Nam Chon

Nam Chon in Philadelphia is a hidden gem! The food was incredibly authentic with such a fresh taste — it felt like a home-cooked Korean meal. The service was warm and attentive. And the best part? The prices are unbeatable for the quality you get. Highly recommend if you’re craving real Korean food.

I discovered this place through TikTok, and wow, it did not disappoint! 🙌 As an Asian who has been to hundreds of Korean restaurants, I can confidently say this is one of the best I’ve ever tried. The dishes were perfectly seasoned, and I loved that everything was served in hot pots, keeping the food warm until the very last bite. The banchan was amazing too, especially the fried potato one, which was my favorite! But the real star of the meal was the tofu soup. My throat was sore after the G-Dragon concert, and this soup honestly felt like it healed me 🥹. If you come here, I highly recommend trying their soups! The owner was also incredibly kind and attentive. You can tell he’s passionate about what he does as he personally checked on every table, explained dishes to customers, and even asked where we were from. When he said “thank you” in our language, it was such a sweet and emotional moment. To top it off, he surprised us with free dessert! This place has officially become a must-stop for me whenever I travel through the area. Delicious food, warm service, and such a welcoming vibe, couldn’t ask for more!

I had a great experience at Nam Chon in Philadelphia! The prices were very reasonable, the service was fast, and the food had really good flavor. Everything we ordered came out fresh and tasty. The ambiance was warm and welcoming — a cozy spot that feels both casual and authentic. One of the highlights was the owner, who was incredibly kind and even took a picture of us during our visit, which added a personal touch to the whole experience. Definitely recommend this place if you're looking for good Korean food and a friendly atmosphere. I’ll be back! Nam Chon offers a range of dishes with prices typically between $10 and $24, making it an affordable option for those seeking authentic Korean cuisine in Philadelphia.

Nam Chon is a hidden gem and underrated. We’ve been here multiple times and it never disappoints. The service was warm and welcoming—the owner even surprised us with fresh watermelon slices on a hot day, which was such a thoughtful touch. The cozy, clean indoor space made for a relaxed dining experience. Every dish we tried was full of flavor, but the standout for me was the soondubu—rich, savory, and comforting. (& actually spicy if you request it !) The tteokbokki had the perfect texture—not too chewy, just addicting. Definitely a spot worth revisiting! Not sure what the bad reviews about the banchan are about—personally, I loved them! The marinated potatoes were my favorite. The only slight miss for me was the kimchi—I’ve had better—but everything else made up for it. Nam Chon is definitely worth a visit for the cozy vibes, great service, and seriously flavorful food. I’m so glad to have a good Korean spot nearby !

We had the best experience dining at Nam Chon! We ordered range of items including kimchi pancake, seafood pancake, kimchi jigae, and bulgogi bimbimbap - not only was every dish amazing, the bonchon and the house made gochujang sauce was just out of this world!! The man who seated and served us who appeared to be the owner was so extremely kind, attentive, and caring, just the sweetest person! We will become a regular there for sure - felt like eating a homemade Korean meal:) so yummy and cozy!

Wanted to try something new in the city and this place did not disappoint. The staff was friendly, everyone was moving quickly, and very accommodating and attentive, the restaurant is clean and cozy. The lighting is beautiful. The menu is small, but that’s always a good sign in my book, and the dishes were great, so good and flavorful. Everything was really hot and fresh, but also didn’t take too long to come out. Definitely have to give this place a try.

The dishes are very satisfying for our taste buds. We ate everything till the last drop. The pork soondubu is so tasty. The ahjussi is warm and kind. One thing I couldn’t like about is the place is too hot. Can you imagine eating hot and spicy soup and rice in a hot room? Outside is cooler than inside the restaurant.

Highly recommend this Korean spot on South St! All of the food we had was full of flavor and intention. Seated by the owner who shared some of the secrets of his mother's bulgogi sauce. Kimchi was a great appetizer and the dumplings were mouth watering. The beef bibimbap came out in stone bowls and were balanced in flavor, I ate every part! We were given a surprise from the kitchen of fresh cut watermelon as a palate cleanser. Eat here!

Sweetest owner, so tentative to his customers and the rest of the staff is amazing. The food is SO good - I had soft tofu and pork jigae and it was just what I needed after several flight delays and cancellations to not lose it. the place is really clean

The best Korean food I've had in Philly. It's authentic and tastes home cooked, not like typical Korean-American places.

One of the best Korean spots in Philly!! We ordered the beef dolsot, two different kimchi jjigae , cheese tteokbokki, beef mandu, and seafood pancakes We loved everything except for the seafood pancake, which wasn't crisp enough. Everything else was perfection! Highly recommend and will be back!!

NamChon has some items that other Korean restaurants in the city don't have so I was very excited to try them out. The restaurant is very nice and clean, and quite spacious as well. My friend and I enjoyed most of the food but we both think that the Fire chicken and Tteokbokki need more flavor, they were a bit bland and not spicy at all. The highlight was definitely the soup, it was hot, flavorful and ton of seafood. Overall a solid 7/10!

Me and my friend have had this new (ish) Korean place on our list of places to go to for a while now and we decided to stop in on June 22nd to try it out. This place gave us an authentic taste of Korea, it felt like we were transported into a local Seoul restaurant. The staff working here were extremely nice and took our orders really quickly and the food came out within 15 minutes or so. We ordered soy Korean Boneless Chicken (Soonsal Chicken) , beef Mandu and Pork Kimchi Jjige With White Rice (side). The food was very authentic and had great flavors. If you want a place that has authentic Korean food with great service I highly recommend. I can't say enough about how sweet the staff were. They gave us free watermelon at the end, my friend was coughing and they came to check on us to make sure she was okay and if it was too spicy (it was the perfect amount of spice!) and when my friend was fanning herself they turned the AC up without us asking. Great place!

I came to Nam Chon with my friends when we visited Philly, and the experience was amazing! Sam, our waiter, was very sweet and accommodating. The restaurant is BYOB and he provided us wine and soju glasses for our drinks. The service was top tier and we thoroughly enjoyed our time at the restaurant. For food we ordered the Brisket Tteokbokki, Kimchi Jjigae, Korean Fried Chicken, and Tofu and Spicy Pork Stir-Fry. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious, my favorite being the Kimchi Jjigae- it was the perfect amount of spicy for me (not too spicy) and the pork belly and tofu went well with the soup. If you plan on ordering Brisket Tteokbokki and are not good with spicy, I would recommend telling the waiter to make it not too spicy. My friends who have been here before mentioned it can be really spicy without a note. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience here! I loved all the dishes we ordered and would definitely come here again. If you are ever in the area and are craving delicious Korean food, I would highly recommend checking out Nam Chon.

Great spot to stop in for lunch. The owners are so sweet and adorable! I love that the restaurant itself was very clean and spacious. As for the food, it comes out fresh and made to order. If you're looking for a decently priced delicious meal. I'd put Nam Chon on your list.

So glad I discovered this place! The veggie options are abundant. I had the mushroom bibimbap to start and am excited to try other options. Nice workers and nice casual atmosphere. I will be back.

Wow. This place is amazing. I had the bulgogi bibibap in a hot stone. The portion was huge. Everything was cooked perfectly including the egg. The folks serving were very sweet. I'm sad to see it not busier on a Saturday night. My only regret is not being able to take the rest with me as I don't have a way to keep it.

Yum yum yum. From the bon chon for the table to large plates of bibimbap and doslot. Great service and excellent accessible Korean food.

Went here on a rainy Sunday night for dinner and was pleasantly surprised. The restaurant was empty at first but a few tables filled up by the time we left. The restaurant was very nice inside and felt very modern and clean with an open kitchen and bar seating. BYOB too! We ordered the chicken wings, kimchi brisket dolsot, and seafood soondubu. The chicken wings were very good! The seafood soondubu and dolsot had a nice flavor. If you like spicy, I recommend mentioning that when you order as our food did not come out spicy at all. Everyone receives ban chan at the beginning of the meal and watermelon for dessert! The owner of the restaurant, Sam, was very welcoming and provided very good service. He gave us a complementary seafood pancake with our meal! Highly recommend trying out this local restaurant for authentic korean food. There is not many good korean places in the area, so I am glad that this restaurant opened up. I will be back to try other items!!

SO GOOD. We feel lucky to have found this place before the secret gets out. Food is amazing, dining room is elegant and comfortable. It might look like a hole in the wall from the outside, but both the food and the atmosphere are excellent. We had the ramen and the pork kimchi dolsot. They were so good that we finished every bite, even though the portions were more than generous. The meal came with complementary appetizers beforehand, and watermelon afterward. We will be back.

Had a wonderful late lunch here! Definitely a great new local byob to check out. They came out with free bites at the beginning - kimchi and pickled tofu. We ordered the kimchi pancake, teokbokki, and jab chae with beef. All were delicious and filling. Lots of great vegetarian options and the couple running the store was lovely! They even brought watermelon slices out for dessert with the check. The food was delivered very quickly. This is super large, clean, and upscale, especially for south street. Make sure to check it out!

Great authentic Korean food. We got the seafood pancake, bulgogi bibimbap, and fire cheese chicken. Excellent and speedy service.

I've missed Korean food, and this is the place to be! Incredibly delicious and authentic. The mushroom tofu dolsot savoriness balanced out the yummy spice from the pork tofu kimchi. The dishes, especially the pork kimchi, honestly taste like the food I typically have in Ktown in LA. I'm also impressed by their seafood pancake, which is large, light, crispy, and tasty! Banchan side dishes came out in very good portions, and they refilled when we finished them. The service was great, too. I believe the owner served the dishes to us, and he was very sweet. The space seems rather large so it would be easy to bring a big group. I highly recommend! This is now my favorite place for Korean food in the city. My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed this place and look forward to coming again soon

, first time trying, really a nice experience. We ordered the Bibimbap, fish cake soup, fried chicken wings and Beef rib eye Dolsot. The manager or the owner, who was really in nice service and gave us kimchi pancakes, so delicious!

The service was perfect and the food is made in-house. The chicken and veggie bibimbap was very flavorful and perfectly cooked. The Beef Bulgogi Tteokbokki was tender and had just the right amount of spice. The restaurant was clean, quiet, and had great ambiance. We will definitely return.

I went with my sister after we heard it about it on Instagram and we had such a great time! The owner reminded us of family and he was very kind and attentive throughout our time there. As soon as we sat down we were given a pitcher of refreshing lemon water which we gulped down immediately because it was so hot outside. The music was great and not too loud so it was still enjoyable and could easily fill any silent moments when we couldn't speak because our mouths were filled with the delicious food. Before our food came we were given some side dishes which were yummy and got us looking forward to the rest of what we got. We ordered the Kimchi Pork Stir Fry, Seafood Soft Tofu Soup, and Soonsal Yangneum Chicken - all of which were amazing and very generous portions which we shared (and took home as leftovers). At the end he brought us sliced watermelon which was juicy and a refreshing way to finish our meal. 10000/10 will be coming again and supporting our new uncle! Looking forward to returning and bringing more friends/family.

The best authentic Korean food I have had. The menu has all of the classics. I had Kimchi jjigae and dolsot bibimbap with bulgogi. The soup was fantastically spicy but still amazingly full of flavor. The rice bowl was excellent. There really wasn't any way to make my experience better!

The best Korean food I've had in Philadelphia by far. I've dined in and ordered take out several times from Nam Chon and have thoroughly enjoyed my meal each time. When dining in, the waiters are kind and attentive. My favorite menu items are the hot stone bowls, the soft tofu soup, and the pork kimchi jjige, which are so flavorful. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough, and would love to see them gain the popularity they deserve.

The food - amazing! The owner - so sweet! This place is a gem. We ordered the brisket kimchi, the fire chicken, the seasoned fried chicken and the pork and shrimp dumplings. The portions were huge. Definitely will be going back.

Our meal at this restaurant was great, the bibimbap toppings were well cooked and very flavorful. Our server was very attentive, answering questions about the menu and bringing our table complimentary seafood pancake and watermelon. The restaurant was very quiet at lunch, so definitely a hidden gem!

One of the best meals/experiences I've had in Philly. -kimchi pancake was incredible -soft tofu soup was amazing -the restaurant owners were so sweet and attentive! when I asked for no mushrooms in the mushroom soup (I know, I know), the owner was so surprised but kindly listed all of the other ingredients one by one to ask if they were okay -really clean and pleasant

What a great find!! Awesome food - get the kimchi pancake, soft tofu soup, and the pork and kimchi hot stone soup. The broth in the cheese tepotki (sp?) was incredible - eat it with a spoon. The owner is solo and working SO hard. Only downside is no drinks, but the food is absolutely worth it.

Such a perfect homey Korean restaurant. Everyone here treats you so kindly. I am filled with love after my time here. :) Stopped in with my best friend since we were deeply craving warm rice dishes after a weekend of eating heavier foods. We popped in ~5PM, and it was empty besides one other group of four. Still plenty of seating all around! The owner(?) was serving these guests, and they were having a friendly discussion about the menu. My friend and I were seated immediately and were given a tall pitcher of lemon water. The menu had a lot of options from snacks to rice dishes to noodles to soups! We ordered the beef ribeye dolsot and the beef ribeye bulgogi. Everything came out very hot and extremely tasty. Genuinely one of the best Korean meals I've ever had -- I finished half of my dish and ate the rest as leftovers. They also had banchan for the table. (I'm not a banchan girly though so I only had a few slices of their pickled spicy cucumber slices.) At one point, the owner came out and shyly asked us if we wanted miso soup to go with our meal. He placed two small hot bowls on our table and it served as the perfect palate cleanser between bites of food. After we were done, he brought out two slices of cold watermelon for us. It was so heartwarming to me -- he really just felt like an uncle making sure we had enough to eat. It was a lovely surprise and a great way to end our meal. The prices were good and we left full. I'll definitely be coming back to this hidden gem -- hopefully business picks up for them!

I went for lunch and was impressed . The kimchi jiggae was very good. I think it's much better than Bukchon and seorabol. The menu is smaller but everything I tried was good

Absolutely delicious!!! We had the dumplings, the shrimp tempura, chicken wings, beef bibimbap, mushroom tofu japche & chicken ramen... ALL very good! Friendly service, too

Amazing!! The food and service were great. We ordered the Brisket kimchi jjigae, Cheese Tteokbokki, and Pork soondubu. Everything was perfectly seasoned and we felt very well attended to. The warm and spicy soup was perfect for a cold day. Highly recommend and will be coming back!

Excellent Korean spot. Can stand up to any other Korean spot in the city. Although their menu is a bit shorter, everything on the menu is delicious. Give it a try next time you're on South.

If you like Korean food and live in center city, you should continue supporting this place because this is one of the very few places inside center city that has authentic Korean food. I had kimchi brisket dolsot, very good. Every table gets free banchan as appetizer and a slice of water melon for each person as dessert.

As a Korean, I appreciated the efforts of the restaurant keeping the food authentic without getting too fusion-y and losing the Korean taste. The yangnyeom chicken was different, but was tender and very good. Would definitely get it again. The soondubu (soft tofu stew) is also comparable to other authentic Korean restaurants I've been to, and I appreciate that they serve the meals in a traditional hot stone pot. The iced corn tea they served tasted was refreshing and tasted just like the ones I grew up drinking. Family owned business that seems to really care for the service they provide. Portion sizes were generous. Food came out quickly. You get the old school Korean restaurant food with the modernized interior vibe. Wasn't too busy on a weekday evening.

Made with love! Great service! Well done ambiance!! Would recommend if in Philly area!

Good place to eat, nice atmosphere, friendly staff. Foods 4.0/5.0 Would definitely comeback

This place deserves more hype! I went here a few weeks ago and I can't stop thinking about it. One thing that stood out was the man who I believe owns the place, he was our server and was so sweet and kind. He was welcoming from the beginning and I just love him! The food is incredible and even gave us free watermelon at the end of our meal. Will be coming back.

Solid new korean spot on south street! Definitely check it out. The owner is so sweet and the banchan was great.

It is really good and the owner is really nice all the food came out in a timely manner the vibe and music is good I love to ban chan that comes with it I would come here very often if I could but I live in NY and this place is in PA but it's a good place to go to if you want good Korean food

our party of 6 enjoyed a wonderful dinner here 7/24. It's a small place, the owner made us feel so welcome. Nice variety of food that allowed all of us to find something we really enjoyed-- from those who know Korean food well to those who are not generally eating adventurous. The starter plate with pickled radish, kimchi and seafood pancake was an excellent surprise. The Grand Opening banner was still hanging when we were there. Like all newly opened places, they are still working out the kinks, but the food was terrific and the atmosphere relaxing and welcoming-- a longer than average wait for our check was noticeable but didn't detract from our overall very positive experience.

Excellent food and service at this new restaurant that we stumbled upon. The owner gave us a complimentary seafood pancake and watermelon, both of which were delicious. The dolsot dishes and the fried rice dishes were delicious and authentic, as was the banchan (kimchi, fish cakes, fried vegetables, and cucumbers). Highly recommend and will definitely return.

The food here is genuinely cooked with love because it tastes amazing and hearty every single time. It's consistent, the staff and crew are always so sweet and kind, and this price are very reasonable. I'm so happy this place exists.

This place just opened up two months ago and I went for the first time to try it out. The food and service was great, especially considering there isn't many Korean restaurants around here. If you want to get Korean food this is a good spot to go to!

The owner served us and was incredibly welcoming. Nice interior. The Korean food was delicious, great portions, and as authentic as anywhere in Center City. We had the tofu bulgogi stirfry and a bibimbap - both so good. The teokbokki was also very good, plenty of really good fishcake. Definitely will be back and recommend! Easy parking out front on South St.

I walked in with no expectations. I was immediately greeted and welcomed warmly. The staff accommodated to my handicapped father and was very kind. The atmosphere was very calm and relaxing. The service was above and beyond my expectations: immediately upon being seated we were presented with some side dishes, and asked if we were familiar with Korean food - we are not. We asked for suggestions, and in return we were asked for flavor profiles: I like spicy, my father does not. I got the pork tofu and my dad got the beef ribeye hot plate and both were excellent. I look forward to coming back here! I left with a full belly, and a smile on my face. I am surprised there weren't more customers. Prices were very reasonable - after paying the check and the service and quality of food we got, I feel like I stole something. Very very nice restaurant! Did I mention the food was delectable? Because it really was!

Definitely a must go in Philly if you enjoy Korean food. Owner is super kind and everyone is welcoming. You guys should check it out!

I had a great dinner at with my girlfriend. The owner was incredibly nice and gave great descriptions of the food. I've had Korean food all over Philly and this stood out! We'll definitely be back

Had lunch here (dol sot) and the Korean food is delicious! The service is top notch and the owner is so nice. I will definitely be back and try everything on the menu!

the food is delicious, the place is clean, the service is very friendly, the food is very cheap, everything is good