Foods from Koreana
Comments
2015 Sep 15
Had the amazing all-you-can-eat dinner at Koreana again recently and I was so excited that I actually forgot to take pictures. I love this family run establishment and it was so busy the other night that people were waiting excitedly for tables.
The bulgogi is perfectly sauced and I find their sushi quality to be the best in chinatown (my hood lol). I'm a big fan of the chicken too but find the pork a little fatty. The table cooking just adds to the fun of the experience.
The salmon sushi and California rolls are included in the ayce. The gyoza dumplings are fried morsels and the tasty Korean pancakes are delish dipped in the soy. Rice, traditional Korean side dishes (kimchi, radish, seaweed), and miso soup are also included.
The oh so yummy chapchae noodles and bibimbap or also must-trys. Don't be phased by the 23$ per person. It is soooooooooooooo worth it. Oh and try not to eat all day prior to this as you may explode due to deliciousness.
I love this family run joint - great service and great food. Fun facts - The father and co-owner has cooked for the likes of Pierre Trudeau. The family also were responsible for one of the first Korean-Japanese restaurants in Ottawa Seoul House.
If you haven't been here it seriously needs to be on your to go list.
The bulgogi is perfectly sauced and I find their sushi quality to be the best in chinatown (my hood lol). I'm a big fan of the chicken too but find the pork a little fatty. The table cooking just adds to the fun of the experience.
The salmon sushi and California rolls are included in the ayce. The gyoza dumplings are fried morsels and the tasty Korean pancakes are delish dipped in the soy. Rice, traditional Korean side dishes (kimchi, radish, seaweed), and miso soup are also included.
The oh so yummy chapchae noodles and bibimbap or also must-trys. Don't be phased by the 23$ per person. It is soooooooooooooo worth it. Oh and try not to eat all day prior to this as you may explode due to deliciousness.
I love this family run joint - great service and great food. Fun facts - The father and co-owner has cooked for the likes of Pierre Trudeau. The family also were responsible for one of the first Korean-Japanese restaurants in Ottawa Seoul House.
If you haven't been here it seriously needs to be on your to go list.
2013 May 18
Enjoyed a lunch of Pajeon (seafood pancake), Japchae (glass noodles), Kimchi Jigae (kimchi soup with pork and tofu), and Bokkeum Bap (fried rice). Prices are reasonable. This was a veritable feast for two with leftovers, coming in at just over $30 before tax and tip.
Water arrived with the menus. Service was friendly and unobtrusive. Most people get the bulgogi and other cook-at-your-table meals. They have an AYCE menu which is $15 at lunch (limited selection of dishes) and $20 at dinner (large selection of dishes, including sushi). We eschewed AYCE in favour of à la carte to maximize our options.
Unlike my previous visit, this time the Pajeon was excellent. Beautifully crispy and nicely filled with bits of squid and surimi. $6.95 for a small, which was perfect for two.
The Japchae is a nice little pile of black-peppery stir fried glass noodles with veggies. The taste is simple but quite wonderful. This is one of my favourite Korean dishes.
The Kimchi Jjigae was less tasty and much less spicy than versions I've had elsewhere, which is too bad. It arrived bubbling furiously, but the flavours are not as rich as I like them to be. Still, very nice. See how it bubbles on Vine! vine.co/v/bEV5L3zXz3x
Bokkeum Bap (beef) was one of the most flavourful fried rices I've ever enjoyed. I was hoping to get Bibimbap today, but I didn't notice it on the menu. No worries--the Bokkeum Bap was a nice find!
The side dishes were mostly good. The kimchi had nice flavour, but again not enough chili!
Koreana remains a decent option as a place to sample the wonderful food of Korea!
Instaspam: instagram.com/p/ZdhdFOOlJY/
Water arrived with the menus. Service was friendly and unobtrusive. Most people get the bulgogi and other cook-at-your-table meals. They have an AYCE menu which is $15 at lunch (limited selection of dishes) and $20 at dinner (large selection of dishes, including sushi). We eschewed AYCE in favour of à la carte to maximize our options.
Unlike my previous visit, this time the Pajeon was excellent. Beautifully crispy and nicely filled with bits of squid and surimi. $6.95 for a small, which was perfect for two.
The Japchae is a nice little pile of black-peppery stir fried glass noodles with veggies. The taste is simple but quite wonderful. This is one of my favourite Korean dishes.
The Kimchi Jjigae was less tasty and much less spicy than versions I've had elsewhere, which is too bad. It arrived bubbling furiously, but the flavours are not as rich as I like them to be. Still, very nice. See how it bubbles on Vine! vine.co/v/bEV5L3zXz3x
Bokkeum Bap (beef) was one of the most flavourful fried rices I've ever enjoyed. I was hoping to get Bibimbap today, but I didn't notice it on the menu. No worries--the Bokkeum Bap was a nice find!
The side dishes were mostly good. The kimchi had nice flavour, but again not enough chili!
Koreana remains a decent option as a place to sample the wonderful food of Korea!
Instaspam: instagram.com/p/ZdhdFOOlJY/
2012 Dec 29
I have been to Koreana twice in the last 3-4 months and would say that these last two times were better than my experience in the previous couple of years. The new waitresses are nicer and more attentive.
The food is better too. The first time, I had the All you can eat dinner menu and was very satisfied with the selection. Is it huge? No, but was I happy with my meal? Very much so.
As per the picture, I got a little bit of everything, including miso soup, fresh sushi, chap chae, beef bulgogi, seafood pancake, marinated chicken, spicy pork and Korean side dishes (see Fresh Foodie's detailed description below). I love their sweetened potato side dish, seaweed salad and kimchi. (9 out of 10) It would be nice to have beef ribs in the AYCE too.
The second time, I had the beef bulgogi and my sister ordered the bibimbap served in a hot bowl. It came with the usual Korean side dishes and miso soup. (10 out of 10)
I walked out of there very happy both times! Totally recommend. No, the décor is not fancy but it is clean and the food is good.
The food is better too. The first time, I had the All you can eat dinner menu and was very satisfied with the selection. Is it huge? No, but was I happy with my meal? Very much so.
As per the picture, I got a little bit of everything, including miso soup, fresh sushi, chap chae, beef bulgogi, seafood pancake, marinated chicken, spicy pork and Korean side dishes (see Fresh Foodie's detailed description below). I love their sweetened potato side dish, seaweed salad and kimchi. (9 out of 10) It would be nice to have beef ribs in the AYCE too.
The second time, I had the beef bulgogi and my sister ordered the bibimbap served in a hot bowl. It came with the usual Korean side dishes and miso soup. (10 out of 10)
I walked out of there very happy both times! Totally recommend. No, the décor is not fancy but it is clean and the food is good.
2012 Dec 29
Date of Visit: December 6, 2012
Koreana is one of those places that has been on my bucket list of Ottawa eateries for sometime now. It has always been fairly low on my list, as it happens, since I usually prefer restaurants that feature a single cuisine rather than ‘fusions’ or multiple varieties, but Koreana actually offers an eclectic selection of individual Japanese and Korean dishes and is not really a fusion restaurant as such. A last minute change in my dining schedule finally led me to their door on this recent trip to Ottawa, and I have to say that, with this experience, that I was very well rewarded by my serendipitous encounter…
The Dishes
Seaweed Salad – Rating 5 out 5
Kimchi - Rating 5 out of 5
Seafood Pancake - Rating 5 out of 5
Yakitori - Rating 5 out of 5
Overall
Koreana is well worth a visit. The ambience definitely leaves a little to be desired, particularly in the area of maintenance, but the food and service are excellent. I only investigated the menu as far as the appetizer selections but I am now inspired to go back for something more substantial… Rating 3 out of 5
See full pictorial review at: sybaritica.me
Koreana is one of those places that has been on my bucket list of Ottawa eateries for sometime now. It has always been fairly low on my list, as it happens, since I usually prefer restaurants that feature a single cuisine rather than ‘fusions’ or multiple varieties, but Koreana actually offers an eclectic selection of individual Japanese and Korean dishes and is not really a fusion restaurant as such. A last minute change in my dining schedule finally led me to their door on this recent trip to Ottawa, and I have to say that, with this experience, that I was very well rewarded by my serendipitous encounter…
The Dishes
Seaweed Salad – Rating 5 out 5
Kimchi - Rating 5 out of 5
Seafood Pancake - Rating 5 out of 5
Yakitori - Rating 5 out of 5
Overall
Koreana is well worth a visit. The ambience definitely leaves a little to be desired, particularly in the area of maintenance, but the food and service are excellent. I only investigated the menu as far as the appetizer selections but I am now inspired to go back for something more substantial… Rating 3 out of 5
See full pictorial review at: sybaritica.me
Older
2009 Feb 5
My sweetheart and I went to Koreana a few months ago. We like the decor. But we love the food. It is not expensive and very tasty. The place is very clean including the washroom.
The service is excellent. We gave the waitress a 20% tip.
We recommend this restaurant highly. You wont be disappointed.
The service is excellent. We gave the waitress a 20% tip.
We recommend this restaurant highly. You wont be disappointed.
2009 Jan 7
Ordered this last Saturday evening (#2 Beef w/ sweet soup). Really enjoyed it. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to try something a bit different, it is a very substantial dish that suits winter well.
Consisted of a very strong and tasty beef broth with transparent noodles, zucchini, bean sprouts carrots, scallions, lots of tenderized beef and big tofu chunks which comes uncooked and you simmer at the table. Kimchi and steamed rice are served alongside.
At 30$ the value is quite good because I think 4 could easily share this dish (it is after all a sumo wrestler's standard meal). It is also pretty fun to cook your soup at the table. They bring a gas/naptha burner to the table, unfortunately the in-table grills are not used from what I could see.
My only complaint is that I woke up so dehydrated the next day that I felt like I had been on a drinking binge! I presume that there must have been either a lot of salt or MSG in the broth which resulted in this. However, it was so tasty I have to say it was worth it...
Consisted of a very strong and tasty beef broth with transparent noodles, zucchini, bean sprouts carrots, scallions, lots of tenderized beef and big tofu chunks which comes uncooked and you simmer at the table. Kimchi and steamed rice are served alongside.
At 30$ the value is quite good because I think 4 could easily share this dish (it is after all a sumo wrestler's standard meal). It is also pretty fun to cook your soup at the table. They bring a gas/naptha burner to the table, unfortunately the in-table grills are not used from what I could see.
My only complaint is that I woke up so dehydrated the next day that I felt like I had been on a drinking binge! I presume that there must have been either a lot of salt or MSG in the broth which resulted in this. However, it was so tasty I have to say it was worth it...
2009 Feb 19
I would recommend this soup to anyone who likes spicy pork soup. No noodles, just pork spine, wild sesame, cabbage and potato. I love sucking the meat off the vertebra! Here (Koreana) they use fresh cabbage in stead of the more traditional dried cabbage, but it is still very good for $8.95!
[ED: photo taken from Wikipedia page]
[ED: photo taken from Wikipedia page]
SushiStevie
This round we did Lunch specials! My Brother had the Sushi combo bento (great value and delish) 6 nigiri 3 maki rolls, shrimp and veg tempura, korean pancake, chapchae noodles (one of my favs - clear noodles dressed with sesame oil and fresh veg strips) and a nice green salad with a fresh citrus dressing!
I had the Spicy Bulgogi bowl which is basically made in heaven. The bowl sizzles when it arrives and the Korean BBQ flavour is bold. So good.
We got a little extra California rolls as well which are classic but tasty. The sushi and rolls here are always fresh and top notch. Miso soup and korean condiments such as kimchi, pickled radish, seaweed are included.
If you haven't eaten here yet, you should.