Very nice food and service, i will recommend the little plates which allow me to try more kind of food. The environment is good, people are friendlu read more

Maru - Korean Near Me - Brisbane, QLD

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Everything was excellent. The meals are authentic and delicious. Even as a lonely diner I felt welcome and thoroughly comfortable in my spot! Service was great and I will definitely go back. read more

Maru - Baby octopus sizzling all the way as the pan hit the table! And a lovely Korean Lychee alcoholic drink. - Korean Near Me - Brisbane, QLD

I've been looking for great bibimbap in the city and as I was waiting for another restaurant to open I saw this cute little place and I'm so glad I did. The food is incredible, comes out quickly and the service is top notch. read more

Maru - Bibimbap (I asked for no egg & mushrooms due to allergies and they accommodated perfectly) - Korean Near Me - Brisbane, QLD

We visited Maru after searching thru Yelp for positive reviews of places close to our hotel. We called to see if we needed an early dinner reservation and the employee said it wouldn't be needed. We were surprised to see a line when we arrived and then asked by the manager if we had a reservation we said no and showed her the phone call record. After seeing the # she told us it was for another restaurant, one of 3 in town and that mistake had happened before when dialing the # directly from the website link. So, just a heads up. Kudos to her for fitting us in and then spending time to help us decide what to order,the Wagu beef and Pork grill with assorted sides. Delicious meal although we like our Kimchi with more kick. The Wasabi was fresh and did have a kick! We will be back next time we are in Brisbane. read more

Absolute staple, curry chicken bibimbap is half my body weight now. Beef taretare also is decent

Yummy. Got the spicy pork which was a good size portion and very tasty and came with three sides. Also tried the chive pancakes which were yummy, a little greasy but I still enjoyed them. Cool vibe and friendly service. read more

Maru - Korean Near Me - Brisbane, QLD

Great Korean food We had a really fantastic Friday night Korean dinner at this popular restaurant. We had to queue for a table but luckily we didn't have to wait too long. The food was delicious, the portions were generous and the prices were reasonable. Even though the restaurant was packed, our food came out very quickly. We were also able to bring our own bottle of wine which was a plus! read more

Came here with a few of my med school friends and the food was really good! We bought one of the package dinners which costs 60 dollars and there was A LOT of food. It easily fed the three of us and could have fed a 4th. The meat was really good quality and I think think the prices are one of the most reasonable compared to other Korean restaurants in Brisbane. Overall, the service is decent with fairly priced food. read more

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My first impression was that Maru's interior is a bit dark, but is sleek and very 'modern Korean,' and nicely tucked away on the second floor on Elizabeth street. Wowie, it was packed on a Thursday night! Well, to be fair, it was "shopping night." I was greeted by a friendly waitress who quickly led us to our table, which I had just reserved that same night. (I don't know many places that reserve on the same night) The service was incredibly speedy, as they brought out our first dish (dumplings) and sides. I'm not sure if it was the fact that we didn't look experienced at Korean bbq, but the throughout the night, waiters and waitresses kept coming around to help us grill the meat... The seafood pancake was delicious and packed with enoki mushrooms, leek, oysters, and octopus! It was pretty awesome, as I wasn't expecting them to be so generous with ingredients. The korean barbeque came promptly- and they even bothered with presentation! I was quite impressed. Interior decor and presentation is all fine and dandy, but taste is always most important, and the flavors were excellent! The meats were marinated quite well, though got to be a little salty without any rice. The table next to us got the spicy pork, which I definitely want to try next time! Nom nom nom. The food was so delicious and tasty and we ate till we both had food comas, then took a stroll home to watch Star Wars. Whata night. =) PS- the $10 lunch deals M-F are TOTALLY worth it! They give you quite a bit of meat in the bibimbap and the are pretty good portions for lunch! read more

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One of the better straight forward reasonably priced restaurants so far in Australia for me. They serve my favorite Korean dish, Pork Bone Soup (Gam Ja Tung). Plentiful amounts of pork meat, good flavor in the soup, cloudy weather, what more can you ask for. I also tried some KFC (Korean fried chicken) and it was pretty good. Temperature of the meat could have been hotter but the crispiness from frying the chicken was there. I got the spicy and regular one which were very good. Probably was an overkill to order the KFC but it's hard to turn down KFC when it only costs a few more bucks to get it on the side with my main course. I'd definitely come here again if I am ever back in this area. Prices were pretty fair and they accept credit card! read more

I'm surprised it's taken me this long to try Maru when it's so good ! All I can say is yummm. Good variety of Korean dishes with reasonable pricing. They offer Korean bbq upstairs too! There was a queue when we tried getting a table but they seated us very fast. Our waiter was helpful and attentive as well. Sad part is: finding parking since it's in the heart of the city. I love how they give you your own bottle of sauce for your bibimbap so you can control how saucy you want it. The boneless sweet chili fried chicken with melted cheese is so good too - I nearly finished the whole plate myself! read more

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Quality and delicious food. Ambience is impressive and great location. Thanks for wonderful experience!

Maru is a restaurant that I always visit every time I come to Brisbane. They have a mix of Korean dishes, if you have a big party you're not sure where to go, this is the place for you, it definitely would satisfied everyone since it offers a little bit of everything (soup, bbq, bibimbap, fried chicken, noodles, different kinds of alcohol etc.) However I do found their stew in particular not very authentic. I had their soy bean stew before, and I was very disappointed... But other than that everything else is pretty delicious for example their omelette rice, definitely is a must try. read more

Maru - Bbq Pork Belly - Korean Near Me - Brisbane, QLD

food decent, soup was the best! the service was excellent

This is probably my favourite Korean eatery in the city. It gets super busy at lunch with the office crowd, so if you can, come in early or after 1pm to avoid the queue. The meals are well priced with plenty of options and the pancakes always come out crispy. read more

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Full disclosure- this review is only for the non KBBQ items So was continuing my world traveling into November and for Thanksgiving, decided to check out Sydney and Brisbane. As part of this trip I was able to satisfy my fish and chips craving along with seafood eats but could not deny my Korean roots and needing some stew and spicy food. After a long day of exploring and hiking around chasing wild koalas and kangaroos, I was able to make my way back over to the Westin and thankfully Maru is only a few blocks away. This place does seem to get pretty busy especially as the night goes on and they do have specials on certain days including drink specials such as 3 bottles of soju for X price and etc. The joint is pretty large and has an open vibe to it and their menu is pretty expansive. They have everything from Kbbq, stews, chicken, etc... so there should be enough of anything to tickle everyone's fancy. The service is very quick here and the folks were attentive and the soju pretty cold so nothing to complain about. I was able to try the galbi jjim, a kimchi stew, and some of the fried boneless chicken with cheese. The most forgettable was probably the fried boneless chicken as it had too much batter and the food just tasted like something you could get at a Chinese restaurant. The kimchi stew was OK and satisfied some of the cravings but the stew itself tasted wasn't as spicy as I was looking for. The jjim was probably the best and the deal is quite good as they offer a generous portion for good prices. I think this place is good for the value and it certainly satisfies immediate cravings. I think I would rate this place a 3 but can honestly say it fills a space in the market and was certainly a welcome sight for me in brisbane. This is one of those moments i wish we could provide half stars. read more

I must be crazy. The menu clearly denoted "VERY Spicy Cold Noodle" (yes it capitalized the VERY) and even the waitress warned me one last time that the noodles were VERY spicy. However, when I see something like that on a menu, I take it as a challenge to my manliness. No food can possibly topple me! Yeah that all sounded great in my head before I got to the end of this delicious dish. By that point, I was cursing my bravado and my lips were starting to numb. However, no matter how I tried, I really just could not stop eating! The noodles (buckwheat I believe?) were nice and chewy and they even provided me a pair of scissors in case I wanted to cut through them to make it a bit more manageable. The highlight of this meal though had to be the thick red sauce which comprised of a variety of flavors: sweet, tangy, slightly salty and above all spicy! Mixed into this concoction were a couple beef pieces, sliced cucumber and topped off with half a hard-boiled egg. The meal also included 3 side dishes: bean curd, kimchi and macaroni salad. I have to say I was not a fan of the macaroni salad but the two former sides were pretty decent and complemented the meal quite well. I quite enjoyed my experience at this little place and would happily come back again to try some other stuff like the slew of jjigae (tofu soup) that I saw plastered on the wall menu near the entrance. read more

Maru - Little red button by my sunglasses calls for service. Don't be afraid to press it! - Korean Near Me - Brisbane, QLD

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I'm from Toronto & I've been to Seoul so I've eaten a great deal amount of Korean food (I'm a huge fan). It's always been a comfort food for me, and in Brisbane, I needed just that. Ambience A lot of families/friends sit together during lunch time so it can get quiet busy. Apparently there's a KBBQ level, but I didn't go there. The place is spacious. Don't feel awkward, there are lone-rangers too eating too! Staff They were very nice. The place was busy so I can understand the struggle, but I wish I was given a glass of water on the get-go. I had to ask, but they were very nice about it. Food This one's a 2.5 for me. I ordered Kamjatang (pork bone soup). The sides were nice. I believe you get three. Tofu was on the fishy side or may be it was just me, but I wasn't crazy about it. Then this white one that was nice. The kimchi, however, took the cake. I loved it! Now, the soup itself. It wasn't as I was hoping it would be. It was nice to eat while hungry or hungover but it's definitely not as good as in Toronto -where you virtually pay almost half the cost. Aesthetically, it looked good though ! Price May be it's an Aussie or Brisbane, or this particular restaurant's prime location, but back in Toronto, we pay less and get more sensational flavours (given you go to the right place). read more

Maru - Kamjatang - Pork bone soup - Korean Near Me - Brisbane, QLD

Maru is a decent KBBQ, but it didn't leave me in a state of awe. I came with a large group, and we ordered Platters A and B to split. The sides were ok, the kimchi very good, and the service present, but not impressively attentive, as it was hard to track down enough utensils, water, and rice for everyone. The cuts of meat that my group got were fairly good. Sauces and flavorings were not as wonderful as I've come to expect at a KBBQ, but not bad. In all, Maru was an okay dining experience. Not my new favorite, but I wouldn't be against coming back. read more

Maru - Platter A on the left, platter B on the right. - Korean Near Me - Brisbane, QLD

I'm either spoiled with LA Korean food or just have higher standards than most who visit this restaurant. I ordered the seafood soondubu and it was watery and lacking ingredients, with the exception of onions. In fact, onions dominated this jjigae. Weak panchan dishes - only 3 varieties (kimchi, rice cake, and a namul covered in mayo). Extra fee charged for credit card transactions. I'll keep looking for a decent Korean restaurant in Brisbane. read more

Maru - Korean Near Me - Brisbane, QLD

I have eaten here more times than I can count. Their menu is like 10,000 pages long so there is something delicious for every one. Do not be overwhelmed..below are a few dishes I typically always order...order a few of these and you'll be set: 1. spicy chicken bimbimbap (not authentic? who cares..it's the most flavorsome bimbimbap ever invented.) 2. japchae (stir-fried clear noodles) - nice noodle dish to accompany all the rest of the dishes that are eaten with rice 3. kimchi/chive pancake - there aren't really any green/veggie dishes per se so I usually order this as my "veggie dish" (although to be honest this is just another yummy main dish and can be eaten alone) 4. Any of the BBQ combos - this is a Korean BBQ joint after all...my favorite cuts are the wagyu cube or chuck eye roll..melt in your mouth delicious Maru is great value for money. They even have a happy hour menu (daily from 9-10pm) where certain items are half-priced! AND to top it off, they are BYO! Also, side note: Look out for the K-Pop videos streaming on their tvs..always super entertaining. This place is big, loud and busy on weekends...if you're looking for a fun, funky place that serves amazing food, this is the spot! read more

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Cheap Asian food is my thing - Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese...love it all! When you're feeling hungry after a few drinks on a Friday evening, Korean food is your friend and luckily there's several to choose from in the CBD. Madtongsan II used to be my go-to but lately I've been heading to Maru on Elizabeth St instead. It's usually a bit closer to wherever I am and has a slightly nicer atmosphere. There's often a bit of a wait but if you don't want a special BBQ table, the wait can be shorter and I've never waited for more than 15 minutes. Maru have a huge selection of items on their menu to choose from and it's hard for me to go past the Dolsot BiBimBap (Raw wagyu beef with vegetables and raw egg on top of steamed rice in a stone hotpot), which is more expensive than the Madtongsan version at $15.95 but is bigger and I think the quality of the meat might be better. The key is to let it sit long enough for the rice to get super crispy and then mix through the beef and egg just enough for it to slightly cook. I'm always curious about the hotpots which appear to be very popular at Maru and when I happened to be there with three guys, I took the opportunity to suggest that we get one. We chose the beef rib and octopus hot pot ($45) which supposedly fed 2-3 people. We also ordered the raw wagyu beef salad and a kimchi pancake. As with all Korean places, we also got our free side dishes - one was kimchi but I'm not entirely sure what the other two were. The side dishes (which include free refills) and the button system (located on each table and when pressed will summon a waiter) are enough of a reason for me to love going out for Korean - it's genius! The guys also ordered 3 Korean beers and were asked if they would like the 'buy 2 get 1 free' special. Strangely enough, they didn't decline :) Beers arrived immediately and the guys enjoyed them immensely. Meals arrived shortly afterwards in quick succession. The hot pot was huge and filled with plenty of meaty ribs, octopus, lettuce and other vegetables as well as rice noodles. It was placed on a burner and turned on and we were left to decide when it was hot enough to eat. In the meantime we started in on the kimchi pancake, which was big and tasty with the accompanying dipping sauce and there were several pieces for each of us. The raw wagyu salad was surprisingly delicious with the beef flavoursome and worked well with the fresh leaves and a slightly tangy dressing. The beef rib in the hot pot was tender and fall-apart. The octopus was quite chewy and I was less a fan of it. The soup was flavoursome and there were plenty of vegetables in there. The hotpot was so huge that we didn't get even close to finishing it, with most of the noodles and soup remaining. Maru is a really great dinner option in the CBD and if you like Korean food (or haven't tried it), check it out! Slightly more expensive than some of the others but our meal for 4 (including 2 beers for each of the guys) came out to just over $100, which is overall a pretty cheap meal! read more

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Maru was my first ever Korean experience and now i'm completely hooked. We came here one Wed lunch time with a group of 5 and the place was buzzing. Fortunately a member of our group was Korean so he could give us recommendations and ordering went really smoothly. We drank one too many jugs of beer but from what I can remember the meal was absolutely deliciously - So good that we came here the next day for round two. Service is prompt and they have the door bell/button thingy mabops on the tables so you don't have to cast a net out in order to catch a waiter! read more

for a person married to a Korean for almost twenty years, we are desperately craving for Korean food . we just had our lunch and first time here , we tried the basics to make sure they got it right. Bilmbap, doboggi, cold noodle , kimchi ! all made the way it should be . we had shoju and only if they have one from jeju , even that, it is great sip for lunch . definitely our place to come read more

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Korean BBQ can be such a great experience and fun date night out, but if the quality of the GoPro it cooking on your table is sub par then you're just spending the night chewing on meat that grows in your mouth as you chew... Happy to report that Maru is a quality restaurant with really quality food. My husband and I went here on our 4th wedding anniversary after experiencing good and bad Korean BBQ over the years and had the best time. It's BYO so that's a plus. Only $3/glass which is reasonable. We sat at the BBQ tables and ordered combo C which was a mix of Waygu beef option. The combo came with some sides, soup and rice and the only additional item we ordered was the lettuce/cabbage to use as wraps. The meat was melt in your mouth good, service was great as well with a button on your table you press for quick assistance. We spent over an hour enjoying the food, atmosphere, and experience - and drooling over their chicken wings platter that we didn't order but many people did. Our bill was $100 which for a special night out was really Good. Definitely recommend this place. read more

Sensational. Came here for Saturday lunch with my wife and 15month old son. Firstly the service was great with plenty of attention given to my boy. His own spoon, cup of juice and plenty if high fives and smiles. They even helped us carry his pram up and down the stairs. I've never really had Korean food before but thoroughly enjoyed it and will be back again. read more

Went for a birthday dinner. Unfortunately we didn't make the bbq option but the meals were delicious and of reasonable proportion. The service was a bit relaxed but they didn't mind a crazy toddler running up and down being extra friendly. A very popular destination and with good reason. If you're not too fussed with noise and relaxed service this place is worth it for the food. Bear in mind it is in the city so parking could be an issue if you don't pre book. If they offer parking discounts it wasn't well advertised. I'd go back for the food. read more

Maru is the perfect lunchtime spot for my colleagues and I! We seriously love the superfast service, the casual atmosphere, and best of all, the prices! The lunchtime skillets are hard to beat, and are loaded with a variety of meat, veg and sauce. Accompanied with a bowl of rice and a selection of three types of banchan, its hearty Korean comfort food. The stone bowls are also popular with my crowd, and when I'm feeling particularly carnivorous (or hungover) the spicy chicken wraps my stomach in happy comfort. Also, the tables have little buzzers on them, so a cheerful attendant is always just a button away. I havent' tried their bbq menu yet, but all of the tables on the second floor come equipped with built in charcoal bbqs for your grilling pleasure. read more

Been here multiple times and the food is good, but it's sometimes a little dry or flavorless. I have though become rather tired with this place, especially after discovering Wara Wara(Japanease), the restaurant with a small opening 4 meters away from it. The service is alright, though i would have liked to see a buzzer on each table, because they are a little bad at following up on you after having presented you with your seats, even when it's not to crowded. Prices are not high, average around $14 with good sizes, if not including BBQ dishes. You can definitely get full on less then $15 here. They have BBQ nights here with discounts upon ordering some alcohol, and is good choice for bringing a good group of friends too, but again, Wara Wara might be better at this as well with better food. So it's up to you, do you want Korean BBQ or amazing Japanese read more

Great buffet with quality meat! Love it... I went there with my friends. We order a bucket of beers and meat combo. The meat came in a good size, not too thick and thin. Staffs walked around to see what we need and they will change a paper in the grill everytime they saw it turned dark. Really enjoy the night. read more

Awesome food and friendly staff can't ask for much more and reasonably priced! Had the teriyaki bibimbap and was stuffed full 3/4 through. We sat downstairs as upstairs was full it is also the bbq area upstairs read more

One of the few places in Brisbane that remind me of Korea. The ambience in particular. The food is standard Korean food with a bit of western influence mixed in, but it hits the spot well enough when I'm looking for naengmyeon or ddeokbokki. Most dishes are done amazingly and service is quick, and the potion sizes are great for the price that you pay, and the lunch specials they have from 11am ~ 3pm have amazing deals. Definitely recommend trying at least once, it's my favourite Korean food place in Brisbane. They have a membership card, so if you go often remember to pick one up. read more

Craving soft tofu soup and this place hit the spot. Happened to be right across the street from my hotel. Bonus!

Maru is a Korean restaurant that is fairly new to the Brisbane Korean dining scene and although i can not compare it to other Korean restaurants in the area, I can say that I had a very enjoyable experience at this one. I came here with a couple of friends; one of which is a huge Korean BBQ fan. As my friend informed me, Maru is on the same street as many of the other Korean restaurants in the city. The one thing that impressed me about this restaurant was the decor, it has a minimalist look with the use of timbre wood giving it a modern but homely appeal. The menu was pretty big, offering plenty of rice and noodles dishes, but according to my friend; "nothing beats their Korean BBQ," so that is what we ordered. The BBQ experience was a lot of fun, they brought plates of fresh meat on the table which was left for us to cook ourselves on the little BBQ situated on the centre of our table. We also got a bunch of little sides to go with the meat such as lettuce, chilli sauce and macaroni cheese(I actually thought it was strange a Korean restaurant served us macaroni, but it was pretty good). All the meat was fresh and tender but I found myself mainly liking the marinated meats as I felt the others lacked a bit of flavour. My friends disagreed with me and preferred the non-marinated ones so it just goes to show, everybody's tastes are different. Another thing I thought was cool about this place was the concept of having bells by the edge of our table to get assistance from the wait staff. Whenever we wanted to order something, we would just need to press the bell and someone came right out! It kind of reminded me of the bells you get on your airplane seats to get assistance from the air hostesses. Apparently this is common in Korean restaurants but it was my first time seeing it. If you are planing on trying out Korean BBQ, Maru is a great place to try it out. I believe that Maru has a promising future ahead if it keeps serving dishes as this quality. read more

Awesome Korean food with awesome Korean beer. I signed up for membership after my meal and I'm not even Korean! Now I'm a regular diner there it's great! read more

Omgsh so glad that I chose this place for dinner last night!! It was awesome and I'm still suffering from a food coma! The place was totally full and there were lines of people waiting! It was really great! The tables all have beepers and its full service. I'm totally keen for another visit and next time and I'll defs bring more friends with me! My friend came with me for their first time and they loved it. We couldn't even get dessert afterwards. Totally full! I think next time we might turn up a bit earlier so we're not going to be gambling if we need to wait or anything else :) read more

This place is just bloody fantastic. There's a reason that it's so popular, and the reason is that the service is excellent, the food is cheap and awesome, and the decor is neat and modern. Make sure you book though; I've been disappointed that there were no free tables a few times. read more

Pretty disappointed with my last visit, waited 20+m for a table when there were tables free. When I went to ask about the wait I was silenced by gesture. When seated we waited an additional 10 minutes, and when no one came (even after pressing the button and being pointed at by one waiter) we decided to leave. I by no means am an uppity or impatient person, but when your a customer that feels unwanted it worsens your whole dining experience. Came for Korean BBQ, left sad and generally .... Just disappointed. read more

having visited maru for a few times with work colleagues for lunch only i have to say i don't recommend it for lunch. Dinner might be a whole different ball game but lunch is both overpriced and full of inferior ingredient. 13.6 bucks for a fried rice lunch special and super salty and not much seafood? there are other much better valued propositions in the vicinity. read more

Good food a little bit ex though and convenient for late night owls who are still around in the city looking for a decent meal.