The outside of the business looks awful but the food is amazing! Everytime we've been the food has been consistent and delicious.

I've been here many times over the years trying to decide my opinion on the establishment. It's really a sleeper in the restaurant scene of Hampton Roads: the outside isn't pretty and the name doesn't scream "Asian food", but I enjoy them regardless. More often than not, the group I go with will be the only party in the restaurant and there is one or two workers (giving the appearance of an unpopular place). But don't be fooled, the food is pretty great! First and foremost, I love that the large sake is served in a teapot, it is significantly more than other Asian restaurants for about the same price. Due to COVID, we didn't get to cook our own food (normally you can cook your food at the table with a built in stove) but they cooked it for us and everything was great. We ordered the largest BBQ option with all varieties of meat, and although it said the meal would be good for two, it was beyond enough. It comes with all the sweet and spicy sides that compliment the meal so well. This meal also came with a savory soup of tofu and mushrooms. The service here is always on point, regardless of few staff members working at a time. I'll always enjoy it here and always come here as long as I live here. read more

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Best Korean food I've had in this area since I mo to the mainland from Hawaii. just a great "Mom and Pop" establishment with excellent customer service. I'll definitely be back and bring more friends read more

The place definitely looked dead from the outside. But after a long search of decent Korean food in the area, we decided to try it. I'd have to say Norfolk Garden not only hit the spot, the dishes went beyond my expectations. We tried their galbitang, ugeoji galbitang, goni tang, seollongtang, and the fish soup. Everything tasted authentic and distinct. They were definitely pricey but portions were quite generous. The only complaint I had would be the banchan. Some of them just didn't taste as fresh. read more

Very good. Quick service. Nice portions. Delicious food. Very happy to find this place. The beef bulgogi is fantastic.

My family and I saw this place on ig and wanted some traditional Korean food... walked in and we were the only ones there, which at first did make us uncomfortable but we were willing to try! It's clean inside and decently decorated but I could immediately tell I was going to eat some of the best food. Kelly took such good care of us, going above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed our experience. Told us she's been there for 18 years. I highly recommend!!!! The food is some of the best Korean I've ever had and the service was absolutely outstanding. read more

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This place is like dead, I'm sorry the services is just bad, the glassware are dirty, the price is soooooo high so not so great quality food. We ordered 3 things came up to 134 dollar and meanwhile I go to the one in Virginia Beach Hansang order like 7 things and only 120 something. The whole experience is just bad she makes us feel like she was rushing us ordering and rushing us out, we were in the middle of eating and she started come over here saying you guys done yet? I'm going to be the togo box here you help yourself, ummm excuse me? Yeaaa definitely going to be the last time here. Btw if you want some extra kimchi even little bit they charge you 5 dollar extra. And the food it's sooo salty... good bye Norfolk garden. read more

Tuesday evening 6 p.m. Had a great evening. Our party of about a dozen were the only guests for the two hours that we were there. This was unexpected but it was ideal because we didn't have to worry about being a bother to anyone else. I don't know if Norfolk Garden is always this quiet on a weeknight, but if you want a quiet date this could be the weekday spot. You cannot tell the beauty of the inside by looking at the exterior. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked over a mock-bridge to enter the main room to see beautiful etched windows and lovely Asian decor throughout. Our very long table for our party was ready before we arrived. Being that no other patrons were in the restaurant I was surprised to see less than 6 menus scattered about. There was one server working, and 12+ of us, he handled himself pretty well. I was not displeased with the service. I'd say service was pretty good. I am wholly unfamiliar with Korean cuisine. Luckily I was seated next to a friend who could explain each dish to the group in detail, especially the subtle differences in the sauces. If you too are unfamiliar with Korean dishes bring along an expert, read the descriptions in detail, ask questions, especially if you don't want anything to spicy. As far as I know, everyone in our party thoroughly enjoyed their meal. Pork and beef were the favorites. High chairs are available for toddlers and baby carriers. read more

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PLEASE!!! Do not let the outside appearance put you off, the inside is charming and nicely appointed. The owner has had the restaurant for 20 yrs, and clearly knows her business. The selections of Korean specialties was amazing and the food I had was excellent. I was visiting the area on business, and will definitely return on my next visit to the area. GREAT DINNER read more

I only visited here because this was the 4th stop for Yelp Hampton Roads International Supper Club. I figured...sure I'd try something new to eat. I had the Chicken Bulgogi...it was pretty good. It just tasted like spicy chicken. I am not sure what makes it Korean, but I was pleased. So now I can say I've eaten Korean Food... I thought it was pricey...$17+ but I'm not sure what's a good price for this type of dining. However, the food was filling...too filling. I was super full when I left. The service was just ok...nothing to rave about at all. I also had the small sake...it was ok. I will return...but you will not find me running back. But it was time and money well spent. Thanks for the invite Yelp :) Thanks to you I tried something new :) read more

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Love this place from what I know there aren't too many Korean spots in Hampton Roads. Lucky this place is super great so that's all I need when my mouth is craving spicy and pickled kimchi and all the great banchan! I came here recently with a friend who knows all there is to know about korean food! We ordered a whole bunch of food, Kalbi Bimibap (that red sauce served with it does it to me all the time..yes!), Seafood Pancake which was perfect and flaky, and finally the Spicy Stir fried Squid! mmmmm Can't wait to come back and eat so much I need to be rolled out. Be right back my mouth is watering... read more

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Probably the best Korean joint in Tidewater, right up there with Asahi. Only problem is it's in a junky little building in front of a very sleazy hookers-and-drugs motel. It's not that bad a neighborhood, but this motel is a problem. There are often fallen ladies or skels in the motel lot. I would not go there at night. Sometimes at night they lock the restaurant doors and you have to phone them to get let in. But during the day it seems fine. Best beef bulgogi I've ever had though. Strongly recommend trying it at least once. read more

Service was a bit lacking, but it is understandable because of CoVid. The parking was a bit small, but manageable. Food came out great though! Despite CoVid going around, you can still dine-in. read more

Norfolk Garden - Nakji bokkum - Korean Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

The area around it is sketch but the food is great and authentic. The review about the door bell is hilarious btw because it's totally true.

Tip: Don't judge a book by its cover. It might not look like much from the outside but the food and service is definitely 5 star. This place had amazing authentic Korean BBQ and it's right off Military Highway around Janaf so it right in the middle of everything. For an appetizer we ordered the fried mandu it was super light and had some veggies in it, it was served sweet & sour sauce. The appetizer was brought out with a bunch of different kimchi; radish, cucumber, cabbage, turnip, and kongjaban(a sweet soy bean, first time ever haviing this and I LOVED it). For a meal I ordered dolsot bibimbap, usually I get chicken bulgolgi and I'm glad I switch it up! It was a hot stone bowl with rice covered in sprouts, carrots, zucchini, egg, seaweed. After we were finished they brought this sweet ginger/cinnamon tea out, which was so refreshing, 10/10 will be learning how to make that. read more

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I am always looking for authentic Korean food ever since having the real thing in Seoul. This place was absolutely delicious. Like the other reviews say, it was basically empty on a Sunday night at 5:30, and wasn't much to look at from the outside. It's well-kept inside. The woman who served us was so sweet to my kids. Prices were a tiny bit higher than I expected but I felt good supporting a local place. And of course, generous portions and lots of traditional side dishes (banchan). The kimchee is yummy and not overly spicy! read more

People are sleeping on this place! The most authentic Korean food I've had in Virginia Beach! Yes the exterior is not the most appealing but the food was delicious. The lady that was working looked like she was the only one serving, hosting and at the time gardening. Her only table that was present went out to get her when I came in. I ordered the Pork Bulgogi to go and she informed me that it would take 5 min for my food most places take triple that time! I see that a couple people put 1 star...I really don't understand how bc the service was excellent. The lady was so sweet and the food tasted authentic and portions were huge for the price. read more

Norfolk Garden - Pork Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I have never had Korean BBQ before, and I'll have to admit that when my friend mentioned this place I was a little sketched by the outside appearance. But the yelp reviews insisted it would be great and probably the most authentic, and they were right. Myself and 2 others came on a weekday and the place was empty, and we opted for cooking the food ourselves since the grills were open and available. I recommend doing this if you're in a group where people have different preferences for the way their meat is cooked. For starters we had the Yaki Mandu or Pan Fried Dumplings. Its similar to the texture of a egg roll but with less dough, a softer filling and less grease. If fried things aren't for your thing, you can also order it steamed. For our meal we ordered the Norfolk Garden Special, which is great if you are indecisive or want to get a taste for everything. It comes with Short Ribs, Bulgogi, Pork, Chicken, a small pot of soup, Rice, Lettuce Wraps and all the Banchan our hearts desired. Although the menu said it serves 2, there was plenty for the 3 of us. The Banchan included Kimchi, Bean Sprouts, Tofu, Eggplant, Black Soybeans, Sauteed Zucchini, Seaweed, Fish Cake and so much more that I can't even try to describe. I've been told this place serves the best banchan and I can see why. The process was simple, you can make a small meal of rice, meat and banchan or make lettuce wraps out of the same ingredients. I left in one of the biggest food comas of my life and enjoyed every minute of the experience. If you are up for trying something new with a group of friends, I would recommend coming here. read more

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Giving this a 4-star for menu variety and taste. But overall probably just a 3-star. This is the kind of place which will probably get less stars by snobby yelpers. But don't be scared of the location and even the exterior of the resto. You also might not like the dated and not-squeaky clean interior. But having eaten at many korean restos before, the food here tasted authentic. There's a great selection in the menu, including authentic korean dishes. The food we ordered tasted like it's made by a Korean grandma, in my opinion. Don't judge the book by its cover, they said. read more

Norfolk Garden - Bibim naengmyeon - Korean Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

As someone mention on a review before do not judge the place. The food was amazing and service was good. We got K-1 I believe and it tasted delicious read more

They don't no star or half star for the review. So...The folk is dirty., The door bell like spook house and the noodle is hair inside. It is sooooo disgusting and make me sick. I talked to the owner. She just trying to find excuses to tell me that is not her hair. Come on! Is this your way to run a business ? Also, only one waiter running around so you have to be wait long time even though there is no one. I am not recommended this place if you are not trying to clear your GI system..FOR REAL read more

Norfolk Garden - Hair in the noodle - Korean Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Located off Military Hwy, this is probably the best Korean Restaurant in Hampton Roads. It's open all the time and a very sweet lady takes care of you. Don't be deceived by the exterior, the food is excellent and service is like home. They also do to go orders. read more

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The interior decor of this place needs work as you feel like you're dining in cave and theres usually no one else there so it feel like it's a dying establishment. However the food is actually the best Korean food you'll find in Norfolk. The table top bbq is actually legit. They use a charcoal burning grill which adds a really awesome flavor to the food. Even more reputable Korean restaurants in Annandale and California don't have charcoal grills. So 5 stars for that! I definitely recommend getting galbi but it is the most expensive meat on the menu. It's worth it! The server is also the same Latino guy that I've been seeing for the last 4 years. I'm very impressed with his pronunciation of all the Korean dishes. Overall, it's pricey but the quality is excellent. It definitely satisfies my Korean food craving when I go. read more

This place has the best Korean food in town. Don't let the outside fool you. You may need to call the front desk to let you in. Once you are inside you, the atmosphere is so nice! Please eat here! read more

Regardless of it's misleading exterior, Norfolk Garden definitely what you would call a diamond in the rough! I came into the restaurant to order their Korean BBQ option not knowing exactly what to expect. Although it is not all you can eat, I found that the quality of the experience was really great. For instance, most of the Korean barbecue restaurants that I've visited in NOVA use an electric or gas grill; however, Norfolk Garden used charcoal, adding a distinct taste to the meat. They also had great side dishes! Overall, I would recommend Norfolk Garden for quality over quantity. read more

Okay, so this place is just about the sketchiest Korean restaurant in the area. Legit, there is never anyone in here. At the very least no more than two parties dinning every time I come in here. How they manage to stay alive for so long is beyond me. Biggest props to their OG Mexican waitstaff. Who happens to be fluent is Korean too! Like WHATTTT!? Anyways, he's killing it while being constantly yelled at by the big boss who may or may not be the only cook at the back. So food... it is pricey, so get ready to dish out a good $20 for a plate of anything. You can never go wrong with their bulgogi. Also note that if you really want that "grilling" on table experience, you have to purchase two or more to grill. So you cant just order one thing. Also, you will smell like food, but at least its bomb ass Korean food. Their bibimbap is pretty solid. What knocks off a star for me though is the fact that they no longer serve hoedeopbap because they no longer have their "japanese" menu that included raw fish. At the very least though, you will not leave feeling unsatisfied. Especially with the endless banchan! Havent tried their jigae just yet, but I will next time. Norfolk Garden was the very first Korean restaurant i've ever been to, but I have since learned so many other dishes out there from visiting places in NYC so I may have grown a little snobby taste when it comes to Korean food. But regardless, I STAY LOYAL. Norfolk Garden will always keep me coming back as a customer. read more

Been a while since I was here and decided to grab lunch. Got the Spicy Beef Stew (Yukgaejang, ) and after being overseas for the past few months, I had forgotten what it was like to have the full complement of side dishes. They were all good and made me realize how much I have been missing. I have to raise my rating of this place because of the food. It's a shame this place is in a depressed area, but if you want to have what I enjoy at home, then this is the place I like to go. read more

Norfolk Garden - Yukgaejang, and side dishes, which I ate all of it - Korean Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

OK, so everything about this place (exterior, interior) screamed scary, but we decided to try it out based on the Yelp reviews. Very glad we did! So, the KBBQ: very, very good for this area. We are fans of Kogiya, So, and Honey Pig in NoVA and found this place quite comparable. We got the Norfolk Garden Special, which at $50, was a good deal. FIRST, the use charcoal for grilling. So cool!! That's hard to find, even in places like Annandale VA. It really infused the meat with much better flavor than a standard electric grill. The Special came with chicken, pork, beef bulgogi, and galbi. It was all really yummy! It was all served raw and we got to grill it ourselves, unlike a lot of other places where the servers come over and basically still cook it for you if you aren't Korean. The bulgogi and galbi were the best. The cook(/owner?) also offered to cook the bone the galbi came off of in the kitchen for us. It was tasty! We ordered steamed egg as well, which is a personal favorite of mine, and their was the best I've ever had! The portion was huge and it was extremely fluffy. The meal also came with rice, romaine lettuce for making wraps, and the typical banchan. All were very good, especially the homemade kimchi. Yum. We were literally the only people in the restaurant, which was a bit weird, but I thought our server was good and they were so nice and welcoming! read more

This place is delicious!! 10/10 recommend. The service was great, the food was authentic, and it was overall a wonderful experience. Will definitely be coming back. read more

Norfolk Garden - Bibimbap with tofu - Korean Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I love this place so much! This is pretty much the only Korean place I will go so thanks so much to one of my closest friends for introducing me to this place. The pork bulgogi is the bomb dot com and teokbokki (sp?) is to die for! Highly recommend but I also recommend to be patient as there is only one server and the dinner rush can take a while. read more

Norfolk Garden - Yummmmm - Korean Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Suuuuch good food. So many sides and the social distancing made me feel safe and comfortable! A little pricey but definitely worth it thanks to the free sides and free tea we got at the end of our meal!! Please visit this restaurant, you won't regret it :) read more

Do not be misled by the exterior and proximity to the closed mall. This is a very nice place to eat, lots of extra food items included with your meal. Comes out sizzling and is delicious. The elderly women who runs it is very kind, and there was quick turnaround on everything. read more

Norfolk Garden is the epitome of "don't judge a book by its cover." Although the exterior and interior are both in desperate need of a renovation and fresh coat of paint, the food speaks for itself, and the service is great! This place has stellar and unique banchan (little side-tapas-like dishes that come out right before the meal for everyone to share), and they bring you a LOT of them! I love that every time I go they're also slightly different, so it's always a pleasant surprise to see both an old favorite and a new flavor to sample! The menu is extensive and includes a slew of traditional Korean dishes (bbq, soups, noodles, rice dishes) alongside some Japanese choices (sushi, yakisoba, tempuras) and some American-crowd-pleasers like chicken teriyaki, so there's something here for EVERYONE, not just the kimchi and bulgogi obsessed! Pro tip: If you want to grill your own meats tableside over real wood charcoal, make sure you ask your server for one of the special tables when you walk in, otherwise the kitchen will default to cooking everything for you (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that because their chef is phenomenal! However, if you want that do-it-yourself experience it's just something you have to ask for specifically. ) I can not recommend highly enough their chicken or pork bulgogi! It's melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and the umami is out of this world! Their gochujang sauce is house made and AMAZING, as well! I would happily buy a jar of it if they ever decided to sell it, and I would slather that stuff on everything with the equivalence of how the average American douses and dips everything in ketchup! Once you've stuffed yourself full of Korean delectables, the server will bring cold cinnamon tea with the check, and I so want to learn their secret recipe because it is the perfect sweet ending to a meal that satisfies on so many levels! read more

Don't let the outside fool you. The food is delicious and taste like authentic Korean food. Every dish we had was delicious!!

This is the best authentic Korean restaurant in Hampton Roads. My family and I are obsessed with Norfolk Garden. It was recommended by a friend and when we first went it look sketchy on the outside and like you might get sick from eating here but I promise you , you won't regret eating here ! read more

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The parking lot doesn't get too busy and the restaurant space itself seems somewhat sparse. Here's the thing. Norfolk Garden has the best Korean food in the area. Everything I have had including all the banchan is really as good as you'll get (not including what your Korean Mom makes). There is a Korean lady who will come out from the back every once in a while and usually to boss the poor Mexican guy around. It's not that bad. Really. I'm just impressed the server understands Korean and responds. Plus I've been yelled at by a Korean woman my whole life .. So I can empathize with the guy. I haven't had a bad meal here. The Kalbi is good, pork bulgogi is well done, kalbi tang is also fabulously flavored. I've had a sampling of the squid, samgyupsal (Korean bacon) and the bulgogi. All these were solid offerings. If you're looking for Korean food I'd definitely recommend Norfolk Garden. Don't worry about the empty parking lot or the almost empty restaurant. It really is the best around. Just trust me. Korean Promise. read more

It is a OKAY but bit pricey. Authentic old style Korean food. Pork belly is my favorite.

If you're looking for Korean food, look no further. Norfolk Garden is your place in the Hampton Roads area. The place kind of looks sketchy, but please do yourself a favor and look past that. You always start out with a lot of banchans, which are small starting dishes. Beans, potato salad, kimchi, cucumber kimchi, radish kimchi, etc. It's a great way to keep you occupied until the main event. If you order bbq, you get a great salad and some miso soup. The salad is some of the best salad I've ever had. I wish I knew what kind of dressing was on it! For entrees, I've had almost all of the bbq here. Pork belly, LA kalbi, premium kalbi, beef bulgogi, pork bulgogi, you name it. The last time I went there, I had the Galbi Dolsot Bab, which is a hot bowl of rice, cucumbers, an egg, and galbi. It was amazing. I've really never been disappointed with my entree choices. The meal always ends with a cold cinnamon like tea. It's a great way to ease your stomach after a full meal. There isn't much to say, other than this is the best Korean place in the area. If you're hungry and have extra time, spend it here. read more

Norfolk Garden - Galbi dolsot bab - Korean Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

It's late in the evening and we chose to eat Asian for dinner. We've been meaning to try this place out. At this time of the hour this would be the only restaurant at our nearest convenience and it closes at 11pm. From the looks of it on the side it seemed dark from street view. The sign isn't so noticeable at night accept for the sign that says Korean and Japanese food. The parking lot had 2 cars and was a bit empty. The building looked old and not up to date from the outside appearance. As we went inside we are led to a little cute entrance bridge along with a big bar on the rise side and another bar directly a head of us. It was definitely a surprise because I was expecting everything to look like a cheap hole in the wall if I had not known. There was an array of booths and seating great for big parties and a lot of empty chairs to fill. There was a small group eating at a booth as we waited. Upon arrival there was no one at the service area to help seat us. We waited patiently for practically almost 5-10 minutes. We didn't want to be rude but I had to pop my head in slightly at the kitchen to see if someone was there to seat us. The Hispanic server came out to seat us to the area where we could cook our food. We ordered the Norfolk garden special for two. It comes with galbi (kalbi short ribs), pork, chicken & beef bulgogi with banchan side dishes and a hot pot soup of tofu. For a entree that's for two, they came with a lot of meat. I was pleased with the authenticity and assortments of our banchan options. I'm not typically a kimchi fan but I could it was homemade and fresh. I like that it wasn't overly spicy and overly fermented in taste. I wasn't a fan of the glutinous rice cake but everything else was great side dishes that complimented well with my bbq. I also liked that we cooked it ourselves which made out meals more interactive and fun to eat. The Korean lady who worked here was behind the scenes making sure we were satisfied by refilling our waters and giving us extra kimchi, broccoli etc. whenever we ran out. It was nice of her to changed out our burner as well. It was starting to get overly smokey with meat residue stuck on the metal grill so by doing that our meat cooked faster and better. My husband was so pleased to have came here. You can never go wrong with bbq meats and rice. Although our initial opinion of their service wasn't so great. Since I literally had to walk to the back to get some service; but overall our dinner was satisfying. They made up for their service In the end, ensuring us a great dinner. Towards the end we were given a little tea cup with cold cinnamon flavored sweet tea as a palate cleanser. It was a great way to finish our night. I was stuffed. I'd recommend coming here for the grill entrees to get their Korean bbq. Next time I will order strictly the Kalbi short ribs and beef. That was my favorite portion of the meats I had tonight. I'm still a skeptic of the Japanese food here. Many times its best to stick to one cuisine choice that can be done well so quality isn't compensated for. I would love to have A+ sashimi grade sushi and I'm not sure I would experiment trying it here. But who knows till my next time around. I'd like to see if they can pull of a good bibimbap for me. read more

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Sweetest elderly lady served me and my friend and it's a very traditional Korean restaurant