Lululala

SERVICE I will start with service. The service was excellent, fast and very kind. I felt like I was being valued as a customer! I'd love to come back here. FOOD I ordered the Fried Chicken Rice Bowl, it retails for $10 because I ordered the big one. If you don't eat too much (like me lol) you can buy the smallest, it retails for $7 and sodas around $2. The food was amazing, it was delicious, the taste is good and I loved my dish, I wish they could accept card as a payment method to buy more than one. IN GENERAL The location is good, not hard to find and it is near from Brooklyn Bridge. The restaurant is a little bit small, there's not too much space for you to stop and eat there, you can, but if you have luck you can take a table and enjoy your food inside. They only accept cash, so, don't forget your cash if you want to taste their delicious food! I came from Honduras to taste their dishes and I loved it, worth it!!!

Small but great korean rice bowl spot near the Grand St station and Chinatown. Ideal as a neighborhood takeout spot. They have a good selection of different proteins for rice bowls, and they also sell other savory snacks like kimbap. They also use halal chicken for their chicken-based menu items which was a nice surprise. Food was fresh and delicious, and good overall value. Staff were very friendly and food came out relatively fast. Please remember to bring cash with you!!

If you are craving tasty, nutritious Korean food at an affordable price, this might be the best place in NYC. $7 fried chicken rice bowl with salad + $3 kimchi. The chicken was especially flavorful with the kimchi. Keep in mind this is a small place with very little seating, so you'll likely need to take it to go. Highly recommend

Amazing. Got the large fried chicken with rice 10/10. The staff were very friendly as well. Highly recommend

The space may be small but they have huge flavors and Enormous portions! You really get a bang for your buck here. The food is fresh crisp and juicy. Made to order rice bowls! It’s giving Korean chipotle😅. I do not like kimbop or the concept of it because I want raw fish on my rice and nori, but i had only tasted kimbop from frozen food aisles in different Asian markets and Trader Joe’s. That was a big no for me until I tasted it here! I was so very hesitant to even try it…. I ended up eating half 🤣 it was sooooo good, and no I was not starving! Fresh ingredients, the meat was well seasoned. The rice bowls overflowed and we ate 3 big portions out of it! Such great fried chicken with gentle notes of citrus and oregano! Savory decadent and fresh!!!! We are going back to get that chicken sandwich!

Korean Spot in the heart of Chinatown, Hester and Chrystie. 2 small tables for mostly a quick bite and take out. Very fairly priced Korean dishes, and they have a small and large on most items. The food isn't KTown level, but if you're hankering for Korean food, and you're in CTown, it will hit the spot.

I have visited 3 times now and each time I have been satisfied with my orders. I especially appreciate that I'm recognized when I enter the restaurant. Thank you once again for the good service. Even though I was the last customer of the evening. Heyyyy my fried chicken bowl was a little light this time. But that's okay. I'm still going back.

No idea if this whimsical name means anything in Korean. The place is tiny, barely enough room to squeeze in 2 nightstand-sized tables on each side of the door, with 2 stools at each. The window sill on each side of the door can double as benches but they are way too tall of the tables. Nevertheless, it's better than no table at all as this place is mainly for takeout's. We really appreciate the air conditioning and not having to eat on the street. Menu is simple -- rice bowls and kimbaps are the main offerings, plus a few sides such as fish cakes and banchan. For rice bowls there are 5 choices of protein: beef, pork, chicken, fried chicken, and fried tofu. "Chicken" is grilled chicken and "fried chicken" are the bite-size boneless chicken. We all picked small fried chicken rice bowls for $7. I am not sure the difference between $10 for large serving or $3 for extra chicken, but you do have these upgrade options. The spicy version simply adds drizzles of sweet chili sauce which I highly recommend. It's like something between General Tsao's and Orange chicken, but unlike Chinese dishes, the Korean spin comes with salad green which is both healthy and refreshing. Taste & serving size were both on point, and with the $7 price tag this is a steal. The same dish at a Korean food court such as Rice Boy would cost about $12. Highly recommended for a quick meal on the go.

We love this place!! Whenever we feel like having truly delicious Korean food, we come here . We have had the beef (bulgogi) rice bowl, fried chicken bowl, and the tofu bowl. All were wonderful. And the staff are so friendly and the prices cannot be beat!!.

I'm a big fan of the kimbap, tried both the beef and veggie ones and both are super yummy. The kimbaps are stuffed with ingredients and much bigger too; I also like how they slice it thinner. Portion is good for price, and I was easily full. Tried the fishcake soup too - enjoyed it but just way too salty for me. Definitely reminds of the street food in Korea. The wait was a little long for the rice bowls during lunch time, so I'll have to try that next time.

What a find!! This is a small, neighborhood friendly Korean shop ran by the same owner for Tofu Tofu (restaurant at Bowery - also good recommendation). The staff were super kind and friendly when I entered the store to order. Keep in mind, this place is cash only!! All the prices were affordable and not overly expensive, in reference to the food provided. For example, the small tteokbokki (rice cake) was $5 and I was not expecting a lot personally (scarred from prior experiences at other stores), but I was surprised to see that it was filled with the larger rice cakes (longer/thicker than the typical ones used) and there was also glass noodles in there!! Usually, most stores in NYC would offer more sauce than rice cake but this did not have that. Also, I don't really see noodles served in tteokbokki unless people are ordering rabokki (with ramen noodles mixed with the rice cakes), so the glass noodles were a nice surprise. I have never ordered the tteokbokki at Tofu Tofu, so I'm not sure if this is the norm for them. Still a plus! There is no fish cake with the tteokbokki, which I'm a little sad about but they do offer fish cake soup (eomukguk) as a separate menu item!! Now, the kimbap was larger than most kimbap spots. The rice was very glutinous. For a small kimbap ($8), 12 pieces still are a decent amount! The rice and meat/veggie/egg ratio was good (not overpowering from one to another). Even though I prefer my rice to be less soggy, the price was so worth. Dipping the kimbap into the remaining tteokbokki sauce was a tasty blend. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. It's not super spectacular but it was a homey environment with the traditional Korean snacks at affordable pricing. I think I would go back to try their rice bowls because I have seen the positive reviews and am interested to see if they truly match those reviews .

What a hidden gem! I would not have stopped here if it wasn't the 5 star review on yelp! This place did raise the price but the portion size is still huge. My boyfriend loved the beef rice bowl from here. He said the meat, rice and the veggies all were super amazing. It's a small place with limited tables (like 2) but what we did was ordered to go and ate at the food court on Mott street! Great service as well. Wish I took a pic of the food before we devour it super fast

This cute, friendly neighborhood shop offers a budget lunch bowl that brings back memories of the lunch boxes made by my mom and grandma. They sell small lunch bowls for $6 and large ones for $10, as well as homemade fish cake and kimchi. The lunch bowl comes with a mix salad with dressing and a healthy scoop of pork, chicken or beef. You get the option of adding spicy sauce to the bowl (please do!) to make it extra delicious with a little kick. Even though I came during the lunch rush, I felt the warmth and friendliness of the owners as I was served. The portion is pretty generous for $10 and it's a healthy balanced meal due to the salad. The pork was delicious and their sauces accentuated the flavors. I'd love to come back and try their other items if I'm in the area!

*CASH ONLY* So many options, and everything is $5-6 for a small and just $10 for a large... how is anyone to compete with this. And not only that, the owners are so incredibly friendly. They literally felt like my parents. Both of them were waxing poetic about this hearty chicken soup, so much so that I was like ALRIGHT, I have to get it. And don't get me wrong-- the soup was good, but it was a flavorful soup with chicken and vegetables, and I couldn't stop laughing after the fact that they just wanted me to eat a little healthy. I also tried their rice cakes, which were packed with flavor and left my mouth tingling from the spices. My friend thought their bowl was so good that they went back the next day to try their kimbap. They saved a piece for me, and it was excellent. I'd highly recommend for anyone looking for cheap eats in Chinatown! It was so lovely, and I am so looking forward to my next visit.

A simple and affordable good meal. The owners are very nice people. They also own tofu tofu on bowery and tada on bayard street. I've been a long time customer of tofu tofu but it's been eating my monies away so I was ecstatic to find out there was going to be a more affordable Korean option in the area.

lululala, a delicious new inexpensive Korean restaurant, just opened on Hester Street amongst many other Asian cheap eats that border the corner with the Chrystie Street park promenade. With their motto "Finding happiness in little bowls" they offer rice bowls with assorted proteins for a mere $6. Other options include kimbap, a rice roll. The manager was extremely friendly and attentive with my bulgogi (beef) bowl that included rice, greens, onions, fresh apple cubes, kimchi and my bulgogi. While there are no tables in this small shop, I was able to sit in the window ledge to enjoy my tasty meal. Looking forward to returning to try out lululala's other items! Would recommend you checking them out too!

Cash only Walking in, the space is simply set up with a blackboard menu on the right side and the food preparation station and cash register in front. There are no tables or chairs to eat the food at. There is a ledge by the window but I'm not sure if customers are allowed to sit there. I would say this is a good place for affordable take out, but not so much for dining in. They don't seem to be set up for online ordering yet. When you do order in person, some items are not listed on the chalkboard but are labeled along the food preparation counter like Tteokbokki. Speaking of food, I tried the beef kimbap, fish cake soup, and tteokbokki. The kimbap was good but the soup and tteokbokki needs work. I thought the soup was not umami enough. As for the rice cakes in tteokbokki, they had a slightly soggy exterior by the time I got to it. However, compared to other Korean places in the neighborhood, their prices can't be beat! I think I paid $18 for all 3 things. This place does have room for improvement. However, it is a relatively new business at the time of this review. I hope that it continues to get support and grow. I'll be back to try other things!

This small family owned hole in the wall, serves grab and go Korean rice bowls that are perfect, perfectly balanced. This is the same owner as tofu, tofu on Bowery. I've gotten their large beef or large pork, rice bowls. The big container is half filled with salad, half filled with rice and then on top of it is a very hefty portion of flavored meat. It is a good balance meal to have in the neighborhood if you don't feel like regular Chinese food. I did also try the Topoki, which I was expecting to be a little bit spicier, and it's more on the cheesy side. I also tried their Kimbap, which honestly the rice was a bit too gummy for my taste so I probably skipped that next time. Give them a try.

Cash only right now but to get a whole bowl of warm rice with your choice of protein and salad on the side for $6, it's a pretty good deal. I went with beef which they happened to run out of so they also gave me some pork as well to fill up the bowl. Personally, not a fan of the salad (apple, raw onions, kimchi etc) as I'm not really a salad person. Just wish that they had seating inside their spot.

Love this place since they have great customer service and affordable prices. A small rice bowl costs $6 and large $10. That is definitely hard to beat! Most items are $6 or less. I tried the pork and it has a tasty marinade flavor and salad is generous portion. Ambiance is welcoming and feels homey. Staff is amazingly nice and serves with a smile. Sweet gem in Chinatown that is cash only, it is my go to place for affordable Korean eats.

Really great spot for a quick lunch. I tried the veggie kimbap, which came filled with a good variety of vegetables and some egg. The rice was well seasoned, a bit sweet and sour, so I didn't feel the need to dip the rolls into soy sauce. For $7, this is hard to beat for a light meal.

This is an update on beef rice bowl. There is new staff and thus significant improvement on the salad dressing flavors. Price went up but still a good deal. Still highly recommend!

Pretty solid Kimbap here. The bulgogi bowl was a little bit on the sweet side. But that's not surprising. I was hoping it wouldn't be too sweet. I'll give the other bowls a try. For the price and food here it's a good match. They are the same owners of tofu tofu and tads fried chicken.

As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by the two ladies working behind the counter. I didn't know what to get so they gave me suggestions to their dishes. I ordered the tofu, pork and chicken rice bowl. I also ordered to Kimbap. I saw they had a large container of Korean style macaroni salad and I had to have it. After a long trip home, I couldn't wait to try it with my family. Everything was still flavorful after the commute!!! I would definitely visit it again!

Newly opened Korean small bites in Chinatown. The owner is so friendly and the food is so good!!

New restaurant alert! Cash only. The Bulgogi bowl was good it came with salad. I recommend all of the kimbap. Service is very professional and friendly. Very clean inside too.

Lululala means happy in Korean and wow I was in utter bliss sampling one of everything. The rice bowls with a protein, rice and salad (beef, pork, chicken, fried chicken) are prepared with such love and attention to detail. I greatly enjoyed the salad which had diced apples, red onions, carrots, cucumbers, romaine lettuce and grape tomatoes. The beef was so delicious, the boneless fried chicken, pork and chicken, all terrific with wonderful sauce. I cannot believe the value for the amount of food at $6 a rice bowl. The kimbap served in different versions of beef, pork and fish cake were the best I have ever had. Everything is so fresh and flavorful! This new takeout restaurant is amazing because the excellent food is coupled with the most gracious and hospitable service. I will surely be a regular since I love Lululala so much! My staff, my family and I all give 5 out of 5 stars!

Finding authentic Korean cuisine in Chinatown can be challenging unless you venture to Koreatown. However, this kimbap establishment stands out with its fresh, made-to-order rolls crafted by attentive staff. The menu is both budget-friendly and diverse, offering vegetarian kimbap for $6 and meat options for $8, along with bowls and tteokbokki. It's an excellent spot for a quick, affordable bite, adding a unique Korean flavor to the vibrant offerings of Chinatown.

casual spot with a small menu, but few items means they make those few items well! i've had the pasta salad, kimchi, pretty much all of the kimbap options as well as the fish tofu. the food is delicious and the fish tofu soup hits just the spot, especially on a cold winter day. the owner is super sweet and always has a smile on her face.

A small Korean small eats spot with impeccable service opened by a Korean couple who also owns the my favorite Korean restaurant Tofu Tofu a block away. I've been frequently going to their restaurant since they first opened years ago. Not meant to be a seating area and cash only. I usually take out and go. They have unbeatable prices for their kimbap and bowls. I got the bulgogi bowl without the salad and kimchi cucumber and macaroni salad. Their vegetable and pork kimbaps are so yummy too.

$6 delicious complete meal are you kidding me right now in 2024? Run don't walk!!!!! This is not a drill

From the moment I walked in, Kelly was incredibly welcoming and provided exceptional customer service!! Then Jay was having his lunch break and yet still got up to go to the back kitchen to make my beef Kimbap (no sesame seeds, and regular rice because of allergy) their warmth and kindness made the experience even more enjoyable. As for the beef kimbap itself, it had the authentic, homemade taste that really stood out! The beef was tender and flavorful, and the rice and vegetables were perfectly balanced. You can tell a lot of care goes into each roll. Highly recommend this spot for anyone craving delicious, comforting kimbap with a personal touch! Very affordable pricing!

For just $6 and with this amount of protein? In this economy?You won't find a better deal anywhere else in the city, the spicy pork and chicken taste exactly like what I had in South Korea. 10/10