INCREDIBLE. This was truly some of the best food I've had in Pittsburgh in so long. In general the food was very flavorful, balanced, and cooked to perfection. My favorite dish by far were the Dan dam noodles, which were so saucy and the noodles were amazingly cooked. The eggs in sll the dishes were perfectly cooked, with a tough exterior and jammy interior. The portion sizes were fantastic too, and for such a fair price! If you go, I highly highly recommend the miso ramen, Dan Dan noodles and cauliflower nuggets. I personally didn't love the empanadas as much (still good tho!) and was pretty indifferent to the tofu bao. Overall, such a great dining atmosphere with a laid back and casual vibe. One of my new favorite restaurants for sure! read more

Nanban - Smoked Tofu Bao Bun - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See all

Chicken is very, very crunchy, which was generally appealing for the first few bites. The chicken I think was just about done. It looked and the texture looked like maybe it was at the safe point, but it was hard to determine if it was pink inside or not because of my next point. The color of the interior lighting ranges from natural light to a red-orange light further back. (Made it a bit difficult to photograph, and felt like you were chicken under a heat lamp trying to stay warm.) Cold air rushes in as customers come and go. Big fan of the pickles and the sauces! I would go if someone suggested it, but I can think of other places I'd rather go in the area. read more

Nanban - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I went to Nanban on a weekday afternoon and there was plenty of space to dine in. There is only street parking. I got the gochujang drumsticks with biscuits and tonkotsu gravy as well as the shio ramen (I came hungry). The shio ramen was delicious and I would recommend it. The noodles were perfect and the broth was fantastic. The drumsticks were okay, but what really stood out in that dish were the biscuits with gravy, which were incredible. The atmosphere is great for dining alone. read more

Nanban - Shio Ramen - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See all

This is a cool little spot serving what they call "Asian soul food." I got a 2-piece Korean fried chicken plus a couple orders of bonchon - the sesame slaw and the marinated cucumbers. Bonchon came out first. The slaw is vinegar based, and the hint of sesame oil added nice flavor. I enjoyed the cucumbers a lot, as they had a bit of heat to them. The chicken came out a few minutes later, perfectly crunchy. I asked for the gochuchang sauce which tasted legit. It is counter service, and the team member working the counter was very pleasant and helpful. I'll be back next time I'm in town. read more

Tasty empanadas and salads. The tea was delish. Service was kind. The environment was casual - reminded me of a Cali casual surf side joint. We'll be back. read more

I stopped by here a couple of Sundays ago with my wife for brunch. We were in Lawrenceville and looking for a place to eat whenever I remembered that Ki Pollo was nearby and so we headed over. Whenever we arrived at around 11:30 we were the only people there and that was the case until we left around 12:10. The restaurant itself is bright and clean with light wooden (maybe ceramic made to look like wood) floors and then white walls with some red and orange stripes on them. There is exposed ductwork and then the ceiling is a darker red tile. The cash register is right where you walk in with the menu on the wall behind it with a display case full of their empanadas next to that. Ki Pollo is the type of place where you walk in and place your order and then sit down and the food is delivered to you. For lunch on this day my wife and I decided to split the special for the day which was the Sunday bucket and then we also ordered an extra shroom empanada and an alfajores. The Sunday bucket consisted of 4 pieces of chicken (breast, thigh, drum, wing), 2 empanadas with chimichurri, for which we choose chicken and caprese, 1 4 oz sauce (we chose garlic Parmesan), salt n pepper spiral potato, elote, 2 bao buns and a large house pickle. Our empanadas with the sauces and pickles came out first and we dug in. All of them were good in their own way with the dough being cooked nicely and having a golden brown color on the outside. The fillings were all really good as well as I thought that there was a decent amount of filling in each. Meanwhile the star of this for me was the chimmichuri which gave that nice fresh and herby flavor which I thought was the perfect foil to savory fillings. Whenever the rest of our food came, it was indeed in a bucket which actually surprised us. The fried chicken was easily some of the best I have had in Pittsburgh with the breading being almost impossibly crispy while the center was moist and juicy. Our elote was covered with all sorts of good spices while the corn underneath it was sweet. The salt and pepper spiral potato ended up being pretty unique. It was a spiral cut potato around a stick which was fried and so you could break of what might be called potato chips from it. They were especially good dipped in the garlic parm sauce which had a huge garlicky flavor. Last we're the bao buns which felt like some type of fried bread with herbs through it. The first one I ate while at the restaurant and it was a bit odd but fine. However the second one we took home and upon trying to eat some of it a bit later I found the middle to still be raw dough which was a shame. The bottom line for me is that I would head back here again in the future. My wife and I really enjoyed all of the food that we got except for that last bao bun. It turned what was going to be a 5 star review into a 4 star review and while it won't stop me from heading back here, I will check my food more carefully. read more

See all

Excellent food excellent service Highly recommended just remember bring cash to pay your bill

I only recommend their spicy chicken sandwich (which is still a little on the pricier end). Its slaw is good and the spice is like mala (numbing). I dined in a few days ago and decided to try something new - their miso ramen and beef empanada. Miso ramen mostly tasted of the seaweed and the tofu was not cooked with anything so it was incredibly bland. It was also served barely warm, with most of the toppings still cold. The beef empanada was decent and sauce was nice and sour but not really worth the $4. read more

Nanban - Miso Ramen - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I think the food tasted better when this place was KiPollo. Idk, something was off with the fried chicken that I ordered. The udon was just okay. Mid food, cute atmosphere. The best thing on the menu was the Brazilian limeade. read more

The first time I got the 6 wing special with the house sauce, and my friend got the shoyu ramen. The wings were 4/10. Not crispy at all, the flavor was one note, and the sauce was heavy on mayo. There was no depth to these wings which was disappointing since I had heard decent things about their chicken before. I tried the Shoyu ramen from my friend and I thought it was a solid 7.5/10 which honestly is great for ramen in Pittsburgh. The broth was nice and creamy and was not over salted. It was good enough for me to come back a week later and bring my friends. Boy do I regret that. The Shoyu ramen this time was a 5/10 at best. It was way over salted and the fried chicken that was put into it was soggy and chewy. I won't be coming back. Service is meh... Order at the counter, pay, and then sit down at a table. Pretty limited seating. Don't expect for a server to come back to check in on you for anything. Bottom line - disappointing. slightly above average ramen at best on a good day, but inconsistent and not worth your time. Below average wings that will hurt your stomach. Bonus reviews of dishes per friends -shoyu w/ pork belly substitute: 6/10 -miso ramen: 4/10 ; broth flavorless, tofu undercooked - garlic chili oil noodles: 8/10. The one dish that took more than 5 min to bring out of the kitchen which suggests it was made fresh. Had good spice and flavor read more

The food is amazing especially the spicy chicken sandwich . I loved the spicy chicken sandwich. The pricing seems very fair for the quality of food that you get. The only reason hiccup is they need to work on a better online order/phone ordering system, I was put on hold for around 9 minutes in order to place a mobile order. read more

Nanban - Spicy Chicken Sandwich - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I've been wanting to try this place for a while and it didn't disappoint I stuck to vegetarian items(even though I do enjoy meat) and they were very tasty especially the cauliflower with the chimichurri sauce it was amazing and my favorite dish. The sauce and the cauliflower complemented one another well. read more

Nanban - Cauliflower Bao bun Waffle fries Chimichurri sauce - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The most amazing ramen dishes I've ever had! The eat-in option is not that big, but the staff is so kind and accommodating. I highly recommend! read more

OMG. New to lawrenceville and I love this spot! Great casual Asian Soul Food spot with amazing empanadas and fried chicken options. The chimichurri sauce pairs perfectly with the empanadas ma. The bao buns are to die for. read more

Nanban - Pork Belly Bao Bun, Shoyu Pulled Chicken Bao Bun, Beef Empanada - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See all

We used to love the food here because they were able to accommodate gluten free and vegetarian diets but we saw some pretty glaring cleanliness issues and haven't been back since. read more

The staff was so incredibly kind to make accommodations for our party. They were attentive and the quality of the food was great!

I give it a solid 4/5. We got the 4 piece chicken with the inferno honey sauce, as well as 2 empanadas (beef and the special Thanksgiving one). The chicken was perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I didn't love the inferno honey sauce, and would try a different sauce next time. The beef empanada was good but nothing special. We liked the Thanksgiving empanada more actually - I think there was stuffing and ground Turkey in it. It came with an interesting sauce on the side (I'm not sure what it was, but it was oily and had green stuff in it, but went well with the empanada!). Small space inside the restaurant, nice server. I'd come back for the chicken and maybe to try the ramen! read more

Absolutely incredible food! Some of the best I've ever eaten and lovely service and atmosphere. Empanadas, buns, ramen, fried chicken sandwich, and lemongrass sweet tea were all delicious. Will definitely be coming back for more read more

Nanban - Chicken Sandwich Combo, Miso ramen - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The server was super nice and accommodating. We were only there for takeout, and I didn't try the ramen. The location is very small and there isn't too much seating available. The food was just okay in my opinion. If you want an Asian fusion option it's not bad, but I'm from Northern VA so I have really high standards for Asian cuisine. read more

Nanban - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Great food, service was fast, and ambiance was very low key. I've gone back for the ramen!

Miss Ki Pollo and Ki Ramen, but now it's the best of both! Best Ramen, best Empanada, and the Chicken Sandwich is one of the best around. read more

Nanban has become our go-to Saturday spot for a relaxed late lunch with our young kids. The outdoor tables are perfect and the staff is very accommodating. The food is awesome, too. Can't miss with that banchan pla read more

Nanban - Banchan - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This was my husband and I's second time eating here. The first order was takeout, this time we ate outside of the restaurant. SO so so goooooood!! We both got spicy chicken sandwiches and loved them. The sandwiches are huge and they give you a large portion of fries with the combo (my husband doesn't like to share food but he said we could've split them ). Everything is so fresh and the ingredients together are so tasty!! Highly recommend. The only thing we don't like about the place is that they're closed on Monday's read more

Nanban - Spicy Chicken Sandwich Combo Waffle Fries Yerba Mate - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Ki Pollo is the newest addition to the row of restaurants along Butler Street in Lawrenceville. The service is prompt and the staff is incredibly friendly. They feature baked empanadas and Korean Fried Chicken with various sauce choices. I ordered the Combo which comes with a chicken breast, a thigh, a whole wing, and your choice of two empanadas and two sauces. They also give you a fried scallion bao bun and homemade pickles. The chicken was incredibly juicy and piping hot and the breading was very thick and crunchy but lacked a bit of seasoning. For my sauces, I picked the BBQ tamarind and the gochujan sauces. The BBQ tamarind was salty, savory, and slightly sweet. The gochujan is a thicker spicier sauce that packs a nice heat. Both great sauces for dipping the chicken into. The scallion bao was fried and has a prominent scallion flavor and is incredibly tasty - it's like biting into a pillow. The two empanadas I ordered were the Pollo empanada and the Ham and cheese empanada. The Pollo was delicious and packed full of chicken. The Ham and cheese empanada was interesting and tasty but not nearly as filled as the Pollo empanada was. The lightly baked and fluffy dough on both were amazing. The empanadas came with a chimmi sauce too which was a bit too oil-heavy for my taste, but the herbs in the chimmi were very fresh. Korean Fried Chicken and Empanadas are definitely a welcoming option to Lawrenceville. I look forward to trying the rest of their sauces and especially the alfajores. read more

See all

Was excited to try this fried chicken joint as I have enjoyed my meals at Ki Ramen and Umami. Unfortunately, it did not live up to its expectations. My friend and I both got their two piece fried chicken. I ordered a thigh, leg, and wing, but got two thighs and a wing. Their prices are very reasonable as two pieces of fried chicken are $6. They also have a variety of sauces. I got the sambal sauce, which had a nice coconut flavor. We came on a Friday night and it was busy. The restaurant is pretty small. Our food came out quickly. The chicken was nice and crispy. However, it was very oily. There were pools of it dripping on the tray. Also, you could fast the oil on the chicken. The chicken was tender though. The scallion bun was good too. Overall, would mostly likely not come back to this place due just feeling very greasy afterwards. read more

Nanban - Fried chicken - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I'm going to start by saying I gave Ki Pollo 3 stars not because of the quality of food or service, but because I felt I had high expectations and it didn't live up. Upon entry I found it to be bigger than expected. With so much space I thought they would have more options. They only have a handful of empanada options - Chicken, beef, mushroom, pumpkin and yesterday they had a special one with shrimp. The empanadas are a decent size. I advise ordering at lease two to make a meal. I also ordered a size of rice and beans. All in all it made a good size meal. Prices are reasonable for Lawrenceville. The best part is it's BYOB! I can't say I'll be back. I don't think I'll find myself searching for a reason just because of the limited offerings over all. read more

See all

Excellent. Let me start with this FIRST- They are being slammed for an opening. As in - sold out hourly and they're still just chugging away pouring their heart out. Cooking and refilling their kitchen to keep making more food. Which is just unreal. I spoke to one of the cooks who happens to live near me. He said how much many hundreds of pounds of chicken they went through on their second day. Impressive. The dedication to their craftsmanship & patrons is just unheard of. They just keep cooking after selling out throughout the day. Their passion to keep serving. It's unreal! So if you go over. Do NOT expect a full menu. I went in 3 times and found the menu picked over and half sold out. Today I went over & I ordered ahead and picked up an hour later knowing they were cooking and told to return in 45. Now the food. Empanadas & green chimichurri sauce- I ordered chicken & pumpkin. I was hesitant to order pumpkin & almost didn't and am so glad that I did. The pumpkin empanada is surprisingly the best part of the meal. Which isn't easy to determine. The entire meal is delicious. The pumpkin is sweet, yet savory with a very slight smokiness while pairing nicely with the green chimichurri sauce that accompanies each empanada order. Each empanadas is packaged w their fresh chimichurri sauce. It's a very mild, fresh green sauce. Delicious. The empanadas are nice authentic palm sized piece. Perfectly made so that the purpose is cooked and crisp and the inside is cooked perfectly. Just right. (Not some bizarre, disgusting inappropriate sized & cooked Americanized bastard which was a relief) The Buns, oh The Buns Then there were the Buns. Oh. My. Goodness. I love the Buns. I could order just a dozen Buns and sit in the park and eat them. They are so good. Please don't judge me when you pass me on a bench doing that. The Sauces. I ordered extra sauce for my order. One of each. I found that I did like all of them however the soy did stand out for me. But it's a personal preference. There weren't any that I didn't like. Not a one. So when it comes to ordering, it's all what you prefer. Go with your gut. They're all really good & taste fresh. The Chicken. Ok so now that I've had their chicken twice, I have to say. I really like it & so do the kids. The kids like it a lot. The KIDS LOVE THE CHICKEN!Which is awesome. I'm super excited to have somewhere nearby that I can just grab fresh cooked food from that the kiddo loves. So Ki Pollo has been open a week. I've been in 4 times. Gotten food twice. I'll be back a lot more and am being patient because I get that they're good is so awesome they're selling out as fast as they can cook. I get it. I love it too. read more

Nanban - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See all

It's good. I like their ramen. I miss the variety of menu options from Ki Ramen, but Nanban is nice when I want ramen and my partner wants a chicken sandwich. read more

This is seriously one of the most incredible places I've ever had Ramen at. Highly recommend getting exactly what my order is if you like spicy. I've been going here for about two years, no other restaurant can beat it. read more

See all

Glad to finally have been able to stop here for lunch, as I'm a sucker for fried chicken (fried anything really). I've had my fair share of korean fried chicken, primarily in NYC, and Ki Pollo is great, but not up to par with some of the best I've tried. It comes out smoking hot and nice and crispy, but just lacks a bit on flavor (which the sauces help as they were all delicious). As far as the sides go, the kimchi and homemade pickled were both great. My wife enjoyed the chicken sandwich and so did I, but I wasn't a fan of the toast... would've preferred a roll or another bread option. The bao that came with the four piece chicken was fantastic though, and probably my highlight of the meal. The staff was friendly and they have affordable prices, so I would definitely stop back when in the area, but just not for a special visit. read more

Can't say that I've had a better fried chicken sandwich in the city. Absolutely phenomenal! Flavors were bursting on every tastebud in my mouth. The smell of fresh dough, vegetables and spices hit you from the moment you walk in. Employees take pride in this place and every bit of it shows. I'm glad that I didn't wait a day later to come here. Nice, hip, easy going place with unmatched Korean cuisine. The chicken is fried to perfection and the empanadas and bao are light, fluffy and full of flavors. Did I mention it was BYOB with no corkage fee? Win! Get here now! read more

See all

Just picked up some shroom Empanadas! They were so delicious! I can't wait to try out other items on the menu!

There spicy chicken bao is super yummy and not too spicy (as a person who usually doesn't like spicy) and the ship ramen is sooo yummmmy read more

Nanban - Mayu "Hot Chicken" Bao Bun - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See all

Ki Pollo is the best fried chicken in Pittsburgh. Dwayne was great and helped me out with the recommendations. Thanks Dwayne.

Has slipped in quality, unfortunately. Waaaaay too salty empanadas (and I love salt). Chicken sando was missing slaw which it sorely needed. Won't be going back. read more

Went a few weeks ago the first time with my Boyfriend. We ordered Fried chicken, half a bird. I'm not crazy about chicken, this was perfectly fried, crispy outside and juicy inside. Also ordered a veggie Pho, we were pleasantly surprised by the melded flavors. They have a bunch of sauces and we ordered 3 different ones. Today, my Son and Granddaughter visited and brought us WTPho and Nan Ban!! Double the beautiful food. 5 stars given for service, there was a woman in the kitchen and one man at the counter!! Thank you two read more

I'm a big fan of Ki Pollo's fried chicken with gochujang sauce - it's seriously delicious with just the right amount of heat! The fusion of empanadas with items such as kimchi and bao buns may seem odd at first, but this place knows how to do justice to both styles! If you're headed there for lunch, the bento box seems like the best deal in terms of cost and allowing you to try a bunch of different things. Do yourself a favor and try their fried chicken if you're a fan of fried chicken - you won't regret it!! read more

I would love to tell you about the delicious food. Unfortunately after verifying their hours and driving a long way since I don't live in the city, I arrived to a sign that said "Nanban is closing at 5:30 today due to a shortage of staff." I had arrived a little before 6. read more

The fried chicken is good. It's got a great crunch and chicken is well cooked without being dry. I don't understand people complaining about greasiness. It's FRIED chicken it's supposed to be greasy. If you're coming here to rack up Weight Watchers points, go across the street and eat the grass off of the park. It is not authentic Korean Fried Chicken. Growing up in Korea, the fried chicken w sauce is usually spicier and tangier. They do a good job, but it's not the best. The service is great and the price is also good for what we get. I'm pretty happy with the quality and flavor of the food. It is also the only unique fried chicken joint around Pittsburgh, so I really hope they stick around. read more

Tried the food after they switched to Nanban and everything we had was great! We tried the spicy chicken and seitan bao buns, the spicy chicken sandwich, chicken gyoza, and churros. We'll have to come back to try the ramen, empanadas, and other selections on the menu. read more

Nanban - Spicy chicken and seitan bao - Empanadas Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See all