Rich J.C. | Korean Restaurant

Best Korean food I've ever had. Great for a bite with one or two friends, as the seating area is very small. Sooo worth it though!

This cute lunch counter has THE BEST Korean food in Ann Arbor - mandu (dumpling) fat and yummy, hot pot to die for and great prices - we try to visit often!

Such a cute hole-in-the-wall type of place. No frills, but so much love goes in the cooking. Great as a go to place for lunch, and if you get there at open or before noon, there is usually never a wait.

Nice staff and tasty Korean food for a good price, which is surprising since Ann Arbor food is so expensive. Service was extremely friendly and the atmosphere of the restaurant was good. Would come to again

It's a very home feeling space. The food is so delicious! I got the ribs with rice and the meat was tender and the rice cooked perfectly. I have been going here for a few years now and it is one of my favorite places. Thank you so much for staying in business!!

Amazing place for Korean food! I've been there twice and was beyond satisfied both times. Their rice cakes are truly spectacular!! Also, their food is ACTUALLY spicy, which I really enjoy 🌶️. The only downside is there isn't much seating available inside. You gotta try this place!!

The vegetables in my ramen tasted old and the noodles tasted like they came from dry, packaged ramen you can buy at the grocery store. The fried seaweed rolls tasted like it was bought frozen. The kimbap was delicious tho— highly recommend!! If it’s something that has to be made fresh like kimchi stew or kimbap, I think it’ll be good! But anything that can be pre-packaged or frozen, I would avoid. Pros: a wide menu of Korean food classics, bar style seating is fun Cons: a little pricey for what it is, not the greatest quality

The best Korean food I've had on the east lower Michigan side and the service was great. New owner since April and the food was so homey, you'd think you were at home eating 😋😋😋

A cozy and intimate Korean restaurant that satisfies the craving. I forgot how small this place is. There's only maybe 15 seats (?) and it's barstool counter. I was craving a hot/spicy soup and got the kimchi jigae (with pork). It came with a bowl of white rice. They close at 8:30 pm but last call for kitchen is at 7:45 pm.

Rich JC is a small little Korean restaurant near the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus. I used to go here all the time as a student. I don't recommend going here with a big party unless you don't mind the wait. It's essentially all bar seating. The banchan are bean sprouts, kimchi, and pickled radish and are free. My favorite thing used to be the Spicy Beef and Squid combo. But as of my latest visit, they stopped making it. I recently tried the Bulgogi again and it was good (on the sweet side). But something was different compared to how I remembered it 10 years ago.

2024-04-27. Rich JC. Ann Arbor, MI. If you know nothing about Ann Arbor, you'll still probably know that it's home to the University of Michigan Wolverines. One of the top ranking public universities in the USA. Being a big college town, the immediate area is basically made up of four smaller districts: Kerrytown to the northwest, and home to Zingerman's Deli; Main Street district to the west, filled with inventive restaurants, creative cocktail bars, music venues, and art galleries; State Street district to the immediate west, for those who love historic architecture, theater and music performances, world-class art, shopping, and fine dining; and South University District located to the south and to the east of the campus, the classic "college town" neighborhood, perfect for strolling, picnics, and pictures (it's home to one of the world's best law libraries and was a venue contender for the Harry Potter Films!) Rich JC is an unsuspecting local favorite. This diner converted Korean restaurant has no table seating. It only has diner counter and stools so it's not ideal for larger parties. It is ideal for hungry students wanting a quick meal. The menu is limited, but covers all your basic Korean dishes, from appetizers to meat entrees, rice dishes, noodle entrees, and soups. I don't mind a limited menu, so long as what they limit it to is made well. We went with Bi Bim Bop, Dolsot Bul Go Gi, and a Kimchi Jigae. Bi Bim Bop. This was pretty standard fare. The veggies were pickled, but not overbearingly sour. The bul go gi was thin and tender and tasted exactly as it should. Not disappointing, but not spectacular either. 3 stars. Dakot bul go gi. This is essentially bul go gi beef marinated in bul go gi sauce, with mixed fried veggies, all over a bed of rice in a hot stone pot. The stone is heated up to 450F so will create a nice crusty layer of rice at the bottom. Traditionally, this dish is accompanied with a small bowl of soup broth to allow you to soften the crusty rice so that you can lift it from the bowl and consume it tasting the roasted flavor of the rice. Like the Bi Bim Bop, the Dolsot Bul Go Gi didn't disappoint, but didn't wow either. It's exactly as it should be. 4 stars. Kimchi Jigae. This is a spicy Korean ramen soup. The dish is served in a cast iron pot and served with a bowl of rice, and some picked vegetables on the side. The broth was nice and spicy as expected and came piping piping hot! This is a good winter dish that will warm you to the bone on those chilly winter nights. Flavor-wise, the soup was quite good and the spicy pepper broth did not fall short on the chili pepper. The kimchi was a nice additional kick as well adding complexity to the already spicy dish. 4 stars. Overall, Rich JC is a no-nonsense Korean Joint serving so homemade dishes. I get the feeling that some recipes have been modified to North American tastes and tolerances, but the modifications may also be due to the difficulty in getting some ingredients. The price is on par with what I'd expect to spend in College town and so is the atmosphere and vibe. I'm a fan. The next time I'm back here I'll definitely be trying the Rich Gal Bi. Gal Bi would have rounded out all my usual suspects, but alas I don't have the appetite I used to. A fourth dish would have been way too much for us. The good news is that we'll have something to look forward to the next time we return. If You would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... Bon Appétit!

I ate here almost every other day when I was a student here back in 2005. I brought my fiance to Ann Arbor for the first time and had to bring him here. Though the owner has changed, the food has not! The naen myung had the perfect blend of spices and it was very cold which was refreshing on a hot summer day. My fiance was impressed and said that other than my mom's cooking , it was the best Korean he's had.

Budae jigae from Rich JC was one of my college staple meals out. Spicy, salty, filling, and a large portion. It contains a variety of ingredients like SPAM, sausage, tofu, and rice cakes. I prefer Rich JC's version over Kang's because Kang's tends to be on the sweeter side. Rich JC has switched ownership recently and I've tired it once since -- I don't think the food taste has changed!

Very cute setup and very delicious food! Felt very homey, will be coming again. Servers were very nice and polite.

The Rich Gal Bi was absolutely delicious. Flavor profile was great and the beef was exceptionally tender. Very small bar style restaurant, but the owners were delightful and welcoming. Highly recommend!

I love the bulgogi! It's packed with flavor and a good portion size. The kimchi has the perfect crunch to add on! Definitely come here if you're craving some wonderful Korean food

Probably one of my favorite dining experiences! Walked in and was sat right away which was great. I tried the duk gochi as an appetizer--I didn't know what to expect but it was very tasty with the spicy sauce. For the main dish I had the fried noodles with tofu which was really good and I enjoyed the added crunch of the veggies. Very nice ambiance with a mix of classical/jazz music playing in the background to add to the peaceful atmosphere.

Got lots of goood stuff! The soondobu was very filling!! Fried rice cakes have very nice texture and a sweet and spicy sauce. Kimbap was also yummy. Came with a few side bites! All very good. Not much service because it's fast casual. Ambiance was nice, pretty crowded at lunch hour.

A cozy diner-style counter, classical renditions of Fly Me to the Moon and La Vie En Rose smoothly mingling with the airwaves, and the warm scent of soondubu permeating the enclosed nook. Rich JC brings a whole lot of comfort in the Ann Arbor dining scene. We got seated quickly on the bar stools and ordered the Rich Galbi and Yook Gae Jang. The Rich Galbi is paired with a small side salad and a mound of rice. The boneless galbi pieces was so tender and had a delicious sweet salty bbq taste. The Yook Gae Jang was filled to the brim with various meats, veggies, and glass noodles and had a spicy peppery bite with each spoonful. Perfect for a warm winter day. Service was fast and efficient. We were in and out in less than 30 minutes.

Love the energy of this small restaurant. It feels welcoming and like everyone knows each other the second you walk in. I had quick and efficient service and the food was authentic and delicious

soontofu (extra spicy, with beef), tteokbokki They have best soon tofu in the town. I usually get one with beef, but cheese is also good! Portion is big so I usually order doordash and split it for two meals. Dolsot bulgogi was also good! I think their tteokbokki is also the best in the town (along with moon cafe but they have different styles) Tall people might find the seats uncomfortable because you can't move chairs. Staffs here all friendly and really nice. Budae Jigae: 3/5 Bulgogi Hot Pot Soup: 3/5 Dolsot Bibimbap: 4/5 (had it with beef)

This place was so good. Like the tofu soup we get in chicago. The dolsot bibimbop was perfect. The soup was flavorful and extremely hot. I am happy that there's a place that serves traditional Korean soup my child can get when she needs hot Asian food!

The soups taste amazing. However warning to vegetarians, I asked multiple times on occasions if the soup was vegetarian and multiple people said yes on different days so I ate it like 7 times. Then most recently I was told everything is made with meat broth including that soup and there is only like one thing on the menu that is vegetarian. So just be careful if you are vegetarian

I got the dolsot bulgolgi and the tteokkochi and it was fantastic! The bulgolgi is on the sweet side and there was too much sauce to brown the rice. Service is great for having so few people. It's a cute place to grab something to eat.

Great Korean restaurant in Ann arbor, very family style, be expected to line up as it's not a very big space and it's really popular, the taste of food is legit, very traditional Korean style, they serve pickled veggies before your meal and they're refillable! Highly Recommend ！

Rich JC is another Ann Arbor gem - every dish I've tried here has been delicious! It has a great location on South U, making for a convenient lunch stop between classes. My go-to order here is the beef soon tofu jigae with added ramen (pictured). The soup is served bubbling hot with white rice on the side. The portion is large enough to consistently have leftovers. The only downside to dining here is that the only seating available is a bar-style countertop. It works fine for parties of 1-2, but it feels a bit disjointed/spread out if you have more people in your party. Because of the limited seating, there definitely is a bit of a feeling of being rushed to finish eating and pay. That being said, this is a place you go for amazing food rather than ambiance. With the right expectations and a small party, this is a must visit.

It's a pretty intimate setting with just a bar to sit at. The food is really good for a very reasonable price too. If you come during busy hours you might have to wait a little bit. Highly recommend!

This is a diner style spot, small. 17 or so stools. The one woman told me I couldn't save a seat. I told her my husband was putting money into the meter. She said I can't hold seats here. She then tried to seat a woman with her friend next to me a minute later. I again told her that my husband was coming and where was her friend supposed to go then? The kimchi banchan looks old and too fermented for me, tastes okay. The banchans are very much an after thought here. The kimchi isn't great here, better in the stew for sure. We ordered tuna kimbap and a chicken kimchi jjigae soup. I like they let you get the stew with chicken at least. The kimbap wasn't bad, tasted okay, some spinach wouldn't be bad with it too. Some sriracha would also be a good accompaniment too. The chicken kimchi jjigae was okay, doesn't taste the way I would expect it to, but it's still not bad. They put ramen in the kimchi stew, not my fav, prefer the potato noodles myself. Water pitcher at the counter. I was left annoyed and put off by the first waitress that kept trying to seat someone else next to me. Argh. So frustrating dealing with her pushy attitude. It left a bad taste in my mouth for the meal probably. They do need to clean their ceiling vents, they were quite dusty and it could easily blow and get into the food at the counter.

Satisfies ALL the cravings!! I got the Ra Book Gi Ramen, and it was super flavorful. It is pretty spicy, so I got mild, but the spice is delicious. Definitely recommend stopping by for a warm, hearty meal!

This place has some of the tastiest Korean food on campus, and the bar seating vibe is super cool. I have tried quite a few things on their menu, but I particularly like their bibimbap and their jjigaes. Their soups are so flavorful and warm, and serve as great comfort food. I wish they had a little bit more seating, because it always feels a little cramped, though.

Rich JC is a small hole in the wall restaurant in Ann Arbor! The restaurant is pretty small with probably 15-20 counter seats. I stopped by with a group of 3 around 6 on a weekday and we were able to find a seat. They serve a little ban chan with pickled yellow radish, kim chi and bean sprouts. I had the Dolsat Bibimbap with beef and it had plenty of different vegetables and some small diced beef pieces, flavor was great with the red sauce on the side. My only complaint is that none of my rice was crunchy! I should have just ordered the regular bibimbap cause the rice was all soggy.

Super authentic Korean food!! My friend and I got a tofu stew and kimchi stew. Both were delicious and filling and reminded me of home. Stop by if you want a warm, hearty, Korean meal:)

So amazing, ordered out for a date night and it was amazing very authentic and tasty! I could eat a million fried beef dumplings! Everything was amazing

Given the high reviews, I really wanted to like this place and had high expectations. However, the ramen I ordered was not very good. The vegetables tasted old and the noodles tasted like they came from dry, packaged ramen you can buy at the grocery store. Pros: a wide menu of Korean food classics, bar style seating is fun Cons: a little pricey for what it is, not the greatest quality when I went. If someone really wanted me to go with them, I would go. But as for me, there are other Korean restaurants in the area that I'd much prefer to go to.

It was simple menu yet great verity of Korean food never so good ,,it was like eating at your own home. Bring back memories of your childhood. So good, I can thank you enough of this small Korean restaurant. Two thumbs up

During my undergrad days I would always go to Rich JC for my Budaejjigae fix. The food is always amazing and the service very quick. However the last time I visited, I had an uncomfortable experience. It seemed like they had a relatively new server and the owner kept whispering to her aggressively in Korean. I am Korean so I could understand everything the owner was saying-and they weren't nice things. It continued the entire time I was eating and the poor waitress looked like she was about to cry. I was very uncomfortable with the whole situation. But apart from this one experience, I really do like the food at Rich JC.

MY FAVORITE PLACE. The only downfall is that the entire interior is bar sitting, so I would not recommend bringing too many people there. I would recommend eating there with a friend or two to have a small chat. You WILL food coma. Thick and rich... full of flavors. Servers are quite speedy. Love their complimentary beansprouts. They're cooked and seasoned to perfection. My top 2 favorite things there - 1. Soon Tofu Jigae. I'm a little weird so I like mine with cheese, but the seafood or beef one is also highly recommended. They serve it to you completely hot and bubbling in a large stone bowl. Large tofu portions and egg. Broth is thick, flavorful and wonderful. $11 total including tax. Also comes with a bowl of rice to keep you a bit more full. 2. Gal Bi Tang. I get this when I don't want to completely fall asleep. Love the beef soup base as well as the noodles. I don't really like eating this with the bowl of rice, however. LOVE THIS PLACE SO MUCH IT'S MY FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD ON SOUTH U.

I never leave reviews but for rich Jesus Christ I must. The kimchi jigae is my death row meal of choice. Phenomenal flavor, portion size, and service. The kimchi here is just spectacular. I've traveled the world looking for a kimchi jigae as good as this one, but have yet to find it.

In all honesty, I was a little confused by the name to begin with and was a little hesitant to go in given it's such a small store with so many other restaurants around. That being said, Rich JC is one of those hidden gems that everyone is always trying to find. The food is really really good, fills you up, and comes quickly. Would definitely recommend giving it a chance if you haven't done so. My only complaint is that the dining area is pretty restrictive and fills up quickly on busy days.

We were able to get three seats at the counter. It's a small little shop with only a few workers. The food is simply made and it's ok. The sides are ok also. The experience over all just felt pretty average. I had a bibimbap, but I've had better ones in other restaurants. It's not somewhere that I would go out of my way to come back to. Parking is far unless you park on the street.

Its prime location on South U makes for an easy lunch break between classes. Foods are mostly good but the only seating here is a countertop bar, which is a drawback for dining. It functions perfectly for parties of 1-2, however, if you have more than two people, it feels a little scattered.

This small hidden gem is now a "Go To" when in Ann Arbor. The food is absolutely delicious!

Rich JC is probably one of my favorite restaurants on campus!! I've come here so many times in my past 3 years here and everything I've ordered has never disappointed! My top dishes are: -soon tofu jigae -beef kim bop -beef bi bim bop The service is always super fast and welcoming, and the owners are always attentive to their customers. Portions are great, and the prices are affordable. The only downside is that the actual restaurant only has bar-like seating, so if you come here in a large party, you will have to wait longer to be seated. I love coming here on a cold day to drink a hearty bowl of hot soup. Definitely come here if you are looking for a fast and delicious meal!

For me, this place is an Ann Arbor institution. I've definitely been to this restaurant more than just a couple times and I can tell you that it's some of the best Korean food you can find in SE Michigan. I've tried nearly all the menu items and they're all fantastic - the stews particularly. They're served in piping hot stone bowls and really fill you up during the winter. The rice dishes are also fairly well done and I really like grabbing them when the weather starts warming up: even the most basic rice dishes like katsu are much better here than anywhere else in Ann Arbor (looking at you Tomokun). My favorites are the budae jigae, kimchi fried rice, and the galbi. For anyone that might have a dairy allergy, just be aware that the stews have a slice of cheese added, so just ask for it without cheese. Even though the prices might seem high, the giant portions balance it out. The restaurant itself doesn't look all that great but it adds to the hole in the wall appeal. The seating arrangement is just one giant bar so I wouldn't recommend coming here if you have more than 2-3 people in your party. I will say that the seats close to the door are complete hell during the winter, since you get a nice blast of cold air every time the door opens. If you want to avoid this, make sure to come during off peak hours!

I have been coming here for a decade and this establishment sustained me during undergrad. I have long since moved away from Ann Arbor, but this is the restaurant I miss the most. It is my first stop whenever I am back in town and I have been searching for a kimchi jjigae this delicious ever since. The taste is incomparable, I dream of it!! Everything on the menu is fantastic!!

I love this place so much that my friends bought me a Rich JC t-shirt for my birthday. An old Asian Christian couple running a restaurant is literally what I aspire to be. I just love the idea of their restaurant, it's adorable! I wouldn't mistake their efficient service as curt or dismissive. The way their restaurant is set up is so that large groups have a harder time dining together and smaller groups can sit next to each other casually. Their restaurant is built for handling large volumes of customers with only a limited amount of seating, so that means getting you your food to you quickly and also getting the bill ready as well. Their food is honestly just pretty good. I would say that it's a nice hot meal that is mildly over-priced. Their budae jjigae is a simple meal consisting of ramen, sausage, and Korean spices. It's a nice warm soup to have enjoyed over this winter!

Rich JC is a popular Korean restaurant in Ann Arbor. The restaurant is a bar-styles seating arrangement with around 15 individual seats. Rich is not good for large parties. The service is fast so there normally isn't much of a wait. I like coming here in cold winter days because the food served is always piping hot. Usually I order one of their most popular dishes, budae jigae. It comes in a stone pot with spam, noodles, kimchi, etc.. the standard army stew ingredients. The noodles are instant ramen like the type in shin ramen. They have other authentic Korean dishes such as bibimbop and dumplings that I heard are also pretty good. My main complaint about Rich is the lack of ventilation. Whenever I eat at the restaurant, my clothes always end up smelling like Korean food. They should add some vents to air out the room.

The spicy chicken was awesome, service is fast & friendly, food is served quickly. Great place for a bite before class

Very tasty and delicious all round. The spice was not and warm, but the spice wasn't . But all in all the soup got me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks Rich JC for seeing about me

I was very disappointed in my last visit. I wanted to give a one star, but had one good dish before. It's simple food, but you can tell it's starts to become careless made food lately. I ordered a soup with kimchi, noddles, beef and vegetables. There was no other vegetables other than kimchi, three small pieces of sliced beef and few crumbs, and WAYYYY too spicy and dry on the soup part. I wonder if they left it on heat too long, so it dried out. It was barely eatable for me since it was too spicy, and I was mostly eating kimchi and ramen noodles. I also got their "fav appetizer" the rice sticker with sauce. The sauce typically is house made, but their's clearly from a bottle. It just looks so sad and little for $8... My bf ordered a rice and meat/veggies dish, there was one piece of carrot ... which only is half of the flat plate and the other half is rice. After spending $40+ at a dinner, we just didn't feel satisfied with the food at all. It didn't feel worth it or taste any special, for my dish not even good. I know other Korean place is way better than this, so I probably won't go back.

The OG of Korean food in Ann Arbor. Sadly prices have skyrocketed over the years, but the food is delicious and the service is great. I personally think the experience is much better in-person if possible. My favorite foods are the soondubu, jjamppong, and yookgaejang, but you can't really go wrong with other dishes.

Rating: 4.5/5 Walking home from school in Korea, I would cut through a street market. And when I still had some allowance left, I would get myself a tteokkochi for 50 cents. Tteokkochi is a deep-fried rice cakes on a skewer covered in sweet/spicy sauce. It's been well over a decade since I had it. And on a random outing to a Korean restaurant, I was able to taste it again and go back to that child trying to decide what to get with his only dollar. And sharing couple bites with friends, albeit reluctantly. Rich J C is a very unique Korean restaurant. Set up like a korean diner, they serve korean street food as well as heartier options like soups, stews, and rice dishes. Let me start off by saying that their rice dishes are on fleek. We had dolsot bibimbab and dolsot bulgogi rice. Served piping hot, not only is the presentation more appealing, but a crispy layer of rice forms at the bottom, giving the rice an extra texture. Bibimbab has a nice assortments of really well-made banchan that complement each other. Served with a nice sweet/spicy sauce and sesame oil, it's a great bowl of authentic bibimbab. The bulgogi is marinaded well, tender, and is perfect accompaniment to rice as soy-based marinade and rice are like a match made in heaven. Kimbab wasn't as good and also pretty expensive, priced at $7. Tho, it did improve a lot when dipped in tteokkochi sauce. Tteokkochi comes with 2 different sauces, the original sweet/spicy sauce and teriyaki sauce(too salty for me). While tteokkochi is also on the more expensive side, and doesn't come skewered(maybe it could be requested?), it is spot on to what I had when I was a little kid walking home with friends, excited to get a little snack before we take turns playing video games.

I've been coming here throughout all of my undergraduate career, and there's no other Korean restaurant around Ann Arbor that is as good as they are. It's a smaller, bar like establishment but the food comes out quick and hot. If you're looking for a simple dish, you can go ahead and get their bibimbap, but the dish that keeps me coming back for more is the soon tofu with cheese. It sounds weird, but is actually the most amazing thing I've ever had. It makes the broth more flavourful and creamy. Never seen another restaurant do that!

This is probably my favorite place to grab a quick bite in Ann Arbor. I would give this place 5 stars, but the poor service leads me to deduct 1 star. When you come in, the seating set up is a bunch of bar stools lined up against the counter. It definitely isn't a great date spot or a place you would go to for nice ambiance. You come here for amazing Korean food and nothing else. I always get the Soon Tofu Jigae (Soon Dubu) and it always makes for an excellent meal. It comes out piping hot, with the egg bubbling right in the soup. The soup has a lot of spices and flavor, just like Korean food should be. They use silken tofu in the soup, which goes extremely well with the dish and I love having the soup with rice. My only complaint about this place is how hasty the service is. They always slap down the bill as soon as I get my food and seem to rush customers even when the place has plenty of seats. Maybe it's just how they do business, but I really would prefer a more polite service even if they need me to hurry up.

Rich JC is my favorite restaurant I've ever been to. The Kimchi Jjigae Soup is so good, it brings me to tears. It is by far my favorite dish I've had anywhere, and would highly recommend it for anyone who goes. All of their food is cooked with passion and love and you can tell. Amazing hole in the wall in Ann Arbor.

I am definitely a fan of Rich JC! I've come here more times than I can count over the past few years. The restaurant only has bar seating and can fit around 20 people maximum, so it usually gets really busy during lunch and dinner rush. The service is quick and nice overall. I've tried everything from the yummy Duk Gochi appetizers to the classic Dolsot BiBimBop to the wholesome Non-Spicy Entrees with Chicken or Beef to the heavy Dolsot Bulgolgi to the comforting Dan Jang Jigae. The food is pretty high quality for Ann Arbor standards and above average for Korean restaurant food standards, although it does tend to be a little more on the sodium-heavy side. I highly recommend anyone in Ann Arbor to come here for a comfy and food-coma-inducing meal!

This used to be one of my favorite, small business restaurants in Ann Arbor. I always loved the Kalbi ribs. We picked up a carry out tonight. My Kalbis were very dry and tough. Sure, sometimes things don't go quite right. But... just looking at the Kalbis, it was obvious that they weren't going to be good. They served them anyway. That's a "don't care" event. I'm sorry to see the change...