We came to this restaurant after an OSU football game and were not disappointed! Even with the chaos of after the game, service was great and food came out quickly. The place is small but clean and cute. My husband got the japchae and I got fresh sushi nigiri. We also got the edamame for an appetizer and tea for dessert. Everything was delicious. We will certainly be back when we are in town! read more

truly wonderful hole in the wall type gem of a restaurant, I would visit more often if I was in the area! I recommend the rose tteokbokki with cheese for people without a high spice tolerance, it has a really nice sweetness to it. read more

See all

Diaspora is the perfect treat on a snowy day after trudging a long day of classes. The creamy yaki udon is so decadent that it'll keep you full all night long. For a good bang-for-your-bag, I'd flip to the back of the page for their Diaspora special. For $11 bucks, you get as much food as Chipotle bowls back in the 2010s. It's hard to find a good local place on High St., but Diaspora doesn't disappoint. If you're coming for dinner, come early to snag a table before the evening rush kicks in. read more

Diaspora - Creamy Yaki Udon - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I absolutely love, love coming to this place! Diaspora is a Korean restaurant nestled in the plaza on High and Lane near campus. There's parking in a back so it's definitely worth the check out. I love Asian cuisine so this place is great for scratching that itch! I wanted to take out my friends for a delicious meal and they wanted to try this place. Kmusic playing in the back with for sports games on the TVs. We got some soju as well so don't miss out on that. They have many beverages from around Asia so feel free to try them out. I have had most of them. We got some dduk boki, jajangmyeong and beef dup bap,all awesome all tasty! We highly recommend for this dining experience. My friends was so happy to check it out! 5 starts read more

See all

Very friendly. Good food. Very efficient and quick service. Good quality. Right near campus. read more

See all

Fantastic food and great service. Inside seating is larger than it appears from the outside. My son and I both had the deluxe boxes and they were quite good. He had the crispy pork with his and loved it. Portion sizes on bowls are very generous! read more

Always a good standby, though I don't make it back as often as I did in college. A good selection of dishes all done decently well, good for a group that maybe has some newcomers to Korean food. Love a spot that has cold noodles. Service always quick and responsive. read more

We were here on business and the restaurant I had planned for dinner was closed. So we stumbled upon this place and I am so glad we did! UH-Maze-zing! My colleagues both ordered the deluxe box so they could sample different items. I had the soon tofu with seafood. By far the best tofu I've had since we went to Tokyo. It was so smooth and the broth was very flavorful. Plenty of seafood. Everyone left happily stuffed. Servers were super friendly. Very chill vibe. I will totally come back here next time we're in town. read more

Diaspora - Soon Tofu with seafood - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I love Diaspora. Highly recommend everything but especially something with sides. May is the best server. #Diaspora for life.

We had a great experience at Diaspora. We came in on a Wednesday night around 6 pm and we were seated immediately. It's a smaller place with a pretty chill atmosphere. Our waiter was with us quickly to bring us drinks and take our order. We first were given several side dishes to try. Although I am pretty picky, I really enjoyed the cabbage. Then our main entrees came out. I ordered Bibim Bahp with chicken and it was delicious. It consisted of rice, veggies, chicken, and an egg. If I ordered this again I would likely get the hot version. My friend ordered the Dolsot Bibim Bahp, which is basically the hot version of Bibim Bahp. She really enjoyed her dish and the complexity of the flavors. Lastly, my other friend ordered Kimchee Dol Sot and said that it was delicious. Overall we had a great experience and I hope to return soon. read more

See all

We came here with a group of 6 during an Ohio state game day (which means it's packed everywhere). Luckily we left the game early so it was before crowds started piling in. We were seated within 5 min and were able to get complimentary hot tea which was amazing after being in the cold for hours. A lot of people in reviews before me were complaining about service but honestly this is normal for family run businesses. The food makes up for the wait & we didn't feel rushed at all since we were there chatting for hours. Now for the food: The sushi rolls were HUGE. My cousin ordered 2 rolls and couldn't even finish one. They are seriously large. The udon noodle soup- this was perfect for me since I don't eat meat. The noodles were filling & the broth was tasty. Everyone else at the table got meat options and loved the food. They were also super quick to refill our teas/water which was appreciated. The only issue we encountered was they gave one serving of sides for 4 people so we had to ask for more which was easily accommodated. Overall, great restaurant! read more

See all

Tasty local Asian Fusion with familiar and tantalizing Korean flavors. A great takeout option to satisfy your cheap sushi and noodle munchies. I recommend their fried foods as their tempura, tiger roll, and katsu are deliciously crunchy. I do not recommend their ramen since it tasted kind of like instant Shim Ramen, which is great but easy to make at home instead. read more

Diaspora - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

See all

It's a tiny Asian Bistro where through no fault of their own the parking garage door opens to the back of the store. The sign on the door advertised a Buckeye roll which did not exist on the menu. I instead got a Las Vegas roll. The Las Vegas reminded me of a fried kimbap (Korean style sushi) due to how thick the pieces were. There was so much fish in the roll, a blend of tuna, salmon and others. The center had real crab and cream cheese. The staff was very friendly and served quickly even on a Friday night. The restaurant had few tables and not much in the way of decor. Clearly the focus was on the food. read more

One of my go-to spots on campus for home made and well done ramen and noodle dishes. They are very consistent and it's always delicious. I leave feeling satisfied every time read more

Diaspora - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

See all

We've been here twice and it is a gem! Clean, friendly staff, and yum food. The spicy kimchi chicken is my fav! read more

Diaspora - Yum - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

See all

Can't believe I never went here when I was at Ohio state! And I lived in north campus all 4 years. This is an awesome place to get Japanese and Korean. Ordered Uber eats and everything was delicious and good value. Salmon and avocado were both fresh on the geisha roll. Hand rolls were also great...though I don't love mashed fish too much. Prefer fresh fish with spicy Mayo instead but it didn't taste any less fresh. The samurai tacos had large pieces of shrimp. And the bulgogi was so tasty and had some fun toppings! I didn't try the heart attack (fried/stuffed jalapeños) but my husband said it was very rich with the cream cheese plus tempura... Japanese take on a jalapeño popper. Heart attack is a good name for it lol. Will definitely order again next time we can't decide between sushi and an Asian place with grill items! read more

See all

Delicious fooood, the service was fast and and servers was impeccable. So the food was prepared perfectly. read more

Best jajangmyeon in Columbus!! Note that the ramen that comes w the lunch deals is literally just instant ramen - but I love instant ramen and the lunch deal is a good deal tbh. But anyway! TLDR is go for the jajangmyeon read more

I've been coming to Diaspora off and on since they've been open (it's been a while). Sadly, I only make it over here about once a year now. I always start off with a bowl of edamame and a sushi roll. The sushi rolls are pretty large in size (which I appreciate since their rolls are a little on the pricier side compared to other sushi places). I always order a bowl of kimchi chigee too. The kimchi isn't as soft as I'd like it to be in the soup; however, the other flavors in the soup compliment the kimchi well (pork, tofu, etc). I don't know why I haven't tried many other items off of the menu, but I need to get better at doing that. I've seen huge bowls of soups and noodles come out and they all look pretty darn good. As of right now, their indoor dining is closed - only carry out is available. I was surprised by how well our food was packaged this last time around. They did really well considering I had a large bowl of soup! No spillage! I will definitely be back again soon and next time will order something new! Oh sidenote - no restaurant parking. You have to find a spot on any nearby street and walk on over! read more

See all

Pretty good korean food. The service is nice and the food comes out at a pretty average sit in restaurant time. The store itself is spacious enough and has a fairly comfortable design. The sushi is a bit pricey especially the nigiri which is a shocking 7 dollars for 2 pieces. Though I haven't tried the nigiri, the sushi that I have tried has been pretty good, but most definitely not 3.50 a piece good. Sorry for the sushi tangent, but it is overall a pretty good Korean place. read more

Great place to go for authentic and traditional Korean food! They also have Japanese dishes and fresh sushi that you can get for pretty cheap through the lunch specials! The service is always great and takeout is super fast when you call in order. There's no dine in eating at the time due to COVID, but I thought the quality of food was just as good when ordering takeout. The restaurant is located right on high street in the university district so they don't have a direct parking lot, but there is a parking lot you can pay for nearby or street parking in designated areas that don't require a permit. read more

See all

I've ordered take out from here quite a bit. The sushi rolls are very good, not the best quality but good. The portion sizes are good and the price is decent. I recommend. read more

Probably my favorite restaurant in Columbus. The service is very friendly and my regular order here has become such a comfort meal lol. Highly recommend - I love their sushi. read more

Only reason this is 3 and not 4 stars is because it is more expensive with less portions and less legitimate Korean sides than Poong Mei or Lotte. Bulgogi was about$15 for a decent portion of meat, a side of steamed white rice, exactly two small squares of spicy red chili tofu, about 1/8c each of bean curd strips and kimchi, and 1/4c of pickled cucumbers. The skimpy aides were all disappointing not only in portion but in flavor. The wee bit of kimchi had a sour flavor and the cucumbers and bean curd strips were bland. The bulgogi was okay but a bit on the dry overcooked side. Disappointed overall compared to the two places I mentioned above who are way better but this place has bulgogi that tastes decent at least compared to the fraudulent bulgogi offered at Coco's Grill (foul stuff!). read more

See all

The service was great, and very fast! I got the vegi tempura roll as I am vegan and it was delicious. I would definitely go back and get it again. read more

Diaspora - Vegetable Tempura - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Diaspora was too expensive for the quality. It's very good food there so it should cost more but it's still too much. They have a pretty good selection of authentic Korean as well as sushi. A lot of vegetarian items are available. The sushi is some of the best if you want something that is worth its price. I tried the miso soup as the appetizer. It's only $1 and you can't start the meal without it. The bibimbap is the most popular Korean item there. It comes with beef but the staff is sometimes willing to make substitutes. The sushi is the best stuff here. It has a good selection of rolls. The make your own vegetable rolls are only $3 something and the charge for each additional item. I had it with avocado and yam. Sushi is not too hard to make and if you're using fresh ingredients there's no reason why it shouldn't be good. They do fairly well as far as sushi. It's never too busy in here. They were pretty quiet when in the middle of lunch. Also was pretty slow service. The food is authentic so it takes awhile to come out. I thought it was good enough to come back to. I would come more often if the prices were better. They need to adjust their prices to bring in more new customers. read more

Diaspora - Miso With Tofu And Vegetable Roll - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I came here on a rainy, Wednesday afternoon around 4:30 and there were a few tables here and there with two people at a table or maybe one person. It wasn't packed. Not sure if this place typically gets a large crowd. Maybe during lunchtime? And I'm guessing many patrons of the community love it here because I saw maybe three other students here. Service was like, immediate! We got waters pretty quick, menus and then when our waitress came back like a minute later we were ready to order. All three of us got the bibimbap, though some of us got it with beef and one of us got chicken. I feel like I must've sat there for 7-10 minutes, if even that long when they brought the food out. It was placed in these silver bowls which looked a lot like mixing bowls you use for baking. The food wasn't even warm... But anyway, it tasted good. Not quite like true bibimbap. It seemed healthier with not as much of the grease that is typical of this dish. I will say that they were stingy on the meat. It was like a literal cereal spoonful. Okay, maybe like two or three spoonfuls. Mmmkay....but it was about $9 so should I complain? It was really filling and I barely finished the meal! If you're wanting to transition to eating real Korean food, this might be a good place to start. They have lunch specials until 4, so you can try all sorts of things for a good price. The dinner menu is pricy though bibimbap is reasonably priced. It's a step up from Bibibop, the Americanized, make it your self bibimbap franchise. Not as good as any other Korean restaurant, but at least they educate OSU students that Korean food is actually amazing. read more

Diaspora - Love the globe balloons! And the slanted looking ceiling! - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Another place I figured I had already reviewed. Last time I was here was shortly after they opened, and I remember it as a solid Korean-sushi place. Well, it still is. Looks to be family-run, and service was very good. We had several big rolls, plus some Korean wings. The rolls were good, competitively priced, and huge- so big around that I had trouble picking them up with chopsticks (Sweetie didn't have issues.) We had a California roll, which was pretty good; a spider roll, which had carrots, an oddity for me; and a Godzilla roll, a massive things with eel, crab, shrimp, avocado, and who knows what else. It was pretty darn good; they all were, though not spectacular. The wings were meaty, and the sauce was sweet and zesty. We overordered, and ended up with leftovers. They have great lunch specials, and a very interesting menu. I will be back. read more

See all

Diaspora is a small, family-run restaurant that is a great choice for OSU students who are looking for high quality sushi or other traditional Pan-Asian dishes at an affordable price point. Although I moved off campus a few years ago, Diaspora is still one of my favorite restaurants to go to whenever I'm in the campus area. One thing that stands out here is that their sushi rolls are some of the largest I've seen. This is a plus because you get a lot of the actual filling instead of just a ton of rice like some other sushi places have. Another excellent menu item is their Bulgogi. The pork is marinated perfectly, which results in it being very juicy and flavorful. I look forward to returning next time I'm in the campus area! read more

Diaspora - Sushi and Bulgogi - Delicious! - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The service is really nice and fast. The place is very clean. There are many choices when it comes to food and they try to recommend things you would like if you need help! read more

Super fast and delicious meals in a small hole in the wall. Help Wanted if any students are available seems like a good gig.

Their kimchi stew is so delicious!! I also love all of the sides that are offered and the convenient location to campus

I absolutely love Korean food, and was hoping to also absolutely love Diaspora based on the rave reviews. While my experience at Diaspora wasn't all that bad, it also wasn't a come-back place for me. The dolsot bibimbap was decent, but the proportion of rice to other ingredients was a bit high on the rice side, leaving the bibimbap a bit flavorless. I did add some gochugaru for flavor, which helped, but it was nonetheless a bit disappointing. My girlfriend ordered the sundubu jigae, was similarly underwhelmed and found some rather inedible (tough and chewy) seafood bits in her meal. That said, the prices here are very respectable, and if you're looking to eat Korean-style on the cheap, Diaspora isn't a bad choice at all. The food is certainly authentic, and I can see how folks who haven't eaten a lot of Korean food might fall in love. However, as a Korean restaurant, Diaspora isn't all that special. read more

Sundubu! Got done watching an episode of Master Chef in which the contestants made tofu soup. I immediately searched Yelp and found this gem of a restaurant! The service was fast and friendly. The small plates were delicious and the sundubu was amazing! I will definitely be back. I'm so glad I found Diaspora. read more

Diaspora - Tofu Soup! - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Absolutely awesome service, so fast and friendly. We had deokbokki and veggie tempura to start and both were delicious. For mains, we had beef dolsot bibimbap, kimchi bibimbap, and a lunch portion of beef and rice. The banchan were so tasty and all the mains were perfect. Could not have been happier with the entire experience and will absolutely be back again! read more

Diaspora - Banchan - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Friendly service but indelicate cuisine the ramen was obviously store bought and heart attack salty. I tried to request hot water to render the salty down but only got a water glass of warm tap water gee thanks. Aw come to think of it certainly not the waiters job to correct inadequate cuisine. 12:30 lunch time we were among the only tables there not surprising. Thumbs down sorry guys :( read more

the service are very bad. I wait for 1 hour here and no dish brought to me. When we decide to leave. The person who services us say "cool" and no apologies. read more

Hello Columbus, I ordered a spicy seafood soup with noodles. it was perfect. Nice heat and spice balance. Price was good, portion extra nice I got two meals out of it thank you to the chef read more

Ramen is not your basic ramen - it was a really nice spicy flavor. The egg roll was very good as well.

Recommend trying the Deluxe Box, it has a bit of everything including salmon/tuna sashimi, choice of bulgogi/pork katsu/chicken teriyaki, seaweed salad, miso soup, edamame, salad, and a LOT of veggie tempura etc. It's actually a huge portion size that I never finish but just like that I get to eat a bit of everything without having to order 5 dishes. Food comes fast and service is good. read more

Diaspora - Deluxe Box - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

See all