additional appetizers for free, crunchy seaweed had a sweet taste I don't prefer, the kimchi was good & something else not sure what it was, but it was ok. We enjoyed looking at the groceries while we waited & got some dried seaweed & Japjai noodles to try at home.
Emma Sawyer
Every bite warrants an aggressive “MMMM”.The dining room is closed, which is not advertised on Google. But that led to an opportunity to check out the Columbus park of roses, which was a beautiful place to devour this scrumptious meal of bibimbap, kimbap, bean paste stew, and kimchi pancake.This restaurant is inside a grocery store, you order at the cash register in front. You are given a ticket to take back to the kitchen. For us, it was a 10-15 minute wait.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Kim BAP
WJ
really really good food and good price! Authentic korean food, one of the best Korean food in town!
Faze Gaming
It was alright that food was pretty bad, took to long for getting the food 40 minutes for something that wasn’t that hot
E L
Ordered fish soup and requested not spicy as my 95yr old mother can't eat spicy. The soup is done and I hear the younger woman behind the counter tell the older woman (cooking the food) that I wanted it not spicy. The older woman instead of remaking it, tries to play it off and pack my order. Unbeknownst to them, I speak Korean and understood everything they were saying to each other. In Korean, I tell her " I requested NOT spicy!" Then the older woman tries to convince me that this soup doesn't taste good not spicy. What in the world? A customer requests to make the soup not spicy and instead of apologizing for the error and offering to remake it, you try to trick me and pack it anyway? Then to make matters worse, after being caught, you try to convince me that the soup is better spicy? in the end, the cook re-made the soup. However, non-Korean speaking people, watch out! Absolutely do not recommend this place! If you go, make sure you bring someone that speaks Korean!
Tam M
This is my husband and I’s favorite Korean place to visit when we are in Columbus. This place shows that Korean food does not need to be expensive to be delicious. It’s a small cafeteria style restaurant in the back of Arirang Oriental Market. We got so much food and only paid around $20. We ordered Budae-jjigae and Kimbap. It comes with side dishes. Normally this stew is expensive in other restaurants, but here it’s less that $12! They have water available, but we like to also buy drinks inside the market. After we eat, we like to go shopping around the market.
E K
Ordered fish soup and requested not spicy as my 95yr old mother can't eat spicy. The soup is done and I hear the younger woman behind the counter tell the older woman (cooking the food) that I wanted it not spicy. The older woman instead of remaking it, tries to play it off and pack my order. Unbeknownst to them, I speak Korean and understood everything they were saying to each other. In Korean, I tell her " I requested NOT spicy!" Then the older woman tries to convince me that this soup doesn't taste good not spicy. What in the world? A customer requests to make the soup not spicy and instead of apologizing for the error and offering to remake it, you try to trick me and pack it anyway? Then to make matters worse, after being caught, you try to convince me that the soup is better spicy? in the end, the cook re-made the soup. However, non-Korean speaking people, watch out! Absolutely do not recommend this place! If you go, make sure you bring someone that speaks Korean!
Kaoru M.
I've always referred to this place as "the takeout counter inside the Arirang Market". I only learned it has its own name earlier this year... oops. So yeah, Nara Korean Cuisine is a Korean takeout counter located inside Arirang Korean Market on Bethel Rd. They offer a good variety of classic Korean dishes at a very reasonable price. They also have a small seating area for those who prefer to eat on site. As an added benefit, you can buy other side items and drinks to go with your meal since it's located inside a grocery store. One oddity here that threw me off on my first visit is that you actually order and pay for your food at the cash register up front for the Arirang Market. You then take the receipt back to the Nara counter at the back of the market to receive your food. If you enjoy Korean food, this place is definitely worth a try!
Bobby Choi
This is a small Korean restaurant (cannot say it is a food court, although they claimed it) inside Korean grocery store. They serve variety authentic Korean food at reasonable price. If you like to know what the taste like home cooked meals in South Korea, this is the restaurant you can experience. One of the chefs reminds me like my mother and she does everything (she makes side dishes to serve and sell). That being said, their dishes' taste can be a bit different depending when and how she cook (she does not measure nor has a fixed recipe for each dish). I watched her cook and that is how most Korean mothers would cook.The restaurant itself, it is like a fast food and self-service restaurant. Although Korean grocery store opens on Wednesday, they close the restaurant on every Wednesday (two chefs still works on Wednesday to prepare side dishes though).Here are tips:- Parking: plenty- Service: self-service (fast food restaurant style)- bathroom: shared with Korean grocery store- Ambiance: This is far from a fancy restaurant and does not offer Korean BBQ on the table
B K
Ordered fish soup and requested not spicy as my 95yr old mother can't eat spicy. The soup is done and I hear the younger woman behind the counter tell the older woman (cooking the food) that I wanted it not spicy. The older woman instead of remaking it, tries to play it off and pack my order. Unbeknownst to them, I speak Korean and understood everything they were saying to each other. In Korean, I tell her " I requested NOT spicy!" Then the older woman tries to convince me that this soup doesn't taste good not spicy. What in the world? A customer requests to make the soup not spicy and instead of apologizing for the error and offering to remake it, you try to trick me and pack it anyway? Then to make matters worse, after being caught, you try to convince me that the soup is better spicy? in the end, the cook re-made the soup. However, non-Korean speaking people, watch out! Absolutely do not recommend this place! If you go, make sure you bring someone that speaks Korean!
I literally activated my account to post this review, that's how excellent the food at Nara was. It's tucked into the back of Ararang Market on Bethel, and despite having been to that shopping center dozens of times I never noticed its existence before today. After trying it I can't recommend it enough. We ordered two entrees, both of which came with rice as well as pickled daikon radish and kimchi. All of this together was $22, and came to us in a cardboard box at the counter. I got the spicy chicken stir-fry, which came lathered in a rich, spicy gochujang sauce. It's not intensely spicy, but is packed with a ton of flavor. Lots of cabbage, jalapenos and onions in the mix as well. I definitely see this place entering regular rotation for me as a cheap weeknight meal. They also seem to have a bunch of their side dishes and entrees in a cooler available to quickly grab and go. I saw japchae, different soups, homemade kimchi, pickled bean sprouts, etc.
Mark K.
It's a cold day, so Korean food seemed a perfect fit. Actually, I'll take Korean food any day. All the wonderful flavors, all the banchan. Just love it. Turns out I've been here before. I've been to Arirang, the market, and eaten here. Didn't realize the restaurant had a different name. Order up front and pay, then take the ticket back to the counter. I got my standard, bulgogi, though I had wanted to try something else. They do seem to have a slightly limited menu right now. There were other things I've seen pictures of and wanted to try, but they were out of them. It was very good tender beef, lightly seasoned, in a nice broth. Big bowl of perfectly sticky rice. And of course the banchan. Not a huge spread like some restaurants, but enough, and good stuff. And I learned something: I thought that one of the things I liked was some sort of pressed tofu, but they are actually fish cakes. I also got deep fried rolls, a sort of sushi spinoff. Rice, veggies, seaweed, and a crispy crust with a nice sauce. An excellent meal. Not fancy. Get it to go because the place is small. The market is also small but there's a lot of interesting stuff there.
Weijun
really really good food and good price! Authentic korean food, one of the best Korean food in town!
James V.
Unexpectedly wonderful food in the back of Arirang Korean grocery! You order and pay at the front cash register than bring your ticket to the kitchen and relax as goodness awaits. It was a full house on a Saturday afternoon. We got the last table and we're told it'd be up to a 30 minute wait for our food (there's three people working hard in the kitchen). No problem. We browsed the grocery store until our order was ready. Though it looked relatively unassuming in the styrofoam carry out containers, everything was fantastic. Seafood pancake: steaming hot, crunch + crispy, with a variety of fillings. Tasty dipping sauce. Stir fried pork: spicy and flavorful, stir-fried with cabbage. It all came out to less than $24 for two people! Recommended experiences. Looking forward to trying more of their menu.
Life Is Journey C.
This is a small Korean restaurant (cannot say it is a food court, although they claimed it) inside Korean grocery store. They serve variety authentic Korean food at reasonable price. If you like to know what the taste like home cooked meals in South Korea, this is the restaurant you can experience. One of the chefs reminds me like my mother and she does everything (she makes side dishes to serve and sell). That being said, their dishes' taste can be a bit different depending when and how she cook (she does not measure nor has a fixed recipe for each dish). I watched her cook and that is how most Korean mothers would cook. The restaurant itself, it is like a fast food and self service restaurant. Although Korean grocery store opens on Wednesday, they close the restaurant on every Wednesday (two chefs still works on Wednesday to prepare side dishes though). Here are tips: - Parking: plenty - Service: self-service (fastfood restaurant style) - bathroom: shared with Korean grocery store - Ambiance: This is far from a fancy restaurant and does not offer Korean BBQ on the table
Dining area is not open, but luckily my office is nearby & I just took it to go. I got the Japjae noodles & wished it had more beef in it , but the flavor was good. My husband got a very spicy beef stew dish I didn't try, but he loved it. My son-in-law got spicy calamari & he also really liked it. Got some additional appetizers for free, crunchy seaweed had a sweet taste I don't prefer, the kimchi was good & something else not sure what it was, but it was ok. We enjoyed looking at the groceries while we waited & got some dried seaweed & Japjai noodles to try at home.
Every bite warrants an aggressive “MMMM”.The dining room is closed, which is not advertised on Google. But that led to an opportunity to check out the Columbus park of roses, which was a beautiful place to devour this scrumptious meal of bibimbap, kimbap, bean paste stew, and kimchi pancake.This restaurant is inside a grocery store, you order at the cash register in front. You are given a ticket to take back to the kitchen. For us, it was a 10-15 minute wait.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Kim BAP
really really good food and good price! Authentic korean food, one of the best Korean food in town!
It was alright that food was pretty bad, took to long for getting the food 40 minutes for something that wasn’t that hot
Ordered fish soup and requested not spicy as my 95yr old mother can't eat spicy. The soup is done and I hear the younger woman behind the counter tell the older woman (cooking the food) that I wanted it not spicy. The older woman instead of remaking it, tries to play it off and pack my order. Unbeknownst to them, I speak Korean and understood everything they were saying to each other. In Korean, I tell her " I requested NOT spicy!" Then the older woman tries to convince me that this soup doesn't taste good not spicy. What in the world? A customer requests to make the soup not spicy and instead of apologizing for the error and offering to remake it, you try to trick me and pack it anyway? Then to make matters worse, after being caught, you try to convince me that the soup is better spicy? in the end, the cook re-made the soup. However, non-Korean speaking people, watch out! Absolutely do not recommend this place! If you go, make sure you bring someone that speaks Korean!
This is my husband and I’s favorite Korean place to visit when we are in Columbus. This place shows that Korean food does not need to be expensive to be delicious. It’s a small cafeteria style restaurant in the back of Arirang Oriental Market. We got so much food and only paid around $20. We ordered Budae-jjigae and Kimbap. It comes with side dishes. Normally this stew is expensive in other restaurants, but here it’s less that $12! They have water available, but we like to also buy drinks inside the market. After we eat, we like to go shopping around the market.
Ordered fish soup and requested not spicy as my 95yr old mother can't eat spicy. The soup is done and I hear the younger woman behind the counter tell the older woman (cooking the food) that I wanted it not spicy. The older woman instead of remaking it, tries to play it off and pack my order. Unbeknownst to them, I speak Korean and understood everything they were saying to each other. In Korean, I tell her " I requested NOT spicy!" Then the older woman tries to convince me that this soup doesn't taste good not spicy. What in the world? A customer requests to make the soup not spicy and instead of apologizing for the error and offering to remake it, you try to trick me and pack it anyway? Then to make matters worse, after being caught, you try to convince me that the soup is better spicy? in the end, the cook re-made the soup. However, non-Korean speaking people, watch out! Absolutely do not recommend this place! If you go, make sure you bring someone that speaks Korean!
I've always referred to this place as "the takeout counter inside the Arirang Market". I only learned it has its own name earlier this year... oops. So yeah, Nara Korean Cuisine is a Korean takeout counter located inside Arirang Korean Market on Bethel Rd. They offer a good variety of classic Korean dishes at a very reasonable price. They also have a small seating area for those who prefer to eat on site. As an added benefit, you can buy other side items and drinks to go with your meal since it's located inside a grocery store. One oddity here that threw me off on my first visit is that you actually order and pay for your food at the cash register up front for the Arirang Market. You then take the receipt back to the Nara counter at the back of the market to receive your food. If you enjoy Korean food, this place is definitely worth a try!
This is a small Korean restaurant (cannot say it is a food court, although they claimed it) inside Korean grocery store. They serve variety authentic Korean food at reasonable price. If you like to know what the taste like home cooked meals in South Korea, this is the restaurant you can experience. One of the chefs reminds me like my mother and she does everything (she makes side dishes to serve and sell). That being said, their dishes' taste can be a bit different depending when and how she cook (she does not measure nor has a fixed recipe for each dish). I watched her cook and that is how most Korean mothers would cook.The restaurant itself, it is like a fast food and self-service restaurant. Although Korean grocery store opens on Wednesday, they close the restaurant on every Wednesday (two chefs still works on Wednesday to prepare side dishes though).Here are tips:- Parking: plenty- Service: self-service (fast food restaurant style)- bathroom: shared with Korean grocery store- Ambiance: This is far from a fancy restaurant and does not offer Korean BBQ on the table
Ordered fish soup and requested not spicy as my 95yr old mother can't eat spicy. The soup is done and I hear the younger woman behind the counter tell the older woman (cooking the food) that I wanted it not spicy. The older woman instead of remaking it, tries to play it off and pack my order. Unbeknownst to them, I speak Korean and understood everything they were saying to each other. In Korean, I tell her " I requested NOT spicy!" Then the older woman tries to convince me that this soup doesn't taste good not spicy. What in the world? A customer requests to make the soup not spicy and instead of apologizing for the error and offering to remake it, you try to trick me and pack it anyway? Then to make matters worse, after being caught, you try to convince me that the soup is better spicy? in the end, the cook re-made the soup. However, non-Korean speaking people, watch out! Absolutely do not recommend this place! If you go, make sure you bring someone that speaks Korean!
Restaurantji Recommends
I literally activated my account to post this review, that's how excellent the food at Nara was. It's tucked into the back of Ararang Market on Bethel, and despite having been to that shopping center dozens of times I never noticed its existence before today. After trying it I can't recommend it enough. We ordered two entrees, both of which came with rice as well as pickled daikon radish and kimchi. All of this together was $22, and came to us in a cardboard box at the counter. I got the spicy chicken stir-fry, which came lathered in a rich, spicy gochujang sauce. It's not intensely spicy, but is packed with a ton of flavor. Lots of cabbage, jalapenos and onions in the mix as well. I definitely see this place entering regular rotation for me as a cheap weeknight meal. They also seem to have a bunch of their side dishes and entrees in a cooler available to quickly grab and go. I saw japchae, different soups, homemade kimchi, pickled bean sprouts, etc.
It's a cold day, so Korean food seemed a perfect fit. Actually, I'll take Korean food any day. All the wonderful flavors, all the banchan. Just love it. Turns out I've been here before. I've been to Arirang, the market, and eaten here. Didn't realize the restaurant had a different name. Order up front and pay, then take the ticket back to the counter. I got my standard, bulgogi, though I had wanted to try something else. They do seem to have a slightly limited menu right now. There were other things I've seen pictures of and wanted to try, but they were out of them. It was very good tender beef, lightly seasoned, in a nice broth. Big bowl of perfectly sticky rice. And of course the banchan. Not a huge spread like some restaurants, but enough, and good stuff. And I learned something: I thought that one of the things I liked was some sort of pressed tofu, but they are actually fish cakes. I also got deep fried rolls, a sort of sushi spinoff. Rice, veggies, seaweed, and a crispy crust with a nice sauce. An excellent meal. Not fancy. Get it to go because the place is small. The market is also small but there's a lot of interesting stuff there.
really really good food and good price! Authentic korean food, one of the best Korean food in town!
Unexpectedly wonderful food in the back of Arirang Korean grocery! You order and pay at the front cash register than bring your ticket to the kitchen and relax as goodness awaits. It was a full house on a Saturday afternoon. We got the last table and we're told it'd be up to a 30 minute wait for our food (there's three people working hard in the kitchen). No problem. We browsed the grocery store until our order was ready. Though it looked relatively unassuming in the styrofoam carry out containers, everything was fantastic. Seafood pancake: steaming hot, crunch + crispy, with a variety of fillings. Tasty dipping sauce. Stir fried pork: spicy and flavorful, stir-fried with cabbage. It all came out to less than $24 for two people! Recommended experiences. Looking forward to trying more of their menu.
This is a small Korean restaurant (cannot say it is a food court, although they claimed it) inside Korean grocery store. They serve variety authentic Korean food at reasonable price. If you like to know what the taste like home cooked meals in South Korea, this is the restaurant you can experience. One of the chefs reminds me like my mother and she does everything (she makes side dishes to serve and sell). That being said, their dishes' taste can be a bit different depending when and how she cook (she does not measure nor has a fixed recipe for each dish). I watched her cook and that is how most Korean mothers would cook. The restaurant itself, it is like a fast food and self service restaurant. Although Korean grocery store opens on Wednesday, they close the restaurant on every Wednesday (two chefs still works on Wednesday to prepare side dishes though). Here are tips: - Parking: plenty - Service: self-service (fastfood restaurant style) - bathroom: shared with Korean grocery store - Ambiance: This is far from a fancy restaurant and does not offer Korean BBQ on the table