You would think in Richmond where Asian cuisine reignes supreme (Iron Chef America reference anyone?), it would be very easy to find authentic, homestyle Korean cooking. But nope, there are very few Korean restaurants like that. That is, until I found out about Haroo.
One dish I always love to get from any Korean restaurant is Dukboki. This is a very popular Korean snack and one I've had far too often when I was studying in Seoul. These can usually be found at street carts or little mom and pop shops and it consists of rice cakes in a spicy Korean sauce (called gochujang).
The dinner items at Haroo are not cheap so just an FYI. I did hear however that the lunch specials are way more affordable so maybe next time I'll go for that instead.
Their banchans (Korean side dishes) were very interesting vibrantly coloured. On the left, you have a tiny sample of their seafood pancake and on the right is a simple green salad.
You also get a small sampling of their porridge and a bit or sardines.
These banchans are what you would typically expect to see at most Korean restaurants. It includes kimchi, sweet potatoes, beansprouts, seaweed, and eggplant.
Rae ordered the
Beef Haemul Sundudu ($9.95) which is a traditional tofu soup. The clear broth surprised us as we were completely expecting a red and spicy broth.
The
Dukboki ($13.95) was actually quite expensive but we ordered it anyways because we heard good things about this place. It definitely did not disappoint. The red chili taste was not overwhelming spicy but still gave a good kick at the end.
Overall, the food here tastes just like your Korean friend's mom's cooking so it is incredibly comforting and welcoming. The prices are a bit steep for dinner so I would suggest coming here for lunch if it is your first time.
Service Rating:
4.5/5
Food Rating:
4/5
Price:
$$
Overall Rating: 4/5
Happy Eating!
<-- if you've been to Korea before, you'll know what I'm talkin' about
courtesy of http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3oqeu5/
Who wants to have Dukboki? I DO!!!! :D I would go for the mild variant though.
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