Hang Ari

Had to change my review because the service was very disturbing and inhospitable. We arrived at 8pm and were rushed to order without even given a minute to review the menu. We were also seated at a wobbly table between two uncleared tables with food everywhere…very off putting from the start. Once the food arrived, the lady immediately brings the check and tells us the kitchen is closed. The time was 8:12pm. We double checked the hours feeling bad that they were closing at 8:30, but Google showed 9pm. We tried to enjoy our meal (mind you the soup is scorching, on a wobbly table) but we kept sensing the ladies trying to rush us out the door. We looked up and both of them were wearing their jackets staring at us. It was incredibly uncomfortable and rude. We asked for containers and left. The time was 8:33pm. The soondubu was great the first time we went but this last time, the soup was watered down lacking in flavor. It most likely was because they were rushing to go home and didn’t cook it properly…The food came out in less than 5mins. The pictures were from our first visit. The broth looks deep in color, whereas the last one was almost clear with chili flakes still floating. Truly disappointed in their service and inconsistency.

This restaurant serves one of the best spicy soft tofu soup in town!! I had mine with beef and seafood - and it was delicious! 😋👍🏼 The owner stopped by to share stories of his recipes that made the soup so rich and flavorful. They also used fresh ingredients. Highly recommend!

I've been frequenting this restaurant for years, and I'm thrilled to say that under the new ownership, it's better than ever! The improvement in both the food quality and overall experience are undeniable. Every dish I've tried since the transition has been fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. You can tell the new management truly cares- not just about the food, but about the entire dining experience. The service is warm and attentive, and the atmosphere feels even more welcoming. It's clear they've put a lot of thought into elevating every aspect of the restaurant. I'm so happy to see one of my favorite spots thriving, and I can't recommend it highly enough. If you haven't been in a while, now is the time to return- you won't be disappointed!

Homey Korean restaurant. I have been going here for years to get soondubu (Korean tofu soup). Consistent and reliable. Recently I discovered the pork bossam (pork & cabbage wraps) and it’s been my favorite in recent months. It’s cooked perfectly and the fat from the pork melts in your mouth and pairs perfectly with the sides! I would recommend.

I had the kalguksu here and they were absolutely delicious! The broth was rich and flavorful, and the noodles were perfectly chewy. Everything tasted fresh and homemade. If you’re looking for a comforting and satisfying meal, this place is a must-try!

Probably some of the best Korean food I’ve had in a while. Food was delicious and came out pretty quickly! Staff were super friendly and overall great experience! Will definitely be coming back.

Absolutely loved their spicy noodle soup with seafood mix. The noodle was perfectly al dente, broth was rich. The seafood pancake was one of the best I’ve had because of how crispy and chewy it is. All the dishes were large portions at great price! One of my favorite korean restaurants!

menu was great, lots of option of our group, parking might get a pretty busy on weekends but there is option to park next door and walk over.

My friend and I wanted Korean food so we came here. Ellicott City has a lot of options available but we wanted to try someplace new. Hang Ari is casual inside and makes you feel like you're in a Korean restaurant (I haven't been to Korea but it appeared that way). The menu was pretty extensive and while we were looking, the owner, Joe came over to explain how the menu worked. It was very helpful. We ordered the Seafood Pancake, Dogani Tang soup, Suk Uh Soondubu (beef & seafood mixed with soft tofu soup) plus Galbi combo. Small Korean sides of kimchi, cucumbers, radish, and a couple other items were brought out. I always enjoy eating the sides which were all good. The seafood pancake was huge and had a ton of green onions which I love. My Galbi was lightly sweet and tender. Joe came back to assist with cutting up the meat and turning the tofu soup for me so the flavors were mixed. I enjoyed the medium spicy level I got for the tofu soup and really enjoyed everything we got. Such a great find for some delicious Korean food. Staff were friendly and the owner, Joe was awesome. Will definitely plan on coming back again!

We had their mixed (beef and seafood) soondubu and overall it was alright. Not the best, but decent soondubu. I got the soondubu combo with the fried croaker and wasn't a fan of the fish. Honestly wish I had gotten the mackerel, but that's on me. Maybe I'll try their kalguksu one day, since I see there are many positive reviews for it. Service and staff were great! Friendly and the wait wasn't that long. Restaurant is conveniently located in a plaza with several other businesses, with plenty of parking.

Another casual Korean restaurant with traditional dishes. Side dishes include bean sprout, spicy cucumber, and kimchi. Bibim Naengmyeon 7.3/10 - topped with pickled radish, thin cucumber slices, beef slices, and a boiled egg - also comes with a small bowl of soup - refreshing after a hot day out - not spicy at all, but still flavorful Service was below average and were very stingy with refilling the side dishes. They were reluctant to give us more when we asked whereas other Korean restaurants have no problem with this. Leftover containers also cost .50 here. It's an OKAY spot for Korean food, but there are plenty of others to choose from.

I got clam kalguksu for lunch and it came with plentiful of clams! Server was so efficient and intuitive. Would eat here again for lunch. :)

Hang Ari was (kind of) on our way back to Nova and we wanted some kalguksu or something soupy during this cold and wet Sunday afternoon. We arrived around 2 PM and there was still a good amount of people in the restaurant enjoying their meal. GOB CHANG SOONDUBU - 13.95 (L), 14.95 (D) My friend who's been to Hang Ari many times said her favorite item from the menu was the gob chang soondubu. And yes, I can attest to this being very good and comforting. I asked for mild spice (definitely could have done a bit more) and the broth was flavorful. The gopchang was washed pretty thoroughly so it didn't feel too sandy or anything. The tofu was passable -- definitely very store-bought in terms of taste and texture. Either way, this soondubu really hit that afternoon and I'd recommend. Overall, food was good but the service is slow and not the most responsive. We enjoyed our food for the most part and people seemed to like their clam kalguksu here!

3.5 rounding to 4 Hang Ari is a good spot for Korean comfort food - grill meats, bibimbap, kalguksu, you name it. Not the most amazing food but it hits the spot. Banchan is a decent variety - mostly pickled items. We order the spicy grilled pork (well seasoned, came out on a hot plate, and very tender) and clam kalguksu (we actually had a good number of clams in ours). I agree service isn't great but honestly I've rarely great service at a mom and pop Korean restaurant in the US.

A small Asian restaurant when you want something that is tasty but not fancy. They have no coffee or tea and several things on Yelp are no longer served. I tried to order several things that looked good on Yelp only to be told they don't have that anymore. We ended up ordering several items like a tapas restaurant and simply try it all. Everything was OK but not great. Bathrooms are not maintained and filthy when we visited.

Hang Ari has some of the best Korean comfort food in the area. Prices are reasonable and service is really quick. I stopped by on a busy Sunday evening. The place was packed and people were piling in. I love how they have the service button so you can push if you need assistance. My friend and I shared the seafood, beef Soondubus and the spicy pork stir fried Jeyook Bokkeum. Food quality was on point. The stir fried pork was not spicy at all. It came out on a hot sizzling skillet. The sauce was on point! Well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The Soondubus are a must order. My seafood one came with some large prawns and clams. You can customize your spice level as well. Prices are fair here and I left full. Parking is really easy to find in the shopping center. They do not accept reservations at this time. I really enjoyed my experience here. Its wholesome Korean comfort food at reasonable prices. I even saw some people eating alone. Thats when you know the place is bomb. There is a wide variety of seafood and meat dishes to choose from. There is plenty of seating for small to large parties. The restaurant is a bit loud with people talking over each other. I'll definitely be back to try their galbi dishes.

A solid Korean place in Ellicott City. Enjoyed my gob chang soondubu with max spicy level. It was quite authentic. Would come back to try other dishes.

I love the food here but don't come if you are picky about the service. I love their cold noodles especially in the summer. I brought my friends and we got a variety of cold noodles and everyone loved it. I got the spicy noodles and they weren't too spicy but very flavorful. If you are like me and love mustard, you can ask for Korean mustard to add to your noodles if you want an extra kick.

This is my favorite spot for naengmyun, or Korean cold noodles. It's so refreshing and perfect on a hot summer day (though tbh I enjoy it year round - and this is one of the few places that serves it year round). The broth is so flavorful and the noodles are easier to chew than the traditional buckwheat noodles so your jaw won't be as tired lol. Make sure to order the kalbi combo and eat a piece of kalbi with each bite! I honestly don't really eat anything else here unless I'm with a bigger group, but their seafood pancake (haemul pajeon) and kalguksu are pretty good, though the kalguksu noodles were a bit over cooked last time I had them. I've heard the soondubu is good too but haven't tried it myself. Even though I love the food here, I have to take off a star because service can be really questionable. Sometimes they ignore you and sometimes they're just flat out rude. It seems like they favor certain customers, like their regulars or elders (there have been numerous times when my party is the only group waiting, and a group of ahjussi/ahjumma show up and get seated first). It's really not a great look, but their naengmyun is so good that I overlook it every time :')

I got the combo 1 which included the beef short rip(Galbi) and the spicy seafood tofu soup(Suk Uh Soondubu) I did make a mistake of ordering medium spice since they are actually Korean spice level I should've gone with the mild instead, but the food was delicious and the tofu (firm but soft and flavorful) was the best I have had in so many years.

The food is 100% authentic Korean, no fusion this or that. Fantastic taste and wonderful presentation. I wish there were vegetarian dumplings, they looked outstanding. The service was very good. The young lady who helped us took her time to explain in detail all the various dishes and what was in them. I stay away from pork and beef so that was a bit difficult to find food choices. The restaurant itself is well lite, large tables, very clean with an partially open kitchen. For a Saturday afternoon was quite active, yet, surprisingly, quiet and relaxing. My only knock, wish there were more vegetarian options. This is an great place and great tasting foods. Highly recommended

The food was delicious, and the service was excellent. This was my second visit, and it was just as enjoyable as the first!

Amazing service and food. New owners and managements. The dumplings are handmade. Soondubu is perfect. Cold noodles were excellent as was the pancake. Great service and atmosphere.

We got the mixed (seafood/beef) soondubu and a spicy kalgooksoo (noodles). The noodles took so long to come out that I was almost finished eating the soondubu by the time it was ready, although I was trying to eat slowly for my husband. Flavors were good, but service was very slow.

I was craving some hot beef and Cabbage soup so I headed to Hang Ari in Ellicott City , Md . The food is Beth authentic and also tasty ,

This is a great Korean restaurant. Lots to choose from on their menu. The portions are large, and easy to share when your party orders different items. The service is friendly, but be prepared that some orders take a little bit longer than others. We however had a great time and enjoyed the food.

Food very good. But kalbi was so tough. Worst part of our visit was the poor service. They don't check up on you. Don't clean off table. Hate that. They charged us for containers for left overs. Ridiculous for how much we spent there. Have to remember not to order so much and not give them so much business next time. This just shows they don't appreciate or care much for your business. Many other options in area to choose from next time.

Soondubu and galbi combo nearly $30. Yummy but is it worth it?? Bought three for the family. Really hurt my wallet. Service is pretty awful, especially if you order carry out. No one smiles. They ignore you standing there to pick up your order and pay. They make you feel like you're burdening them. Parking in front is almost nonexistent and difficult to leave. I often tell myself not to go here... then I go forgettin

Legit Korean food- one of the few places that will serve the barley tea rice side dish. It's a bit crowded but that's okay - the flavor is nostalgic - and warms the soul. When we went most of the other patrons were a larger parties of aunties and uncles enjoying their time sipping on beer. 2 dishes and the assortment of side dishes were enough for myself and the lady. Will definitely come back to try more dishes.

I would give them 4 stars for the Seafood Kalgooksu & 바지락 (clam) Kalgooksu. It's not the best I've had but definitely best in the Ellicott city area, with generous portions (especially the amount of seafood you get). I wish the noodles were more chewier (felt slightly mushy) but I'm not complaining! It satiates my craving for Kalgooksu and I'd come back for them. 2-3 stars for the service, the quality of their side dishes (their radish and beansprouts tasted very sour that I couldn't touch it at all). Also I've tried their naengmyun and soontofu and they were very much sub-par. If you're craving Kalgooksu in the area, this is the best option -- would go. But if you're looking to get any other Korean dishes, might be worth considering other spots!

Edwin & Jacqueline Lee. Edgewater, MD My wife and I are couple "Foodies" before the word became one. We live about 30 min south of Annapolis, MD. We travel to northern VA, Manhattan, Flushing NY, South Korea and other areas for the search of good authentic Korean food. We eat out at least twice a week. And out of hundreds Korean restaurants we have been to, HangAri is our top 3 restaurants, better than some of the Michelin star and Beards Award restaurants we've been to. We would drive more than an hour just to eat there. My wife was a chef and she told me that her last meal would be at the HangAri!

The kalgooksu here is very good! They have generous portions with a ton of seafood. If I were to make this at home it would cost me more just for the seafood. The noodles are very chewy and good. The place is big, accommodating and the service was fast. We were in and out within an hour or less. Would definitely come back for kalgooksu when we're in the area.

This is my usual go- to Korean restaurant. I always get the same dish every time I come here because it's sooo good! Chicken kalgooksoo: this dish comes with a whole baby chicken and you can add salt/red pepper sauce to make it taste the way you like it. The dish is hot, fresh, and I love the added things in it like pumpkin slices, dates, and green onions. It'll definitely make you full and satisfied!

난 이 돼지국밥으로 점심 한끼를 때우며, 엄청 행복하다. 기것해야 국밥인데. 이런거 하나로 행복이 어쩌고 저쩌고 하다니. 내가 이렇게 간단한 인간이였나. 그러나 부정할수없다. 난 이 국밥 하나에 오늘 일하는 보름을 느끼고, 무슨 상을 받은 느낌이다. 열심히 일하는 당신도, 이 행복에 한 뚝배기를 드셔보라. 그리고, 느껴보시라.

The owner Joe was very kind even after we were late! Food was delicious and they had big portions! 10/10 recommend.

Hang Ari When the winter cold seems frozen you to the bone, having a bowl of hot spicy seafood soup and a bowl of seafood noodle soup will warm up your soul! Our orders was: Spicy haemol soondubu Soft tofu soup with seafood! We need bigger bowl for this soup, one portion is too good to be enough. The soup is served boiling, crack the egg that come with it and in couple of seconds the egg will be cooked! You either eat the rice in the soup or the other way, both still delicious as long as you enjoy it! Be careful, it's spicy too! Yuuum Haemol kalguksu Noodle soup with seafood mix and vegetables! This bowl of soup infused with shrimps, clams, mussels and crabs broth, homemade noodle and veggies! You can order a spicy version too, yuuum Jukkumi Dolsot Rice with vegetables and mini octopus in hot pot stone. This one very good but it is spicy, the mixing rice with everything is insanely delicious! Yuuum We love their banchan, all are delicious, can't get enough with these appetizers. If you're planning to dine-in, come earlier before dinner time, or later after dinner time, this place is a local's favorite restaurant, and they're always busy. Even though they're busy, they never neglected any customers, all servers are super friendly and caring. We love their food! It's a 5 Stars! We'll try their bbq version next time!

I am more sad about the service than the food. I went with a few of my friends, we were craving some comforting Korean food. My husband and I ordered the bajirak (baby calms) and spicy seafood kalguksu. I wish they had the baby calms in the spicy broth, as well. They will give you the spicy paste to add but the flavor was not as deep as the pre-made spicy broth of the seafood. Overall it was good, and had a decent amount of clams in it. There were a few orders that were wrong, for my friends, for the soondubus. Wrong meat and spice level. Asked for beef and medium spicy, but they gave pork with highest level of spicy. After telling them it was the wrong order, they still tried to place the bowl on the table. We had to ask them again to please change it. They took it back, and brought it out with less spice level but still pork. We had to ask them again, it was beef that was originally ordered. After a few more times, we finally got the correct order. I get we were a big group and orders can get messed up. But it was a bit frustrating that it was messed up 2 more times.

Consistently delicious food. Been going here for years. The wait staff are nice. The restaurant is super cute and cozy.

Pretty good food in the Ellicott city area. It has a pretty plentiful menu and the ban Chan here is pretty good. Service is usually quick and attentive.

Hang Ari is my family's go-to for Korean food in the area. You can tell the place is authentic as the waitresses greet you in Korean, and most customers are Korean themselves. Service is friendly and the setting is nice as well. I highly recommend the haemool pajeon (seafood and scallion pancake) - I find myself craving it sometimes because it's that yummy. The pajeon costs ~$16 but is a great choice to share with a group or go along with your meal. Overall a solid restaurant and will be back to try more things on the menu!

Fabulous food and service. I ordered the soon doo boo and mackerel combo, which is simply the best I've eaten in the Maryland-Virginia vicinity. Cooked to perfection and served with a smile. These people really LOVE to cook and enjoy preparing the food, it's so evident when you eat it. I would highly recommend this new ownership.

Update: their naengmyun is solid. ---- Hang Ari is a rare Korean restaurant where you can get some legitimate kalguksu in Maryland. Once the chilly fall weather hit, I have constantly been craving a bowl of hot, soup noodle with flavorful broth, especially a type of Korean seafood soup noodle called kalguksu. It's so hard to find a place that does it well, with a lot of places using ready-made noodle that does not have the right texture. However, hangari seems to make their own noodle for each bowl, with irregularly cut noodles (like how it should be!) I got the clam kalguksu and was not disappointed! They do not skimp out on how much clams they use. This gives such a depth to broth with the natural umami flavor from the clams. I also heard their naengmyun is good. I will definitely be checking it out once the weather warms up a bit I would highly recommend!

My wife and I were passing through the area on our vacation and she decided that she wanted to eat Korean food since we've been on a steady diet of "American" food (pizza, sandwiches,etc) since leaving LA. I was skeptical about this place since all of the Korean food that we've eaten outside of LA and Korea has been pretty bad - that is, until now. First of all, I was surprised by how reasonable the Hang Ari was. It was at least 1/3rd cheaper than a similar place in LA K-town. The last time I had Pajeon in LA, it cost me $22.99 compared to $16.99 at Hang Ari. The Mul Naengmyeon and kalbi combo was also a deal compared to what we usually pay. (I don't know about this area, but most LA restaurants raised their prices around 30% due to increased costs. Hang Ari's prices are about what we paid before the pandemic.) Besides the price, the quality of the dishes really surprised me. In all honesty, Hang Ari would do extremely well in the crowded LA K-town market. The Mil Neaengmyeon was spot-on and compares very favorably to the best that I've had in LA. In short, I'm glad that my wife convinced me give Hang Ari a chance. This was a real find!

Update: never really paid attention until the dinner party I was with realized the place doesn't allow strollers. Not family friendly, therefore not going again.

Disclaimer: This review is based on a limited tasting of the menu. First and only place in MD that seems to have beef intestine soft tofu stew ("gop chang soondubu"). Price is on par with other places that serve soft tofu stew. Requested "hot as possible" for spice level; barely broke a sweat...would have liked something spicier but no biggie. Had better, but not in MD. The seafood green onion pancake ("haemool pa jeon") was average; not bad but not great. Tried pork soup with rice ("dweji guk bap") for the first time. An assortment of various pork parts with rice in pork bone broth. Expected to be grossed out from random cuts/parts of pork, but it was strangely, satisfyingly delicious. Not sure how it compares to other restaurants so leaving it out of rating. Overall, good dining experience. Need to go back to try other things on the menu.

Decent food and sub par service. I tried the seafood pancake and sul lung tang. The seafood pancake was a good portion, but it was a bit greasy. The pancake mostly has pieces of squid. The sul lang tang comes in a large bowl, but doesn't seem to have enough pieces of meat or glass noodles. You will only get full from the sul lung tang if you eat the entire little bowl of rice that comes with it. I wish the sul lung tang came with some spring onions for some added flavor. It seems like they only have 2 servers taking care of the whole restaurant. Even when you press the call button multiple times, it takes a while for them to come. The food comes out at different times which makes it awkward when you are trying to eat a meal with others and don't want to be rude by eating before their food comes out. Overall, there are plenty of other Korean restaurants to try off of Route 40.

Really good service and absolutely delicious food!! Highly recommend the hameul pajun (seafood pancake) as an appetizer and the naengmyun galbi combo as a meal!

Wow, wow, wow. We just came home and we are so full. The portions are quite generous and we have lunch plus for the next day. Our food arrived hot and delicious. I have tried many of the Korean restaurants in our area and this one was worth finding. We arrived about 6 on a Thursday and the place was half full, by 730, the place was completely full so prepare accordingly. Service was a little slow at times, but the place was full. At least you don't feel rushed to eat and leave. This one is worth putting on your must visit list.

Solid traditional Korean food. I loved the hand-pulled noodles in the soup. The texture is a nice, firm "al dente" with that bit of bite to it. Seafood pancake was large and had plenty of squid and octopus. Personal preference, but the soup broth was a bit light for me. It tasted great with the spicy flavor from the kimchi.

Food less than mediocre at best. Side dishes suck. The moment you step foot they rudely mention they are closing in about an hour, but not in a nice way, more like 'I don't want to work here, get out now'' written across their face. Terrible service, they shove the check when you aren't even done. Don't give you burnt rice soup thing if you are near closing time. Will never return to this terrible place again, think twice before you go here. If you think this place is great, I assume you never had decent Korean food. Food 3/10 Service -10/10

Absolutely delicious. I got the mulnaengmyun/galbi combo and everything was spot on. From the broth, to the noodle texture and the tenderness of the galbi, everything was perfect.

Hang ari is our go to for basic Korean food! My daughter got the seafood kal guksu and we got the bibim naeng myun - so refreshing in a hot summer day- I love the fish cake, cucumber, and pickled radish ban Chan and we always get the Haemul pa jeon!- service is okay but reliable

Came here on a Sunday afternoon. Service was not the best and not very welcoming and did not check how our meal was. The food was decent but Ive had better korean food at other locations.

I like their bulgogi bibimbap and galbi. The service can sometimes be hit or miss and food takes a while, but it is fresh and hot out of the kitchen. Good prices and their combo meals are a good value.

Not bad... not very friendly staff ........ There are many types of menus A restaurant that can come with a family..

Good noms. Nice service. Pretty good pic worth! **came during COVID times!* I've come here twice now, both during COVID! There is hand sanitizer all over the restaurant to use and parties were kinda spaced out? But there was still a lot of people who came in to dine. First off, I love the banchan (side dishes that come with every sitting/meal). They're all reaaaaally good LOL. The ladies working are pretty nice and I was always greeted and seated right away. Food is also really good, and decently priced!! I sometimes find Korean restaurants to be overpriced, but this was fair and the food was yummy. -- Bulgogi Dolsot: aka bibimbap/ mixed rice in a super hot stone bowl. Really good. Lots of diff veggies and we got bulgogi. Press the rice down to get crispy rice at the bottom!! -- Haemool Pa Jeon: aka seafood pancake. huge. Nothing special vs other places seafood pancake. A good appetizer/side for the table to share -- Budae Jigae: Def something to share. Comes out on a portable flame. I shared with my friend and there was still a lot left, so you could prob split this with 2-3 people. Not the best budae jigae I've have, but it filled my cravings soooo nice. -- Sul Lang Tang: beef bone broth soup. Ok.. I've always wanted to try this but never have (until now) bc I didn't think it was worth to pay for what it is.. and it's not worth LOL. I get how it can be a comfort food, but def not worth to order at a restaurant unless you really want this. Tbh tastes like water until you add salt and pepper which they give you. -- Haemool Kalguksu: aka seafood pulled noodle soup. SO GOODDDD. Their noodles were so good so I think any kalguksu would be amazing. I def think this is their shining dish on their menu and would highly recommend. Overall pretty good. I think I would definitely come again for the kalguksu!

Koreans absolutely love this place and to be honest I'm not quite sure what the rave is about.. (and I am Korean). I have been here a few times with friends in the past. However my visit with family solidified my opinion on this restaurant. They're known for their kalguksoo. In my opinion, it's not bad but its not great either. Don't get the seafood kalguksoo- it has too much of a bad fishy taste, almost as if you're having soup from the ocean. The other types are decent but nothing mind blowing. Kalguksoo is what they're best known for mind you, so everything else on the menu is pretty average too. While the food is decent, the service is horrible. The waitresses are rude and do not care about their customers because they know their restaurant is popular in the Korean community (thus they know they will always have business). Our waitress expected us to be able to order basically right after we sat down then gave attitude/showed very clear annoyance when we were not ready to order yet. I'm a server so I can say that this is just not how you treat customers. I've had customers who have taken literally 20 minutes to order, as a server you should be patient and just circle back later. At the end of the meal, my family agreed that there was nothing special about this restaurant. My dad didn't understand the hype. Anyway safe to say my family will never come back to eat here as there are better options with better service.