I've been coming to Arirang Korean Restaurant for years, but after this visit, I'm done. First, the server welcomed herself by putting her hands on my 11-month-old son's face, pinching his cheeks and making him cry. I'm shocked she thought it was okay to touch a baby--especially when we're strangers. That was completely inappropriate. The server was rude, and when my mom asked for hot water, we were told they don't have any. Do they not have a kettle or a pot to boil water? That would have been more than enough. There were no accommodations at all. The food was another huge disappointment. If you look at older pictures, you'll see the huge variety of banchan they used to serve. Now, we only got six, and the portions were tiny. Prices have gone up, but the quality has dropped. We used to be able to ask for refills on our favorites, but today when my husband asked for more pickled bean sprouts, the server refused, saying we had to finish everything else first. That's just rude and unnecessary; we're not wasteful on food. We just simply asked for a refill on a dish that we favored more than the others. The service was terrible. The server never checked on us, and we had to flag her down for a to-go box while she was chatting at another table with her back turned towards us. When it was time to pay, my husband didn't leave a tip due to the poor service, and the server had the audacity to confront him about it. She argued with him, justifying her refusal to give a simple refill by saying food costs are high and people waste banchan. That might be true for others, but we're not those customers. This assumption was insulting and uncalled for. I don't know if it's new management or what, but the service here has gone downhill fast. This was once our go-to spot, but we'll be taking our business elsewhere from now on. read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Galbi + kim chi stew - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I've been coming to Arirang Korean Restaurant for years, but after this visit, I won't be returning. I went in with my mom, wife, and baby boy, expecting a great meal like we used to have here. Unfortunately, the experience was nothing short of disappointing. First, after taking our order, the server noticed my son and pinched his cheeks--making him cry. Then, she offered him a lollipop... to an 11-month-old baby. Completely inappropriate. My mom simply asked for hot water, and we were told they don't have any. How does a restaurant not have a way to heat water? The real disappointment was in the food. This place used to serve 15 banchan (side dishes), but today we received only six, all in tiny portions. Prices have gone up, portions have shrunk, and the service has taken a nosedive. When I asked for more pickled bean sprouts--my favorite--the server refused, saying I had to finish all the other banchan first. What are we, adolescents? I didn't realize we needed to "clean our plates" before we could get a simple refill. That's never happened here or at any other Korean restaurant I've been to. The worst part? We always finish all the banchan dishes because that's what we look forward to the most when we come here. I lost my appetite after that. On top of that, the service was terrible. She never once came by to refill our water or ask if everything was okay. When we finished eating, we had to flag her down just to ask for a box, because she was sitting at another table with her back turned, gossiping with two other ladies. When I went to pay, I left no tip due to the poor service. The server then had the audacity to call me out, saying, "Tip is not included, you leave no tip?" I explained the bad service, specifically how she refused a simple refill, and she proceeded to argue with me--justifying it by saying food costs are high and that people waste banchan. That might be true for some, but we're not those customers. Making that assumption about us was insulting. Plus, you made my son cry. I don't know of many strangers who would touch a baby's face like that. This place used to be a go-to for us, but they've completely lost our support. I love supporting small businesses, but when you start nickel-and-diming customers over basic hospitality and provide awful service on top of it, you ruin the dining experience. read more

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Food was soooo good! The seafood pancake was so big and crispy!! Hands down my all time favorite Korean restaurant in Columbia! read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Bimbimpap - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Don't sleep on this place. The decor may leave a little bit to be desired, but the food comes out hot and quick. The prices are reasonable and the portions are generous. read more

One of the better spots for authentic Korean food in Columbia! Service is always quick and the people are kind. The restaurant is on the older side and you can tell its age from the inside and out. There's plenty of seating inside, with a few larger tables for bigger parties. For larger orders, I sometimes call it in 15 minutes before to have food on the table when I arrive. The guy who usually serves us hasn't been here for a while. There seems to have been a change in owners. Some dishes have changed in flavor. Not anything bad, just something I noticed after eating here for years. The banchan has been getting less recently. And some portion sizes. That is bad. Why is kimchi not part of my banchan anymore? Overall, this spot is still one of the better Korean restaurants. A solid 4.5/5 read more

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Good place if you're looking for authentic korean food. You get banchan with your food. Service is nice, it doesn't seem like there is a lot of employees so be patient. Cute little interior. read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Stopped here for lunch on the way back to Charleston and the lunch option combo was pretty good. The ambience of this restaurant it self was okay, its like a hole on the wall type of restaurant. Its clean and decent. I assumed its mom and pop korean restaurant. The service was not fastI really like the soft tofu soup but and all the amazing side dish that came with my order. Their beef ribs was just okay. But don't stop from going. Check out this korean restaurant if you ever pass Decker Blvd in Columbia, SC. Also this restaurant next door to korean grocery store. read more

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So delicious, friendly service, and everything arrived quickly. I had the bimbimbap and chose to have a hot bowl, I definitely recommend it because it makes the rice at the bottom crispy as a great treat at the end. The hot sauce they provide is also delicious. My boyfriend got the yukgaejang and I didn't expect it but he ate the entire thing - it was huge! But it was also that good. We will be back! read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - YukGaeChang - Shredded beef and noodles in spicy broth - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Such a hidden gem in Columbia. We got the teokbokki to share and each got the bibimbap. It was fast and fresh and delicious. Can't wait to go back and try more!! read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Been here a few times and this instance I felt like I was ignored and treated poorly. No side dishes and no extras when I paid for them

A friend and I stopped here for dinner and the food is amazing. I had never tried Korean before. It was definitely a great time. They require masks and temperatures were taking at the time of our visit. I will surely make another visit here. read more

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Pretty insane!!!We group of two were refused to order one combo special and Dukbokie. The reason for refusing is Combo special only service for one person and Dukbokie is appetizer. You can't order an appetizer and a combo special with group of two. But need to order one more dish which is not appetizer!!? Won't come back. anymore. read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

When I come to Columbia. I have to stop by this restaurant. Very love their side disks. They close on Monday read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Spicy pork with a lot of side diskssss - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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The restaurant is cozy and gives off a home like atmosphere. Out of all the Korean restaurants I've been to this one is definitely up there in terms of the variety of side dishes and the taste. My favorite is the white seaweed salad on the left. The tofu soup is filling and includes various types of seafood such as squid, mussels, and clams. The spice pairs well with a bowl of white rice and is the perfect food for cold weather. The soybean paste soup is just as filling and delicious, but I prefer the soft tofu soup because of the spice. I have gone to this place for years and I'll definitely be coming back for years to come. read more

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This is a very simple, home-style, and authentic Korean restaurant much like you'd find in Korea outside of Seoul. Not fancy at all and with its own little quirks and whims. The lady working the day I went for lunch was very friendly and most of the other patrons seemed to be regulars. The menu, again, speaks of a commitment to authenticity and I could curse myself for getting something as banal as chicken fried rice (which I got simply because it's what I wanted at the time, but foolish as I could have made it at home). The chicken fried rice was good, but then it's a dish any experienced cook should be able to turn out with little trouble. The banchan however were the star attraction. I commented when placing my order that I bet they have good banchan and the sweet lady brought forth almost an embarrassment of various banchan. To have so many different varieties really speaks of the care the owners and/or chef put into this kitchen. And these banchan, especially the mitbanchan were perfectly seasoned and flavored: there was no slight off taste to a single one, and the chili flavor came through pronounced but not overpowering in ones containing chili pepper. I make banchan at home so I know how difficult and frustrating some can be to turn out correctly, and my hat's off to this chef. This whole section of Decker is strong on ethnic, especially Korean and Mexican, businesses and there is a Korean/Asian grocery next door to Arirang but I suggest going to Hyundai Market just down the street because they have a better selection and make and sell their own mitbanchan to go, which are delicious. read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Chicken fried rice and banchan. - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Ordered, food was okay, lady some what was rush. rush , with an slight attitude. Customer service was terrible. Please work on giving customers a friendly and pleasant customer experience. read more

This place was located in a shopping plaza strip. There's not many parking spots and the curb appeal was definitely lacking. Upon entering the restaurant, it was very dark despite having large windows. The windows were covered with advertisement stickers. They didn't seem to put forth much effort on design. It was what I would call a hole in a wall establishment. There was one waiter who greeted and directed us to our seats. While we were there, it wasn't too busy. I have been searching for more Korean restaurants with more soft tofu soup options. Unfortunately, this restaurant only had one option, which was seafood. I don't really like seafood soups so I decided to have the soup without seafood which turned out okay. The soup itself wasn't very spicy and it did have some good flavors in it. We were also served with many side dishes, but most of them were bland and lacked a richness in flavor. read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

The food here is amazing. Every time we go we try something new and are never disappointed.

There used to be an older man that worked there, took your order and served your food with a smile, always friendly. However now there is an older woman that has taken over who seems to always have a bad attitude. As soon as we walked in during the last visit she didn't greet us but with a scowl said "LUNCH SPECIAL OVER!". Despite her attitude we sat down but the food served was bad... real bad. No meat in the japchae, she snatched my daughter's food bc we said it was made too spicy. Granted these are daily dishes we always get when we eat there, so we know how they are supposed to taste, these are dishes not normally spicy. When we let her know the food was made too spicy this time around she yelled "WHATS WRONG WITH YOUR MIND?!!" And stormed off. We took probably a bite or two of our food and could not finish bc of the taste. We were not rude at all to deserve that treatment. I am disappointed that my daughter could not enjoy her first visit to what used to be our favorite restaurant. Service and taste has gone down since. My wife even offered to pay half even though we barely touched the food, she screamed at her, knocked plates over at her, and continue yelling and cursing her in Korean. Even so, my wife left half the money in the counter. I believe this all could have been resolved if she would have taken the time to taste the food instead of immediately going off. We will never go back. read more

This place truly has a family kitchen type of feel. There's nothing fancy about the decor and it's fairly small so don't go here expecting a high class experience. But if you want some regular ol good home cooked Korean food, then this is a solid option. I had the Korean bbq which was pretty good. I asked for it to be a little spicy, but it was SUPER SPICY. Kind of to a point where I couldn't eat as much as I wanted because it was too hot. Next time I just won't ask for spice. My friends ordered the bibimbap and seafood noodle soup and they also enjoyed the food. read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Bulgogi with the assortment of sides which were delicious! - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Hey Yelp- during the time of Covid. This restaurant is open. I tried calling the number several times without a reply so we just drove over. It is up and running. Still the best korean in town. Super super careful owners are keeping the place nearly sterile. They took our temperatures, had masks and sanitizer everywhere. It felt very safe and the food is always beyond amazing. read more

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여행 가서 한국음식이 먹고싶어서 방문햇던한국식당 딱히 기억에 남는건없다. 손님들이 갑자기 몰려와서 정신없이 바쁘게 서빙했던 사장님밖에................................ read more

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Delicious, Fresh! A bit on the pricey side in my opinion but i am not complaining never the less. I ordered the Spicy Chicken for my entree and the pork/vegetable dumplings (gyoza) and WOW such a filling meal. Had a whole lot for leftovers so i believe it was worth it. Although my boyfriend gives this place a 3 out of 5 stars because of the price and his meal (chicken fried rice). I am a bit biased because i only order the same thing (hot spicy chicken) it is anyways consistent. I will say that they give you many free sample size appetizers that you may or may not eat! read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Appetizers - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Delicious! Me and my husband normally go to Kimchi, but they were closed today, this was very close by and decided to try it. I'm glad we did! This may be our new spot! read more

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Visiting from Savannah, I met up with a friend for dinner. She agreed on Korean food which I was super stoked about and I was excited to check out the Korean food scene in Columbia. She gave me a couple of Korean restaurant options and I was looking for Haemuljeongol (Spicy Seafood Stew) specifically and picked Arirang Korean Restaurant (AKR) based on their menu, the fact that they offered Haemuljeongol and the pictures on Yelp. - Parking - Center lot. It's located on the end, at the Decker Center, next to the Korean grocery store called Asian Market. The fact that this is minutes away from a military base is a good sign and it seems like this area has a concentration of Korean and ethnic restaurants in general. My friend said they call this "International" Blvd. You can't miss the storefront that has blown up pictures of Korean dishes on the windows and their sign is in Korean and English. - TLC - It was 5pm when we arrived and the restaurant was empty. We were greeted by, I'm assuming, the owner who was very nice and was attentive to all our requests. - Vibe - It reminded me of some of the typical restaurants found in Korea. Nothing fancy, but nice, clean and organized. It has pictures of the different dishes on the wall and one TV playing a Korean Drama. They even had the storage box with the stainless steel spoons and chopsticks. - Eats / Refreshments - Ddukppoki - We started off with this dish as an appetizer which is a common street food in Korea made of rice cakes, cooked in a spicy, red pepper paste (gochujang) based sauce. AKR makes it with onions, carrots, green onions and fish cakes. What I love about AKR's version is that they make it with the same sweet potato starch translucent noodles called dangmyun found in Japchae, a popular noodle dish. Although Ddukppoki is not traditionally prepared with dangmyun, it was still a great combo! The sauce was spot on and it was a great precursor to the the main star of the show. Haemuljeongol (Seafood Spicy Stew) - I haven't had this dish in years and oh my! Why did I wait this long?! This is one of those dishes that you cook at your table. They bring one of those portable camping stoves that runs on a can of butane. They bring out a giant shallow metal pan (picture a mini paella pan) with all the ingredients with all the seasonings of the Spicy Seafood Stew. The combination of the different seafood and the variety of vegetables with the spicy seasoning make such a flavorful broth. It had a whole crab, large whole shrimps (head on, FYI), octopus, large clams in the shell, Korean daikon radish, nappa cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions and mushrooms (they looked like enoki, but fatter). This stew comes with two bowls of rice. One thing to note about this dish is that it is priced and portioned for 2 people at $39.99 (June 2019), but let me tell you just how much food there was. My friend and I had some (me having a pretty good appetite and my friend ate some), but then I went home and had some more for Round 2 with my bestie who I am visiting and then there was another decent sized bowl left for her husband for Round 3. I would suggest almost sharing this with even 4 people and just order an appetizer and order other dishes if needed! I highly recommend this soup! Simply put, amazing. Not only is is so beautiful, it is delicious! Banchan- these are the complimentary side dishes that I have explained in my previous review of Korea Garden in Savannah. Wow! AKR provides quite a variety and the highest humber of banchan dishes that I've seen in awhile. 12! Yes, 12 dishes, People! It was awesome! 1. Candied Black Beans 2. Napa Cabbage Kimchi 3. Radish Kimchi 4. Bean Sprouts 5. Garlic stems 6. Seaweed Salad 7. Marinated Peppers 8. Pickled zucchini 9. Spicy Burdock root 10. Stir fried Anchovies 11. Stir fried fish cakes 12. Water Kimchi - I was so happy about this one! This type of kimchi is not spicy at all and so refreshing during summer months. Bori Cha (Roasted Barley Tea) - again, like I mentioned in my review for Korea Garden, this is usually a complimentary tea and something you have to ask for. They won't give it to you automatically. You can get it hot or cold, but I love this tea. It's such a great accompaniment with any dish. - Kiddos - I did not take my kids to this meet up. They don't have a Kids specific menu that I noticed, but Korean restaurants usually don't. However, it's not hard to find something for kiddos to eat either. You can never really go wrong with Bulgogi or Japchae, like I've mentioned before in other reviews. I also noticed that they had Mandu (dumplings) as well as Chicken Fried Rice and Udon which are other great kid options. When it comes to Korean food, it seems that Columbia has quite a few more options than what we have in Savannah, so I'm a bit jelly. AKR was a great introduction to the Korean food scene in Columbia. You'll leave with a full belly and a happy heart! read more

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Pre-covid my coworkers and I would hit Ari-rang for lunch every week. I'm so happy that this restaurant is still operating just as it did before. They offer some of the best classic dishes like bibimbap and jap chae. My favorite Chinese-Korean dish jamp pong here isn't the best I've had but everything else has exceeded expectations to the point that I give this place 5 stars. read more

I would say the food overall here is alright. In my opinion, Korea garden's food tastes better, but by going here, you can avoid the bad service over there. Me being a food enthusiast, I guess I'll take the bad service for better food at Korea garden. I got the tofu stew and felt like it was a little bland. The spice was there, just the flavor wasn't. Galbi was good though. It's super tender and the flavoring was just right. Arirang also comes with tons of side dishes compared to other places, so that's a plus. Not sure why this is an afterthought, but get the seafood pancake. Probably the best thing there hands down. read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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This small restaurant was a huge surprise. Went on a Sunday to enjoy the Japchae and it was delicious! They also included 12 side dishes which were incredible. Highly recommend this place! read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Japchae, kimchi, too much to list! - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

The food here is incredible! Certainly the best bibimbap I've had in Columbia - fair prices too. I got the lunch bibimbap for $11.99 and I had almost an entire to go box worth of food leftover! read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Bibimbap and banchans! Easily the best bibimbap I've had in Columbia! - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Excellent Korean food. Super nice lady. Had some banchan I've never had before. Literally everything was good. Had dumplings, kimchi pancake, spicy pork bulgogi, and spicy tofu stew. read more

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The dished looked beautiful when it arrived but then I took a bite. I ordered the seafood for two platter, the seafood was over cooked and the seafood was all spoiled. I threw it out once I got home. The service was quick. It may be a mom and pop restaurant . Next time I will not order this maybe something else. Ambiance is a typical hole in the wall restaurant. read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Seafood platter for two. It can feed 4 easily. - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

The food was absolutely delicious. If you aren't into spicy I recommend making it very clear you don't want spice in your meal. The service was fine and the man who helped me check out was very fast and polite. I ordered takeout but when I went in to get my food, the inside seemed cozy and nice. read more

The best in the area. Very tasty authentic korean foods here. Can't really compare with NY and LA Korean food. But it is the best here.

Good authentic korean food one of our favorites! Small and cozy place we enjoy ourselves every time read more

Food is good but service is Terrible!!! Asking for box to take my food back she said side dishes cannot get a box. Seriously I already pay for my food!!! read more

First time having Korean and first time at Arirang Korean Restaurant. Service was great. Every time I made a odd face they would come and ask if I'm ok. Ordered DolSot Bibimbap($10.99) and BulGoGi($15.99). The DolSot Bibimbap was very fresh. The BulGoGi was tender and delicious! I am definitely going back and would recommend others to visit. read more

I went here yesterday with some friends for the lunch special, but we missed it by 2 minutes so they are pretty strict about that. For drinks, we ordered Boricha, which is Korean Tea that you can hot or cold that is free. As an appetizer we got a large seafood pancake which I highly recommend because it's huge and can feed up to 4 people. For my entree, I ordered their Galbee and Soft Tofu Soup Combo. The Galbee was rubbery and took some effort to chew. The soup was good and if you order it, it's the only one that includes seafood like squid and muscle in it even though the menu doesn't tell you that. One of my favorite things about this restaurant is that you will get the most side dishes! I counted 15 and all of them authentic and delicious with unlimited refills. However, the service was poor. When we wanted to order, get more side dishes, or get our checks, we had to flag down our server every time. They didn't check on us at all and this was when we were the only table in the restaurant. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant to others because of the side dishes and overall quality of food. However, their service is a little lacking. read more

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Foods are good, pretty like authentic Korean cuisine. They provide lots of small colddishes. A little bit spicy but acceptable. read more

Arirang Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I love Korean flavors and all the little side dishes to accompany the Bulgogi or Seafood pancake that I routinely order. Even though the little dishes seem way too small they always magically are just enough to make it through the meal! And the variety is my favorite of all the local Korean options. The staff is pleasant but always working at a feverish pace to take care of customers. Regulars feel comfortable to help themselves to a bottle in the fridge in a pinch! We love coming here and never disappointed in the food. I can't quite province name appropriately so we lovingly call it 'Ariana Grande' Korean! read more

Great fresh food. Great customer service and great quiet atmosphere. I highly recommend