3.5- 3.8 is generous. When I first saw the review for 3.8 stars, I was a little disappointed and questioned it because I had heard such great things about this place. But, even before I sat down, I could tell why people had given it 3.8 stars. Granted, it was the busiest time of the day and rolling into the weekend but the whole experience was mediocre at best. It was packed and bustling inside, so I was excited, but I wasn't welcomed because the 2 employees were too busy tending to everyone. No seats available and no instructions were given-so I just stood there for a few minutes contemplating whether to stay or go. I finally heard something about a waitlist and put my name down. I got a seat 7-10 minutes later bc 3 other women decided it was ok to cut in front of me and sit down, and it was just THAT crowded at lunchtime. I was starving, so I'm surprised how little I enjoyed the food. The kalgooksoo noodles were meh and lacking in flavor. The noodles weren't bouncy and chewy as they should be. They were a little over-cooked for me. They give you a huge portion, but I didn't even finish half of it. The kimchi was fresh but slightly under-ripe, so a little bitter. I definitely will try it one more time to see if there's something else I like, but definitely not during busy hours and not for a while. read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - Deco inside - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

It's unbelievable how disappointing both the food and service were. It's been years since I last came here because I don't live in the GG area. I used to frequent the LA location when I lived in LA, and I remembered the food being good enough that I was excited to eat here while passing through. Unfortunately, this visit was a huge letdown. Honestly, if the food had been good, I could have overlooked the poor service but both were notably disappointing. The Hangari Kalgooksoo used to come with plump, fresh clams. This time, the clams were tiny and seemed to be very poor quality. There was also only one piece of potato in the entire bowl. The bori bap starter didn't have sesame oil flavor. It felt like they really skimped on it. The yeolmu kimchi was probably the only thing that was decent. Even the condiment station looked neglected. There were no spoons in the containers, and the chili seasoning looked like it had been carelessly made The main mandoo was not tasty. If it was an American restaurant I would have asked them to take it back I ended up eating only about a quarter of the noodles and just one dumpling before losing my appetite. The service made the experience even worse. I've never seen so many irritated ajummas working in one restaurant. Nearly every interaction I witnessed between the waitresses and customers was filled with impatience and irritation. Many of the patrons were elderly, and the staff spoke to them in a condescending and dismissive manner. I can understand a certain level of koreanness Jung vibes, but it wasn't meant to be that and it was just too disrespect Overall, this was an incredibly negative dining experience. Between the poor-quality food and the unpleasant service, I have no desire to ever eat here again. read more

If you've ever driven by this cozy Korean spot with traditional hanok-style windows and a constant line out the door, you'll know why I've been curious about Hangari Kalguksu for a while. I finally caught a quiet weekday afternoon and went in right away. The menu comes in Korean and English, but the English side is mostly phonetic, so don't be surprised if it doesn't help much. I just pointed at the Korean menu and ordered their signature kalguksu ($17.99). They also offer sujebi, rice cake dumpling soup, cold noodles like buckwheat or soybean, plus classics like tteokbokki and fried snacks. Banchan was simple yeolmu kimchi, light and refreshing. Then came the main event, a massive bowl of kalguksu, easily double the portion you'd expect, with a small side of barley rice (boribap). The broth was surprisingly clean and slightly sweet, loaded with shrimp, clams, potatoes, zucchini, and seaweed. Pro tip: serve some noodles into your small bowl, then mix in their chili paste and sesame oil. It instantly levels up the flavor. Super comforting and honestly hard to stop eating so I ended up finishing the whole thing without realizing it. Portions are huge, so sharing isn't a bad idea. If you can't finish, just ask for a to-go box. They accept cash and Visa/Mastercard only. Also worth noting, there's another Hangari Kalguksu in LA (k-town) with a similar name and a more expanded menu. Not sure if they're related, but something to keep in mind if you're exploring different locations. read more

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The OG restaurant in GG known for good food with big portions. We went shortly after opening, and within 30 minutes, they were packed. Upon arrival, you're served a small bowl of barley rice with radish water kimchi which you mix together with optional sesame oil and/or chili paste. This is the only side dish offered, so don't expect the typical Korean restaurant sides. Their kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) are served in a clay pot called hangari, which can easily serve two people. We also ordered the squid, shrimp, and vegetable tempura platter, which could easily be shared with 3-4 people. With its light and crispy batter, you can see why it's so popular as almost every table ordered this dish. The menu on the table is in Korean, so check the table tent menu for the English version with prices. While the service by the Korean aunties may not be warm and friendly, they are very efficient. read more

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We had the knife cut noodle, fried vegetables & shrimp/calamari combo & spicy cold noodle. The cold noodle was too chewy for my taste and didn't have much flavor to it per se, other than just being spicy. Knife cut noodle was ok but not sure what all the rave is about. The fried food looked impressive (forgot to take a picture) but taste was underwhelming. The batter came off the calamari - not sure why - and everything was dripping oil. Shouldn't it be better fried than that so the oil doesn't just drip and the batter stays? Two noodles and a fried combo came out to be close to $90+ after tax & tip. I probably won't go back as the food did not impress me & the price tag is too high for what we got. read more

If I could put 0 stars, I would. The service is utterly appalling, completely disorganized, and frankly worse than nothing at all, as the staff acts like you are a massive inconvenience just for walking through the door. The older women running the front of house are inexplicably hostile, glaring at customers and snapping at people with an unbelievable amount of rudeness for no apparent reason. I stated that the dumplings I ordered were way too salty and inedible, and the woman was like "oh is that so?" and continued to do NOTHING about it. didn't offer to remake, replace, she didn't even apologize lmao. Having a superiority complex while working at a dying unsanitary resting is crazy!!! read more

Wow wow wow and I am about a year late to review of this amazing restaurant and can not wait to go back! I will I will! 1st, sit down, they will bring you a bowl of barley rice, kimchee and some condiments to mix together and partake on it. It is kinda like banchan. One of those nostalgic Korean food. I wanted to order squid and vegi tempura but the serving size is gigantic and there was no way I could habe put a dent on them. Passed. Sad. Did order small version of kalgooksu. Do you know what it is? My mom use to make isn't from scratch. I also got some mandoo too. I was so full by this time. Definitely a repeat when I m around here again. Looks like there are few other locations too. read more

Great food and service! This is not the same hangari kalguksu as the one in koreatown in LA, but still delicious. The soup broth is great and the tempura had enormous serving size and was great! The real star was the kimchi (which they sell for $29 for a huge tub of). The kimchi was perfectly seasoned and crunchy! read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - Tempura - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

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Came here on a Thursday night with a friend. Plenty of seating and we were served quickly by very sweet staff. It's a standard Korean restaurant so it felt pretty homey. We ordered two servings of the hangari kalguksu which hit after such a rainy day. They always give barley before the meal and it was very good and nostalgic. The kimchi was spot on. Oh my gosh the servings r huge. I'd recommend getting one of that and an appetizer and splitting with someone. The food was sooo good and had plenty of seafood. I left with a massive food coma. Highly recommend going here!! read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - Kalguksu - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

One of the best places to get Korean knife cut noodles! This place has been around for so long and the food has remained the same. The noodles are nice and chewy, the seafood broth is flavorful, and the kimchi is made in house and is simply the best. Their fried squid/veggie dish is also what you need to order. read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

The tempura here is amazing. There are two types of kalguksoo broth styles - a more potato style and one that is more traditional and seafood style. The kalguksoo here is more the seafood style broth. It is pretty good but the star of the show is the tempura bowl due to the sheer volume and also the taste. It is a light and flaky (yet super crunchy) tempura and we loved it. They also give you SO much (check pictures). read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

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Hangari Kalgooksu is a specialty Korean noodle shop. Simple menu. They're known for their kalgooksu which translates to "knife-cut noodles" served in a hangari, which is a Korean clay pot. The noodles are tender and chewy served in a rich and flavorful broth. Kimchi served on the side is made just right. One portion size is enough for 2 in my opinion. read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

Not sure if it's the same as the location in LA but it's satisfies the craving! I saw many getting the tempura and it looked soo good! Probably a must try when there. They don't have any side dishes besides their yeolmu kimchi which was really good! We got the Kalguksu and their Duk Mandu Guk read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

The OG of the OGs in garden grove!!! It has been my family's favorite place to get hand cut noodles for years. They're always super short staffed and it's always our older Korean ladies serving. When it gets busy, they might seem rude, but they're just busy.. haha give them some support! :) Other than that, the seats are usually for person tables and it's in a very small restaurant, so be prepared to bump shoulders with the tables next to you. During lunch and dinner time there's always a line so make sure to sign in on paper. There is no online waitlist or reservations here. Definitely the best korean noodles and fried veggies in Orange County. read more

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Their signature dish reminds me of the similar dish noodles I had in Korea. They have large portions enough to share. Bring a group here. read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - This was half portion - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

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Picked up buckwheat cold noodles for dinner. Very refreshing and bomb. Would definitely come back. read more

This place is one of my favorite Korean restaurants! I will say parking can be quite limited and the place is a bit small so you may want to try getting here early if you don't want to wait. I came here on Saturday when they opened at 11 am and it definitely was not crowded but got full 30 mins after they opened. It can pretty packed inside so best to wait outside if you have to wait. People there are full-Koreans and are very friendly - just be patient since there aren't too many servers. My go-to meal is their Kalguksu! But they also got other foods that are good. I did try their dong-chi-mi cold noodles but was unfortunately a bit sweet for me but others seem to like it. Another good one is their tempura - it's a lot so you definitely want to share. But overall, this place is really good if you want some good authentic Korean food! You won't be disappointed. read more

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The clam noodle soup is soooo yummy delicious. I'm sure other foods are excellent as well since my Korean buddy loves eating there. Parking is spacious and service is alright. It's a regular comfort food restaurant with the usual loudness. Not sure there's any ambiance as i go there for the food and don't really notice if it's beautifully designed or has nice music. I honestly just go there to eat the clam noodle soup. read more

Food is delish as well as their noodles and their kimchi. However the servers tend to be unfriendly according to my non- korean friends who dine there. read more

Food is plenty, large servings for the price. Kalgooksoo was more than enough for two people and had leftover. Assorted tempura price is little bit on high side but there's plenty of shrimps, squid, zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, onion. Not bad for the price. The service is soso. You've got to holler to get their attention. But they are very prompt in service. Interior is plain but kind of decorated in Korean traditional looking. Nothing exciting about the decor. Barley rice and kimchi comes as complimentary. Run out and ask again. They'll gladly refill. read more

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The jangtuh guksu might be my new favorite. The broth is simple and perfect. I love that there is no wait to be seated and the food comes out quickly. Hangari remains an OC essential restaurant time and time again. read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - Jangtuh guksu - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

This is one of those places where at the end of our meal, we instantly started talking about what other dishes we want to try next time. Love. That. So. Much. We got: 2 orders of kalguksu (heads up that if you order more than one order, they put it in a GIANT sharing bowl and you eat it family style) The kalguksu was super yummy, soothing, satisfying, comforting, DELICIOUS. Had little clams, shrimp, a potato, some seaweed, green onion. The broth was perfect in my opinion, but you can also add additional seasonings that they have on the side. Also got: mandu. So good!! You can tell that they're freshly housemade, the skin has a super chewy yummy texture. Insides were equally scrumptious. The vibes of the restaurant are homey, relaxed, and comforting. They also offer hot or iced tea which I loveeee. Excited to come back and try all the things! read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - 2 orders of kalguksu - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

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Unfortunately, we mistook this restaurant for the renowned Hangari restaurant in Los Angeles. They are not the same. The food here is nothing special; it's just like my instant Kalgooksu at home. Parking was easy to find, the ambiance was pleasant, and the service was good, but since the food is not up to par, we won't be returning. read more

The servings are easily shareable and every dish was yummy. The place gets packed quickly so go early. Service was efficient and fast as well. You get complementary barley rice for every serving ordered. Mix their kimchi with it and it's very yummy. read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

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Hands down the worst 떡만두국 (rice cake dumpling soup) i've tried ever. Its not your typical white broth. Its transparent and not the authentic one. There weren't any pictures on the many or wasn't warned by the server. I would not recommend this place. read more

We love their traditional Korean noodles and tempura. Their kimchi especially tasty. Menu is simple and everything is delicious. Their service is friendly and efficient. read more

the restaurant was run by ajummas who mostly spoke korean so you know the meal is going to be good. they were so sweet and friendly and knew what we wanted to order even though i was butchering the pronunciation. the kalguksoo was so delicious and hearty, the photo doesn't do it justice but it was so huge it was enough to feed my family of 4. i wasn't expecting much from the tempura and dumplings but they were also done so well. i'll be back on a rainy day to have a nice cozy meal such as this one :) read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - tempura, kalguksoo, dumplings - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

It's a bit out of the way, but when we're craving Korean home food after Disneyland at fair prices, we'll swing by here. The food is VERY reasonably priced for the amount of food provided. My husband and I share a soup (usually Kalgooksu or Ddukk mandoo gook) and a fried tempura plate. This is enough food for the both of us. You're given rice and radish-style kimchii to start off the palate, and then your main dishes come out. I love the kimchii and the rice -- call me Korean bc I most definitely am. The soup is always consistent. The tempura plate is HUGE. The restaurant is in a strip mall that has plenty of free parking. read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

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They don't inform customers of their policies, and then they mock and ridicule anyone who are unaware of them. It was really upsetting and unpleasant. They never informed me about the kimchi-making hours, and there was no notice posted anywhere inside the restaurant. All I did was go there to buy kimchi, yet they treated me as if I were odd or ignorant simply because I didn't know their kimchi-making schedule. They offered no explanation and no apology. I've been a loyal customer for 30 years, but I will not be coming back. I would advise others to avoid this place so they don't have to deal with the staff's arrogance. The restroom is absolutely filthy, the tables are disgustingly sticky and unclean, and the staff behave in an overbearing, authoritarian way toward customers. If they treat someone from their own community this badly, it's frightening to think how they might treat people of other races. Avoid this place. read more

I stumbled upon this spot while browsing for korean cold noodles, and I am glad I ended up here. To begin, I love how they start you off with barley rice and kimchi. The tea is also a wonderful addition to the meal. The portions for the noodles are HUGE and perfect for satisfying any korean noodle craving. I tried the cold noodle soup (dongchime guksu, menu item 4), and it was so refreshing. Each bite felt like a cleanse for my soul! And as a tip, definitely cut the noodles before digging in, as they're quite long. The kalguksu (menu item 1) was warm, comforting, and so hearty. The service added so much charm to the experience. Our servers and cooks were two Korean grandmas who showed us amazing hospitality. Despite a slight language barrier, they were so kind and seemed genuinely happy to see us enjoying the meal. The interior is homey, nostalgic, and cozy. Whenever I'm craving noodles, this is the place I'll be heading to! read more

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Authentic Korean in garden grove - so much that it's really hard to understand the table menu, which is all Korean on one side and a rough English translation on the other side. Kal-guk-su This seafood soup was pretty basic - hearty but also simple. Shrimp was dry. Fried man-du Kale stuffed dumplings good sized but lacked flavor Combo tempura Includes shrimp, squid and vegetables. It's a large dish but a lot of mostly nothing. The batter is really oily and thick. And they don't provide any kind of tempura dipping sauce which made it seem even drier. Service overall is spotty. You apparently get one bowl of rice for every entree dish ordered. So we had two bowls for three people. Seemed silly not to get a third bowl since rice is cheap. That's all read more

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We got the regular serving of kalguksu (pretty much every table orders a big bowl of it to share). The kalguksu is so comforting. The broth is warm & seafoody. The noodles is a little too soft for my liking but it's ok. Best thing is, you can eat as is or add sauces/pepper to adjust the flavor as you'd like. The fried dumplings is so tasty. It's not greasy and it doesn't taste heavy at all. Love how the skin is kinda chewy! Tip for the dipping sauce, combine this: soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, a teaspoonful from the jar of red pepper & green onion. We also see pretty much every table order a big serving of tempura & bring home the leftovers, so they must be good. Also, we were served barley tea, barley rice, and radish stem. They're all so simple but so yummy. Never had barley rice before this- taste like oatmeal, kinda like it. read more

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Always have to hit this place when I visit LA. This time was a bit disappointed. Noodles were over cooked and gelatinous. Broth good, but was a let down this family trip. Hopefully it's better next time. read more

Love their food. Service is so fast and the quantity of the food is enough to share! My parents love this place as well! read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - 동치미국수 - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

You know this is legit if there are only older Koreans eating here. I've got here as soon as they opened on a weekend and it was already crowded. There are plenty of parking, but you may have to park on the streets as it got busier around noon. I was seated right away and their menu is their placemats. No amount is on it but it was around $13-$15. I ordered the guksu instead of Kalgooksu as it's the similar thing but noodles are thinner. It had toppings of veggies and kimchi. They also gave out rice and korean water kimchi (물 김치) which hit home for me because my grandma would make it growing up. Service was fast, as soon as I ordered, I've got my food within 10 mins. You pay up front with your full belly! I would def. come back and try other dish here. read more

Hangari Kalgooksu - Janchi-guksu - Korean Near Me - Garden Grove, California

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The Korean food is great here with big portions. Service is good and there is plenty of parking. I wouldn't say that there is anything that I've tried here that makes me want to go back often but this is definitely a solid Korean restaurant- there are just too many good Korean food places in this area. read more

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If you like to enjoy Korean traditional folksy food, this is perfect place to experience that. Just try their barley rice with young radish kimchi together as a starter. The fantastic combination will want you more. But, don't forget to have some room for more goodness such as their famous Kalguksu (Korean knife-cut noodle soup) with steamed mandoo (dumpling) and veggie twigim (aka tempura.) The soup is very comforting that will warm your heart, mind and soul. The texture between soft steamed mandoo and crunchy veggie twigim is just perfect together. If you want something cold and spicy, then go with spicy cold noodle. The sweet and spicy flavored chewy noodles with the fresh vegetables is very refreshing that you wouldn't want to stop eating. The servers are all very nice and kind. They show the true Korean hospitality that you wouldn't see from other Korean restaurants. They also sell various kimchi and frozen mandoos so if you want to take this amazing experience to your home, you can. My mom makes her own kimchi but whenever she visits here, she always buy a jar of the young radish kimchi. I'll just leave that there. You judge yourselves. read more

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This place deserves nothing less than 5 stars. As authentic as you can get around here. I will gladly make the drive out here to eat the food at Hangari. The noodles and dumplings tasted so fresh, and they do not skimp out on ingredients. They gave us so much kalguksu I thought they made a mistake and gave us 2 servings. I felt the same kind of love you feel when you're at a neighborhood restaurant in Korea that's been serving the community for decades. The ladies working there know their stuff. They are fast, efficient, and work together so harmoniously. Their steamed dumplings were deliciously handmade with glass noodles, beef, and chives (not kale, to the reviewer with wrong info). They also have soy sauce, sesame oil, pickled peppers, vinegar, salt and pepper at each table so that you can season your dishes to your taste and make your own customized dip for dumplings as you prefer (also to the reviewer who claimed they did not give dipping sauce for dumplings and thought noodles were bland). I personally thought all the noodle dishes were already seasoned perfectly and it would've been too much if I tried adding more salt. There's a reason why this place has been around for a long time! read more

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Hot noodles, cold noodles, mandu and tempura. The menu is short, simple and hearty. Hangari Kalgooksu has been around forever, one of the anchors of Garden Grove's K-Town. They start you off with ice tea, yul moo kimchi (radish greens) and a bowl of barley rice. There are only 14 dishes on the menu. Most of the patrons in the restaurant are Koreans and it can get busy during lunch due to business lunch and Korean auntie crowd. I have had hot noodle soup here and cold noodle soup here and dumplings and rice cake soup. They do have Kongguksu (noodles with cold blended bean soup) that isn't found in that many restaurants. Momilguksu (Buckwheat Noodles and Vegetables in Spicy Sauce) - This is one of my favorite dishes here. The base is set with the spicy chewy buckwheat noodles, smothered in that red paste sauce. The on top they put on pile of mixed greens salad and some julienned cucumber. All of it works really well together to create a very healthy dish. You can come in here solo and get the noodle dishes or maybe plate of mandu (fried or boiled), but if you want more than just a noodle dish, the mandu and tempura plates are huge and are too much for one person if you are also getting noodles so bring someone to share things with! read more

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My mom had been craving kalguksu for a while so we finally made the trip to Hangari. We didn't realize how large the portions were so we ordered one kalguksu, dongchimi noodles and a plate of shrimp/squid/veggie tempura. The dongchimi is good for one person and was super refreshing. I added the vinegar red pepper sauce from the table to add a little bit of spiciness. The tempura and kalguksu together could have probably fed at least 3, maybe 4 people. We barely made a dent in both dishes and packed most of it to go. The tempura had a very light and crispy batter. They don't have tempura sauce but you can dip it in the vinegar red pepper sauce on the table. The service is efficient and everyone was polite but they kinda gave me the feeling that they find you annoying if you ask them anything beyond ordering and check. They weren't rude or anything but it was just the feeling I got. All in all, good food and good price. read more

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