Service was amazing. Dishes where phenomenal. Will definitely be back. Staff even took the time to help cut the meat off my parners meal, (he has nerve damage in his arm) read more

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Interior was really nice. Service was ok, a bit slow and not very attentive. The banchan was super delicious though, but very sparse for 3 people and they didn't offer refills. The veggie dumpling tofu soup was quite flavorless. I think they added too much cucumber so the flavor was quite diluted. This was a common theme in all of our tofu soups (3 of us all ordered different variants of tofu soup). read more

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Food here was decent and parking is easy. Unfortunately, the service here was lacking.

HamaHippo is a cute korean restaurant near downtown fullerton. They have a large menu with all the classics. Service was a bit slow. They provide warm tea and lots of sides to enjoy with your meal, which I always love! We loved the japchae - great flavor on the noodles and beef plus some good veggies. The korean fried chicken was seasoned really well and had a great crunch. read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - korean fried chicken - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

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My favorite new lunch spot. Fresh ingredients balanced flavors the staff makes you feel welcomed and like your old friends.

This place is in the area of providence urgent care, and we went here for the review that says the chicken is good! I came with my kids and was assisted immediately by the beautiful smelling good lady! And since I'm just awe with the menu, which I thought rice cake is teopokki.. lol Apparently it's not, she then recommended me japchae! And I am so grateful!!! It was so good, so yummy! My kids loves it! And the chicken omg! It's so juicy and the fact that the place looks more serene but having this menu is awesome for me! Seriously! The vibe here is so calm! Bet my kids are the loudest one that day! Thumbs up for the kind lady that helps me with the menu! Annnnnddddd after the bill! Oh my!!!! She gave me 2 cup of I don't know what it was! But it was so good!!! It's like a drink! I drank my husbands cup! You're worth for sure!!! YES KFC AND JAPCHAEEEE read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Japchae - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

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The food is so comforting, you know it's made with love when the owner is the chef. The hot tofu soup hit the spot every time and with this weather you know you need it! My youngest one said she got the best Bulgogi! Thank you for working so hard Chef! read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

The food here was absolutely delicious. The bibimbap was great (pro tip: leave the rice to sit and crisp for a few minutes, you won't regret it). We also got the tofu soup (not pictured) and it was amazing-- as someone who can't handle spice well, I love that you can customize the spiciness level. The aesthetic of the place is totally my style -- natural wood colors, low light, and minimal. Not only that, but staff were super friendly and gave us recommendations on what to get. Highly recommend! read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

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Japchae is bomb Cold noodles yummy Shikhye here on a hot day is glorious (the winner) Otherwise I'd def come back just for the Japchae lol =========== Banchan is ok, some is better than others We like the mashed kabocha, fishcake tastes homemade and not dry Tomato onion banchan would be better if it was colder Beef Japchae $20 Quite yummy! Beef is definitely marinated and tastes good by itself. Decent portion for the price, but everything was very enjoyable and chock full of veggies Spicy cold noodle $18ish? Served cold with one piece of brisket, half an egg, cucumbers and some pear. Always refreshing on a hot day and scissors are necessary. Didn't taste too tangy, but I also remove some gochujang sauce it comes with Ginger shikhye 53839/5 (complimentary) This is the reason why this spot gets 5 stars. Wow I have never had flavored shikhye and I am IN LOVE. It did lean on the sweet side, so I added some water BUT WOWZA. Service A little slow when it's kind of busy, but there's ac and seating available because the restaurant has like 20 tables read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Ginger shikhye - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

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We came on the weekday and it was actually pretty poppin for lunch time. Still plenty of spots open which was great. Overall, delicious and authentic Korean food. We ordered the seafood pancake, galbi tang, and galbi rice disk. Everything we ordered was top notch... Hit the spot. They serve a warm barley tea or something instead of water which I loved for a cold day. The service was pretty quick despite only one waitress working the tables. And the restaurant interior is very vibey and cute. I love that it's tucked away in a random plaza and sorta hidden. Definitely an easily missed gem if you were just driving around. I would definitely come back when craving some Korean food! read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

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Ambiance: 5 very bright and chic interior design, very open space and clean Service: 5 There was only one waitress handling the floor around 5pm. Not very busy but when people started to fill in, she moved with ease and appropriately checked in with us. Food: 5 this is what gave me life after a full weekend at EDC. ALL the banchan is made in house; kimchi was delicious! (And I'm not a fan of kimchi). I ordered soondobu standard spice, which was not spicy at all (probably considered mild spicy to the softer palates). My BF ordered the Gomatang. Will return for more comfort food read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

Solidly good Korean food located in La Habra just across from the St. Jude Providence hospital and in the same plaza as St. Jude Providence Urgent Care, One of the two best Seafood Panjun that I have ever had. You might be wondering what makes it special. HamaHippo Korean Kitchen makes the Seafood Panjun/Pancake with a light but crunchy panko crust. Seafood is fresh and not overcooked. In addition, there is no nasty gloppy dough inside that is frequently found in a lot of Korean Seafood pancakes. Galbi Tang was good but slightly pricey for its size. Dolsut Bimbimbap was good but also slightly pricey for its size. Banchan was delicious with traditional flavors. Because there's not a lot of delicious Korean restaurants in La Habra, HamaHippo Kitchen gets 5 stars from me . read more

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Recently met Sarah, who is the sweetest most hospitable you'll ever meet. You can tell she's passionate about her food and puts lots of love in what she does. Thank you Sarah!!! read more

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If you're looking for great Korean wings, this is the spot. They were crunchy and full of flavor, and juicy on the inside. I was wary to try this place, because I was such a fan of what was in this location previously. I know that is of no fault of this current owner. So I finally got over it and gave it a try. Im so glad I did. Service was wonderful and food was fantastic. The bulgogi beef was delicious and flavorful. We had pan fried dumplings, which were good. We also had the scallion pancake. It was good and original, but I don't need to order it again. I loved all the sides that come complimentary with the meal, especially the fish cakes. My husband and I enjoyed our meal with some soju. I'll definitely be back. The ambiance is clean, modern and beautiful. read more

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Based on quality of food this place had great galbi and bibimbap. Place looks nice and clean. Friendly service. Great place for large groups or a date night. read more

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Food was so good definitely the best spicy tofu soup I've had, we will definitely be back service was great and quick as well! read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

Was near the place and want something warm the body after a raining day. My boyfriend and I walk in to no busy only three table was taken, so we got sorted right away by the waitress. She ask us cold water or hot tea nicely and gave us time to order. Once we got the food the waitress will leave us alone I feel too much along we have to consistently call for her for things, she doesn't come by herself ask if we need anything else or ask do you want to refill any side dishes. So the serivce is okay even tho she is not busy I see the kitchen has at least three people. As for the food it's average and little over priced. My Galbi wasn't as tender it was hard to chew. Feel like the galbi was not cook long enough. At least the portion is good because I couldn't finished. The fired chicken was too crisp for my liking almost to the dry side. Was not as tender or juicy kind of disappointing. That's is why I gave three stars read more

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I was craving naengmyun and noticed that this place is new in Fullerton so decided to try. Naengmyun was good! I wish there was a little more brisket but other than that I'd get it again. The soondubu was good too but my favorite part was the banchan! We loved every single one (mashed sweet potato was a surprise). The interior is beautiful and service is fast! read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Naengmyun - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

My husband and I were visiting Hearst Castle and the hot springs, and we decided to see if there were any Korean restaurants nearby, just in case. To our surprise, there was one only 6 minutes away, so we decided to check it out. It was amazing that there was a Korean restaurant in such a remote location, and we didn't have high expectations for the food. We thought it would be Chinese-style Korean food, but we were so surprised! There were so many side dishes, and the food was incredibly delicious. It was just as good as the great restaurants in our neighborhood, which has a large Korean population. We will definitely come back if we're ever in the area again. This is a hidden gem! read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

I wanted to like this place but woefully understaffed and under trained wait staff... unfortunately won't return even though it is down the street from my relatives house... had to wait more than 10 mins to order though the restaurant was half empty ... food took over 30 mins and then waited even longer for the bill.. read more

My girlfriend and I popped in for a casual dinner on a weeknight. The restaurant is has a modern vibe and is so clean and cozy. The service was great. The owner even stopped at our table and chatted us up, she was so friendly. The food... so good. We shared a beef bulgogi bibimbap and a beef and seafood combo tofu soup. Absolute Korean comfort food. What a great addition to the area! read more

We have been eating at this wonderful restaurant since they opened. Everything is fresh, authentic, and served in good portions. The service is friendly, kind, and courteous. We brought our church group (24) there several times and everyone loved it! BTW, none of us are Korean, so even more amazing! Give them a try! Great mom and pop business! read more

I stumbled across this restaurant for lunch and was craving cold noodles. The inside is very clean and they have a very wide range of Korean dishes. The service was good and everything came out in a prompt matter. I would return to this restaurant, but would not get the cold noodles and try something else. The side dishes were also flavorful although there were less than other traditional Korean restaurants. read more

Will go back again!! Such good food and the service is amazing! It was fast and easy to order.

I got some food for a quick takeaway lunch and was very pleased with the japchae. Service was also friendly. I've tried it at other restaurants and japchae can be too oily or not flavorful - not the case here! Delicious and hit the spot. I'd come back here in a heartbeat and I'm looking forward to trying more dishes. read more

Funny experience! I came here and the plaza was in a blackout! Unfortunately I couldn't take the photos bc it's dark so I had to shine my light for my friend to take the photos HAHA she got a galbi tang and I got gomtang. The bonchon is really good and amazing! read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

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I wanted to really like this place, but I came in to place a to-go order for one tofu soup and it took almost an hour to receive it. They took my order 10 minutes after I walked in and then 20 minutes later they had to ask what I ordered because apparently they either forgot or didn't know what I asked for, so then it took like another 30 minutes for them to make my order. Finally, after I got it, it turned out to be the wrong order. I was sooooo disappointed not only because I waited almost an hour for a to-go order of only ONE soup, but also because it was wrong too and on top of that the soup was just mid. Unfortunately, I don't think I will return since my initial experience wasn't a great one and to be fair, there are other Korean restaurants that I think are better worth my time. read more

Delicious Korean food! We've enjoyed every dish so far: tofu soup, seafood pancake, bimbimbap and spicy pork. The dessert is very refreshing! Owner and staff are incredibly nice. Restaurant is spacious, clean, with lots of free parking. Tip: we learned to not mix the egg in your tofu soup, cook it on the side so it doesn't change the flavor of the soup! read more

I can't believe I just discovered this cute place as a residence of Fullerton. You can taste it in every dish that someone cares about the quality in the recipes and food. The nyeungmyun is clean, refreshing, noodles are perfectly chewy and beef is tender. To find out they make the broth from scratch! Every dish is not salty and tastes like I am eating at home. I have such respect for the mother and daughter duo who work so hard to keep traditional Korean food real. Can't wait to come back. Sorry~ I didn't take pics because I didn't know how good the food was going to be. read more

Love this local, Korean restaurant! This place really gives off home-y, family vibes and the interior is really cute! It also helps that this place is super convenient to me and is the closest Korean restaurant in my area so it's always the first place I think of when I start craving Korean food. Their banchan is really good and I like how they change out items from time to time, it keeps the menu feeling fresh! I recommend their beef and dumpling tofu soup, especially on a cold day! read more

Small portions. Big prices. Food was tasty just left still hungry. Store was very clean.

Conveniently located close to my house in a strip mall off the corner of Harbor Blvd & Bastanchury Rd, diagonally from Providence/St. Jude Hospital. Plenty of parking. My son was craving Korean so this place was just a short drive away. Sit-down establishment. Interior decor is modern, bright and clean with lots of seating. Service is prompt and attentive. Side dishes were replenished upon request. Our dishes came out in a timely manner. My son ordered Galbi (short ribs) and I got the SoonDooBoo (tofu stew). Both dishes were delicious. Lots of flavor and very comforting. Given the rising costs of everything, prices are typical of Korean restaurants. It's certainly nice having Korean food nearby and not having to drive to Buena Park or Garden Grove. If you're in the Fullerton area and craving good quality Korean food, give HamaHippo a try. Enjoy! read more

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It's been 9 months since my original review and while the food still tastes good, unfortunately the service hasn't improved so I have to remove a star. I took my parents here and they weren't happy about the wait. The hard truth is that unless the service and wait times improve, this restaurant won't make it. I really want this business to do well. But my parents were so frustrated they didn't want to come back. Please, just hire some help! read more

Food: 5* Service: 5* Ambience: 5* Taste: 5* I had lunch with a colleague and friend. We ordered the Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) appetizer. It was huge, very amply portioned. It was very well seasoned, hot, and fresh. I would order it again. We both ordered the dolsot bibimbap. It was delicious. Very well proportioned and flavorful. I left my rice to continue to char at the bottom and it was worth it. Crunchy rice was fantastic. Be sure to add lots of gochujang sauce if you like a little kick. The vegetable side dishes (banchan) were great as well. I liked the variety of pickled choices. I will return. read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Menu - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

Our group of six ranging from 10 years old to 79 years old all loved this restaurant. Kind and friendly service. Delicious food and the banchan is excellent. read more

A yummy new spot with a clean interior and fairly quick service. There was a pink light cast over the whole restaurant which added a trendy touch. The menu was straightforward, and although prices were reasonable they were on the pricier side compared to similar places. We decided on a couple variations of sundubu, and my bowl of dumpling sundubu had a great ratio of spice, mandu, soft tofu. It was very comforting and filling! The dolsot bibimbap was a generous portion with excellent variety of vegetables and toppings. The seafood pajun was a little bready and the seafood pieces were somewhat chewier than I would've liked, however I enjoyed the crispy bits of it. The banchan was enjoyable yet not too memorable, but we did ask for seconds on a couple sides. I think it was a good place to satisfy the Korean food cravings & I genuinely liked it here ! :3 read more

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This spot knocked it out of the park. The service was warm, attentive, and made the whole meal feel extra special -- but the food? That's what sealed the deal. The seafood pancake was crisp and loaded with flavor, and the galbi was so tender it barely needed a chew. Their house-made kimchi is on a whole different level -- bright, bold, and ridiculously good. I'll 100% be back. read more

Food was really incredible and the flavors of the banchan were so unique. Will be bringing more people back here, also this place is very affordable. Very vegetarian friendly as well read more

Newly opened Korean restaurant! Delicious food, great side dishes, the only issue was that the service left a little more to be desired. I came here because I was in search of kimbap but the place I wanted to go was closed. Unfortunately this restaurant doesn't have kimbap, but I also really love bibimbap. My husband got the bibimbap and I got the fried chicken lunch. Service at first was really quick, the side dishes came right away and were refilled when empty. The bibimbap was delicious. My friend chicken lunch took longer, but that's because they had to fry the chicken, I was warned, they apologized to me and I was completely understanding. The chicken was delicioussss. Four pieces of perfectly fried chicken with some delightful side dishes. I know they are new and only had two servers. But... after my husband and I had finished our meals, it was really difficult to flag down a server to get our check. We were polite and waited a while, seeing as they were busy. In the end, we ended up being in the restaurant for an hour and 45 minutes. Overall, I DO highly recommend this place. Amazing food that you can tell they put love into. I can't wait to see how they continue to grow and excel as they gain more experience. read more

HamaHippo Korean Kitchen - Lunch box special 11/2023 - Korean Near Me - Fullerton, California

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We ordered takeout here and tried their Galbitang (short rib beef bone broth), Dolsot Bibimbap (hot stone pot) and Spicy Yukgaejang (beef veggies with glass noodle) and my hubby and I thought the food was all right. The Galbitang broth was good, the beef rib came with 2 pieces but the meat did not fall easily off the bone. The Dolsot Bibimbap was ok, I felt that some of the vegetables did not match the photos on their Yelp page (we had purple cabbage as one of the veggies), and the Spicy Yukgaejang was just also ok. Overall, prices are decent, credit cards are accepted and there's plenty of parking read more