I went to try another restaurant but it happened to be closed, so I popped into Gah Rham instead. It was lunchtime so it wasn't too busy. I was sat immediately and was able to easily put my order in. The food was flavorful, and definitely made to order. This is definitely some of the best Korean I've had in the area! read more

Gah Rham - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

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One word: BLAND. The food was a huge disappointment. I ordered beef with fried egg, vegetables, and rice. Honestly, it looked way better than it tasted. I was so underwhelmed that I packed the rest up just so I could go home and try to "doctor it up" myself with some seasoning and pepper. Fast forward...even the remix at home couldn't save it. The food was just not giving. The service, however, was quick, and the staff seemed kind. There was definitely a language barrier though, which made it hard to ask questions or get recommendations, and that took away from the experience a bit. As for the decor, it's a pretty large venue with a standard setup. Nothing particularly memorable besides the occasional Korean imagery throughout the space. Overall, I really wanted to enjoy this spot, but the food just missed the mark for me. read more

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This restaurant automatically adds an 18% service charge without notifying customers (less than six persons) in advance, and resorts to personal attacks when customers object. read more

We had other plans but those didn't work out so we went with Gah Rham. It did not disappoint! It's a bit pricey, however the service was good, the food was delicious, and the menu had good options. The atmosphere is nothing special but I don't come here for a pretty establishment I came to eat and eat we did. One tip: Don't visit on Tuesdays because they are closed. And ask questions they are happy to explain every dish in great detail. read more

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Good service, fast seating. Chicken wasn't crispy and had a lot of skin/fat. Sauce was good but chicken quality was terrible. Wish they had peas and those small veggies in the sauce. My seafood bibimbap was also not that flavorful. Of course I added gochujang but the seafood just wasn't that yummy. My friend ordered the galbi one and that looked phenomenal. The menus big so i'm sure there's some delicious dishes I'd come back for but what I had was just ok. Classic korean foods I think it's an ok place but would never go out of my way. read more

I have to upgrade to five stars because of one preparation: grilled whole fish. Your choice of mackerel, croaker, or eel. I usually go with the mackerel because it is more flavorful than the croaker. I haven't tried the eel because it's a bit pricey. I haven't seen this dish anywhere else. The skin is crisp and lightly seasoned, the flesh is moist and flaky. In short, perfectly cooked. The mackerel does not taste the least bit fishy, so you know it's fresh, and was correctly handled. It's a whole fish, so there will be some bones to deal with. That keeps all the flavor in until you eat it. And don't flip it over to get the meat on the back. In Asian symbolism that's a boat capsizing, very bad omen. Just lift the frame out. The usual miso soup is replaced with doenjang Jigae, soybean paste soup with chunks of tofu. Its assertive flavor profile is a great contrast to the delicate fish. The usual solid bahnchan and cordial service. The same dishes are available as lunch specials. Unless you really hate fish, this is a must try. It wowed your friendly neighborhood sashimi snob. Five crispy flaky stars read more

This is a hidden gem with great Korean cuisine. Service is good and it reminds of you of a family busy by how it is decorated. Definitely a place you should check out! read more

Gah Rham - Some grill fish and tofu stew. - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

The staff was so nice. Although the grease of the meat popped in my face lol the server was so nice about it. It's a little pricer than other Korean BBq places but it wasn't too bad. We had a baby with us but she was super sweet about it especially when she started crying. I don't remember if there was music playing or not but it was still nice place to eat and drink with friends. read more

Gah Rham - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

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I was craving some Korean food, so I decided to check this place out. Although the plaza area is sketchy, inside the restaurant is very nice. The staff are friendly and seemed to be chatting with regulars while we were there. Our food came out really quickly and was piping hot. I got soondubu (seafood ver) and it was pretty average. Not the best I've had but not the worth either. Plenty of seafood and tofu in it but no veggies/egg. Seems like they're maybe cutting corners a bit on it. My partner got the sweet and spicy fried chicken and he said it was very good. The banchan were nice as well. It was about $50+tip. We'll probably come back to try other things on the menu. read more

Gah Rham - C3. Khan Poong Sal - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

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Wow! What a fantastic place. If you never tried Korean cuisine this is the place to go! We dined here on Valentine's Day for dinner. I ordered the Bilba Bibimbap and my wife ordered the sweet n sour chicken. Everything was so flavorful. To top it off all the staff were so friendly. read more

We came here with a large group. The private room did not have a cost or food minimum which was great. The service was excellent. The room lacked ambiance but the food made up for it! I was skeptical at first but ultimately, would absolutely eat here again! If you tell them very spicy, they understand the assignment! read more

The casserole is just under $50 and enough for two probably three or four (depending on how much you eat). And of course you get banchan (Korean apps) and I was famished when I arrived from 3 hours of working out and swimming. Although far from the rest of DC, but it was so awesome eating it!!! Ambiance is clean and homey Korean place! Service is nice and attentive. Bathrooms are clean. And plenty of free plaza parking! read more

Gah Rham - Casserole: the one with pork bones and kimchi - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

I was in the neighborhood and had a taste for Korean food. I realized I had never been here, so it was time to change that. I was prepared to indulge in KBBQ.... but all the KBBQ tables were actually occupied, and I was kinda hungry, so I opted to just grab the regular table. All that to say, the place is spacious enough, but while it was full it didn't feel chaotic, and that's a great thing! I got water almost immediately and was given a menu. I decided to get the shrimp/veggie shumai and dukbokki (tteokbokki), which is a delicious rice cake (not the Quaker brand ones) soupy dish... I decided to get the one with seafood in it. I was pleased when the massive platter came out with four banchan dishes, including potatoes, kimchi, beansprouts and cucumber. I loved them all! The dukbokki was bomb -- though I will say some of the shrimp was extra chewy, and some seafood was still in its shell. Being a soupy dish as it was, it was kind of messy to isolate that and get to the meat -- but that's not enough to take away from delicious everything was. After the shumai and dukbokki, I was beyond full... but still very happy. Next time I will return to do the KBBQ. Looking forward to it! read more

Gah Rham - Dukbokki & banchan - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

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Been coming here since I was a little girl with my family! Always tell people about this place. The food is AMAZING! Especially when you're feeling a bit under the weather the miso soup will always bring you back to life. The ambience is nostalgic and homey. I will continue to support Gah Rham for however long they are open! read more

"I know Nick told you the truth about my mom, but you didn't like me the second I got here. Why is that?" Rachel Chu inquires of Nick's mother as the green and white tiles of Mahjong swirl around the table, to be discarded and picked up by Eleanor Young, Rachel herself, and the two women who speak Hokkien who act as both audience members and bystanders. "There is a Hokkien phrase," Eleanor responds: 'Kaki lang.' It means "our own kind of people. And you're not our own kind." "'Cause I'm not rich? 'Cause I didn't go to a British boarding school or I wasn't born into a wealthy family?" "You're a foreigner. American. And all Americans think about is their own happiness." What if, instead of occurring in a Singaporean game parlor, that iconic conversation occurred in Gah Rham (restaurant), at 5027 Garrett Avenue in Beltsville, Maryland, in the intimate yet memorable dining space set apart by sliding ornate doors? And what if, instead of Mahjong, the game were Yut Nori, also known as cheok-sa, a traditional Korean board game in which two opponents or two opposing teams cast or throw the yut-sticks? Would Rachel, an internationally acclaimed scholar of game theory, still hold an advantage unbeknownst to Eleanor? Or would both Rachel and Eleanor be distracted by the food order that might have already been placed by the two other women--an order that just happened to match my wife's? A10 - seafood pajun - Korean style pancake mixed with scallion F1 - eel gui with doenjang jigae (grilled eel with soy bean paste stew) - Grilled Eel with soy bean paste stew H1 - Galbi tang - Tender beef short rib, glass noodles, egg drops, radish & scallions soup H2 - yookgae jang - Shredded beef & scallions in a spicy broth H8 - kimchi chigae - Spicy pork, kimchi tofu & rice cake stew N3 - Bibim naengmyeon - Sliced beef & vegetables over cold buckwheat noodles with spicy mixing sauce S4 - O-Sam bokeum; add noodle - Stir fried squid & pork belly, vegetables in hot & spicy sauce. We may never have gotten the moment in which Rachel, "a poor, raised by a single mother...immigrant, nobody," defeats Eleanor at Mahjong, the moment upon which Eleanor finally understands that she could lose her son forever, that she must honor Nick's choice, and, above all else, that Rachel Chu is a worthy addition to the Young family legacy. read more

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Another authentic, delicious Korean food spot to hit those cravings. Inside is cleanly and there's lots of seating arrangements inside. Banchan (side dishes) include beansprouts, potatoes, kimchi, acorn jelly, and cucumbers. The kimchi and potatoes were my favorites. A10. Seafood Pajun 7.5/10 - couldn't really taste the seafood that much, but it was still tasty - large slices F1. Eel Gui and Doenjang Jigae 10/10 - grilled to perfection and lots of sauce, very flavorful - on top a bed of onions - my favorite dish so far - didn't try the soup H1. Galbi Tang 9/10 - rich, smooth broth with glass noodles, beef, egg, radish, and green onions - big portion Service was friendly and inviting. We got our food pretty quick too! read more

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Great food and services, Yum!! Amazing Jjampong, and boyang tang. Shredded beef soup was kind of skimpy with the meat. Definitely will return for Jjampong!! read more

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Decided to try this place out on our way down to DC. Ordered dumpling rice cake soup, seaweed soup, galbi tang, sweet and sour pork and chicken katsu. This is probably the only Korean restaurant I've ever been to that actually have seaweed soup on their menu. They also had several other menu items that I usually don't see in other Korean restaurants like blood sausage stir fry and seafood spicy rice cake. All food was delicious and the service was good. If I'm in the area, I would definitely consider visiting this place again and trying out other menu items. read more

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Absolutely terrible. Had fried beef with sweet and sour sauce. Big mistake -- Worst thing I've eaten in a long time. Tough, dried, bland, shoe leather heavily crusted in a chewy, flavorless breading. Just awful. Not going back here, ever. read more

Gah Rham - Fried beef. Really, really bad. - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place for all my Korean foods in college park. This is actually my favorite go to spot to order to go Korean food when I'm craving it (since I don't usually like going to places that does Korean bbq cause I always end up smelling like it even if I don't get it) but came here with my boyfriend one day to actually sit down and dine in. Right off the bat since we weren't interested in doing Korean bbq, they ended up sitting us farther away from the grills and more on the table side of the restaurant, so it helped we wouldn't end up smelling like meat which was a huge plus for both of us. They also seem to be cooking some of the Korean bbq items for other tables at the grill tables and brought them over to tables so they didn't need to cook it which I thought was quite interesting. I will say that the food is quite pricey but they do give pretty big portions sizes for everything and plenty of free side dishes that all were really good. This restaurant seems like a very traditional Korean run restaurant making the food taste so much more authentic, almost like a home cooked meal which is what I look for in a good Korean restaurant. We ended up getting the galbi tang and gam ja jungol, which was a hot pot casserole dish. The galbi tang was super rich and flavorful while the casserole dish had so many pieces of pork that it was almost hard to finish all of it. The casserole dish is pretty much already cooked when they bring it out, however it's best to let it slimmer for a bit as the meats on the pork neck ended up falling off the bone and it really adds more flavor to the overall soup. I didn't enjoy how thick the soup base was as it seemed like it was mostly the Korean pepper that make the soups spicy making it super grainy and not the kind of soup I was looking for that day. But honestly you can't go wrong with any of the dishes here as I have pretty much tried all the soups and they are all fantastic and all have so much flavor. Like I said the portion size is a huge plus as most of the time it's almost like have 2 meals in one since I could never finish it all in one sitting. Anytime I am craving good Korean food in college park, this will always be the spot I turn to in order to get some. Great place to check out if you're ever in the area and can't recommend this place enough to people! read more

Food was incredible and service was fast! We went on a Thursday night around 6:00 PM and there was hardly anybody seated. The staff is very friendly! read more

Gah Rham - R2. Seafood Dolsot Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

Only got take out and the authentic Korean dishes really hit the spot. We had a big 9 dish order but the food was done pretty fast, only 20 minutes! There were the typical bold flavors and the portion sizes were very filling. It was my first time trying this place but I would definitely come visit again as this is one of the few authentic Korean spots in the area! The only negative comment that I would say about this restaurant is that the to-go boxes were dirty because the sauces spilled, but just be careful while transporting your food and you should be good! Also, the dolsot bibimbap is so delicious, but I would go for something else if you're doing to-go, and save it for dine-in because the stone pot is like magic and makes the dish 10x better. read more

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I've been eating here for awhile and this place definitely has authentic Korean food. I got the daegu muri momtong. This is a huge specialty dish with cod fish and veggies. The fish itself is fried in a spicy sauce then mixed with tons of bean sprouts. It can definitely feed about 4-5 people. I think it comes with 2 whole cod fish and as soon as the waitress brings it out, she breaks the fish into pieces so it's easier to share. I don't usually like eating the skin on fish since it's slimy but this cod was fried and super flavorful! read more

Gah Rham - S2. Daegu Muri Momtong - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

Hidden gem. Normally we go to Da rae won when we are out this far, but this restaurant also makes auch tasty food. My favorite things to order here are the dumplings and the osam bokeum. The dumplings are always piping hot and perfectly fried, the osam bokeum is better than I've had anywhere else. It's a sizzling plate of spicy pork belly and squid. The tang so yuk ( sweet and sour pork) is also very good but I'd get the sauce on the side so you can reheat later and it will still be crispy. Banchan is also super tasty. read more

Gah Rham - Osam bokeum ( spicy pork belly and squid) - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

Picked this place to try with a group of friends for dinner at 7:30pm on a Friday night. We were initially sat at a table without a BBQ, but moved to a booth with a BBQ. The menu and environment seemed good. We ordered two dishes plus the second "combo" which included 4 meats, all the fixings, and 4 rice. I thought this would be enough for 5 people to start. For $140(?) for the combo B, the portions were meager. What I really didn't like was that the meats came out ALREADY COOKED, to be heated up on the grill. Seriously - the meat looked MICROWAVED before it hit the grill. The server unceremoniously dumped bowls of cooked meat onto the grill to be browned. Meat quality seemed okay but seriously... microwaved?! One server seemed surprised that I knew how to make ssam for some reason. The service was mediocre. We came into a mostly empty restaurant with ~4 servers, but somehow it was still slow. We didn't get our rice until I asked for it, and we got no check-ins and I had to wave someone down for the check. Overall, I got the impression that we weren't really welcome there. It could be because we were an eclectic bunch? No idea. Anyway, we all agreed to not order more food and to go fill up at a dessert place. Do not recommend and won't be coming back. I'm sure the 4.4 stars is for the other food. Next time, I will stick to my spots in Annandale for KBBQ. There are much better options around here. read more

After a less than stellar food experience in our recent Myrtle Beach trip, my family settled on Gah Rham for dinner. Traffic around this area is such a mess, so it was a relief to settle in for a authentic Korean meal. Indeed, it was the best meal we had during our entire trip. Previous reviews indicate that Gah Rham was buffet style. I'm glad that it was not. It's a traditional Korean restaurant with a comprehensive menu that included barbeque, stews, hot pots (dolsot), and a few Chinese-influenced dishes. Around the corner, there's another restaurant that specializes in more Chinese-Korean faire, but we chose this one. I had a particular craving for naengmyun (cold buckwheat noodle). My son had the mool naengmyun (in broth) and I had the bibim naengmyun (in spicy sauce). Very good, balanced sweet and spicy taste, and filling. My wife had the dolsot and it came out with the right temperature and there was a layer of burnt rice at the bottom (by design). Younger son selected jjajangmyun. Good, not the best, but he enjoyed it. Ban chan was excellent, especially the kimchi, chive kimchi, and mook (acorn jelly). Easy access to I-95, so this may become a go-to stopover whenever we're traveling through the area. read more

My family and I have eaten at Gah Rham a couple of times. One time, I tried their Chinese food, specifically their ja-jung-myun. Another time I tried their Korean food, and I came to the conclusion that this place is a great spot to get traditional Korean dishes and Korean comfort food (such as their Buh Dae Jungol). Personally, I wasn't too keen on their ja-jung-myun, so I would recommend getting their traditional Korean food. In the future, I am going to stick with ordering their Korean dishes like their soups and maybe try their rice dishes. In terms of service, the waiters are cordial, and the owner is very nice! The restaurant is also nice inside, and I like that it's very roomy with spaced-out tables. Overall, it's a nice restaurant to get good, traditional Korean food! read more

I was in Beltsville on business when I decided to stop by the Gay Rham Korean restaurant for lunch. The restaurant is located in a very small, tucked away strip mall, so it is hard to see from the road. The exterior of the building does not do the interior any justice. Inside the restaurant looks like a combination of traditional Korean style with an updated flare. We ordered the Bulgogi, Seafood Pancake, and Grilled Mackerel with Soy Bean Paste Stew. Everything was delicious. The meal was served with multiple types of Kimchi (one of the best parts about eating at a Korean restaurant). The bulgogi was served with leaves of lettuce and rice (traditional style), and the meat was not overcooked. The seafood pancake was huge and fantastically greasy. The grilled mackerel was delicately seasoned, and the soy bean paste soup was hot and spicy. All of the different types of kimchi were so delightful. The service was very friendly as well. My only concern with this restaurant is its pricing. Like all of the other Korean restaurants, their prices are a bit high for the amount of food you receive in return. However, that is just my opinion. All in all, I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to indulge themselves in some delicious Korean food (not just BBQ). read more

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I was so hungry and eager to start eating that I forgot to take a picture before I started eating ): I am a huge Korean food fan and I'm shocked that I didn't try this sooner. This place has all the classics and even more dishes that you wouldn't find in some korean places. I got the combo sundubu and it was so satisfying on the rainy day I came. Perfect spice level, so much flavor, and it was packed with the meat. I ordered some rice on the side of it and it really made the soup that much better. I also ordered some pork tangsuyuk and it was a good balance of sweet and sour. I wish I had ordered the sauce on the side like I normally do at one other places to avoid soggy-ness of the pork, but it was still tasty. My boyfriend ordered the galbi bibimbap and it was honestly one of the best galbi I ever tried. The portion was huge and all the vegetables looked super fresh. The place itself is nice and quiet with only a few people when I went. The service was great and my waitress really cared about her service. It's a great place to come if you feel like having some good korean food and feel like you're being served at home. Can't wait to come back! read more

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My favorite korean restaurant! This place is authentic, and the service is very good. I highly recommend their Tangsooyook, the pork is so tender and I love the bell peppers in the sauce. Even their free side dishes are good, especially the potatoes. Honestly, you can order anything because nothing has disappointed me:) My friends and I came an hour before closing and tried to leave exactly at 9:30pm, but they told us to enjoy the food and take our time. read more

Gah Rham - Tangsooyook - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

Large Korean menu with a few Japanese and Chinese items. The waiter was fabulous he explained various dishes and recommended good things

Great food and a nice spot. I came with two other people and the dishes are great for splitting. I will definitely be coming back to try the BBQ because people seemed to really love it. read more

Amazing food! Clean place and authentic. The food brings me memories to my time in South Korea. read more

Gah Rham - Amazing!! - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

Came and ordered galbi tang ($25) and soondubu ($21), things are a bit pricier than I'm used to, but that aside, not much to say other than that both were exactly what I expected, no surprises. read more

I am so sad it took us three months after moving here to try Gah Rham! We had such a great dinner here tonight! The service was fantastic, and so was the food. It wasn't at all busy at 6pm on Friday, which is sad for them but was convenient for us. Give them more business! We ordered a kimchi pancake and chicken bokeum with a side of udon, and hubby had a bottle of apple soju. The soju came a little slushy which worked out really well. Too bad I was designated driver tonight, I only had one little sip. They sell this soju at the liquor store down the street though, so I can do this myself at home for next time. They first brought a selection of five banchan; cabbage kimchi, slightly sweet sauteed potatoes, cucumber kimchi, bean sprouts, and a nice salad with ginger dressing. They were all so good. I could have made a meal out of these alone. The cabbage kimchi in particular was some of the best we've ever had; it wasn't super vinegary but had a really good savory flavor profile, still a bit of kick but just super flavorful. I liked the potatoes a lot too but shouldn't eat too many of those because I'm sure they're a little sugary. The kimchi pancake was huge. It's an appetizer for four, really. I ate two slices, hubs ate 3, there were 3 left to take home. It was really good. If I was being nitpicky, I prefer them just a little thinner and crispier but the flavor was spot on. I can handle the crispier part in my air fryer for the leftovers, muhaha. The chicken bokeum was mmmm good. It's in the ballpark of a dak galbi without the mound of mozzarella (not gonna lie... I'm gonna add the mound of mozzarella when I cook the leftovers..). Really good flavor, just the right amount of heat, and the udon noodles picked up the sauce perfectly. This too was a very large portion, we took about half of it home. The server and the lady who came with the bill were both super nice. Prices are on the high side until you consider how large the portions are, then they're probably just about right. We're definitely getting two full meals for two out of this, and the total with tip came to about $80. So 20 per person per really delicious meal. The place was very clean, in good repair, and had a nice ambiance. It's much nicer inside than the impression you'd get from the surroundings near the strip center that it's located in, so give it a chance. I would love to come here with a few friends and do BBQ - the BBQ prices give me the impression that each comes with a massive amount of meat, so if it were only two of us we'd probably just have to do one meat and we're a mixed marriage (he likes bulgogi best, I like galbi best) so need to bring friends! But all in all, great place, we will definitely be back. read more

What's up foodie peeps! Had the chance to check out an amazing Korean restaurant in Beltsville, MD. This place has been here since forever and I'm so mad at myself for just now eating here! When I went in, I was greeted with friendly service and awesome smells! For appetizers, I ordered the tofu with special seasoned soy sauce and an order of tteokbokki (rice caked) with added option of cheese. For the entree I ordered the galbi tang spicy version (tender beef short rib, glass noodles, egg drops, radish & scallions soup). First off, the apps were delicious. The tofu was firm on the outside yet soft like a pillow on the inside. The special soy sauce was on point. The taste was like a conglomeration of low sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, and chopped chives. Extremely fragrant and enticing! The tteokbokki was pretty good. The sauce was mild and tranquil. Adding the cheese is a must though! The gooey yumminess of shredded mozzarella sprinkled on top then seared to perfection with a blowtorch! I didn't see the blowtorch but the seared cheese gave it away . The main event...the galbi tang...was perfecto! The soup's flavor is littered with short rib essence. The short rib meat was scandalous...I mean very tender and savory . The glass noodles added some chewy goodness to texture. The soup also came with a bowl of rice...which is perfect. Each spoonful of rice I had placed in the soup happily absorbed the soup. It's happy dancing for my tastebuds! I'm so happy to have finally tried this place after driving past it so many times. I highly recommend trying this place if you're in the area. Till next time, be safe and health and eat happily!! SUPER NOMZ!! read more

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My husband and I were in the area to go to IKEA and were craving Korean food. We found this place on yelp and saw that the reviews are pretty good so we decided to come in for a try. The first thing you notice about the food is at the portions are colossal! Definitely bang for your buck when you order even just one dish, you'll have leftovers for a couple of days. The side dishes were really good and I especially loved the pickled radish. The noodles were cooked perfectly and they don't taste like your typical store-bought noodles. I think they might make them fresh in house because they have a lot of texture and chew. The broth of the jjampong was very clean and didn't taste like old seafood unlike some other places. The jjajangmyeon sauce also seemed like they make in house and isn't that store bought stuff. It was my first time trying soondae bokeum and was very pleasant! The owner is really nice and everyone's really friendly. Will definitely come back to try again! read more

Gah Rham - Jajang Myun C5. Jjam Pong H1. Galbi Tang - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

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HIGHLY recommend this place!!! Currently my favorite spot for authentic Korean food. They have lots of tables for dining in, grilling kbbq meats, and for large parties. They also have options for water or hot barley tea when dining in, which reminded me of my hometown. I've tried their jajangmyun, hae jang guk, kimchi chigae, galbi tang, jjam pong, tang soo yook, bibimbap, and will definitely be coming back to try their entire menu! I've loved every dish I've had so far and recommend all friends in the area to try if their looking for authentic Korean food! They also sell soju. read more

Gah Rham - Top: tang soo yook Left: bibimbap Bottom: Jjam pong Right: banchan - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland

ordered take out -- cold noodles with chili sauce, cold noodles with beef broth, bibimbap, mandoos, and tofu with sauce ... the tofu was good ... cold noodles with sauce (supposed to be bibim noodles with veggies and sliced beef) was very bad -- the noodles were stuck together in a clump, veggies consisted of some shaved daikon, the sliced beef was inedible (very old and down right nasty) ... cold noodles with cold beef broth were a bit better than the other noodles after we soaked a clump of noodles in the broth for about 5 minutes ... bibimbap was pretty funky (and not good funky) with not much in the way of veg .... mandoos tasted like kale, nothing else, just kale and the mandoo sauce is just soy sauce with a slice of jalapeno (just salty, no sugar or anything else) ... if you ask me, i'd tell you to go somewhere else ... read more

Some of the best Korean food I've had in the area (and that's even with Da Rae Won around the corner!). I came for lunch on a Monday, they weren't packed but had a steady stream of patrons (friends, couples, families, and a couple solo diners like myself). Absolutely loved the banchan, I don't usually care about it but this was exceptional. The flavors were bright, clear, and distinct, the textures were spot on, and in general each and every one of the four dishes perfectly complemented my meal. Here's what they served: * Cucumber with chili - my favorite. Cucumber wasn't mushy and had a good color, chili was noticeable but not overpowering. * Kimchi - well balanced, right amount of spice and fermented goodness. I added some of it to the soup, it worked well. * Bean sprouts - pretty plain, but in a good way. It was nice to have a crunchy fresh vegetable flavor to contrast all the spice and sauce. * Potatoes - surprisingly tasty. Perfect texture, soft without falling apart into mash. Marinated in something savory I couldn't quite place, maybe soy sauce and sesame oil or similar. They have an extensive 21-item lunch special menu (which they should really advertise on their Website!). I ordered the lunch special L16 (Spicy Pork with a side of Doen jang Jjigae soup). The pork was a pile of thin slices with onions, topped with scallions and served on a sizzling platter. Tasty, but here's what really pushed it over the top into 5 star territory: the waitress came and asked if it was spicy enough for me, I said it could use a little more, and then she came back with this amazing spicy dipping sauce. It had a gochujang type flavor but with a lot of extra kick, it really made my meal! I liked it so much that I asked what it was called, she just said it was a homemade extra spicy sauce. Whatever it is, I'll be coming back for it! (Warning - I found it to be a happy and comfortable level of spice, but I like Sichuan and Thai levels of spicy so try at your own risk). The Doen jang Jjigae (soup side) was pretty good but not great. Lots of tofu, but I only found 2 small pieces of beef. For what it's worth, the beef pieces were full of flavor; maybe you get more if you order this as your main dish instead of a side. At around $24 after tax, it was a bit pricey for lunch (a once a month treat perhaps), but they did have a number of more affordable options in the $12-$16 range that I plan to come back soon to try. I have a large appetite and was pleasantly full; I imagine people with more average sized stomachs might get 1.5-2 meals out of it, making the price more justifiable. read more

Gah Rham - L16 lunch special ("Jaeyook Combo" spicy pork with doenjang jjigae soup) - Korean Near Me - Beltsville, Maryland