I have been eating TTOWA for over a decade(?) since I came across Terry's stand at a festival in DTAH. The food is consistently delicious, the service wonderful, and it always makes me feel special when Terry greets me at the restaurant! There are tables accessible at the time I eat dinner, haha, but they fill up later! The restaurant is dark and quiet and the bathroom is clean. We're a bibimbap family--chicken and pork, respectfully. Sometimes in a hot stone bowl, sometimes not. The buns, japchae, and assorted bonchon are all delicious, too. I prefer the aioli sauce over the traditional sauce on my bibimbap. I still remember how during COVID Terry had the ability to donate meals to thank the frontline workers. Also, one time, something was missing from my delivery order and Terry himself drove it to my house to apologize! Those are the offerings and moments that make a giant difference. Overall, I am always happy with the food, service, and love supporting a small, local business! read more

TTOWA - Bimbibab with chicken - Korean Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

The only words you need to know: Dak buns, hot stone bowl, pork belly, craft beer. Or simply order whatever you want... it won't matter because it's all spectacular. This is not Korean BBQ where you get a plate of raw meat and cook it at the table; if you want that kind of "interactive dining experience," head up to Vernon Hills, Ttowa has the experts in the kitchen to do the work for you (not to mention, better than most of us ever could). Did I mention the dak buns? Just to be sure: Dak Buns!!! read more

Service was unbelievably good. Other customers were greeted BY NAME as they entered, and they seemed genuinely excited to be returning. Rice cakes were lightly fried, adding an awesome texture. Dak buns (spicy chicken) were absolutely fabulous. Banchan was a cut above the usual. You won't be sorry if you check this place out. read more

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Bibimbap - rice, over-easy egg, beef, assorted vegetables Haemul Ddukbokki - rice cakes, shrimp, squid, scallops and clams Haemul Pajeon - fried savory Korean pancake, seafood, green onion Bibimbap was not very good. Flavor and texture of rice, beef, and veggies was lacking and mushy. Seafood pancake was decent - good amount of seafood and could use more green onions. Seafood rice cakes was very good! Loved the sauce flavor and chewiness of rice cakes. No issues with service. Good amount of seating in a clean space. read more

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My kid was craving jjajangmyeon, and we found this place -- and wow, what a find! We ordered: Pajeon Jjajangmyeon Jjamppong Dakkalbi Ddukbokki Everything was phenomenal. The dakkalbi with the bao and sauce was delicious I was surprised (in the best way) by the crispy rice cakes in the ddukbokki. I've never had them like that before, and now I'm obsessed. Pro tip: Dip your pajeon into the ddukbokki sauce (our server Terry's recommendation) -- OMG. Next-level good. A must-try combo! The jjajangmyeon hit the spot for my kids, and the rest of the black bean sauce they ate it with rice We'll definitely be back read more

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It's time for an updated review of Ttowa because it's been a year and we've enjoyed meals from here many times during the year. Terry, the owner, is always gracious and friendly. His mom, Mrs. Park, can often be seen checking in on guests or serving a dish with a proud, humble Korean Mom smile. This is a warm and welcoming restaurant with comfortable seating and plenty of spaces between tables. It's very clean and the table setting is pretty. The food is delicious! We can't get enough of the Dak Buns, which are BBQ grilled chicken pieces on a fluffy bun. The menu will list 4 per order and it's 4 very generous buns filled with an ample amount of chicken. It's one of our favorite items to order. We love the seafood pancake, Haemul Pajeon. It's packed full of seafood like calamari, shrimp, scallops, and fragrant green onions. Cooked crispy and comes with a complimenting dipping sauce. The japchae with added beef is a perfect dish with yummy chewy sweet potato noodles, veggies, and generous amount of beef. Each item can be a meal on its own, but they all go so well together. We've also had the Dduk Bokki (tteobokki) and it's not super spicy (which is perfect for me) with the right amount of chewy goodness to the rice cakes! When my husband is feeling hungry for something more, he gets the Sam Gyup Sal Entree which is pork belly and the Kalbi, short ribs. I like the bibimbob because it's got everything in a bowl - veggies, rice, beef, an ooey egg and a little bit of spice. Now let's talk about the banchan, which are the sides that come with our meal. The kimchi is the perfect level of spice, sweet, and vinegar for me. It's soooo good and addictive! We've also had the mashed potatoes, picked cucumbers, kimchi cucumber, fish cakes, and so much more than I can even name! It's all so good! We have never left Ttowa without leftovers to enjoy the next day and Mama Park has been generous enough to pack us some kimchi to enjoy with our leftovers. If you haven't had Korean food and want to try, this is the perfect place to go. They're proud of their food and always happy to explain what they're serving. Now I want more kimchi from here! read more

TTOWA - Sassy shrimp and seafood pancake. Yum - Korean Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Really yummy Korean food. The buns are just as good as people say. The banchan is not extensive but delicious. The bulgogi is excellent. As was the bibimbop. read more

TTOWA - Bibimbop - Korean Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Service was great. Very attentive staff and food came out quickly. The inside is not very big so reservations are recommended. The are is not too busy with plenty of street parking nearby making this an easy destination. I decided to come for dinner at 630pm on a Wednesday after the holidays. We ordered the Black Bean Noodles, Dak Kalbi (chicken) and Short Ribs. We got some buns on the side. I really enjoyed the Dak Kalbi because of the spices and flavors in the seasoning. It was perfect for the buns. The black bean noodles were interesting. They are very flavorful but I could barely taste the pork inside. They have a very soft texture and you get a good portion of them. The ribs were delicious and easy to pull from the bone. They come with some charred veggies which was nice. I love all the sides like the kimchi and cucumbers and fried chicken. My favorite is always the potato salad. Overall the proportions are great for sharing. I came with 2 other friends so we ordered 3 different dishes for us all to try. I will be back to try some more food! read more

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Tried to get a carry out meal for 2 people last night. Been eating there for years. First problem is their current prices are much higher than on their website menu. I assume this raise in prices reflects them loosing their liquor license where most restaurants profit from. Carry out two items should not cost over 60$ to me. This is why tables are not as full as they used to be is the cost of dining out has skyrocketed. I still gave them a good rating as I can't knock the quality of food and their excellent service. I can appreciate the food cost vs trying to stay in business, but the average customer has difficulty when seeing these bills. We ended up ordering Chinese for dinner. For 50$ plus tip we got 5 main dishes and food for two days. Unfortunately people are moving to this option. I wish them luck and will on occasion when I want to treat myself dine there. It just won't be my normal dining place. read more

Known these folks for many years - the menu is smaller but it still has all the flavors! Service is still great, truly served with care by everyone. Nice quiet and enjoyable spot. The buns are still a go to before the meal is not as your meal! i tried the fermented bean ramen and it was great (even as a left over because there were so many) Hubs had spicy shrimp rice plate ( sorry I forgot the name) but it was so tasty - sweet yet spicy and I ate all his veggies. The little plates that arrive before the meal is like no other cuisine and are so great! GO THERE! read more

Small menu, but food was good. Atmosphere was a bit odd. I think they were focusing on outdoor seating. Inside the lights were mostly off and the TV behind the register was off. We thought it was closed at first. Service was attentive and nice. read more

Small unassuming korean mom and pop restaurant. Service was prompt and food did not take too long. The banchan was standard with an addition of a fried chicken ball item which was a nice surprise. We got the dak bun, galbi and the sundubu-jjigae. The dak bun was good with a nicely fried chicken with sweet coating that is balanced by a thick bun. The galbi came out on a sizzling plate with a nice touch. The meat was succulent and wasn't oversaturated with fat. It paired well with the bowl of rice that it came with. The sundubu-jjigae tasted like how it should: soft tofu, a nice assortment of veggies, and a mildly spicy broth. Perfect for a cold winter day in the Chicago suburbia. Nothing to complain about besides the galbi being fairly overpriced compared to all the other dishes available. Would recommend checking out if you're in the area and craving some korean food. read more

As part of our annual Arlington Heights Al Fresca exploration, we went to TTOWA on Saturday night for dinner. Since we were a group of 7 we reserved outside seating. It was a lot of fun sitting outside and most locals who passed by were chatting up with the restaurant servers and the people sitting outside, definitely a very friendly and community feel! The rice cakes and dak buns were recommended by our friends but we went against the grain and ordered the Bibimbap, Dak Kalbi, Hot shrimp box, Jap Chae. All were very delicious and so were the Banchan. What a fun evening! We will be back to try other dishes! read more

Amazing food and service every time. They're always quick and efficient. The owners are the sweetest people I have ever met. read more

Decent choices of several different Korean foods. They bring a handful of small plates to start - as part of the meal - not a separate cost.. Then there's a handful of appetizers to choose from, a few soups, a few rice or noodle dishes, and a half-dozen entrees. Very casual open atmosphere. Basically one big open room. Well prepared food. Hard to find parking in front. There is a parking garage nearby though. Service was attentive. Can be good to ask questions if you're not familiar with the various dishes. read more

This place is awesome. We had a work group from out of state and from France. The waiter created a tasting menu for us. It was the best food we had all week. We will add this to our list to return when we are back in the area. You will not be disappointed here read more

Great food and lovely owners. Good quality and fast service. Outdoor seating in the summer is a plus! Not inexpensive, but for the volume of traditional consistently great Korean food (that isn't BBQ) and sides (several types and takeoffs of kimchi), as well as volumes of their dipping sauces provided...delish!! read more

We are regulars here and food is always consistently delicious!! Chicken is so tender and they have the best spicy rice cakes. Everything is amazing! read more

My family has been eating here for years and we have loved everything we've ordered! The owner is so kind a friendly and always takes time to chat with us if we're dining in, or even just picking up for take out. A MUST try!! read more

TTOWA - Appetizers - Korean Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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I tried the bulgogi and japchae. Everything was good, including the banchan. Service was very friendly. read more

TTOWA - Korean Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

The best Korean food out there. This is a family-owned business, and I've gone here three times since discovering it last year. This was an instant favorite for my boyfriend and me. We always look for any excuse to come here and don't mind the 45-minute drive just for their food. The service is great, and they are very friendly to their customers. We went here again yesterday and never had to wait to be seated. They also serve the best banchan. My favorites are mashed potato, spicy cucumber, and fried chicken, which is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Their fried tteokbokki (ddeokboki) is a must! It's so crispy and flavorful. We had chicken and tofu bibimbap, which were yummy. I've also tried their kimchi jjigae and dak galbi the last two times we went there. Their name "TTowa" translates to "come again," which is so fitting for a restaurant like this. I truly enjoy their hospitality, their food, and their genuine kindness towards their customers. I can't wait to go here again. read more

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The food here is excellent. I love the dak buns, the bun is so fluffy and the meat is so flavorful. The sauce is excellent, too, like a spicy mayo. All of the food was delicious and they prepped it all so well since I got it as a to-go order. Will definitely be back! read more

Food is amazing. Unique dishes you won't find anywhere else. Staff is extremely generous. Highly recommend the Ramdon noodles. Kimchi is also very good. read more

Great food, and a solid Korean American restaurant to go to. Very friendly staff and a family owned business that's been around over a decade! I'm typically skeptical when going to new Asian places, as it's hard to come by good quality ones-- but this one was brilliant. read more

TTOWA - The classic "KFC" (Korean fried chicken) with 반찬 (sides) - Korean Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Great Korean small family owned restaurant! My favorites are the two that I have pictured below, the spicy rice cakes & seafood pancake. Both have a crispy exterior and have a ton of flavor! read more

TTOWA - Dduk Bokki (Spicy Rice Cake) - Korean Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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I've never left a review but this place is sooo good they deserve it. Food is outstanding the chicken is amazing the ramdon is amazing. Great people and great food. read more

Unassuming joint with very delicious food. The chicken bao were very good, as were the short ribs, but the star was literally a banchan--a crispy broccoli dish with a sauce on top. Super good. read more

Unique Korean spot right near downtown Arlington Heights. My husband and I shared the dak buns and ram don noodles. The dak buns are packed full of tender and juicy chicken thighs and doused with a creamy aioli. I loved the texture and flavors on the chicken and buns, but there was too much aioli on top. The ram don noodles were very similar to ramen noodles you can make at home except they were cooked Al dente and had a great 'bite' or chew to them. The flavor was savory and thick. The runny egg on top mixed in well! read more

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Truly a hidden gem in Downtown Arlington Heights. Amazing Korean food, great service, homey ambiance- everything on the menu is a hit. Can't wait for my next visit! read more

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This restaurant has amazing food. We found this place a few years ago and have been going there ever since. I like that the food tastes homemade and the quality is what I like. Their staff is friendly as well as helpful to make suggestions of items to try. Dining in can be a little tight especially on a busy night. I guess that is a good thing for them. It also gives us an opportunity to see the interesting items that others order. The ambiance is nice and the experience is overall good. The prices are on the higher side as I have been told. Nevertheless, I recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for something different. read more

Great food, attentive staff! We had the chicken buns for an appetizer which were very good. They give sides such as kimchi and cucumbers.

We stopped in here for lunch on a Monday and there were plenty of open tables. The seafood pancake was very tasty and I'd get this again next time. We also ordered the Ram-Dam and Bibimbop with tofu and thought everything tasted fresh and flavorful. Our waitress was the sweetest woman and very accommodating too. read more

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This place is so, so good! We were walking around downtown Arlington Heights around 6:30pm on a Saturday and a lot of the restaurants had a wait, thankfully Ttowa is a little off the beaten path so it wasn't as crowded and we were able to be seated immediately. We ordered four items (note: this was for two people and we ordered a lot on purpose to have leftovers the next day): Dak Bun, Bibimbap with beef, Japchae and the "KFC". The Dak Buns were easily the best thing we ordered but the Japchae and "KFC" were also delicious. I felt that the Bibimbap lacked major flavor. My one critique of the "KFC" is that the pieces were too small to also have a bone in them, they were a little difficult to eat. They should either use bigger chicken wings or just go boneless. But nonetheless, the flavor was to die for. Will definitely be back and probably order the exact same thing just without the Bibimbap as three items is probably the sweet spot for two people. read more

I ate here with a couple buddies impromptu last week and we really enjoyed the food. We ordered quite a bit. The pork chive buns, KFC, bulgogi, seafood rice cakes, and more. It was all amazing. The waiter was doubling as host and he seemed to fit us into a busy reservation schedule with about 45 min notice by phone and that was much appreciated. Others who walked in were turned away, but also offered 45-60 min wait time. I thought the host/waiter did a good job setting clear expectations. read more

The ambiance is bad. Dimly lit, bare walls, with tables sparsely scattered in the dining room. The music was supplied by an iPad, playing Taylor Swift's entire catalog. But it wasn't loud enough to drown out the screaming Korean woman, who was constantly yelling at the kitchen and wait staff. The food was OK. The "sides", which were served as appetizers, were tasty, and bottomless. The bulgogi was fair. Starfish and Bimbibop's bulgogi are far better. The "KFC" was served hotter than lava, but also fairly tasty. I felt really bad for the staff, having to get screamed at by the Korean woman all day, every day, and the food wasn't good enough to justify observing the abuse. I'd skip this place unless you're into that kind of thing. #nojudgement read more

The food here was delicious. I had the Korean Fried Chicken and my friend and I shared the Bao buns, they were both excellent. It is a cute location with a lot of other restaurants and bars nearby. I really liked that they had plenty of outdoor seating. My only complaint is that the service was slow, but the staff were very pleasant. read more

I love the food and creative combination of flavors they had to offer. Service was good, and the wait time isn't that bad. I happen to visit this place on a Thursday night for dinner and it ain't that crowded. It looks decent for smaller groups. Definitely worth visiting! read more

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Great food and great service. The owner makes sure guest have what they need. Love this restaurant!

I ordered the seafood soon doo boo. Service was good, although they closed 30 mins earlier than I expected, so I had to eat fast. The soon doo boo had less seafood and tofu than I had at other places, I am giving them less stars. The restaurant was clean. read more

Best Korean in the burbs! Dak Kalbi is yummy! Spicy Japche is very good! Wife enjoys the pork belly buns!