Maybe I had too high of an expectation going in, but it was a slightly disappointing experience for me, unfortunately. Even as I'm writing this review, I'm struggling between two and three stars.. It's got the hole-in-the-wall traditional Korean look and feel to it that I usually love. The old, faded wallpapers, the run down tables and chairs, the stacked up supply boxes that are folded in all over the place, etc. I usually love these aesthetics. But at the end of the day, the food has to be good to make people like us imagine that the owners cared only about honing their crafts and serving good food to customers and they just didn't have anything else like updating the interior to be more modern in mind. Well, I don't think that was the case. Based on my research, this place must have been one of the better places a little while ago, for it belonged to many people's list for offering a few very specific items that stood out of the menu, mandoo (dumplings) being one of them. Mandoogook (dumpling soup) was introduced as a must-have because of their house-made mandoo. My family and I ordered a few different things from the menu including steamed mandoo appetizer. I honestly can't remember what I ordered for my main and all I can remember is that mandoo was disappointing. It not only wasn't as good as the hype, but some pieces contained bit of an "old ingredient" taste. This visit was only a few weeks ago, but I don't remember what else we ordered. In my book, not making an impression is just as bad as making a bad impression, if not worse. All I can say is that everything else was just average. Not good, not bad.. I did hear in passing, the owner speaking to someone perceived to be a regular patron that she's retiring in a week or two, and that the place has been sold to someone else. This explained the lack of enthusiasm and the drive to serve your customers good food. She must have put the good years behind her and ready to move on, and I happened to catch her at the tail end.. Either way, my experience was what my experience was. I didn't have a great meal and I must give it 3 stars for it. Maybe, just maybe I'll revisit once it's changed ownership. We'll see.. read more

I was super sad I didn't like this place because it seems like a perfect place for comfort Korean food. It's a very nice homey vibe and comforting atmosphere. However the food we ordered was just okay. The japchae was good but nothing special and many other Korean places do it better. I really did not like the mul naemyeong. It was so bland with no flavor. It's usually one of my favorite dishes to get so I was very disappointed. I was also not a huge fan of the selection of Banchan. However the service was good and before our dishes came out we were served some nice and warm hot soup since it was storming outside. read more

See all

Food traditional and delicious. Prices reasonable. Service attentive and obliging to requests. read more

I absolutely ADORE this place. if you're looking for a calm, cozy ambiance to eat authentic korean food, this is absolutely the place. You will be greeted by the elderly couple that I believe run the location and get seated immediately. The food comes fairly quickly and there's a nice drink selection if you ever want to really relax with some soju or wine. I love the couple that run this place & their food. If you come by here, you'll never forget it. :-) read more

Super good and authentic Korean food at reasonable prices... the last time I checked.. but its been while. Guess I'll find out tomorrow. Recommend the private room for larger gatherings especially if you have rugrats in your party... helps corral them and the noise, which is normal in a Korean place. Funny how its trendy now, basically Asian comfort food that is not fancy but takes a lot of effort to make from scratch. Deli in a K store is the answer vs. takeouts but I digress. Legit food at mom & pop prices, helps if you can speak or bring a Korean that speaks, but you can get by without. They also have mul naengmyun (cool noodles) in the summer and du duk (rice cake soup) which is my fave for winter. Its not a BBQ though you'd just order the dish. read more

Pusan Restaurant - Mandoo, Banchan, Mul Nangmyun and Duk Guk - Korean Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

We came here after finding another Korean place closed unexpectedly early. It was a pleasant surprised. We skimmed the Yelp reviews and had an idea of what to order and expect in terms of service. While reviews aren't always accurate, it does provide me with a baseline. It's a simple, homey, cozy mom and pop feel Korean joint. Upon being seated, we were brought hot tea and menus. We ordered Rib Soup, Bulgogi, and Mackarel. We were brought banchans and rice. The banchans were really fresh and clean. I could taste the ingredients that went into each banchan. My favorites were the kimchi based ones. The food: Mackerel was a simple dish, but well executed. Well seasoned and fried to a perfect crispiness that was complemented by the banchan well. Rib Soup had a mix of glass noodle, beef bones with chunks of beef, and turnip. It was vvveerrrryyy tasty and my favorite dish here. I added some rice to go with it and sucked on the bone for that tasty very concentrated beef broth. Bulgogi was good. Well seasoned and plentiful. I personally prefer a little char on my bulgogi, which isn't the healthiest, but still my preference. Still a solid dish, but I just prefer the soup and mackerel so much more. Service: I honestly was expecting questionable service, but that wasn't the case at all. Granted, when we were there, there was only one other occupied table, but there was also only one granny attending to the tables. We were short a chopstick intially, but when I caught her eyes, she came by to check in on us. When she learned that we were without a pair of chopsticks, she promptly brought it while jokingly scolding herself. I'm a slow eater, so any meals with me feels like a marathon. In our time there, she checked in on us to offer us more tea and more banchan (particularly the kimchi--yum!). I'd say she was above average in attentiveness and friendliness. I would imagine if it was more busy, it might take awhile longer. However, our experience was awesome. Conclusion: The food was good. Price is reasonable. I'd be willing to wait to support this small business while getting good food. read more

Pusan Restaurant - Mackerel, bulgogi, and rib soup - Korean Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

See all

Excellent, comforting food. Pleasant service. Perfect after a long day of indoor pickleball.

Amazing home style Korean food. The bulgogi could've been more satisfying but overall this was a satisfying experience. Will be back soon!

We came with friends who had heard about this place. Shared a few meals and it was so good! The service was great. My hot tea was never low! It's a small place, and it seems like everything is fresh and cooked on the spot. All the food came out perfectly hot! Every meal we had was delicious. Overall, a nice local restaurant! read more

See all

Best restaurant for dumpling soup. They make homemade dumpling ! You should definitely try! Best restaurant in town. read more

Pusan Restaurant - Dumpling soup - Korean Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

the side dish is amazing, nice drinks, very tasty soups. I will come back again. You have to try the beef rib soup. read more

Pusan Restaurant - Beef rib soup - Korean Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

We were in the mood for Korean bbq and were looking for a place to eat with some friends, after reading the reviews we decided to check out Pusan Restaurant and I'm so glad we did! It was empty when we got there so we got sat immediately. We were served hot tea and also ordered beers and hot sake. For food, we started with the Korean pancake and fried dumplings -- SO GOOD. We decided to cook our own meat too and for four of us ordered Bulgogi, short ribs, and marinated pork -- the pork came cooked, but we were in charge of the bulgogi and short ribs at our table. Everything was INCREDIBLE, including all of the sides! With our check, we were served a sweet yogurt treat! This is definitely a hidden gem -- please go support this awesome restaurant! read more

My experience with this place was terrible! The seafood pancake was undercooked, totally gluey. Unbelievable. The gamja tang (pork bone soup) was not authentic at all, they just put pork in some really spicy soup. ASSI plaza has the best and most authentic gamjatang, this one was nothing like theirs! Chap chae noodles and bibimbap were ok, not tasty, just edible; these are very simple dishes and any korean food courts in IL made better than them. The best food here was the bowl of steam rice no kidding. So disappointed. Not sure how this place gets those 4-5 star reviews! read more

I continue to be pleasantly surprised every time I eat here! It's a very unassuming restaurant but the food is amazing! I almost feel like you're eating in someone's house that also happens to be a restaurant. Our server was very attentive and made sure we had water at all times. If you like to eat Korean food besides bbq, this is the place to go! read more

Amazing service and amazing food! If ever we're in the area again, we'll definitely be coming back. What we ordered: Dolsot bibimbap Bibimbap Kalbi tang And jongul with plenty of banchan! I almost ordered a rice cake and mandoo (dumpling) soup, but thankfully I didn't because the servings are large and plentiful for our party of five! Dad was in love with his kalbi tang and I believe he finished the bowl. My aunt who's from out of town enjoyed her dolsot bibimbap that we ordered for her and so did my mom and brother! The jongul was amazing and sweet and refreshing too! I loved all the veggies and tofu -- and of course the meat. We loved all of the banchan! I think that was the best kimchi I've had at a restaurant in a while, and I mean A WHILE. Most places make it salty or way too fishy. Theirs was a perfect balance. The pickled mushrooms surprised my parents and aunt because it was a different way to prepare mushrooms. We came hungry, cold, and tired from traveling. We left warm and full and ready to seize the rest of our day! ! read more

See all

My mind was blown. A friend and I were dying for some Korean bbq and the first place we looked up had a 2 hour wait so we found another place nearby. Little tricky to locate after dark if you are unfamiliar with the area. Small and cozy when you get inside. Very clean!! We decided to grill at the table ourselves and ordered our selection of meats. And then we proceeded to wait, and wait and wait.... It was a while. But when all the little sides came and then the meat and we grilled it up.... Our minds were absolutely blown. It was worth the wait. Everything was fresh, well seasoned, and the portions were good too. It took a while to get started but it was fabulous. Great food and kind service. I would happily go again and bring more people!!! read more

Pusan Restaurant - a variety of dishes on a table - Korean Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

See all

So cute. I think the owners were husband/wife, although I didn't ask. We got the BBQ at the table. We eat a lot of Korean food, and honestly came here because another Korean place was busy and said we couldn't add our name to a waiting list. So the food was great, but the nice thing was, the Kimchi was amazing. I make a lot of Kimchi at home, and this was better. I asked of it was homemade and she said yes. After they wrapped up our leftovers I noticed she had included a couple of containers of kimchi in the bag she had given us. So sweet! read more

This used to be the go-to for Korean BBQ in the Northwest Suburbs, but much has changed. Though Pusan is no longer the top contender for KBBQ, the other traditional Korean dishes served seem to be more popular. Specifically, the elder Korean ladies know that this is the spot for Seulleongtang (beef bone broth soup). On this occasion, I got the galbi tang (short rib soup), and my grandma got the seulleongtang. The banchan (side dishes) were plentiful and delicious, and the soups were both excellent. This place definitely satisfied that comfort food feeling. read more

Nice Korean restaurant in a small strip mall. Small, cozy, and comfortable interior with friendly service. Don't worry if you can't read Korean as there's full English translations on the menu. Food was fresh, with clean flavors, not overly salty or spicy -- although light on protein but subsequently light on price as well. We were served 9 appetizers with our meal, of which a spicy cold squash and marinated potato dish were my favorites. The chap chae (light but full of flavor), bibimbap (good contrast of textures), and rib soup (flavorful broth) were my favorite items. Overall, a place I'd definitely return too -- good food does not have to be fancy, unique, or overseasoned -- fresh and executed well is all it takes to make an enjoyable meal. read more

See all

The food is so good and reasonably priced for the quality and service!! The owners are so so so kind and welcoming. My friends and I live over 2 hours away and we still make it back here almost once a month for the past 6 months just because we love the owners and food so much :) All their soups are good!! read more

FOOD: I was really pleased with the lunch menu options at all very reasonable prices for extremely generous portions! Majority of lunch menu options are around $7 to $9 and they have a wide variety of banchan (side dishes like kimchi). I prefer their banchan over a lot of other Korean places actually. I didn't get a chance to order off regular menu yet. I ordered the flank soup (flank steak soup) and it was good. I was extremely surprised by the large portions for lunch. It had shredded flank steak, clear noodles, veggies, etc. It was in a clear spicy broth. YUM! My sister got a different beef soup that was also very good as well. SERVICE: The one Korean lady was extremely nice and patient with us in the ordering process since it took us a while to order. Although she was very nice, it seems as though they don't really take notice to when things are needed at the table such as we were done eating for about ten minutes but they didn't even notice to bring a check over or ask if we needed boxes (and yes, you will most likely need a box). The other Korean lady kind of gave us an attitude for no reason when we just asked where the restrooms were. Not sure how I feel about service here. ATMOSPHERE: very small space, and I'm not sure if they ever get busy but I'd call in to make a reservation if you have a larger group. I went in on a weekday lunch time so it was pretty empty. **VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: I got food poisoning later that day from the food I ate there that day. Nobody else in my party got sick except for me. But I won't rule them out completely just because I know sometimes food poisoning can be from random things. They were overall pretty decent with their food so maybe I will still go back?** read more

Pusan Restaurant - Lunch special flank soup... Not too spicy... Very filling! - Korean Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

See all

Ordered an appetizer and entree; all (including the side dishes) took a long time to arrive and they were all served at the same time. The food was just okay and the waitress (owner?) was rude and unfriendly. Will not be going back here. read more

This is one of our go-to Korean places. I'd particularly recommend the Rib Soup. It's flavorful short rib in a bone broth that, judging by the flavor, has certainly been simmering for hours. Atmosphere could use some updating and occasionally it's a slower service. However, don't let that detract from your overall experience - it's worth it. read more

The side dishes are to die for here. I've never had something so delicately made in a recipe. The side dishes were simply delicious. The kimchi-jjigae was also pretty good albeit a bit light to the palette. If I could come here again I would just order anything just to try the side dishes. You can tell the owners / chefs really get their work cut in in terms of their experience making the side dishes here! Delicious. read more

Food is decent. Lots of Korean restaurants opens at noon but this one opens early. Side dish variety are plentiful compare to some restaurants near by. Place looks old but it's the taste that matters I guess! read more

The best mandu soup ever! Homemade dumplings. Service was a tad slow because the mandus were being made fresh, but I'll wait for that! Everything else was great! We'll be going back. read more

Authentic Korean food. Beef tongue soup is sooo good. Perfect for winter. The server lady we had was very straightforward in terms of communication style but we appreciate she told us upfront that we might have ordered too much, so we didn't end up wasting food. Love the soup and will try their other dishes too! read more

Pusan Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

This is old-school Korean- including all the Korean grandmas that work there. If you're not familiar with how Korean service typically is or how Korean grannies handle their business, then you might be a little put-off and lament about the bad service, but they're not being rude, that's just how they are. Also, keep in mind, that the chef is a nearly 80 year old Korean granny that often mans the kitchen by herself. Just focus on the food. The banchans (side dishes) are probably as good as you'll get at any Korean restaurant in the Chicago area. I always come here with family- we order a plethora of entrees and share family style. Everything has been delicious- just like you would expect most Korean grandmas to make you your food. read more

I'll give this 2 stars when it should probably get one. This place has so much potential and before they hired their current waitress, life was great here. Food is great, but I do agree overpriced a bit. Service is absolutely a nightmare. If there is more than exactly 1 table of customers then it's a cluster. The waitress can't manage more than 1 table and gets very rude with you when you ask for anything. Stay clear of here and go down the street to bowl & bbq. read more

Place is amazing, the side dishes are so delicious. All food cooked by an elderly korean person, so you know it'll be good

Oh, Pusan. You will always know how to warm this Korean girl's heart. Went here with my girlfriends after one friend (and fellow Yelper, Annie L.!) was craving the heavenly food that is Korean galbi (Korean BBQ). After having gone to many other Korean galbi restaurants, I feel as though this place always hits the spot--the meat is always well-marinated, has the perfect thickness, and always comes with generous amounts of banchan (Korean side dishes). On top of that, they have one of THE BEST complimentary dwen-jang jjigae's (Korean bean paste and tofu soup) around. I also ordered a pork-kimchi bokkeum (pork belly and kimchi stir fried together with tofu on the side) to go for the boyfriend and they do an awesome job with this dish as well. A lot of places have the tendency to drown the dish in sauces other than the kimchi sauce, but this one was done perfectly. There's also plenty enough for seconds the next day. The owners themselves are always friendly and willing to help those out who are unfamiliar with cooking galbi at their tables. They also make sure to stop to every each table and ask how everyone is doing or if there's anything we need. Love, love, LOVE Pusan. Has been and always will be a favorite! read more

I love this place. Seriously. After my horrifying experience with New Seoul, I was just about done with going out to eat at Korean restaurants. (I'm half korean, and I cook mainly korean food at home). However, my husband (Born and raised in Korea until we decided to move to the states 3 years ago), had a company dinner here and was floored by how good this place was. He INSISTED that we had to go. He never does that.. doesn't like to eat out. Especially for Korean food (Damn it Chicagoland, pull it together!) So we went. I wasn't expecting much, but whoa. This place has some EXCELLENT galbi. Not just in the U.S., but Excellent as in it could compete and win patrons even if it was in Korea. We always have the marinated beef galbi. The marinade is perfect, and has really good side dishes. We went again a few weeks ago with a friend of mine who just came to chicago to take an ESL course (Korean) and she said the same thing. "This galbi is excellent galbi. Even if this place was in Korea." When you go, if you're having the galbi, ask the server to cook the bones in the kitchen. They would debone the meat from the ribes, and cook it to about medium rare. They will bring it back out to you. Continue cooking them some more until they are well done. This part is just the best combo of chewy and crispy. A long time regular told us to go only on the weekends. Apparently, that is when the good cook is present. I guess it isn't as good during the week? The service can be a little slow, it's just one lady serving the whole restaurant (the space is pretty small so it isn't so bad). However, the service is very good and they are just all around good people. if you really want some good galbi, give this place a try. It's definitely worth it. It's also cheaper than New Seoul (grunts with anger) read more

Great food and taste. Their side dishes are amazing. I can eat everyday here. Perfect place.

Authentic, home cooked Korean food. Friendly servers, you can BBQ right at the table. Restaurant is no frills but clean and the important thing is top notch taste. I had the short rib beef soup and couldn't finish it all. Got all the little appetizers like seaweed, fish, mushrooms, etc. Great prices. Outside sign in Korean so may be hard for some to find. read more

Pusan Restaurant - Short rib soup! - Korean Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

If this place wasnt so far from me, I'd go there all the time. I always miss my mom's homecooked meals and this place tastes just like that. My favorite is the spicy kalbi tang soup....mmmmm! i noticed a consistency in the reviews about the people who own it. they are rly nice people with great service. That's what makes them different from the rest. I like giving my business to people that seem like they actually care =) def recommend this place! OH! and they have a family size bbq table in a separate room for more of a private gathering/dinner, away from the rest of the restaurant. read more

Now open on Tuesday evenings! Still a great place to go. Our daughter is 2 and it's one of her favorites too now. One of her favorite foods when she was just starting to eat "real" food was their stewed potatoes side dish/banchan. Liked it so much she could eat almost 2 plates of it as a 1 yr old. It definitely amused the owners. read more

Was looking for Korean food for thanksgiving day lunch and found this cozy little place tucked in a corner of a strip mall. The banchan was plentiful and delicious -- tempura zucchini and fish cake were my favorite. Also got the soondubu and short rib soup, could really tell the broth was boiled for hours. Next time will come again to try their kbbq! read more

Pusan Restaurant - Soondubu and banchan - Korean Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

Excellent Korean food in a great quaint restaurant! The service was also on-point. The ambiance has a strong Korean flair and the restaurant seems to be aimed for Korean customers. They only set chopsticks on the table, so my brother had a bit of a hard time with them. The waitress was very kind to offer him some silverware, but I guess his stubbornness got the better of him and he managed to eat his meal without a fork. Will visit again. read more

Yookgejang here is a great price at $7.99. The soup wasn't that hearty or spicy, but it was pretty good and the side dishes were pretty good. read more

Can't take long because my wife and I are about to head out to dinner for korean and i tend to write novels. I think we're on a leisure quest to try most of the korean joints in the northwest burbs. We went here on the 4th of july and loved it! Major note: get the gun mandoo (fried dumpling). I always enjoy this dish - I think most good korean places get high quality frozen mandoo and fry them... THIS place though I'm pretty damn sure they make them from scratch in the kitchen because it was so freakin good! I'm seriously considering asking my wife to add another 15 minutes on her 45 minute commute home from work just to pick some up. Other than that - the bulgolgi was great, and the service was nice too. We ended up waiting a long time to get the food, but that was because they were short staffed (4th of july), and a party of 12 came in right before us. Makes sense:) I imagine it will be normal speed next time. HIGHLY recommend. (in case the 5 stars didn't give that away ;-) read more