I have no idea why I'm craving gamjatang right now. It is 81 degrees, so I don't know if I just hate myself or if I like to torture myself. Anyways, gamjatang is THE perfect stew for a chilly winter evening, especially in Boston. My three friends and I shared the Combo B, which is meant for two-three people, but we felt that it was more than enough for the four of us. We added more soft tofu and some more vegetables, and I just couldn't wait to dig into the soup. Like, I was literally trying to stop myself from eating cold tofu. Luckily, they had a nice assortment of ban chan, so we were able to amuse ourselves with those while we waited for our stew to boil. My friend also ordered the spicy ramen, and it was surprisingly good! Definitely not better than the gamjatang, but hey, not bad!
(4)
Tung H.
Soup is really good And I really like tofu and noodle!! I'll try the lunch menu next time!!
(4)
Rachel L.
Okay, so it's kind of like hotpot. But kind of not. So we decided to opt out from the pork bones, which from past experience, wasn't so great. Now had we eaten what we ordered, with thaaat broth, it may have been a different story. We got the bulgogi soup, the one in what looks like a hotpot pot. We got the broth spicy. And we had good service. My stomach for some reason didn't mix well afterwards, and I wasn't the only one. Maybe we should have cooked it longer. Who knows. Regardless, it's good winter food. And we will possibly be back.
(3)
Derek B.
Kinda felt like it was a run of the mill korean place. The stew was nice. Staff was nice and attentive. Nothing really shined or stood out to me. I felt like there are better places around it?
(3)
Yanjin C.
I love the stew especially with ramen or udon after. So delicious that I will go there every time I visit Boston. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
(5)
Cathy S.
Went here around 8:30 on a Friday night and there was no line at all. I got the ramen with shrimp tempura and beef bone broth (mild spice level), and we shared the kanpungki sweet and sour chicken dish. I like the ramen noodles a lot - thin with good texture and there was plenty of it - though I think there definitely could have been more toppings since it only came with one piece of shrimp, a couple pieces of seaweed, and a small portion of bean sprouts. The broth was pretty good with a slight kick but also pretty salty and I couldn't drink any of it on its own towards the end. My friend got the soy sauce broth with a "spicy" spice level and it was way hot to the point that she couldn't eat any of the ramen and had to ask for another bowl of broth, so it's probably good to stick with a lower spice level. The sweet and sour chicken isn't spicy at all and tastes pretty much as you would expect, although the chicken is very crispy and fried well.
(3)
Tiffany C.
Omg. The gamjatang *faint*. It's good. Like seriously good. They're famous for their spicy pork bone soup here and for good reason!!! Try this place if you're a Korean foodie fanatic and want some amazing stew. The location itself is small and average looking but the servers here are great. They're really nice and even help you pack up your soups to go. Fast service too. I tried the dukbokki and that was ok too. Not the best I've tasted but it's pretty decent. Is probably rate it a solid 7.5/8 out of 10. Their rice cakes are perfectly soft and chewy unlike many other places who undercook their rice cakes. And it's SPICAYYY. Just the way I like it ^^ Banchan was just ok. Five star rating for gamjatang!!!!!!!!
(5)
Alan C.
Seafood pancake was ok. It was a bit doughy and not crispy enough for my tastes. Give it a good coat with the sauce to improve flavor. The good part was actually the Hanmaru Ramen with tonkasu. The pork belly was delicious and flavorful. It was juicy and was cooked well. The soup itself was not truly Japanese as I can taste a very strong Korean soup base in it, which is fine since the soup was excellent. It had a spiciness to it which wasn't too overwhelming. The noodle was the kind I like in ramen which was curly with medium thickness and cooked to the right semi al dente style. Also had the Omelette fried rice which was good. The egg enveloping the rice was nice and hot. The ketchup gave the right balance and obviously and very well like Japanese style dish. The fried rice inside was well flavored although I think they could make it a bit drier as fried rice goes. The service was fast and waitress attentive and courteous. Overall, great experience and will definitely go back to try the gamja tang everyone raves about there.
(4)
Zhe W.
One of the best Korean restaurant in Boston. Not too many choices, but what they have are all authentic!
(5)
Audrey C.
Came here for dinner on a Friday and we were seated right away. The service was super attentive and friendly and they continuously filled our side dishes without us having to hound them down (very important). We ordered the Gamja Stew (B) and it was plenty of food for the 2 of us. It comes in this huge pot with a heating apparatus underneath to keep the stew warm. I've never dipped meat into wasabi/soy sauce before and the pork dipped in this is absolutely delicious, I may have to start dipping all my meats in wasabi. The meat was fall off the bone tender and there was a good amount of pork on the bones. The stew was pretty spicy with lots of flavor as well. Overall, I would definitely want to come back to try the other dishes/stews that they have to offer.
(4)
Kathy Z.
Best place in Boston area for Gamja stew! And the pork feet too! That is something I order every time I am there. The seafood pancake, however, is very dissapointing, barely any seafood.
(3)
Mustachechuck S.
great food enjoyed it all been there 3 times now will try a few others on this avenue Soups are very good
(4)
Rich T.
Delicious spicy broth is my choice for today's lunch and I have no regrets. This place has a two person sharing menu that's is both social and tasty. If you and a friend are looking for a warm alternative to the traditional hotspot this is a good alternative.
(4)
Mallory C.
The first time I came here, I was an Allston n00b, and basically thought we were going for generic Americanized Chinese food, so I'm not really going to rate it on that, although it was an ok experience. I went again this week with some friends to celebrate a long awaited end of the semester, and now that I have a little more foodie experience under my belt, I can give a more adequate review. First of all, note to self- Korean Garden is the one with beer and wine on the menu, so we were a little disappointed that our night of drinks and noodles turned into just noodles, but the noodles were good! Everything was decent, but not amazing. Even though they say they don't seat incomplete parties, they did seat us when we were waiting for one person since we had a wheelchair and scooter and there was really no room for us to just "hang out" We ordered the seafood pancake as an appetizer which was perfect for 4 people to share, and the dipping sauce had a lot of flavor (without it was sort of bland) I had the cold ramen, my friends had the hot ramen with beef and the boyfriend had the Nabeyaki Udon. Everything was good and the noodles were the perfect consistency. the only thing that was sort of disappointing, was the banchan (or lack thereof). I don't get what everyone is saying about how it's so good. We had two small plates of kimchi and broccoli with some sauce. Last time I went we got at least four, and there were only three of us. I don't know if it was because it was the end of the night (it was only like 8:30) or we were put on the naughty list because we needed to be seated with an incomplete party. Either way, it was sort of underwhelming. I think we'll be trying some of the other Korean places in Allston before coming back here.
(3)
Kat T.
Gross experience with food.. In my experience, the food in this place is NOT good at all. I had crispy chicken (deep fried with sweet and sour sauce). The chicken came out dark-dark brown, cold, very hard, actual meat had lots of fat on it, tasted like something cooked a week ago, absolutely gross. The sauce was the only eatable thing, well, rice as well. In addition, the dishes are overpriced in my opinion (assuming they are eatable). The place is not super small but not big, very plain, no decor or any ambiance. I'd give this place one more shot, but definitely not soon. The food was really gross..
(1)
Young P.
If you are looking to get your gamja tang fix, this is the place to be. Their portion is great. Whether you come here with two people or with a huge crowd, you have the option of choosing your portion as accordingly. As far as taste goes, the meat is extremely tender and soft. Meat literally falls out of the bone without much effort. The stew is excellent and is even better when they are soaked in those delicious soft potatoes. Their banchan is also above standard. I'm a fob and I am very particular about Korean food. This place is definitely one of those rare places that makes me think that it's even better than some of the places in Korea. Next time you are in Allston, definitely give this a try. Price wise, I do think its a bit pricey but trust me its worth the money.
(5)
Xu C.
The best gangjatang ever!!! The meat is cooked very tender and full of flavor. Mashed potato in the side dishes goes so well with the soup. Their seafood and kimchi pancakes are both really good-very thin and not floury. The Japanese cold noodles are so worth trying as well!! Very addicting place!
(5)
Eline M.
They make an awesome spicy stir-fry pork (jeyuk bokkeum) and just for this, I fell in love with Hanmaru. Jeyuk bokkeum is definitely my favorite Korean dish and the one I had at Hanmaru was just great: spicy but not too much, just enough for you to still enjoy the taste of the meat itself. Great banchan as well -- we had kimchi, mashed sweet potato, soybeans, macaroni salad and 2 more whose names I don't know. Service was quick and nice despite the place being quite packed at 9pm on a Friday night. Prices are definitely ok for me, coming from Paris where Korean restaurants can quickly get quite pricey. I can't get wait to go back and try more from their menu (especially their spicy rice cakes, various stews and galbi!!)
(5)
Fern H.
I left Hanmaru after our meal with clear sinuses and itchy ears! Now that's a spicy pork bone soup! We ordered the 5-piece Gamja stew ($34.95) and the L.A Galbi ($17.95). The stew was a bubbly pot of spicy goodness but I found the pork bones to be quite lean (not a lot of meat) while the galbi ribs were sweet and tender. It was pretty busy on a Thursday night and service was so-so. I thought they could have been a little bit more on point with tea and sides refills. Hanmaru is a little bit more expensive than what I would usually spend on Korean but it was decent.
(3)
Hui H.
Hanmaru is one of my favorite Korean restaurants in boston. I ate kamja stew B with my boyfriend and it was enough for two people. But there were just small kamja in kamja stew or I hope there will be more diverse vegetables or rice cake. Whenever after eating from kamjatang in this restaurant, my stomach is uncomfortable but I don't care maybe It is because I ate too much or spicy for my stomach. I really like kamjatang and there is not where to eat around Korean town as Iong as I know . I will be there later again
(3)
Kimmy U.
Gamja Tang/Pork bone soup here is awesome! They have 3 sizes to choose (A, B, C) C is the smallest one and doesn't come with a gas stove burner like the others, but instead comes in like a big tofu soup pot. It's enough for 3 if you want to order something else like the seafood pancake (which is also pretty good). I've only come here for the gamja tang -It can get pretty spicy for those of you who aren't into that, so just beware, especially with the soup. It's basically a big pot of spicy soup, pork bones (and meat..duh), potatoes, veggies, and tofu. When they bring it to your table, you let it cook a little bit and mix everything together..then serve! I love that it's piping hot, and STAYS piping hot because of the burner -They have extra add ons too like tofu, potato, ramen, etc. We usually add ramen to it, and end up being over stuffed every single time -Good selection of appetizers/banchan -Sometimes service can be a little slow if they don't have enough people working. Last time I went, there was only 1 server for the whole place, but maybe it's because it was the day after Thanksgiving and people weren't scheduled?? idk
(4)
James M.
One of my new go to spots for a Korean fix. Kicking off with Kimchi pancakes had my appetite ready for Honmaru Ramen with tonkasu. May not look like much, but they absolutely bring their best right to the table.
(4)
Simon L.
An excellent, crispy spring roll. Light wrapper, light on grease but pan fried hard. Sweet shredded cabbage with strips of carrot. A sweet duck sauce with flecks of fiery red pepper. Beef broth miso ramen, tender pork belly sliced thinly with layers of fat. Sprouts and sheets of dried nori. Highly spicy. Thick broth loaded with scallions and katsuobushi. Noodles are chewy and substantial. Plenty for the bowl to make an entree. Of course I ordered the only Japanese thing on a Korean menu but it was completely worth it! Service is polite; food is perfect.
(4)
Mario C.
Went to Hanmaru to have some Gamja Tang (beef bone stew with veggies, tofu and potatoes). It's excellent, authentic in it's simplicity. The stew is spicy and on a cold day it's perfect to warm you up. Service is friendly, pan chan was good although I would have love more variety. Overall quite pleased and I recommend Gamja Tang!
(4)
Shir L.
I used to enjoy the food here. If you love your spicy rice cakes like I do, DO NOT ORDER THEM FROM HERE, you'll be disappointed, trust me. We'd get the usual gamja stew and ramen to share during those cold winter nights, unfortunately, the last time i visited was memorable, and not in a good way. While waiting our food, I was reading yelp reviews, and someone mentioned seeing rodents in the restaurant, ok that was an appetite killer. Once we got our food, it tasted different. I don't know if my mind was playing games with me but the aftertaste was strange, I'm definitely not coming back.
(1)
Khoa N.
Disappointed. The gamjatang was spicy as promised, but that was it. The broth itself was bland. The pork was tender and easily fell off the bone. Yet not much to fall off. Maybe my taste buds are used to the flavorful tofu soup at Kaju, even though this stew is different, it doesn't compare and I'd rather much go down the street and wait half an hour for a smaller bowl of kickass goodness. The sides were minimal. They will refill if you flag them down to ask for it. Tteokbokki tasted good and spicy. Beware it's just carbs and sauce. Well, to be fair, the description did not say meat. LA kalbi, hm, was just regular kalbi. Perhaps the secret ingredients were too secretive I was not able to appreciate it. Even tried the spicy pork and there was not much to rave about. In conclusion, I was disappointed. There are better Korean food joints around.
(2)
Mark L.
Curry Chicken Tatsu and Indonesian Fried Rice. That my friend is all I have to say, my friend and I literally are addicted to this place. We go onc
(5)
Victoria P.
Came here with my boyfriend and ordered the ojjinguh bokkum and gamja tang (B). Everything was just okay...nothing spectacular. The service was surprisingly good, but I have yet to find a good Korean restaurant in Boston. My boyfriend had a pretty bad stomach ache afterward, but I think that may be because he doesn't handle spicy very well. Overall, just okay.
(3)
Ambrose C.
Another East Asian restaurant in Allston, I decided to come here with a friend to try out some dishes that I do not eat often. My friend ordered the Rice Cake Mandu Stew, which is a beef stew with rice cake and dumplings. I got Kimchi Chigae, which is a really spiced up broth with slices of pork and cabbage inside. I really liked the Kimchi Chigae even though it had a good amount of spice in the flavor. It's definitely a good choice when the windchill is really low, and the temperature outside is -2 degrees Celsius. After mixing it with a good amount of rice, it was a tasty dish. If they can put in some more pork in the dish, it can be a really good dish. Cabbage was also fairly good with the rice and the spiced broth. My friend seemed to have enjoyed the dumpling soup and was able to finish it. I also came here for the lunch specials. I got a tonkatsu and pork belly ramen noodle soup. I really liked the somewhat spiced flavor of the broth, the tonkatsu was tastily crispy, but I though the pork belly meat slices were thin slices. Although the slices were thin, the pork was tasty, though I would rather just get the pork tonkatsu, if I had to choose between tonkatsu pork or pork belly. The noodles were pretty good, they were definitely a little thicker than the ramen noodles that you would get from a supermarket. Banchan (side dishes) was probably the most average banchan I have eaten at a Korean-style restaurant. The macaroni salad was decent, as well as the mashed potatoes. The Kimchi was okay, the cabbage was a little soft, and the bean sprouts were satisfactory. Service was okay, the waitresses need to be a little more nicer, but the food came in fairly quickly. Prices are very reasonable, dishes tend to be under $10 before tip. The lunch specials may be the same dishes but the price difference is only about $1 or $2. I kind of like the small and somewhat quiet atmosphere, and it made me feel I was more inside a cafe or a bistro than a restaurant. Overall, this is a good choice for some Korean style stew or Japanese style noodle dishes especially when the weather is at an awful 13 degrees Celsius or below. I am not sure if I will be coming to this place often, but I think they can do a good job serving some tasty Asian dishes.
(4)
John D.
Hanmaru is a small Korean restaurant that's an enjoyable place to eat. The stew here is alright, has better plates such as the bulgogi. The Thai tea is exceptional though, very good. Service is fair especially since there's only a couple people working in the front. Lines aren't completely long for this place though.
(4)
Amy C.
This place has closed down! Try Color Restaurant next door :D
(1)
Aria D.
I came here for pad thai and was disappointed although it's really a Thai dish so it guess that's what I get. It was just very bland and not exciting in the least. I finished it because I was hungry but that's it. The ambience of the place is also very plain and messy in a weird way. The man who served me was also very disconnected and not welcoming. I would give this place another shot if it weren't in Allston and there wasn't an abundance of Korean and Japanese restaurants.
(2)
Kim H.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Quick and friendly! (although im not sure if they were korean haha) Price: everything was pretty decent, being a big COLORS fan (which is right next door) their food quality is a little better and a little more high! GOOD FOR QUICK LUNCH & DINNER ! Their Japchae was really good!! and their side dishes were also. MUSIC: ( I know this is random) but i wish they played korean music! instead of english music, maybe thats why I like color's atmosphere better hehe ^_^ OVERALL: I like this place! I would come again for a cheap and quick lunch * THEY ARE VERY CHILDREN FRIENDLY
(4)
Marie M.
The Nabeyaki Udon soup is OUTSTANDING! Five stars just for this, for which I drive an hour and a half from RI. My daughter craves it as much as I do! It's right across the street from Garlic N Lemon, where we also visit everytime we are in the area. I love their Pad Thai and Pajun. My daughter and her friends also like the Chicken Katsu. This place is small and gets packed during peak hours. Can order for take out. I miss the fried pike mackerel they removed from the menu. Haven't tried anything else, yet.
(5)
Faye Z.
First of all I have to admit it, I 'm a fan of Gamjatang stew here, no doubt! But the reason I only gave three starts is because they can NOT keep the food cook consistently!!! When the boss is here or they only have few customer in the place, they cook good, but when it gets busy, the quality of food is......really bad... Up and down a lot from my opinion, I eat here at least once every two weeks, so if I'm lucky I got good food if I'm not then..... I hope the boss can see this problem and try to fix that, then I will give at least 4 starts for having a great stew here.
(3)
Katie B.
I'm really not a fan of their service. It's annoying but not nearly enough to keep my friends and me away from this place. First off, I mostly stick to the Korean food, but their thai dishes are good as well. Their Gamja tang is a must; it's really flavorful and spicy and just amazing! It's definitely my favorite dish here. Their kimchi jigae is good as is their spicy yuk gae jang. I've also had their soon dubu jigae, which I'm a fan of. However, I'd recommend going to Kaju for that, because they specialize in the tofu soup so there are more options. I started off by noting their poor service. Once a waiter spilled soup all over my friend and wasn't the least apologetic. It ruined her top and got all over her pants as well. Luckily, the manager is really nice and took 20% off our bill. Another time a waitress spilled over a glass of water. Also, the atmosphere isn't the greatest but honestly the food is so good I couldn't care less. If you're a fan of spicy food, this is your place. They will serve it truly spicy!
(4)
Mike M.
The place was just Eh! so so. Kitchen appeared kinda dirty and unorganized. GF loved the Gamjatang stew but I wasnt a fan since the meat was all bones and tendon. I ordered the Dolsot Beef Bibimbap, Clay pot was not hot enough, didn't even sizzle or crisp the rice. hardly any beef, the rice was wet and overcooked. Wouldn't reccomend it.
(2)
Jiho K.
...
(2)
Farrah F.
I came here with my friend after sitting (well, lying around because I got tired) in a tattoo+piercing parlor for several hours and walking through some rather cold streets, so a bowl of steaming hot ramen was definitely a welcoming sight. My stomach stopped hating me almost instantly. :O! I ordered the Hanmaru Ramen with beef (thank you for not having just pork!) for $8.95 and my friend split some of the pad thai with crispy chicken he ordered with me because he's cool (and also because he felt bad for making me sit at Stingray parlor for many moons). Those two dishes coupled with hot tea was perfect to warm me up from the cold that I still haven't really gotten used to. (The free side dishes are pretty awesome too!)
(4)
Ranchida T.
I love gamja tung. And L.A galbi.. It's so good...
(5)
Le N.
They are between a 3 and 4 stars - pending on what you order. If you want something soupy, go the hanmaru. Everything else on the menu (basically non-korean and asian fusion) was just okay. My favorite from hanmaru, which is difficult to find elsewhere and that's why I keep coming back is gamjatang. I like to add udon to mine as well and it's super delicious. The broth is flavorful and has a nice kick to it! Dubokki was pretty flavorful and good here as well. So when it's rainy or cold - give their gamjatang a try.. you'll thank me! So you're welcome! :)
(3)
Leanne C.
I was ecstatic to find an as-authentic-as-I've-known Korean place that could satisfy my ramen cravings. I went crazy and ordered quite a bit: veggie kimchi pancakes and vegetable ramen. I waited for my take out for 15-20 minutes and then headed on home (I was going to eat in but after seeing the place was so busy, it would have been a bit too lonely/awkward for my tastes. ). I got home, and unpacked six containers. Container 1: broth, Container 2: ramen + veggies, Container 3: kimchi pancakes, Container 4: kimchi, Container 5: broccoli, Container 6: soy and green onion sauce. First impression: by separating the elements out, they showed that they cared about the texture, temperature and quality of the food- even if I wasn't dining in. Second impression: wow this is a LOT of food- like, 2-3 meals. The kimchi pancakes were so good- fresh (not that reheated rubbish you find at a lot of Asian restaurants), hot, but a bit greasy. Loads of onion, a hint of spice and a fairly big portion. The veggie ramen was also super satisfying. I haven't had Korean food this good since college so I was all happy hums and grins through my meal. If you living in Allston/Brighton: GO HERE. Its perfect for the cold weather and pretty reasonably priced too.
(4)
Kalua M.
Sometimes it's hard being a vegetarian - but not if you eat at Hanmaru (and you're the kind of vegetarian that eats eggs!). I ordered the Nabeyaki udon soup with no meat - but asked them to keep the egg. They even added big tasty pieces of tofu for me. The broth was amazing. This is my favorite cold weather meal and I've returned a couple times for it. It does get busy around dinner time - so be prepared to wait for a table!
(5)
Wendy L.
Five stars for their Gamja Tang but four stars for the restaurant as a whole and other items on the menu. If you come here you have to get the Gamja Tang - its extremely spicy so it's not for everyone. The meat falls off the bone which makes me wonder how long they cook it for to get it to be so tender. The broth is really good too probably because they cook the beef for so long! There are many sides that you can add to your stew. I recommend getting the small one (Stew C) for two people. Their Fried Gyozas are amazing too, super crispy and flavorful. I've also tried their L.A Galbi which is on the sweeter side. Their Chicken Katsu is really bad - don't get it. The one thing that confuses me about the place is the items on the menu. It is extremely fusion! It offers Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai! I think their Korean dishes are the best so I will stick to the Gamja Tang and other Korean options. The music here is super 90s, relaxing and totally throwback. The service is ok - could be better but no complaints so far. I will be back for the super spicy Gamja Stew.
(4)
Josephine L.
Mmmmmm, I now have a new spot to go to for my ramen fix. So you can take that vacation you've been pining for, Sapporo Ramen. I release you--for now. The Hamaru Ramen is $8.95 of chewy noodles in a spicy, slightly ginger-y broth accompanied by succulent pork slices that will make you smile and cry on a cold winter's day. Smile because you are now warming up in the greatest way God intended, and cry because you just found proof God (or someone else up there) exists and wants you to be happy. Will.Be.Back.
(4)
Cindy W.
Stepped in here with a partyof 4 on a brisk Dec. night for some HOT and spicy Gamja Tang. It hit the spot more than their special ramen which we thought was just okay. We also ordered the seafood pancake and chapae. I though the pancake was also just okay. It didn't have enough seafood as I am used to and their dipping sauce was very plain. Chapae is one of my favorite all time Korean dishes but I wasn't impressed with theirs, It was just too sweet for me. My favorite was their Gamja Tang. Beef was soooooo tender, moist and soft that it was just was what I was looking for on a cold night. TIP: You may want to get in their early cuz it does get packed very quickly.
(3)
Hannah P.
I tried tempura ice cream at another restaurant and had no choice but to compare. Hanmaru fails. Hanmaru's tempura becomes mush because of the ice cream. They need to get that figured out.
(3)
Nicole D.
I LA-LA-LOOOOOOVE KOREAN FOOD. And this place has pretty good Korean food coming from a girl who used to live in a city full of Korean restaurants back in California. However, this place is like a fusion restaurant with different dishes from other Asian cultures (Thai, Japanese, Korean, Chinese). It's kind of a small spot but service is pretty prompt and it could get busy at times. I've come here both with a small party and with a large group and they're pretty accommodating. Everything I've tried was really really good and I don't have any complaints. - Pad See ewe - Tofu chigae soup - sizzling bulgogi - Nabeyaki udon (MY FAVORITE! So flavorful) - Gamja stew - Hamaru ramen - Bibimbab Their side dishes are good as well. It's a little bit more pricey than what I'm used to in California but I would pay anything for food that I am happy with. I would come here more often if it didn't take so long to get there on the green line or if I had a car here in Boston. Definitely a must-try place!
(4)
Vivian C.
Hanmaru is open, and, according to the menu, they are offering 10% off at lunch as a reopening special. Two of us ordered the papaya salad, vegetarian chap che (with fried tofu!), and a seafood tofu chi gae (sorry if any/all of these are misnamed or typed) which was much too much food for us, even though one of us (ahem) stuffed themselves silly. Fortunately for me, they were able to make everything mild. I liked everything, but silly me, my favorite part of the meal was two of the five side dishes - the potato salad and the fish cake. They refill these, you know. The waitress was pleasant. She even twisted the paper on my straw into a rose!
(4)
Michael M.
I recommend the lunch Ramen special Japanese style Hanmaru special. Pork belly or Beef with spicy beef broth. Complement with hot tea. Great for winter day or if you have a cold.
(3)
Matthew B.
Let me preface this by saying I am a tall goofy white guy who has little experience with Korean food. Now let me say that the staff at Hanmaru was so incredibly kind and attentive. They made sure to introduce me to the appropriate way of eating and went out of their way to explain details I may have been unaware of. I really appreciate that kind of courtesy. On top of the cultural diffusion, the food was excellent. Multiple appetizer plates were brought out with seaweed salad, kim chi and multiple other dishes that added to the meal. The food was authentic and had a great spread in any price range. I can't wait to go back and get one of their "special stews" that could easily feed 4 people. I'm in love.
(5)
Vezna S.
To start off.. I want to say that the food was fantastic. With that said there was two things that really effected the reasoning why I decided to give it 3 stars instead of 5. 1. There is absolutely no parking designated for this particular restaurant. It took some of our party (it was to celebrate my 27th birthday) over 30 minutes to actually find a parking spot and join us. This is something that is a big issue especially in a city like Boston. 2. The price.. is insane. I mean I wouldn't MIND paying a lot for good food if they have good portions but the portions themselves weren't that large at all. The complimentary appetizers were great, their macaroni was great, I filled up on that before my actual dinner came. I ordered their beef scallion dish.. the price was insane but I figured that I'd get what was pictured but the portion was insanely small! Now for the good parts. The food's fantastic and the service was excellent. They accomodated our large party very well and were understanding when we couldn't order until all of our party was here (as stated earlier parking was horrible). Overall it was a good experience but unless you have a fat wallet I don't recommend eating here.. unless you're trying to impress your date of course haha.
(3)
Sarah J.
This is where I go when I'm craving Gamjatang (really spicy pork soup with potatoes). If you don't mind smelling exactly like the restaurant when you leave, it's great on a cold night. The other things are the menu are not amazing but not terrible. I do enjoy their variety of side dishes. In terms of the quality of Korean food, it's actually decent for Boston (nothing compared to any restaurant in NJ or LA), but for just pretty good Korean food, it's alright. They do NOT open on Sundays.
(4)
Carol W.
I really like this place because of one banchan side dish...the mashed potato salad. It is truly luscious. I always think about how good it is and hope to return for it. One time, I wanted to buy a whole tub of it, but they were completely OUT!! So sad. Today, I finally return, for either my fourth or fifth visit, with an expired Yelp deal coupon, oh well...better to use it up than to lose the money that I spent. I ordered the gamja stew for one and a kimchi pancake. It was my first time having both here. They were both good. I normally order the seafood pancake at Korean restaurants, but the host suggested the kimichi one to me, and I liked it. As opposed to the seafood one, the kimchi pancake is filled with flavor throughout. I don't think it needs the sauce. The gamja stew was definitely a hearty stew dish. The presentation is quite nice as it comes out in a stone pot vessel with a huge hunk of pork coming out of it. On the side, you get a small dish of a special soy sauce and wasabi to mix together, if you wish. This is the dipping sauce for the pork. This dish reminded me of a Chinese pork bones, potato, tomatoes, and carrots stew that my mom makes because we too dip the pork in soy sauce too. While it possessed a fiery red color, the broth was not overly spicy, being midly hot. Overall, very nice stew, and I was sitting there thinking that this would be spectacular in the winter time! It's July with 90 degree weather outside!
(4)
Dave M.
3.5 stars. we went there for lunch. the menu variety was typical for korean lunch menus. the prices a few cents lower. the food tasted good. we had dolsot bibimbap, a stew, and lunch box but they were all cold. that was the only minus i had. service was fast and friendly and they refilled our sides when we requested.
(4)
Hana T.
I really dislike when restaurants try to serve both Korean and Japanese dishes. I cannot think of a pair more opposite in flavoring than Korean and Japanese food. That little pet peeve aside, I tried Hanmaru's kimchi jjigae, while my boyfriend got their soondubu. The banchan (little side dishes) was a little sparse, and while tasty, I wasn't that excited about them. Our food was good and hit the spot, but nothing to write home about. I wish I had tried their gamjatang. Some tables nearby ordered it and it looked fantastic. Most of the Korean places on Harvard Ave specialize in a certain dish, and Hanmaru is definitely known for the gamjatang.
(3)
Serena D.
very nice little restaurant. They serve Korean, Japanese, Chinese and some other Asian food. We ordered Korean BBQ, Korean hot pot, Thai pad and Thia ice tea, they were suuuper yummy! We added meat and vegetable after we finished the first-round hot pot~lol The service was good, no one brought us ice water though. The price is reasonable, the food is yummy and service is good. I will definitely go back!!! I love this little spot!!! P.S, It is closed on Sundays!
(5)
Alice L.
I heard this place was pretty good. And it's alright. The food was okay but I've had better. I ordered some noodle soup thing that comes with rice (sorry forgot what it was called) and it had bulgogi in it, and wasn't that great. The beef was in tiny bits that looked like someone shred it by hand. Overall, the dish was okay. I don't recommend going there for korean food though. Try someplace else. This is not that great.
(2)
Elizabeth S.
So to start off with, my friend and I are Korean food newbies. We saw pictures of ramen in the window and it was an extremely cold night, so we decided to duck in around 5:15. At that point, it was pretty empty. By the time we left at 6:30, it was packed. The decor is cute and the music they play is lots of fun. The staff is very attentive and really friendly. They really wanted to make sure that we weren't off put by the spice level, so I guess we must wear our newbiness on our sleeves. We ended up going for the gamja stew with extra veggies. They brought out six little appetizers beforehand at no cost, along with a couple of bowls of rice. All of the appetizers were totally awesome and unexpected. There was kimchi, something like a teriyaki flavored jelly, macaroni salad, potato salad, tangy bean sprouts and a spicy wasabi-like paste. We cleaned them out. The stew comes to the table on a little sterno burner thing. We did order it mild, but it still had quite a bit of kick in the reddish broth. Still, the beef, potatoes, tofu and other veggies were cooked extremely well, very tender and flavorful. Our noses were running a little by the end, but it'll sure warm you up on a cold night! The communal eating style also makes for a really fun social dining experience. We're definitely heading back soon. I can't wait to try more!
(5)
Isabella L.
I was on a trip in Boston, and was seriously craving some soft tofu stew! The restaurant is small and doesnt have the nicest decor but its decent. I ordered the soft tofu stew. The size was pretty standard but the flavor wasnt as strong as Im used to from other korean restaurants. It was good enough to satisfy my craving, but when i think back to it, it wasnt that great. My friend (who is korean) ordered one of their other stews and i dont think he enjoyed it too much, He kept complaining that it wasnt authentic, but im not sure. Not familiar with the other korean restaurants in the area, but this place was average.
(3)
Bex M.
I only remember the ganja..no wait, gamja stew. It's so spicy but you keep going back for more! (Even the mild has a kick to it.) They have 3 sizes and all the portions are ginormous! The small can feed at least 2 and the large can feed at least 5. It comes with an unlimited amount of the basic korean side dishes like kimchi and potato salad. You will sweat, you will cry but your tummy will be satisfied. (Eat that, insert name of famous poet.) I also like the age-tofu, pan fried in a nice thin batter but the inside was soft and silky. I've tried a few of their other dishes, but nothing to write home about. Also, plan to be there for a while because the service is slow even for a tiny place.
(3)
A N.
It was out first visit to Hanmaru. We ordered the Spicy Napa Kimchi Pancake appetizer which was very tasty - we will definitely order this again and again. For main course we ordered the smallest size of Gamja stew that came with one rice. This was very spicy and very tasty - quite comforting in a cold day. But probably we will go for something else if it was hot outside. The side dishes were a mixed bunch. Kimchi, marinated bean sprouts, marinated carrots and radish - great. Macaroni dish, Agaragar dish and mashed potato dish - pretty bad. The quantity of food was enough for two of us. Service was good not great. Overall very satisfied and will definitely go back again.
(4)
Cynthia B.
When we walked in (party of 4) the place was PACKED. The host told us 10 minutes - internally, I was like, uhhh no way will it only be 10 minutes - but sure enough, about 15 minutes later we were seated. We started with apps that they provided (free I think to every table). There was Kimchi (too spicy for me, but i'm a wuss and my friends loved it), some kind of pickled shredded carrots which were tangy and sweet but also sour, broccoli with spicy sauce and a clear, gelatinous, cubed one with a teriyaki sauce. When we asked what that one was, the waitress said emphatically, "JELLY! It's good for you. No calories!" Yes, she was the cutes thing ever. We ordered: 1. Udon Soup - SO FLAVORFUL, AMAZING, I GIVE IT 100 Stars! I was happy that this was my meal. There was so much leftover, I get some for lunch on Monday. It had broccoli, carrots, shrimp tempura, lots of noodles (too many to finish in one sitting) and yummy leeks/onions - and it arrived still boiling! 2. Fried Chicken - again with the 100 stars, so delicious. 3. Some kind of beef bowl (don't remember the name) that was filled with veggies. 4. BBQ beef with Leeks. Too spicy for me but the person who ordered it was pleased. The food arrived so quickly, it was delightful! The only reason that I gave it 4 stars is because I know that everyone I was with wasn't as completely bowled (don't mind the pun) over as I was by my gigantic, yummy, filling, savory Udon Noodle. So if you go, order the Udon. No questions. I plan on returning as soon as possible!
(5)
Cindy K.
Yay! Finally found a place in Boston that has decent Ramen! My girlfriends and I came here by chance since out original plan was to go to Color which is now closed. It was cold and hanmaru was just next door so we took a culinary chance. Good thing we did! The restaurant is a very casual with very little decor but it was cozy. We started off with the dokboki (rice cakes) appetizer which was delicious and satisfyingly spicy. All of us were in the mood for ramen so we got the lunch special Hanmaru Ramen with pork belly. The broth was soo good and the noodles were made just right; not over or undercooked. The table next to us had the gamja tang and it looked amazing. Will definitely need to come back to try it.
(4)
ken t.
The sign outside is so fancy so I thought when I got inside that the place would be super nice but it wasn't what I expected. It was def smaller than I expected but I guess it's cozy? The server was awesome and told me I can hav dishes less spicy coz I for one can't handle the Korean kick. That stuff jus hurts to a point that I can't even enjoy the food. I ordered the ramen and I slurped that bowl clean. RAMEN!!!!!!!!!!! It was soooooo good. The lovely lady that went on a food date with me ordered the Indonesian fried rice. The rice was a lil stickier than I wouldve liked but the chicken is top notch. I do wanna go bk to this place n try the gamjatangs ... But I dnt think I'm ready yet
(3)
Christine T.
WoW. bunches of dishes I haven't seen before, only heard of when my mom is lamenting the good food in korea that she's too lazy to make. They give you a big selection of banchan, little appetizer dishes. and to my surprise, sasehgi, aka, sausage, with a korean acccent, it's really just cold hot dogs or vienna wiener thingy's with chili's but they're really good for some and bring out a childish delight in me! Everything was good. I can say I liked their Galbi, Its very rare that I find a restaurants' is worth buying when I can make it at home. Everything is overly-adequately spicy, they use waaay too much gochujang on some dishes (spicy chili sauce/paste) I like this place tho. I might be a fan depending on how good the kimchi tchigae is. And remember you can always ask for more rice!!
(3)
Sandy F.
Gamjatang made a name here, they have 3 different sizes, but I definitely would not recommend the smallest one because that is served in a bowl and not hot pot style. I think the fact that the pork neck bone and the potatoes are still boiling as you eat your way through this pot really made this dish comforting and keeps it flavors intense. the meat on the pork bones slides right off. after boiling the potatoes while you savor over the pork and the soup over rice, the potatoes are perfectly tender and flavored by the soup. as the starch of the potatoes thickens the soup, the veggie soaks up the thickened broth/sauce. the only thing bad about this is that its so big, if you don't go with a large group, you would not be able to get the other really tasty dishes, like the galbitang (short rib, daikon, and vermicelli soup), haemul gungol (a large seafood stew), jangban guksu (chewy cold noodles with veggies, pear, beef, eggs and a spicy sauce that you mix yourself). if i have have choice, i'd probably have the short rib soup for breakfast, the cold noodles for dinner and alternate between the pork and potato stew and the seafood stew for dinner. I've had their japchae which is pretty good, while others told me the bibimbap is phenomenal, i dont remember seeing the crispy rice on the bottom, which really kills the idea of a good bibimbap. however, the topping and the adjustable spiciness probably made up for taste. the pancakes and the ricecake dumpling soup were nothing to write home about. i do love their banchans - corn mashed potatoes with mayo, kimchi, dotorimuk (or acorn jelly), bean sprout muchim, cucumbers and a radish kimchi. (hint: i love eating the pork meat dipped into the wasabi sauce, topped with a small piece of kimchi, perfect meatiness with a kick and a crunch) Because parking is such a pain around that area and everytime we do gather up the courage to go, we have a list of things that we must get, we stopped trying out new dishes and jump right to our favs. I sometimes wish they have less crave worthy options so we can go on to try their bbq, but with there being so many korean bbq places around, and not so many gamjatang places around (or good gamjatang for that matter), we tend to stick to our favorites. i probably will never get the thai and chinese dishes there but next time i go, i'm definitely going to try to convince my group to share either the spicy squid or the spicy octopus stir fry. WARNING: be prepared to cry a little and clear up all your sinuses if you do get your orders extra spicy as we generally do. and be prepared to do your laundry when you get home due to the messy spills of the fiery red broths and sauces and being marinated in a not so ventilated restaurant for the duration of your meal.
(5)
Zizzles A.
Sure some of the servers are SE asian, and 1/3-1/2 of the menu is thai food, but there's only one reason to come here. Seriously. Gamjatang. According to a Korean dining buddy I came with, it's made with pork spine? He was all giddy when he told me too, thinking it would gross me out. First, spine is not even offal. It's just meat and bones. And second, I'm Chinese. I didn't really get what he was expecting... The gamjatang is as spicy as the stews in Korea, ie, bareable at first, but after a bowl and a half bodily fluids will be covering your face, just the way I like it, don't ask why. Gamjatang means potato stew/soup, so there are large chunks of potatoes, a heaping portion of spine, tofu, and a bunch of optional add-ons, including a bean puree that makes it thicker (one of my favorite ones). Throw on some veg, and make sure you bring double the number of people the stew is listed to be for. It's huge.
(4)
Greg E.
I really really liked this place. The food was pretty cheap and man the food was good. You pretty much gottta get a soup here because that's their thing. I got the the GamjaTang which was spicy and really delicious (my mouth is watering just thinking about it). My partner got some Udon soup which was even better. Definitely recommended. TIP: Get the Udon Soup (or at least one of the Gamja soups)
(4)
Eileen Z.
So originally, I would have given this place a 4-star status because I LOVE the spicey pork there -- but the last time I was there, we saw mice running back and forth between the bathroom and kitchen and after that, I couldn't stomach going there anymore :( Does anyone happen to know what the Spicey Pork dish is called in Korean? I'd love to look up a recipe!
(2)
Angela S.
I love Korean food. Especially any type of stew and soup. I tried their Tofu Stew (soon dubu jjigae) and Korean Miso Stew (doen jang jjigae) so far. Both were decently spicy, but not unbearable. I can handle a medium amount of spiciness, probably less than most Koreans can handle. Their tofu could be softer, because I personally like really silken tofu. There were only small pieces of beef in the miso stew, but what was there did taste good, slightly sweet, like bolgogi. The side dishes (banchan) were decent, but I have seen better. They have a couple types of kimchi, bean sprouts, macaroni, potato, and some other things. I'm comparing this to places with squid and other expensive banchan though. Service isn't bad, but our food took awhile to come out. But the food was relatively cheap. My friend's omelette rice was only about $9 and my other friend's Teriyaki Chicken w/ rice was only about $8. My miso stew was about $10. The soon dubu jjigae was a few more dollars, I believe.
(4)
Christine L.
I only had their gamjatang (which is what they are known for) when I went but it was really good! Pricing is decent, service was prompt and the place is clean. I went on an afternoon during the week as well, pretty empty = fast service for me. The 6 side dishes are what you'd expect. I'd definitely go again. 4/5 stars because I wasn't blown away, but this is a good solid recommendable place that serves up very good gamjatang.
(4)
Susan K.
I heard this place had good gamja tang (translates into...potato stew?) and what a perfect day to go check this place out when its rainy and cold. Upon entering, the place is small. Nothing really fancy...very casual. My friend and I went in for lunch. A lady seated us but there was like one guy doing the waiter job. It would of been nice to have two waiters. So we ordered the gamja tang (spicy stew with potato and meat...specifically the back of the cow, which sometimes you have to literally suck out the meat from the vertebrae...not very attractive on a date...just an FYI) and omirice (fried rice with fried egg over). The gamja tang was spicy...I love spicy food and this was SPICY. It wasn't the painful spicy that you get from a jalapeno...it was one of those refreshing spicy that could clear the snottiest nose. It went well with the omirice, which kind of neutralized the spice. Definitely a place if one wants to have good, hot Korean food...especially during a rainy, cold day. I would love to try their ramyun the next time I go.
(4)
Dora M.
DELICIOUS! I had the UDON SOUP and it was absolutely fantastic! the broth! the veggies! the tempura! the EGG!? yes, an egg! I am a huge fan of kimchi now! honestly this was my first time eating korean food and it was awesome! I recommend this to anyone!!!!
(4)
Marian M.
This place is alright. When I came here, the water cup that the waiter put on the table clearly was not thoroughly cleaned. There was some orange stuff stuck to the outside of the cup, which kind of grossed me out. Food-wise, they have a nice selection of different kinds of cuisines, making it difficult to choose what to order. I ordered the Dolsot Bibimbop, which was pretty tasty. My friend got the Kampungki (just like deep fried chicken) and said it was too heavily breaded. Another friend got ramen, which looked like a very small portion in comparison to some other restaurants that I know of. Price-wise, it's okay. My bibimbop was $14 including tax and tip. I think I would come again to try the ramen.
(3)
Meeree Y.
Gamjatang - Legit. It's like someone's (a Korean someone) mom, aunt, or grandmother or all three sat in a kitchen and made this all day long. Just for you. But not on Sundays. Learn from my mistake - they're not open on Sundays. Other things on the menu - meh. I've gone a good number of times and explored the other entrees for the sake of non-Korean friends and we've all concluded that they're not worth getting. Stick to the gamjatang and other korean stews.
(4)
Gabriel U.
It's okay. Really not anything that special. At least my chicken dish (which I cannot remember the name of) was fairly subpar. Some of the other people in our party seemed to really enjoy the other food though. Our server was incredibly friendly, but as she was the only one in the full restaurant, she was less than attentive. Also, and this is not reflected in my rating but more of an FYI kind thing, they do not serve alcohol here.
(2)
Carol W.
i can't tolerate anything spicy, but my boyfriend loves spice, so he loves this place because they serve a lot of it. but regardless, on the menu i still find many items for people like me who can't handle the heat. my favorite thing to order at this place is the seafood bibimbap. i believe it costs about $13. i tell them to make it with no spice or make it mild. the first time i ordered it this way, the server forgot but kindly made a new one for me without spices. i thought that was so sweet of him and such great service. since then, he would always remember me not to add spices for me. except yesterday when i went, it was different waitress... and she told me it HAS to be mildly spicy. which didn't make sense, because i always had it without. the bibimbap turned out to be really spicy for me, but i finished eating it anyway... it was that good! maybe i can handle more spice now, after coming here so much. (if you guys want to see what it looks like, check out the pictures i posted) another thing to order regardless of if you eat spice, is the seafood pancake. it's very yummy and has plenty of seafood. i see a lot of people ordering it. this restaurant also serves thai food. overall it is very delicious, and i'd say the price is mid range for a college student like myself. this is probably my favorite restaurant on harvard ave. if you are stuck between COLOR and this restaurant, definitely pick this one, unless you're really looking to spend less.
(4)
Julie O.
I tried Gamjatang and Bean Stew at this place and the food was pretty nice and the side dishes were delicious (although the portions are very small). Service was nice despite the wait time was too long...
(4)
Bing Bing W.
I came on my birthday with die-hard determination to get Dukbokki (sweet, spicy rice cake). With a party of 3, we ended up with a dukbokki appetizer, Pork stew Option B (copying two Korean fellas at the next table), a chilled bibimbap, and a hot bibimbap. The pork falls right off the bones in the stews but lacked some flavor so I would highly suggest you make use of the soy sauce and/or wasabi that is also supplied. I'd suggest generously mixing in the red bottled sauce (not spicy) into the bibimbap because it becomes heavenly. I'm in love with the 6 little dishes as a precursor because it sets the mood for a fantastic meal. The waitress was extremely understanding as we changed tables and were given new utensils and plates. She also tried hard to be helpful with suggestions and personal preferences. Don't be deceived by the red color of some dishes, as it's not an indication of hotness, but may well be the kimchi flavoring or their unique tangy red dressing. I admit at one point I was scooping up spoonfuls of the dukbokki sauce and slurping it; I wouldn't mind more rice cakes in the dish but it was an appetizer after all. My only suggestion is that dukbokki becomes available as a main dish. Treatment is inviting and comfortable, despite Hanmaru not being as large in square feet as its neighbor. When you leave, the "accountant" that handed you the bill bows cordially. Hanmaru has earned my customer loyalty for a long time to come. *Parking is on the street. I can on a Monday night so there was ample room. I cannot speak to Friday evenings or weekends, however.
(5)
Anna T.
First time here even though I attempted to come here two times already and it was unfortunate that it was closed on both those times. Came here after a whole day at Water Country on a not so hot day so needed something very hot and spicy to warm myself up. I had the Pork Stew (Gamja Tang). Was recommended by a coworker to try the Pork Stew. And it totally delivered. Delicious, flavorful, spicy (although I can do more on the hots) and I was warm by the end of the meal. I believe I had this at Korean Garden too but it did not have the option of serving 1 person. I was a little overwhelmed by how much was inside this pot. I didn't even know where to start. I had two big pork meaty pork bones along with lotsa of halved potatoes. The meat easily came off from the bone so I didn't have a battle w/ it. It was a lot for one person though (not complaining ~_^). I bought half of it home after I deboned the pork. If you haven't had this before, give it a try. Warning: if you can't take hots, ummm don't try. My bf had the Hanmaru Ramen w/ the pork slices. I have very high expectation for ramen after Ippudo in NYC. I haven't found any place in Boston that can even come close to that. The Hanmaru Ramen was decent but nothing to bring home about. But if I'm really really really craving for ramen and I'm not in NYC then I might go to Hanmaru for it. The broth was decent, my bf said it had a hint of spiciness but after my Pork Stew I couldn't taste the hint of spiciness he said. The pork slices were soft but pretty bland but it was soft. When his ramen is compared to my pork stew, his dish seemed so much smaller. He was done w/ his and I was not even halfway with mines. Banchans were good. First time the two of us ever finish all of the banchans (probably cuz the portions are smaller than other restaurants) but also because each of them were good and something that we actually eat. I was actually hoping for more spicy banchans but the kimchee was all the spice I got. Oh well. Overall the food was good there. I will be going back to try the other items on the menu hehehe. Restaurant was clean and service was prompt.
(4)
Momo K.
Just an okay. Their soft tofu chigae was ok. Bimbimbak was weird bc it came in a metal pot. The cold noodles were alright. The pork feet was not good. Somewhat of not an outstanding restaurant in Allston with so many places to eat at.
(3)
Jang David K.
Yes, it's back!!! Weclome Hanmaru and your gamjattang (pork stew). Most people think gamjattang is a potato stew because gamja in Korean is potato. However, there is a part of the pork called GAMJA for all u meat noobs out there. And in the begining, everyone would order gamjattang and expect at least some potatoes...so they started adding potatoes to gamjattang. This is the story of gamjattang from Korea....=) Anyways, Hanmaru does it well. The meat is super tender and it just falls off the bones. You HAVE to dip the meat in the wassabi/soy sauce because it makes you wanna cry for joy. It's an awesome combo. Now, I told you from many of my Korean restaurant reviews that I've very sensitive to MSG. Their soup is like MSG central. This is where I'm very disappointed. It's like MSG maddness. Koreans pour MSG in their stews like it's water. But all in all, it's great gamjattang for Boston. I've had plenty of 5 star gamjattangs in Korea with a lot of vegetables and no msg so I can't it's the best. But I'm satisfied. It's 3.75 star worthy.
(4)
Huong P.
Went to Hanmaru the other day with the family to celebrate for my graduation. I was trying to figure out a venue that would be fit everyone's taste (a very difficult feat I must say) and ended up choosing this restaurant based on word-of-mouth and my handy dandy Yelp. The decoration on the exterior and inside was simple, but identifiable among all the Korean shops on the street. When we entered, we were immediately seated. As the mothers started chit-chatting, they left me with the responsibility of choosing the dishes. Fine, I'll choose, they eat. So I planned to order the seafood pancake, the spicy rice cake appetizer (ddukbokkie), two dolsot bibimbap, two B gamja tang, tonkatsu, and a pad thai for the seven of us. The waiter, however, looked over the choices and recommended that we order just one gamja tang (A) to serve us all. I was really quite happy that the server was very considerate of us and how much we could eat and even saved me some money (as I was footing the bill)! Other restaurants would most likely have let us overbuy dishes. With waters and extra bowls nicely served, we got the pancake and the ddukbokkie first. The seafood pancake was good, but not memorable and the spicy rice cake was hot, hot, hot and delicious! The rest of the dishes started filing in and everything was decent and solid except for the gamja tang. Perhaps I already had high expectations, or perhaps it was an off day, but the gamja tang did not have that much flavor and all I could taste was a slowly burning spiciness and disappointment. We ate it of course, but none of my family members liked it. In the end, however, everyone was stuffed and I was happy that everyone had a decent time. As I am a fan of Korean cuisine, I would definitely come back to have some Korean comfort food. The servers were great, the food solid, and the company amazing.
(4)
Consuelo V.
I ate lunch here with some friends because they were gushing about it for a couple months. The atmosphere was really cute. There was a giant party next to us but it wasn't a bother at all. All very chill. The server was attentive and kind. There were funky little apps that came out of no where (I wasn't feeling terribly adventurous). We had the seafood pancake as our appetizer, which was a scallion pancake with crab meat, shrimp, and squid. It was good but I would have liked the scallions to be chopped finer. We all shared one of their giant stews and it was good. Not too spicy, not horrible. The price wasn't too bad it was $10 per person when we split the check. Would definitely go back again with someone who'd eat this with me, i.e., not my girlfriend.
(4)
Hey C.
I have never seen a Korean restaurant serve Kamjatang in the US before until Hanmaru. Eating this kamja tang was a life changing moment for me and I grew more Korean as I ate it. I even called my mother about it and she is making a trip from Virginia just because she hasn't had this dish in the US before. It is spicy and porky, ask for it with extra vegetables which makes it even better. It feeds me for days. If I have leftovers, I freeze them and eat them at a later time. It was still delicious and an easy meal weeks later. The banchan (side dishes) are not the freshest or best but they give you plenty which is great. I can't say enough about this place.
(5)
Mike Z.
The gob chang gungol hotpot stew is awesome - definitely one of the better stews I've tried in the Boston area. It tasted great and the portion is relatively large. Also ordered the seafood bibambap rice plate - tasted great. I'll be coming back here soon!
(4)
Princess T.
The restaurant's atmosphere isn't as modern or relaxing as many of the other Korean restaurant's in the Harvard area, and there isn't much space to accommodate a party of perhaps 6-7 people. I was quite impressed about the wide variety of Asian cuisine they served there such as Korean, Thai, Chinese, and Japanese. However, because of the variety of cuisines, aside from Korean dishes, the menu was quite limited with about 4-6 entree's per cuisine. I ordered a Kimchi Chigae, it was very tasty and spicy. The portion was quite large and it contained a lot of beef and Kimchi for about $9.50. However, a friend got Kampungki off of the Chinese menu and the chicken was over breaded and the taste was not very good either, not to mention the plate did not come with rice. The restaurant is not bad at all, however, if you would like Korean food or Thai food particularly, there are better restaurants around the area. I suggest this place if going for a restaurant that suits a group who have different taste preferences.
(3)
Cathy S.
Food here is rated OK by Boston standard and SUCK by LA's. The reason for one star? Horrible ventilation that made me feel like I had bathed with a thousand fried chicken upon completion of my meal. Will I be back? HELL NO.
(1)
Heather F.
My boyfriend and I came here because of the good reviews here on Yelp. We both ordered stews - I had the beef stew with rice cakes and dumplings, and he had the Korean Miso, tofu, and vegetable stew. Several bites in, I realized that I could have been drinking water and not known the difference. The broth was totally bland. The dumplings were overcooked to the point where they were literally falling apart in the broth. The rice cakes had no flavor, and there were maybe two paper-thin slices of beef in the whole stew. BF's was a pretty red color, but...totally lacked any flavor at all. It's as if they completely forgot to season our meals. We asked for soy sauce to brighten up the meal... they brought out something LIKE soy, but it definitely wasn't straight soy sauce (it almost tasted like ponzu)... and it was so watered down that it did nothing to help flavor the meal at all. All in all, we were both totally underwhelmed and unsatisfied with our dinners. We won't be back. Honestly, the only good thing about the whole meal was the Thai Iced Tea... but that's pretty hard to f up.
(1)
Chris R.
This is NOT a Korean, but an Asian fusion restaurant, despite its name. its name and many of their menu items, not to mention their 'speciality' of Gam-Ja Tang, implies this might be a Korean restaurant, but neither the owner nor the chef is one. (Chef is an Indonesian who has 'experience working at a Korean restaurant'. Flavors are far from authentic, but does many approximation of various asian dishes. Service, however is excellent(both stars for their 5-star service).
(2)
Tracy C.
I've been here once without wanting to, and I was pleasantly surprised. I went with a big group of friends and sometimes when big group of people dine out together it gets a little hectic trying to figure out what exactly to order (especially at a restaurant where foods can be shared). The staff was very patient with us and constantly filled our waters until we were finally ready to order. I wasn't very impressed with the seafood pancake, but we got some stir fried beef (with scallion and some garnishing vege) on a metal plate and that was very tasty. We also got stir-fried rice cake in sweet/HOT sauce with veges, that wasn't the best I've had but it wasn't bad. What impressed me the most of the huge pork stew with potatoes, asian cabbage, tofu...etc-- It was delicious! I was blown away. I do not like pork at all, and I couldn't help myself from eating the juicy, flavored, tender, fall-off the bone pork. As what Korean restaurants should, they gave us lots of side-dishes, and unlike most other places, they voluntarily re-filled our side-dishes over and over again! It was awesome :)
(4)
Snuffles B.
I just moved from LA, so my Korean food standards are pretty high and I've been disappointed by what I've had in Boston and even NY standards. This place is no frills and doesn't offer the big Korean BBQ venue, so I'm not too disappointed when they are out of Kalbi. They offer a decent number of banchan (~8), but average quality. This and their pan asian menu (usually a bad sign) alarmed me, and it serves no ETOH. (You saw that right, NO alcohol w/ Korean? How are we supposed to eat our meat w/o OB or Hite!??!! However, I must say this place exceeded my expectations: - Dolsot Bibimbap - Generous toppings, bowl was hot enough to give a great crisp, and the flavoring was good. - Soondooboo Jigae - Similarly generous with their seafood and broth was well flavored, not too spicy. - Pork Stew Hotpot - Delicious, not much meat b/c its rib and spine, but falling off the bone. Tender tofu. Not too spicy. - Pad See Ew - I know the whole pan Asian thing seems wrong, but we were curious and it was pretty darned good, not greasy, lots of veggie and beef. - Kimchi Mandu Gongol - HUGE pot, flavors OK, could have used more veggies and some more heat and Kimchi. - Tangsuyuk - Eh, its sweet and sour chicken, can't taste bad, but you can't expect much. - Scallion Beef - Loaded with both, piping hot and juicy, it made me glad that we didn't get the Kalbi or else we would have missed this. The best thing on their menu. Overall, it is a solid place to get Korean when you don't care about the atmosphere and just want some good food.
(4)
Sandra C.
I'm going to have to develop my taste buds to become accustomed to spicy foods because I cannot resist the Gamja stew here! It was sooo good but PAINFUL to eat! But I wanted more! I really like the music played here too, and the environment is very nice and clean. I was with my Korean friends and watching their reactions after trying the stew...and I think they looked like they died and went to heaven.
(4)
Jessica C.
Yay, 4 stars for Hanmaru! I wanted Korean for dinner on Saturday, and so did my friend. He had BonChon in mind, but I convinced him that we could have delicious chigae tofu stew and ramen at Hanmaru... and I'm glad that the meal turned out well. It really felt like I was back home in the Bay Area, eating Korean food at one of the many, many Korean restaurants along El Camino Ave. in Santa Clara. Service was (semi) brisk, friendly and bustling. The banchan was decent, and I liked the chigae. They made it spicier upon my request, since Korean restaurants usually ask you to specify your desired level of spiciness for chigae, but Hanmaru did not, for some reason. My friend and I also ordered the stir-fried pork and scallion, which was also oh-so-tasty. Unfortunately, we did not try the gamja, but I hear it is very good, and I shall order it the next time I visit Hanmaru!
(4)
Peter F.
Nice, quite small korean restaurant that also serve "asian" food of other kinds. It is a korean establishment though, and there were quite a few Korean speaking people present during my visit. And just like you shouldn't order a hamburger at an italian place, don't eat chinese food at a korean. That said, let's get on with the review. I had the galbi that turned out to be very nice. I got six types of banchan with it, although I missed the kaktugi, which is my favorite. Also no soup. The size of the portion was alright, but after the meal I didn't really feel full. The galbi was markedly more expensive than other dishes, but worth its price in my opinion. I'd come here again and like to recommend this resturant to others.
(4)
Vee X.
It hurts my heart to see my precious Hanmaru reviewed badly. Honestly, if you are going to come here to order the non-Korean fare, why bother? In Korea, restaurants often have just one specialty that they serve exclusively or with a few variations. In most cases, Korean restaurants in the US function very similarly. Here, the specialty is the stews, notably the Gamjatang (a spicy pork and potato stew). It's absolutely delicious, especially on a cold winter's night when you need something to warm you up (and god knows in Boston that's just about 8 months of the year). The banchan (tiny side dishes) are also very good here, especially the chilled mashed potato salad. Whenever I come here, we refill that one about seven times. I would recommend Hanmaru for anyone who is a fan of Shabu-Shabu. It's similar, and IMO, much more tasty. (And yes, this is coming from a white person. Not that that should matter.)
(5)
Sandy W.
I love their Gamja Tang and surprisingly, they serve Thai Iced Tea as well! I can't have enough of it! So yummy! The waiters are very friendly. I will definitely go back for some delicious Gamja Tang!
I discovered Hanmaru thru a korean friend and was my first korean cuisine ever! Eva eva; eva evaaa... The restaurant is located in one of the most Korean street of Boston 'Harvard Ave'. Let me set it straight, Hanmaru is GOOD! I especially like the 'Pork Bulgogi' (very spicy). Their is a lot of other dishes that you can pick; the portion good for a person who eats a lot. On Friday night and Saturday the place is usually full (make sure to reserve orgo early). The restaurant burned in 2009 and was redesigned. It's nicely designed wit nice colors as well as city-pictures on the walls. The restaurant is well ventilated can seat about 35 people. The waitresses are usually nice, willing to propose and even explain the dishes while some other days, they just take your orders. Also with every-meal that you order a set of 6 or so sides comes. They are Yummy! I recommend this restaurant for any person willing to try good Korean cuisine with friends but or for a second or third date.
(4)
David L.
Despite my longing to like this lovely Korean restaurant, I always leave feeling slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong -- the food is leaves me full and is quite tasty, and the wait staff are the nicest in Allston. I think my disappointment stems from two perhaps subjective reasons. First, I probably wouldn't order half the things on the menu I'm Chinese-Thai so I'm used to eating all sorts of stuff (fish belly, chicken feet, goose wings), but the main stew at Hanmaru is made of pork spine. Really? For some reason, spinal tissue + meat around spinal bone is just a little too much for me. Other than the gross factor, they serve Pad Thai. Really? You get 2-3 of the best Thai food places in Boston just blocks away. Choice is not always a good thing; specialization usually signals commitment. I rule out things like ramen (instant ramen, really?) and teriyaki chicken (please). So, that leaves typical korean dishes which are done ok. The one dish I wanted to try was the chicken stew which they no longer carry. Secondly, the prices just leave me feeling jibbed despite being full. Today, I paid $30 for a pot of spicy soup with.... instant noodles, sliced hot dogs, sliced ham, sliced turkey luncheon meat, egg, spring onion, and onions. Really? The cost of the dish is probably $1.25 + spicy soup base. Ok, add the rice and the side dishes, maybe $5 max + soup base. To be honest, the soup was really tasty but overly salty. Why is this dish the same price as the pork spinal bone stew? So, unfortunately, I'm going to have to go with 3 stars with this neighborhood restaurant which I want to love but can't.
(2)
Sal Y.
Their gamja stew was great! Pricey but the portion is fairly big so.. also i think this is the only place where you can get gamja stew in boston. And thank god it's great! I had gamja stew in Korea too (in a famous place), and Hanmaru's gamja stew tasted almost just as good. Well, at least I thought it was good. I'm easy to please when it comes to spicy Korean food. :) My little sister gets curry donkatsu and it's really good. Crispy on the outside, juicy meat inside. With curry, it is heavenly. Their side dishes are also excellent. I always get re-fills on them before the entree even come out.
(5)
Serena L.
I cannot believe that this restaurant is so highly reviewed. I went when Yelp was offering their $25 for $50 worth of food and drinks coupon and will never come back considering that their food was a HUGE disappointment for the price and the service we had to deal with regarding our bill was atrocious. I barely touched the noodles I ordered and they automatically billed us with their 18% gratuity guideline included and only asked for our signature. My boyfriend and I ordered kimchi scallion pancake, rice cake mandu stew, LA galbi, and neng myun ("spicy cold noodles" from their specials) The kimchi pancake was decent, a bit oily but had good flavor. The mandu stew was also okay but the dumplings had a very off flavor to them. Perhaps it was the seasoning but the dumpling filling did not seem fresh. The real disappointment was the galbi and neng myun. The LA galbi was $18. When I ordered it, I expected a plate full of galbi to match its expensive price. However, the plate we were served had no more than 8 tiny pieces (half the size of normal kalbi pieces) that barely covered the serving dish. What a rip off. The neng myun was even more disappointing. I ordered it because it was on their Hanmaru specials menu so I expected it to be one of their more popular dishes. I received the saddest bowl of soup I have ever seen in my life. The bowl simply had noodles with 3 pieces of beef, 4 floating pieces of carrots, a few measly shredded pieces of daikon, and several ice cubes. When I braced myself to try the noodles since that was basically the only thing in the bowl, I found the noodles incredibly slimy and just left the entire bowl untouched. I have ordered neng myun from restaurants like color and super 88 and those were far better in terms of presentation, taste, and cost (which is pretty sad if you think about it considering super 88 is fast asian food). At the end of our meal, we waited over 10 minutes for our check (despite this being a monday evening so their restaurant was not busy at all) because they gave our check to a different table. I had to finally ask them where our credit card was. After they realized that they had given it to the wrong table, they had the audacity of charging an 18% gratuity despite it being a "guideline," writing out our total on our receipt for us, and asking us for only our signature. We went $2 over the $50 coupon and only needed to pay $5 something after tax and before tip. However, they automatically charged our credit card with $11.32 (I have no idea where this amount came from) and wrote our total to be $15.32 ($5 for meal+ tax + $10 for their suggested 18% gratuity) on our receipt without taking into consideration how much we would actually want to tip considering how unhappy we were with our food and service. While I understand that 18% gratuity is typically included in larger parties, we were a party of 2. When I went back demanding that we define our own tip and that they actually bill us for our meal and tax like a normal restaurant, they apologized and treated us kindly until we left. I have to give them credit for that but next time I want asian food, I will be visiting the restaurant Color right next door.
(1)
Rhan K.
This has been one of the better Korean places around town. Growing up near Korea Town in VA, this can't compare, but for the Boston area, its not too bad. The prices are a few dollars more expensive than other places that I'm used to at home, but for Boston, its cheap. The food is really good. The portions are large and the food comes out delicious. They don't do BBQ at the table, which was a bit sad and their selection of food is a little weird (they have a lot of non-Korean food that threw me off). I had their ox-tail-soup (seul-lung-tang) but that's a dish you really can't get that wrong. If you have room for dessert, I would highly recommend their fried ice cream. It sounds super weird but it is definitely the best way to end a Korean meal that was probably very spicy and very salty. Parking is difficult on weekends. Note: They do not have any alcoholic beverages (no soju -- sad)
(4)
Festher C.
hanmaru, im not in boston right now and i miss you. olivia and i love your succulent pork pieces, the size of my fist (ok my hands are really small but im talking decent size portions) that fall off the bone. your potatoes are really big and maybe you should consider cutting them into smaller pieces, because i always scald the roof of my mouth when i try to eat the potato bits too fast. the watercress is a great garnish and the tofu is firm but tender, loving and delicious. i really like how you give us that spicy soy sauce and wasabi dip and i especially love your potato salad ban chan. i'll be home soon. ps-- your bathroom is always really clean. thank you.
(4)
Smanee p.
Beef scallion is very good.
(4)
Cassie M.
Went to the restaurant tonight with a friend. The food was pretty good. I ordered the Tofu BiBimBap and my friend ordered Omelette Rice. Prices for these meals were reasonable. We were both very disappointed by the service though. The place was practically empty yet it took over ten minutes just for someone to come over and take out menu. We had to literally catch the eye of the host so they could take our order. I ordered a miso soup as well and it didn't come until our meal. I was also not given a spoon for it or the paste for the BiBimBap until we asked for it and/or caught the server's eye. Then we finished and waited around 15 minutes with dirty plates in front of us waiting for someone to come over and ask us if we'd like dessert or our check. We opted to not stay for dessert though because it would have just taken us longer. Meanwhile, the host/server and the only waitress were giggling and talking amongst themselves. Both of them walked by us several times too and saw we were finished. We had to ask for the check just to get out of there. The poor service was inexcusable. As a final note, it was hard to find a parking spot. I would not go back here again.
(1)
Benito L.
The kamjatang is seriously one of the best I've ever had. But damn, how can you have a Korean restaurant with this bomb ass spicy stew and not serve any soju. :(
(4)
Alan T.
Three words - mashed potato panchan. RIDICULOUSLY GOOD here. And obviously it's free... IT'S FREE! OH-EM-GEE!!! Happy days. Alright I just really had to get that out of the way first. This is my go to place for a sit down Korean meal (Myung-dong is where I go for soju and snacks... but they kind of have a monopoly on that in Boston...). My favorite type of Korean dishes are the stews, and Hanmaru's got their stews down pat. I honestly have never eaten anything else here. OK OK I had their ramen once before, and it was kind of salty, but I'm overlooking it because their stews are so freakin' godly. Gamja tang anyone? I transform into a wild beast when I order this dish with friends, and nobody wants to sit next to me because of it. I get chunks of pork marrow in my hair, grease and chili spice on my face, I reach to high five my friend's four seats down with my dirty dirty hands...it's not a pretty sight, but it is so delicious. It's definitely an experience I urge anyone that likes Korean food, but hasn't branched out from the usual bibimbap or kimchi jigae, to try. Fair prices, attentive servers, all fine and dandy but bottom line really really really delicious food. And that's what it's all about. THE TASTE MAN!
(5)
Linda Y.
I think this place has some really great dishes. For those that like the tofu chigae... you should definitely try the tofu gungol. the taste is pretty similar but with more flavor (which is due to the egg and the seafood, etc). the dish goes for $30 and it's recommended for 2 people (per the menu), but honestly i think u can feed 4 people w/that meal. and my bf and i are big eaters. $30 for 4 people? that's a deal right there. the owner is a genuinely nice guy. and the waitstaff are very friendly. my overall impression of the place: decor: decent and clean waitstaff: awesome selection of food: decent. it's not extremely extensive but i think it covers all the korean basics. Hanmaru has a decent 4 pages (w/one page dedicated to lunch specials) food: korean with a small selection of chinese influenced dishes. overall taste: pretty good though some dishes are better than others. the tofu gungol was excellent. the stonepot bibimbab was decent. though more meat would have been nice but who are kidding? what korean place piles on the meat on the bibimbab in boston? my friends and i ordered the sukiyaki before (again, huge huge pot of food) and we thought it was only ok. and just for reference... im not korean, nor am i a die-hard korean foodie. I love asian food and i like korean dishes, though i mostly stick with the basics like tofu chigae and bibimbab. overall, i think boston lacks really good korean food. this place is decently good and decently priced.
(4)
kathleen l.
nothing to look at in terms of decor or atmosphere - but we enjoyed our meals very much.
(4)
Atrebor B.
Despite the pleasant decor, genuinely friendly owner, and a sweet and attentive waitress, my bento lunch box just wasn't very good. And this makes me sad because I really wanted to like this place since everyone here made me feel welcomed and comfortable - no easy feat. My bento box ($8.35) consisted of rice, spicy pork, 3 fried gyozas in tonkatsu sauce, 2 mini pieces of pickles, salad, and 4 cubes of canned pineapple. The side dishes which preceded the meal were excellent in variety (5) and taste but the main course was disappointing. The spicy pork suffered from "stewed pork" syndrome. It was neither "spicy" or sweet but plain salty. The canned cubes of pineapple looked so pathetic that I didn't even bother to try one (see pic). They used honey mustard on their salad, which I found unacceptable since they're a Korean restaurant and should have their own sesame/ ginger vinaigrette. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to return and try their special stews since everyone here was just so nice.
(2)
Stevie P.
YUMMY IN MY TUMMY. I ordered gamja tang with my friend. It was probably the best gamja tang I've ever had... but then again, I haven't had a lot of it in my life. I loved the potatoes, the pork that came right off the bone, and the green stuff. Watercress? Whatever that is, it's delicious and adds more flavor to the dish. I paid 19 dollars for the 2 person sharing gamja tang and a can of coke. Not too bad... but it would have been nice if it were cheaper, but it is Boston after all, therefore low priced Korean dishes are rare... I haven't tried their other dishes, but gamja tang is the way to go.
(4)
Matt S.
awesome food, if you dont mind blowing it all out your ass a few hours later. oh, service was great too.
(3)
Foodie K.
Really great food. We decided to try it on a whim, and we absolutely loved the all the food. We went to eat on a weeknight and it was packed, but the waitstaff was extremely attentive. The customers are almost all Korean and Japanese -- a great sign if you're looking for tasty authentic food. We had a beef stew and the tangsuyuk (Sweet and Sour fried pork). The most popular dish seemed to be this bubbling spicy brew of potatoes and pork (gamja stew). If we only knew... Everyone in the tables around us ordered it. We can't wait to go back and try it ourselves.
(4)
Tom E.
Did you know that for 30 dollars you and a friend can share a giant bubbling boiling bowl of pig carcasses and potatoes in spicy sauce, smothered in pepper seeds? It's called Gamja stew - a Korean dish for those cold days in December. It was touted to me by a friend as the hottest, spiciest dish in all of Boston and served to many a Korean in Allston every night. I hear they will line up outside to get this. It really looks impressive: the bowl is on a heater and kept boiling as you eat, with the huge chunks of pork bones protruding out and the whole thing layered with spice - pepper seeds, sichuan peppers and kimchee. It actually wasn't ridiculously spicy which was a slight disappointment, but it was enough to clear the sinuses and seriously warm you up from within like a good shot of morphine. The best part of all was the pork meat - it would just fall away from those big bones and melt in your mouth like the best pulled pork in town. We were the only non-Koreans there, and everyone else was having the same Korean stew. The other stuff we tried was unremarkable. But portions are huge. They get bonus respect for playing traditional Christmas carols all night whilst we devoured our porcine corpse. EDIT - I keep drooling about having this again, so up to 5 stars I think.
(5)
Hana C.
The potato pork stew is def the dish to get here and you won't regret it. They serve the best potato pork stew here in Boston, with chuncky, tender pork meat that literally falls off its bones and is the most authentic it can get. I had some hesitation at first because in the last 7 years I have been in Boston, this place has changed its name and closed down and re-opened at least 4 times that I know of- it went from being Korean to Mexican to Korean-fusion and then closed again for a few months and then reopened to again a Korean restaurant. But I must say, that I am very impressed with their pork potatoto stew as it is also advertised as its at Hanmaru. Their side-dishes are also very yummy. The service is very good and I noticed that almost all the tables beside me were eating that pork potato stew dish. Can't wait to go back again. It is perfect for a cold Boston day!
(4)
Emily M.
Hanmaru is always my favorite place for korean dishes, especially, Gamjatang. It is so so delicious, tasty, and yummy. Side dishes are awesome with refill all the time.
(5)
Melissa N.
OK. So I eat here a lot. I love the food. the marinated beef and the spicy cold noodle is DELICIOUS. the stew, everything about the food makes me happy. the service on the other hand. TERRIBLE. I mean the food comes out in a timely fashion, but you will honestly be sitting there with empty plates for 20 minutes before you get your check. BOOO
(3)
Kristen K.
I love love love Hanmaru. A friend who lives around the corner happened upon it and loved it and brought me. I am addicted to their beef ramen- the broth is spicy and the noodles are perfect. The staff is also really nice and will bring a fork if you ask for one- I'm still working on my chopstick skills. Definitely come here!
The Gamja tang is very spicy and flavorful and this dish itself should garnered 5 stars but the spicy rice cake was way too sweet. the mashed potatoes and the macaroni that were served as a free side dish was also very sweet. Service was efficient and the owner and server are courteous. Pretty interesting that they also offered some Thai dishes here. An odd combination. Quite difficult to find parking. You will be better off to just take the T. It is located right next to another Korean restaurant-Color
(3)
Christina O.
I loveee hanmaru's kamjatang, and while I am new to this city, I don't believe there's any other restaurant that serves it. You get to pick how much soup, meat, veggies you want by 3 different options -- small, med, or large. You don't get as many sides as other Korean restaurants, but if you order the kamjatang, you won't need it seeing as you'll get super full off of the huge soup. My boyfriend and I got a small and we still had leftovers for the next day. They also have lunch specials -- bento boxes with bulgogi and other meats. Pretty good and fairly priced -- around $8. Service is always super friendly and quick. Also, I heard the owner is Filipino and if that's true, he makes a pretty damn good kamjatang.
(5)
MingPey L.
love the stuff there, too bad they still havent gave out a set date for reopening, anyone have any idea?? Kam Ja Tang is amazing, all of you should try it.
(5)
Mishka C.
I've been to the LA KBBQ's and this is expensive. Here it is about 2x the price of an AYCE buffet in LA, and it is not even AYCE. In fact, they don't even have those white rice paper things which I love. Sigh, but you know, it is the same price elsewhere in Boston so what do you expect. It will last me til I move back!!! Good food though, great bibimbap!!!
(3)
Jungmin L.
5 stars for the Gam-ja-tang. Hanmaru's Gam-ja-tang, which is a traditional pork stew commonly eaten after a night of heavy drinking (or DURING heavy drinking, for starting the night), is actually better than most found in Seoul. Even those in famous Yong-san area! They use more sesame leafs, wild sesame, and other veggies to complement the way the soft shreds of pork smoothly covers your tongue and...omg I'm drooling. I found other dishes to be good too: tofu-kimchi, and sauteed pork-belly dish. The dduk-bokki was forgettable. Not open on Sundays.
(5)
Marie J.
I enjoyed the lunch that I had @ Hanmaru, I chose one of their spicy stews for 8.95 which turned out to be very good. Our service seemed better than normal-Our dishes were surprisingly accompanied with 6 or 7 little dishes (all were tasty).. The atmosphere was NY retro and at the same time very peaceful which was perfect as I was having my brunch! Very surprised that this place had only a few people eating I'd visit this place again.
(4)
Elena S.
The food is great -- the service is good, and the potato salad is probably the best I've ever had in any Korean restaurant. I ordered the nabeyaki udon, which is not a Korean dish, but it was still fantastic. I can't wait to try the pork stew after reading these reviews -- I will definitely be back.
(4)
P-Rock F.
I was spoiled by K-town in LA and was craving that spicy tofu stew (forgot the name) and I'm happy to say I found it at Hanmaru. The food was authentic and well done. Better than the Korean food I've had in NYC. The kimchi pancake was delightful and the papaya salad, albeit Thai, was really good as well. My reunion with the spicy soft tofu stew really did it for me. Definitely coming back for more.
(5)
Grace M.
i was with my father in-law and husband- when we saw the japanese place we were going to went out of business, we wandered in here.. well, i'm korean and korean food is by far my favorite. so i figured, why not.. well, i was kind of disappointed! i should have taken a warning from the fact that it's a korean restaurant that also serves thai.. korean/chinese, korean/japanese, but korean/thai? kind of weird combo.. the banchan were so blah- the potato salad they give you comes in what appears to be an ice-cream scoop (i.e. it's too mashed, not really potato salad as much as mashed potato) and the worst part of it was how sweet it was. there was a lot of sugar put into it and tell me if i'm wrong here, but i don't think sugar really goes with potatoes. xP i got beef tang-su-yuk (it's pork on the menu, but they did it with beef for me), which was alright.. sauce was way too thin and pieces of beef not fried long enough. My husband got nakji-bokkeum (stir-fried octopus), which was mediocre and his dad got dwenjang-chigae, which i didn't taste, but looked also mediocre. bamboo floors and ikea lamps make the decor nice- the place feels fresh and clean, i like the look. overall though, this place is probably best suited for those who don't know genuine korean cooking, because it's alright, but not very quality.
(2)
Kev H.
mah god. the price for this stuff is crazy, its' so awesomely spicy I cry for 10 minutes before finishing the pot of beef noodles. It's really the soup that makes the meal, it's fantastically rich and thick. I would comeback to this place for a flavor tangent, it really tastes strangely awesome. The Hanmaru ramen is a great start for any fans of ramen out there.
(4)
Ed Y.
i found this restaurant through group on. tried it once and have been hooked since. their signature dish, a korean stew is excellent, especially if you like spicy food. the hanmaru ramen is also very good. all meals come with a bunch of sides. service is very attentive, restaurant is not big so you wont feel lost in it. decor is ok, very simple and clean. i highly recommend this korean japanese restaurant.
(5)
Qiang W.
Perfectly fits my taste except that the bone needs a bit more salt.
(5)
Xin S.
YUM! I came here with the Yelp deal and $50 was not easy to spend for 2 people! (certainly not complaining) We got 2 appetizers and 3 entrees; everything was delicious! Highlight was the rice cake appetizer: logs of yummy rice cake stir fried with potato (?) noodles, fish cake, and scallions in a delicious spicy sauce. Bibambap was good, as was the shredded pork stew. Shortrib kalbi was fantastic as well! Delicious food, very reasonable prices, and just down the block from my new apt... will definitely return!
(4)
Amy L.
I like their Potato Stew. Spicy but tasty. But I don't like anything besides Kam Ja Tang ( Potato stwe ).
(2)
A. T.
The soondubu is average: they mash the tofu into bits instead of leaving it as solid chunks, and it is much less flavorful than other places (eg., Koreana). The kampoongi is way below average: it pretty much tastes like General Gao's chicken with itty bitty pieces of chicken, so you're better off going to Buk Kyung II down the street. And the panchan are not really that great.
(2)
andrew g.
was looking for a place to eat while getting my car worked. i came here wanting soon too boo chigae, but kim chee chigae was crazy cheap on the lunch menu. while i'm no connoisseur with respect to korean food the soup base didn't taste quite right. it totally hit the spot, though and it was in the bowl thingy that makes it stay hot. they gave me like, three refills on the bean sprout stuff. the only weird thing was the waitress wasn't korean and they were playing the stuff my brazilian friends listen to. i'm definately coming back.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Jenny C.
I have no idea why I'm craving gamjatang right now. It is 81 degrees, so I don't know if I just hate myself or if I like to torture myself. Anyways, gamjatang is THE perfect stew for a chilly winter evening, especially in Boston. My three friends and I shared the Combo B, which is meant for two-three people, but we felt that it was more than enough for the four of us. We added more soft tofu and some more vegetables, and I just couldn't wait to dig into the soup. Like, I was literally trying to stop myself from eating cold tofu. Luckily, they had a nice assortment of ban chan, so we were able to amuse ourselves with those while we waited for our stew to boil. My friend also ordered the spicy ramen, and it was surprisingly good! Definitely not better than the gamjatang, but hey, not bad!
(4)Tung H.
Soup is really good And I really like tofu and noodle!! I'll try the lunch menu next time!!
(4)Rachel L.
Okay, so it's kind of like hotpot. But kind of not. So we decided to opt out from the pork bones, which from past experience, wasn't so great. Now had we eaten what we ordered, with thaaat broth, it may have been a different story. We got the bulgogi soup, the one in what looks like a hotpot pot. We got the broth spicy. And we had good service. My stomach for some reason didn't mix well afterwards, and I wasn't the only one. Maybe we should have cooked it longer. Who knows. Regardless, it's good winter food. And we will possibly be back.
(3)Derek B.
Kinda felt like it was a run of the mill korean place. The stew was nice. Staff was nice and attentive. Nothing really shined or stood out to me. I felt like there are better places around it?
(3)Yanjin C.
I love the stew especially with ramen or udon after. So delicious that I will go there every time I visit Boston. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
(5)Cathy S.
Went here around 8:30 on a Friday night and there was no line at all. I got the ramen with shrimp tempura and beef bone broth (mild spice level), and we shared the kanpungki sweet and sour chicken dish. I like the ramen noodles a lot - thin with good texture and there was plenty of it - though I think there definitely could have been more toppings since it only came with one piece of shrimp, a couple pieces of seaweed, and a small portion of bean sprouts. The broth was pretty good with a slight kick but also pretty salty and I couldn't drink any of it on its own towards the end. My friend got the soy sauce broth with a "spicy" spice level and it was way hot to the point that she couldn't eat any of the ramen and had to ask for another bowl of broth, so it's probably good to stick with a lower spice level. The sweet and sour chicken isn't spicy at all and tastes pretty much as you would expect, although the chicken is very crispy and fried well.
(3)Tiffany C.
Omg. The gamjatang *faint*. It's good. Like seriously good. They're famous for their spicy pork bone soup here and for good reason!!! Try this place if you're a Korean foodie fanatic and want some amazing stew. The location itself is small and average looking but the servers here are great. They're really nice and even help you pack up your soups to go. Fast service too. I tried the dukbokki and that was ok too. Not the best I've tasted but it's pretty decent. Is probably rate it a solid 7.5/8 out of 10. Their rice cakes are perfectly soft and chewy unlike many other places who undercook their rice cakes. And it's SPICAYYY. Just the way I like it ^^ Banchan was just ok. Five star rating for gamjatang!!!!!!!!
(5)Alan C.
Seafood pancake was ok. It was a bit doughy and not crispy enough for my tastes. Give it a good coat with the sauce to improve flavor. The good part was actually the Hanmaru Ramen with tonkasu. The pork belly was delicious and flavorful. It was juicy and was cooked well. The soup itself was not truly Japanese as I can taste a very strong Korean soup base in it, which is fine since the soup was excellent. It had a spiciness to it which wasn't too overwhelming. The noodle was the kind I like in ramen which was curly with medium thickness and cooked to the right semi al dente style. Also had the Omelette fried rice which was good. The egg enveloping the rice was nice and hot. The ketchup gave the right balance and obviously and very well like Japanese style dish. The fried rice inside was well flavored although I think they could make it a bit drier as fried rice goes. The service was fast and waitress attentive and courteous. Overall, great experience and will definitely go back to try the gamja tang everyone raves about there.
(4)Zhe W.
One of the best Korean restaurant in Boston. Not too many choices, but what they have are all authentic!
(5)Audrey C.
Came here for dinner on a Friday and we were seated right away. The service was super attentive and friendly and they continuously filled our side dishes without us having to hound them down (very important). We ordered the Gamja Stew (B) and it was plenty of food for the 2 of us. It comes in this huge pot with a heating apparatus underneath to keep the stew warm. I've never dipped meat into wasabi/soy sauce before and the pork dipped in this is absolutely delicious, I may have to start dipping all my meats in wasabi. The meat was fall off the bone tender and there was a good amount of pork on the bones. The stew was pretty spicy with lots of flavor as well. Overall, I would definitely want to come back to try the other dishes/stews that they have to offer.
(4)Kathy Z.
Best place in Boston area for Gamja stew! And the pork feet too! That is something I order every time I am there. The seafood pancake, however, is very dissapointing, barely any seafood.
(3)Mustachechuck S.
great food enjoyed it all been there 3 times now will try a few others on this avenue Soups are very good
(4)Rich T.
Delicious spicy broth is my choice for today's lunch and I have no regrets. This place has a two person sharing menu that's is both social and tasty. If you and a friend are looking for a warm alternative to the traditional hotspot this is a good alternative.
(4)Mallory C.
The first time I came here, I was an Allston n00b, and basically thought we were going for generic Americanized Chinese food, so I'm not really going to rate it on that, although it was an ok experience. I went again this week with some friends to celebrate a long awaited end of the semester, and now that I have a little more foodie experience under my belt, I can give a more adequate review. First of all, note to self- Korean Garden is the one with beer and wine on the menu, so we were a little disappointed that our night of drinks and noodles turned into just noodles, but the noodles were good! Everything was decent, but not amazing. Even though they say they don't seat incomplete parties, they did seat us when we were waiting for one person since we had a wheelchair and scooter and there was really no room for us to just "hang out" We ordered the seafood pancake as an appetizer which was perfect for 4 people to share, and the dipping sauce had a lot of flavor (without it was sort of bland) I had the cold ramen, my friends had the hot ramen with beef and the boyfriend had the Nabeyaki Udon. Everything was good and the noodles were the perfect consistency. the only thing that was sort of disappointing, was the banchan (or lack thereof). I don't get what everyone is saying about how it's so good. We had two small plates of kimchi and broccoli with some sauce. Last time I went we got at least four, and there were only three of us. I don't know if it was because it was the end of the night (it was only like 8:30) or we were put on the naughty list because we needed to be seated with an incomplete party. Either way, it was sort of underwhelming. I think we'll be trying some of the other Korean places in Allston before coming back here.
(3)Kat T.
Gross experience with food.. In my experience, the food in this place is NOT good at all. I had crispy chicken (deep fried with sweet and sour sauce). The chicken came out dark-dark brown, cold, very hard, actual meat had lots of fat on it, tasted like something cooked a week ago, absolutely gross. The sauce was the only eatable thing, well, rice as well. In addition, the dishes are overpriced in my opinion (assuming they are eatable). The place is not super small but not big, very plain, no decor or any ambiance. I'd give this place one more shot, but definitely not soon. The food was really gross..
(1)Young P.
If you are looking to get your gamja tang fix, this is the place to be. Their portion is great. Whether you come here with two people or with a huge crowd, you have the option of choosing your portion as accordingly. As far as taste goes, the meat is extremely tender and soft. Meat literally falls out of the bone without much effort. The stew is excellent and is even better when they are soaked in those delicious soft potatoes. Their banchan is also above standard. I'm a fob and I am very particular about Korean food. This place is definitely one of those rare places that makes me think that it's even better than some of the places in Korea. Next time you are in Allston, definitely give this a try. Price wise, I do think its a bit pricey but trust me its worth the money.
(5)Xu C.
The best gangjatang ever!!! The meat is cooked very tender and full of flavor. Mashed potato in the side dishes goes so well with the soup. Their seafood and kimchi pancakes are both really good-very thin and not floury. The Japanese cold noodles are so worth trying as well!! Very addicting place!
(5)Eline M.
They make an awesome spicy stir-fry pork (jeyuk bokkeum) and just for this, I fell in love with Hanmaru. Jeyuk bokkeum is definitely my favorite Korean dish and the one I had at Hanmaru was just great: spicy but not too much, just enough for you to still enjoy the taste of the meat itself. Great banchan as well -- we had kimchi, mashed sweet potato, soybeans, macaroni salad and 2 more whose names I don't know. Service was quick and nice despite the place being quite packed at 9pm on a Friday night. Prices are definitely ok for me, coming from Paris where Korean restaurants can quickly get quite pricey. I can't get wait to go back and try more from their menu (especially their spicy rice cakes, various stews and galbi!!)
(5)Fern H.
I left Hanmaru after our meal with clear sinuses and itchy ears! Now that's a spicy pork bone soup! We ordered the 5-piece Gamja stew ($34.95) and the L.A Galbi ($17.95). The stew was a bubbly pot of spicy goodness but I found the pork bones to be quite lean (not a lot of meat) while the galbi ribs were sweet and tender. It was pretty busy on a Thursday night and service was so-so. I thought they could have been a little bit more on point with tea and sides refills. Hanmaru is a little bit more expensive than what I would usually spend on Korean but it was decent.
(3)Hui H.
Hanmaru is one of my favorite Korean restaurants in boston. I ate kamja stew B with my boyfriend and it was enough for two people. But there were just small kamja in kamja stew or I hope there will be more diverse vegetables or rice cake. Whenever after eating from kamjatang in this restaurant, my stomach is uncomfortable but I don't care maybe It is because I ate too much or spicy for my stomach. I really like kamjatang and there is not where to eat around Korean town as Iong as I know . I will be there later again
(3)Kimmy U.
Gamja Tang/Pork bone soup here is awesome! They have 3 sizes to choose (A, B, C) C is the smallest one and doesn't come with a gas stove burner like the others, but instead comes in like a big tofu soup pot. It's enough for 3 if you want to order something else like the seafood pancake (which is also pretty good). I've only come here for the gamja tang -It can get pretty spicy for those of you who aren't into that, so just beware, especially with the soup. It's basically a big pot of spicy soup, pork bones (and meat..duh), potatoes, veggies, and tofu. When they bring it to your table, you let it cook a little bit and mix everything together..then serve! I love that it's piping hot, and STAYS piping hot because of the burner -They have extra add ons too like tofu, potato, ramen, etc. We usually add ramen to it, and end up being over stuffed every single time -Good selection of appetizers/banchan -Sometimes service can be a little slow if they don't have enough people working. Last time I went, there was only 1 server for the whole place, but maybe it's because it was the day after Thanksgiving and people weren't scheduled?? idk
(4)James M.
One of my new go to spots for a Korean fix. Kicking off with Kimchi pancakes had my appetite ready for Honmaru Ramen with tonkasu. May not look like much, but they absolutely bring their best right to the table.
(4)Simon L.
An excellent, crispy spring roll. Light wrapper, light on grease but pan fried hard. Sweet shredded cabbage with strips of carrot. A sweet duck sauce with flecks of fiery red pepper. Beef broth miso ramen, tender pork belly sliced thinly with layers of fat. Sprouts and sheets of dried nori. Highly spicy. Thick broth loaded with scallions and katsuobushi. Noodles are chewy and substantial. Plenty for the bowl to make an entree. Of course I ordered the only Japanese thing on a Korean menu but it was completely worth it! Service is polite; food is perfect.
(4)Mario C.
Went to Hanmaru to have some Gamja Tang (beef bone stew with veggies, tofu and potatoes). It's excellent, authentic in it's simplicity. The stew is spicy and on a cold day it's perfect to warm you up. Service is friendly, pan chan was good although I would have love more variety. Overall quite pleased and I recommend Gamja Tang!
(4)Shir L.
I used to enjoy the food here. If you love your spicy rice cakes like I do, DO NOT ORDER THEM FROM HERE, you'll be disappointed, trust me. We'd get the usual gamja stew and ramen to share during those cold winter nights, unfortunately, the last time i visited was memorable, and not in a good way. While waiting our food, I was reading yelp reviews, and someone mentioned seeing rodents in the restaurant, ok that was an appetite killer. Once we got our food, it tasted different. I don't know if my mind was playing games with me but the aftertaste was strange, I'm definitely not coming back.
(1)Khoa N.
Disappointed. The gamjatang was spicy as promised, but that was it. The broth itself was bland. The pork was tender and easily fell off the bone. Yet not much to fall off. Maybe my taste buds are used to the flavorful tofu soup at Kaju, even though this stew is different, it doesn't compare and I'd rather much go down the street and wait half an hour for a smaller bowl of kickass goodness. The sides were minimal. They will refill if you flag them down to ask for it. Tteokbokki tasted good and spicy. Beware it's just carbs and sauce. Well, to be fair, the description did not say meat. LA kalbi, hm, was just regular kalbi. Perhaps the secret ingredients were too secretive I was not able to appreciate it. Even tried the spicy pork and there was not much to rave about. In conclusion, I was disappointed. There are better Korean food joints around.
(2)Mark L.
Curry Chicken Tatsu and Indonesian Fried Rice. That my friend is all I have to say, my friend and I literally are addicted to this place. We go onc
(5)Victoria P.
Came here with my boyfriend and ordered the ojjinguh bokkum and gamja tang (B). Everything was just okay...nothing spectacular. The service was surprisingly good, but I have yet to find a good Korean restaurant in Boston. My boyfriend had a pretty bad stomach ache afterward, but I think that may be because he doesn't handle spicy very well. Overall, just okay.
(3)Ambrose C.
Another East Asian restaurant in Allston, I decided to come here with a friend to try out some dishes that I do not eat often. My friend ordered the Rice Cake Mandu Stew, which is a beef stew with rice cake and dumplings. I got Kimchi Chigae, which is a really spiced up broth with slices of pork and cabbage inside. I really liked the Kimchi Chigae even though it had a good amount of spice in the flavor. It's definitely a good choice when the windchill is really low, and the temperature outside is -2 degrees Celsius. After mixing it with a good amount of rice, it was a tasty dish. If they can put in some more pork in the dish, it can be a really good dish. Cabbage was also fairly good with the rice and the spiced broth. My friend seemed to have enjoyed the dumpling soup and was able to finish it. I also came here for the lunch specials. I got a tonkatsu and pork belly ramen noodle soup. I really liked the somewhat spiced flavor of the broth, the tonkatsu was tastily crispy, but I though the pork belly meat slices were thin slices. Although the slices were thin, the pork was tasty, though I would rather just get the pork tonkatsu, if I had to choose between tonkatsu pork or pork belly. The noodles were pretty good, they were definitely a little thicker than the ramen noodles that you would get from a supermarket. Banchan (side dishes) was probably the most average banchan I have eaten at a Korean-style restaurant. The macaroni salad was decent, as well as the mashed potatoes. The Kimchi was okay, the cabbage was a little soft, and the bean sprouts were satisfactory. Service was okay, the waitresses need to be a little more nicer, but the food came in fairly quickly. Prices are very reasonable, dishes tend to be under $10 before tip. The lunch specials may be the same dishes but the price difference is only about $1 or $2. I kind of like the small and somewhat quiet atmosphere, and it made me feel I was more inside a cafe or a bistro than a restaurant. Overall, this is a good choice for some Korean style stew or Japanese style noodle dishes especially when the weather is at an awful 13 degrees Celsius or below. I am not sure if I will be coming to this place often, but I think they can do a good job serving some tasty Asian dishes.
(4)John D.
Hanmaru is a small Korean restaurant that's an enjoyable place to eat. The stew here is alright, has better plates such as the bulgogi. The Thai tea is exceptional though, very good. Service is fair especially since there's only a couple people working in the front. Lines aren't completely long for this place though.
(4)Amy C.
This place has closed down! Try Color Restaurant next door :D
(1)Aria D.
I came here for pad thai and was disappointed although it's really a Thai dish so it guess that's what I get. It was just very bland and not exciting in the least. I finished it because I was hungry but that's it. The ambience of the place is also very plain and messy in a weird way. The man who served me was also very disconnected and not welcoming. I would give this place another shot if it weren't in Allston and there wasn't an abundance of Korean and Japanese restaurants.
(2)Kim H.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Quick and friendly! (although im not sure if they were korean haha) Price: everything was pretty decent, being a big COLORS fan (which is right next door) their food quality is a little better and a little more high! GOOD FOR QUICK LUNCH & DINNER ! Their Japchae was really good!! and their side dishes were also. MUSIC: ( I know this is random) but i wish they played korean music! instead of english music, maybe thats why I like color's atmosphere better hehe ^_^ OVERALL: I like this place! I would come again for a cheap and quick lunch * THEY ARE VERY CHILDREN FRIENDLY
(4)Marie M.
The Nabeyaki Udon soup is OUTSTANDING! Five stars just for this, for which I drive an hour and a half from RI. My daughter craves it as much as I do! It's right across the street from Garlic N Lemon, where we also visit everytime we are in the area. I love their Pad Thai and Pajun. My daughter and her friends also like the Chicken Katsu. This place is small and gets packed during peak hours. Can order for take out. I miss the fried pike mackerel they removed from the menu. Haven't tried anything else, yet.
(5)Faye Z.
First of all I have to admit it, I 'm a fan of Gamjatang stew here, no doubt! But the reason I only gave three starts is because they can NOT keep the food cook consistently!!! When the boss is here or they only have few customer in the place, they cook good, but when it gets busy, the quality of food is......really bad... Up and down a lot from my opinion, I eat here at least once every two weeks, so if I'm lucky I got good food if I'm not then..... I hope the boss can see this problem and try to fix that, then I will give at least 4 starts for having a great stew here.
(3)Katie B.
I'm really not a fan of their service. It's annoying but not nearly enough to keep my friends and me away from this place. First off, I mostly stick to the Korean food, but their thai dishes are good as well. Their Gamja tang is a must; it's really flavorful and spicy and just amazing! It's definitely my favorite dish here. Their kimchi jigae is good as is their spicy yuk gae jang. I've also had their soon dubu jigae, which I'm a fan of. However, I'd recommend going to Kaju for that, because they specialize in the tofu soup so there are more options. I started off by noting their poor service. Once a waiter spilled soup all over my friend and wasn't the least apologetic. It ruined her top and got all over her pants as well. Luckily, the manager is really nice and took 20% off our bill. Another time a waitress spilled over a glass of water. Also, the atmosphere isn't the greatest but honestly the food is so good I couldn't care less. If you're a fan of spicy food, this is your place. They will serve it truly spicy!
(4)Mike M.
The place was just Eh! so so. Kitchen appeared kinda dirty and unorganized. GF loved the Gamjatang stew but I wasnt a fan since the meat was all bones and tendon. I ordered the Dolsot Beef Bibimbap, Clay pot was not hot enough, didn't even sizzle or crisp the rice. hardly any beef, the rice was wet and overcooked. Wouldn't reccomend it.
(2)Jiho K.
...
(2)Farrah F.
I came here with my friend after sitting (well, lying around because I got tired) in a tattoo+piercing parlor for several hours and walking through some rather cold streets, so a bowl of steaming hot ramen was definitely a welcoming sight. My stomach stopped hating me almost instantly. :O! I ordered the Hanmaru Ramen with beef (thank you for not having just pork!) for $8.95 and my friend split some of the pad thai with crispy chicken he ordered with me because he's cool (and also because he felt bad for making me sit at Stingray parlor for many moons). Those two dishes coupled with hot tea was perfect to warm me up from the cold that I still haven't really gotten used to. (The free side dishes are pretty awesome too!)
(4)Ranchida T.
I love gamja tung. And L.A galbi.. It's so good...
(5)Le N.
They are between a 3 and 4 stars - pending on what you order. If you want something soupy, go the hanmaru. Everything else on the menu (basically non-korean and asian fusion) was just okay. My favorite from hanmaru, which is difficult to find elsewhere and that's why I keep coming back is gamjatang. I like to add udon to mine as well and it's super delicious. The broth is flavorful and has a nice kick to it! Dubokki was pretty flavorful and good here as well. So when it's rainy or cold - give their gamjatang a try.. you'll thank me! So you're welcome! :)
(3)Leanne C.
I was ecstatic to find an as-authentic-as-I've-known Korean place that could satisfy my ramen cravings. I went crazy and ordered quite a bit: veggie kimchi pancakes and vegetable ramen. I waited for my take out for 15-20 minutes and then headed on home (I was going to eat in but after seeing the place was so busy, it would have been a bit too lonely/awkward for my tastes. ). I got home, and unpacked six containers. Container 1: broth, Container 2: ramen + veggies, Container 3: kimchi pancakes, Container 4: kimchi, Container 5: broccoli, Container 6: soy and green onion sauce. First impression: by separating the elements out, they showed that they cared about the texture, temperature and quality of the food- even if I wasn't dining in. Second impression: wow this is a LOT of food- like, 2-3 meals. The kimchi pancakes were so good- fresh (not that reheated rubbish you find at a lot of Asian restaurants), hot, but a bit greasy. Loads of onion, a hint of spice and a fairly big portion. The veggie ramen was also super satisfying. I haven't had Korean food this good since college so I was all happy hums and grins through my meal. If you living in Allston/Brighton: GO HERE. Its perfect for the cold weather and pretty reasonably priced too.
(4)Kalua M.
Sometimes it's hard being a vegetarian - but not if you eat at Hanmaru (and you're the kind of vegetarian that eats eggs!). I ordered the Nabeyaki udon soup with no meat - but asked them to keep the egg. They even added big tasty pieces of tofu for me. The broth was amazing. This is my favorite cold weather meal and I've returned a couple times for it. It does get busy around dinner time - so be prepared to wait for a table!
(5)Wendy L.
Five stars for their Gamja Tang but four stars for the restaurant as a whole and other items on the menu. If you come here you have to get the Gamja Tang - its extremely spicy so it's not for everyone. The meat falls off the bone which makes me wonder how long they cook it for to get it to be so tender. The broth is really good too probably because they cook the beef for so long! There are many sides that you can add to your stew. I recommend getting the small one (Stew C) for two people. Their Fried Gyozas are amazing too, super crispy and flavorful. I've also tried their L.A Galbi which is on the sweeter side. Their Chicken Katsu is really bad - don't get it. The one thing that confuses me about the place is the items on the menu. It is extremely fusion! It offers Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai! I think their Korean dishes are the best so I will stick to the Gamja Tang and other Korean options. The music here is super 90s, relaxing and totally throwback. The service is ok - could be better but no complaints so far. I will be back for the super spicy Gamja Stew.
(4)Josephine L.
Mmmmmm, I now have a new spot to go to for my ramen fix. So you can take that vacation you've been pining for, Sapporo Ramen. I release you--for now. The Hamaru Ramen is $8.95 of chewy noodles in a spicy, slightly ginger-y broth accompanied by succulent pork slices that will make you smile and cry on a cold winter's day. Smile because you are now warming up in the greatest way God intended, and cry because you just found proof God (or someone else up there) exists and wants you to be happy. Will.Be.Back.
(4)Cindy W.
Stepped in here with a partyof 4 on a brisk Dec. night for some HOT and spicy Gamja Tang. It hit the spot more than their special ramen which we thought was just okay. We also ordered the seafood pancake and chapae. I though the pancake was also just okay. It didn't have enough seafood as I am used to and their dipping sauce was very plain. Chapae is one of my favorite all time Korean dishes but I wasn't impressed with theirs, It was just too sweet for me. My favorite was their Gamja Tang. Beef was soooooo tender, moist and soft that it was just was what I was looking for on a cold night. TIP: You may want to get in their early cuz it does get packed very quickly.
(3)Hannah P.
I tried tempura ice cream at another restaurant and had no choice but to compare. Hanmaru fails. Hanmaru's tempura becomes mush because of the ice cream. They need to get that figured out.
(3)Nicole D.
I LA-LA-LOOOOOOVE KOREAN FOOD. And this place has pretty good Korean food coming from a girl who used to live in a city full of Korean restaurants back in California. However, this place is like a fusion restaurant with different dishes from other Asian cultures (Thai, Japanese, Korean, Chinese). It's kind of a small spot but service is pretty prompt and it could get busy at times. I've come here both with a small party and with a large group and they're pretty accommodating. Everything I've tried was really really good and I don't have any complaints. - Pad See ewe - Tofu chigae soup - sizzling bulgogi - Nabeyaki udon (MY FAVORITE! So flavorful) - Gamja stew - Hamaru ramen - Bibimbab Their side dishes are good as well. It's a little bit more pricey than what I'm used to in California but I would pay anything for food that I am happy with. I would come here more often if it didn't take so long to get there on the green line or if I had a car here in Boston. Definitely a must-try place!
(4)Vivian C.
Hanmaru is open, and, according to the menu, they are offering 10% off at lunch as a reopening special. Two of us ordered the papaya salad, vegetarian chap che (with fried tofu!), and a seafood tofu chi gae (sorry if any/all of these are misnamed or typed) which was much too much food for us, even though one of us (ahem) stuffed themselves silly. Fortunately for me, they were able to make everything mild. I liked everything, but silly me, my favorite part of the meal was two of the five side dishes - the potato salad and the fish cake. They refill these, you know. The waitress was pleasant. She even twisted the paper on my straw into a rose!
(4)Michael M.
I recommend the lunch Ramen special Japanese style Hanmaru special. Pork belly or Beef with spicy beef broth. Complement with hot tea. Great for winter day or if you have a cold.
(3)Matthew B.
Let me preface this by saying I am a tall goofy white guy who has little experience with Korean food. Now let me say that the staff at Hanmaru was so incredibly kind and attentive. They made sure to introduce me to the appropriate way of eating and went out of their way to explain details I may have been unaware of. I really appreciate that kind of courtesy. On top of the cultural diffusion, the food was excellent. Multiple appetizer plates were brought out with seaweed salad, kim chi and multiple other dishes that added to the meal. The food was authentic and had a great spread in any price range. I can't wait to go back and get one of their "special stews" that could easily feed 4 people. I'm in love.
(5)Vezna S.
To start off.. I want to say that the food was fantastic. With that said there was two things that really effected the reasoning why I decided to give it 3 stars instead of 5. 1. There is absolutely no parking designated for this particular restaurant. It took some of our party (it was to celebrate my 27th birthday) over 30 minutes to actually find a parking spot and join us. This is something that is a big issue especially in a city like Boston. 2. The price.. is insane. I mean I wouldn't MIND paying a lot for good food if they have good portions but the portions themselves weren't that large at all. The complimentary appetizers were great, their macaroni was great, I filled up on that before my actual dinner came. I ordered their beef scallion dish.. the price was insane but I figured that I'd get what was pictured but the portion was insanely small! Now for the good parts. The food's fantastic and the service was excellent. They accomodated our large party very well and were understanding when we couldn't order until all of our party was here (as stated earlier parking was horrible). Overall it was a good experience but unless you have a fat wallet I don't recommend eating here.. unless you're trying to impress your date of course haha.
(3)Sarah J.
This is where I go when I'm craving Gamjatang (really spicy pork soup with potatoes). If you don't mind smelling exactly like the restaurant when you leave, it's great on a cold night. The other things are the menu are not amazing but not terrible. I do enjoy their variety of side dishes. In terms of the quality of Korean food, it's actually decent for Boston (nothing compared to any restaurant in NJ or LA), but for just pretty good Korean food, it's alright. They do NOT open on Sundays.
(4)Carol W.
I really like this place because of one banchan side dish...the mashed potato salad. It is truly luscious. I always think about how good it is and hope to return for it. One time, I wanted to buy a whole tub of it, but they were completely OUT!! So sad. Today, I finally return, for either my fourth or fifth visit, with an expired Yelp deal coupon, oh well...better to use it up than to lose the money that I spent. I ordered the gamja stew for one and a kimchi pancake. It was my first time having both here. They were both good. I normally order the seafood pancake at Korean restaurants, but the host suggested the kimichi one to me, and I liked it. As opposed to the seafood one, the kimchi pancake is filled with flavor throughout. I don't think it needs the sauce. The gamja stew was definitely a hearty stew dish. The presentation is quite nice as it comes out in a stone pot vessel with a huge hunk of pork coming out of it. On the side, you get a small dish of a special soy sauce and wasabi to mix together, if you wish. This is the dipping sauce for the pork. This dish reminded me of a Chinese pork bones, potato, tomatoes, and carrots stew that my mom makes because we too dip the pork in soy sauce too. While it possessed a fiery red color, the broth was not overly spicy, being midly hot. Overall, very nice stew, and I was sitting there thinking that this would be spectacular in the winter time! It's July with 90 degree weather outside!
(4)Dave M.
3.5 stars. we went there for lunch. the menu variety was typical for korean lunch menus. the prices a few cents lower. the food tasted good. we had dolsot bibimbap, a stew, and lunch box but they were all cold. that was the only minus i had. service was fast and friendly and they refilled our sides when we requested.
(4)Hana T.
I really dislike when restaurants try to serve both Korean and Japanese dishes. I cannot think of a pair more opposite in flavoring than Korean and Japanese food. That little pet peeve aside, I tried Hanmaru's kimchi jjigae, while my boyfriend got their soondubu. The banchan (little side dishes) was a little sparse, and while tasty, I wasn't that excited about them. Our food was good and hit the spot, but nothing to write home about. I wish I had tried their gamjatang. Some tables nearby ordered it and it looked fantastic. Most of the Korean places on Harvard Ave specialize in a certain dish, and Hanmaru is definitely known for the gamjatang.
(3)Serena D.
very nice little restaurant. They serve Korean, Japanese, Chinese and some other Asian food. We ordered Korean BBQ, Korean hot pot, Thai pad and Thia ice tea, they were suuuper yummy! We added meat and vegetable after we finished the first-round hot pot~lol The service was good, no one brought us ice water though. The price is reasonable, the food is yummy and service is good. I will definitely go back!!! I love this little spot!!! P.S, It is closed on Sundays!
(5)Alice L.
I heard this place was pretty good. And it's alright. The food was okay but I've had better. I ordered some noodle soup thing that comes with rice (sorry forgot what it was called) and it had bulgogi in it, and wasn't that great. The beef was in tiny bits that looked like someone shred it by hand. Overall, the dish was okay. I don't recommend going there for korean food though. Try someplace else. This is not that great.
(2)Elizabeth S.
So to start off with, my friend and I are Korean food newbies. We saw pictures of ramen in the window and it was an extremely cold night, so we decided to duck in around 5:15. At that point, it was pretty empty. By the time we left at 6:30, it was packed. The decor is cute and the music they play is lots of fun. The staff is very attentive and really friendly. They really wanted to make sure that we weren't off put by the spice level, so I guess we must wear our newbiness on our sleeves. We ended up going for the gamja stew with extra veggies. They brought out six little appetizers beforehand at no cost, along with a couple of bowls of rice. All of the appetizers were totally awesome and unexpected. There was kimchi, something like a teriyaki flavored jelly, macaroni salad, potato salad, tangy bean sprouts and a spicy wasabi-like paste. We cleaned them out. The stew comes to the table on a little sterno burner thing. We did order it mild, but it still had quite a bit of kick in the reddish broth. Still, the beef, potatoes, tofu and other veggies were cooked extremely well, very tender and flavorful. Our noses were running a little by the end, but it'll sure warm you up on a cold night! The communal eating style also makes for a really fun social dining experience. We're definitely heading back soon. I can't wait to try more!
(5)Isabella L.
I was on a trip in Boston, and was seriously craving some soft tofu stew! The restaurant is small and doesnt have the nicest decor but its decent. I ordered the soft tofu stew. The size was pretty standard but the flavor wasnt as strong as Im used to from other korean restaurants. It was good enough to satisfy my craving, but when i think back to it, it wasnt that great. My friend (who is korean) ordered one of their other stews and i dont think he enjoyed it too much, He kept complaining that it wasnt authentic, but im not sure. Not familiar with the other korean restaurants in the area, but this place was average.
(3)Bex M.
I only remember the ganja..no wait, gamja stew. It's so spicy but you keep going back for more! (Even the mild has a kick to it.) They have 3 sizes and all the portions are ginormous! The small can feed at least 2 and the large can feed at least 5. It comes with an unlimited amount of the basic korean side dishes like kimchi and potato salad. You will sweat, you will cry but your tummy will be satisfied. (Eat that, insert name of famous poet.) I also like the age-tofu, pan fried in a nice thin batter but the inside was soft and silky. I've tried a few of their other dishes, but nothing to write home about. Also, plan to be there for a while because the service is slow even for a tiny place.
(3)A N.
It was out first visit to Hanmaru. We ordered the Spicy Napa Kimchi Pancake appetizer which was very tasty - we will definitely order this again and again. For main course we ordered the smallest size of Gamja stew that came with one rice. This was very spicy and very tasty - quite comforting in a cold day. But probably we will go for something else if it was hot outside. The side dishes were a mixed bunch. Kimchi, marinated bean sprouts, marinated carrots and radish - great. Macaroni dish, Agaragar dish and mashed potato dish - pretty bad. The quantity of food was enough for two of us. Service was good not great. Overall very satisfied and will definitely go back again.
(4)Cynthia B.
When we walked in (party of 4) the place was PACKED. The host told us 10 minutes - internally, I was like, uhhh no way will it only be 10 minutes - but sure enough, about 15 minutes later we were seated. We started with apps that they provided (free I think to every table). There was Kimchi (too spicy for me, but i'm a wuss and my friends loved it), some kind of pickled shredded carrots which were tangy and sweet but also sour, broccoli with spicy sauce and a clear, gelatinous, cubed one with a teriyaki sauce. When we asked what that one was, the waitress said emphatically, "JELLY! It's good for you. No calories!" Yes, she was the cutes thing ever. We ordered: 1. Udon Soup - SO FLAVORFUL, AMAZING, I GIVE IT 100 Stars! I was happy that this was my meal. There was so much leftover, I get some for lunch on Monday. It had broccoli, carrots, shrimp tempura, lots of noodles (too many to finish in one sitting) and yummy leeks/onions - and it arrived still boiling! 2. Fried Chicken - again with the 100 stars, so delicious. 3. Some kind of beef bowl (don't remember the name) that was filled with veggies. 4. BBQ beef with Leeks. Too spicy for me but the person who ordered it was pleased. The food arrived so quickly, it was delightful! The only reason that I gave it 4 stars is because I know that everyone I was with wasn't as completely bowled (don't mind the pun) over as I was by my gigantic, yummy, filling, savory Udon Noodle. So if you go, order the Udon. No questions. I plan on returning as soon as possible!
(5)Cindy K.
Yay! Finally found a place in Boston that has decent Ramen! My girlfriends and I came here by chance since out original plan was to go to Color which is now closed. It was cold and hanmaru was just next door so we took a culinary chance. Good thing we did! The restaurant is a very casual with very little decor but it was cozy. We started off with the dokboki (rice cakes) appetizer which was delicious and satisfyingly spicy. All of us were in the mood for ramen so we got the lunch special Hanmaru Ramen with pork belly. The broth was soo good and the noodles were made just right; not over or undercooked. The table next to us had the gamja tang and it looked amazing. Will definitely need to come back to try it.
(4)ken t.
The sign outside is so fancy so I thought when I got inside that the place would be super nice but it wasn't what I expected. It was def smaller than I expected but I guess it's cozy? The server was awesome and told me I can hav dishes less spicy coz I for one can't handle the Korean kick. That stuff jus hurts to a point that I can't even enjoy the food. I ordered the ramen and I slurped that bowl clean. RAMEN!!!!!!!!!!! It was soooooo good. The lovely lady that went on a food date with me ordered the Indonesian fried rice. The rice was a lil stickier than I wouldve liked but the chicken is top notch. I do wanna go bk to this place n try the gamjatangs ... But I dnt think I'm ready yet
(3)Christine T.
WoW. bunches of dishes I haven't seen before, only heard of when my mom is lamenting the good food in korea that she's too lazy to make. They give you a big selection of banchan, little appetizer dishes. and to my surprise, sasehgi, aka, sausage, with a korean acccent, it's really just cold hot dogs or vienna wiener thingy's with chili's but they're really good for some and bring out a childish delight in me! Everything was good. I can say I liked their Galbi, Its very rare that I find a restaurants' is worth buying when I can make it at home. Everything is overly-adequately spicy, they use waaay too much gochujang on some dishes (spicy chili sauce/paste) I like this place tho. I might be a fan depending on how good the kimchi tchigae is. And remember you can always ask for more rice!!
(3)Sandy F.
Gamjatang made a name here, they have 3 different sizes, but I definitely would not recommend the smallest one because that is served in a bowl and not hot pot style. I think the fact that the pork neck bone and the potatoes are still boiling as you eat your way through this pot really made this dish comforting and keeps it flavors intense. the meat on the pork bones slides right off. after boiling the potatoes while you savor over the pork and the soup over rice, the potatoes are perfectly tender and flavored by the soup. as the starch of the potatoes thickens the soup, the veggie soaks up the thickened broth/sauce. the only thing bad about this is that its so big, if you don't go with a large group, you would not be able to get the other really tasty dishes, like the galbitang (short rib, daikon, and vermicelli soup), haemul gungol (a large seafood stew), jangban guksu (chewy cold noodles with veggies, pear, beef, eggs and a spicy sauce that you mix yourself). if i have have choice, i'd probably have the short rib soup for breakfast, the cold noodles for dinner and alternate between the pork and potato stew and the seafood stew for dinner. I've had their japchae which is pretty good, while others told me the bibimbap is phenomenal, i dont remember seeing the crispy rice on the bottom, which really kills the idea of a good bibimbap. however, the topping and the adjustable spiciness probably made up for taste. the pancakes and the ricecake dumpling soup were nothing to write home about. i do love their banchans - corn mashed potatoes with mayo, kimchi, dotorimuk (or acorn jelly), bean sprout muchim, cucumbers and a radish kimchi. (hint: i love eating the pork meat dipped into the wasabi sauce, topped with a small piece of kimchi, perfect meatiness with a kick and a crunch) Because parking is such a pain around that area and everytime we do gather up the courage to go, we have a list of things that we must get, we stopped trying out new dishes and jump right to our favs. I sometimes wish they have less crave worthy options so we can go on to try their bbq, but with there being so many korean bbq places around, and not so many gamjatang places around (or good gamjatang for that matter), we tend to stick to our favorites. i probably will never get the thai and chinese dishes there but next time i go, i'm definitely going to try to convince my group to share either the spicy squid or the spicy octopus stir fry. WARNING: be prepared to cry a little and clear up all your sinuses if you do get your orders extra spicy as we generally do. and be prepared to do your laundry when you get home due to the messy spills of the fiery red broths and sauces and being marinated in a not so ventilated restaurant for the duration of your meal.
(5)Zizzles A.
Sure some of the servers are SE asian, and 1/3-1/2 of the menu is thai food, but there's only one reason to come here. Seriously. Gamjatang. According to a Korean dining buddy I came with, it's made with pork spine? He was all giddy when he told me too, thinking it would gross me out. First, spine is not even offal. It's just meat and bones. And second, I'm Chinese. I didn't really get what he was expecting... The gamjatang is as spicy as the stews in Korea, ie, bareable at first, but after a bowl and a half bodily fluids will be covering your face, just the way I like it, don't ask why. Gamjatang means potato stew/soup, so there are large chunks of potatoes, a heaping portion of spine, tofu, and a bunch of optional add-ons, including a bean puree that makes it thicker (one of my favorite ones). Throw on some veg, and make sure you bring double the number of people the stew is listed to be for. It's huge.
(4)Greg E.
I really really liked this place. The food was pretty cheap and man the food was good. You pretty much gottta get a soup here because that's their thing. I got the the GamjaTang which was spicy and really delicious (my mouth is watering just thinking about it). My partner got some Udon soup which was even better. Definitely recommended. TIP: Get the Udon Soup (or at least one of the Gamja soups)
(4)Eileen Z.
So originally, I would have given this place a 4-star status because I LOVE the spicey pork there -- but the last time I was there, we saw mice running back and forth between the bathroom and kitchen and after that, I couldn't stomach going there anymore :( Does anyone happen to know what the Spicey Pork dish is called in Korean? I'd love to look up a recipe!
(2)Angela S.
I love Korean food. Especially any type of stew and soup. I tried their Tofu Stew (soon dubu jjigae) and Korean Miso Stew (doen jang jjigae) so far. Both were decently spicy, but not unbearable. I can handle a medium amount of spiciness, probably less than most Koreans can handle. Their tofu could be softer, because I personally like really silken tofu. There were only small pieces of beef in the miso stew, but what was there did taste good, slightly sweet, like bolgogi. The side dishes (banchan) were decent, but I have seen better. They have a couple types of kimchi, bean sprouts, macaroni, potato, and some other things. I'm comparing this to places with squid and other expensive banchan though. Service isn't bad, but our food took awhile to come out. But the food was relatively cheap. My friend's omelette rice was only about $9 and my other friend's Teriyaki Chicken w/ rice was only about $8. My miso stew was about $10. The soon dubu jjigae was a few more dollars, I believe.
(4)Christine L.
I only had their gamjatang (which is what they are known for) when I went but it was really good! Pricing is decent, service was prompt and the place is clean. I went on an afternoon during the week as well, pretty empty = fast service for me. The 6 side dishes are what you'd expect. I'd definitely go again. 4/5 stars because I wasn't blown away, but this is a good solid recommendable place that serves up very good gamjatang.
(4)Susan K.
I heard this place had good gamja tang (translates into...potato stew?) and what a perfect day to go check this place out when its rainy and cold. Upon entering, the place is small. Nothing really fancy...very casual. My friend and I went in for lunch. A lady seated us but there was like one guy doing the waiter job. It would of been nice to have two waiters. So we ordered the gamja tang (spicy stew with potato and meat...specifically the back of the cow, which sometimes you have to literally suck out the meat from the vertebrae...not very attractive on a date...just an FYI) and omirice (fried rice with fried egg over). The gamja tang was spicy...I love spicy food and this was SPICY. It wasn't the painful spicy that you get from a jalapeno...it was one of those refreshing spicy that could clear the snottiest nose. It went well with the omirice, which kind of neutralized the spice. Definitely a place if one wants to have good, hot Korean food...especially during a rainy, cold day. I would love to try their ramyun the next time I go.
(4)Dora M.
DELICIOUS! I had the UDON SOUP and it was absolutely fantastic! the broth! the veggies! the tempura! the EGG!? yes, an egg! I am a huge fan of kimchi now! honestly this was my first time eating korean food and it was awesome! I recommend this to anyone!!!!
(4)Marian M.
This place is alright. When I came here, the water cup that the waiter put on the table clearly was not thoroughly cleaned. There was some orange stuff stuck to the outside of the cup, which kind of grossed me out. Food-wise, they have a nice selection of different kinds of cuisines, making it difficult to choose what to order. I ordered the Dolsot Bibimbop, which was pretty tasty. My friend got the Kampungki (just like deep fried chicken) and said it was too heavily breaded. Another friend got ramen, which looked like a very small portion in comparison to some other restaurants that I know of. Price-wise, it's okay. My bibimbop was $14 including tax and tip. I think I would come again to try the ramen.
(3)Meeree Y.
Gamjatang - Legit. It's like someone's (a Korean someone) mom, aunt, or grandmother or all three sat in a kitchen and made this all day long. Just for you. But not on Sundays. Learn from my mistake - they're not open on Sundays. Other things on the menu - meh. I've gone a good number of times and explored the other entrees for the sake of non-Korean friends and we've all concluded that they're not worth getting. Stick to the gamjatang and other korean stews.
(4)Gabriel U.
It's okay. Really not anything that special. At least my chicken dish (which I cannot remember the name of) was fairly subpar. Some of the other people in our party seemed to really enjoy the other food though. Our server was incredibly friendly, but as she was the only one in the full restaurant, she was less than attentive. Also, and this is not reflected in my rating but more of an FYI kind thing, they do not serve alcohol here.
(2)Carol W.
i can't tolerate anything spicy, but my boyfriend loves spice, so he loves this place because they serve a lot of it. but regardless, on the menu i still find many items for people like me who can't handle the heat. my favorite thing to order at this place is the seafood bibimbap. i believe it costs about $13. i tell them to make it with no spice or make it mild. the first time i ordered it this way, the server forgot but kindly made a new one for me without spices. i thought that was so sweet of him and such great service. since then, he would always remember me not to add spices for me. except yesterday when i went, it was different waitress... and she told me it HAS to be mildly spicy. which didn't make sense, because i always had it without. the bibimbap turned out to be really spicy for me, but i finished eating it anyway... it was that good! maybe i can handle more spice now, after coming here so much. (if you guys want to see what it looks like, check out the pictures i posted) another thing to order regardless of if you eat spice, is the seafood pancake. it's very yummy and has plenty of seafood. i see a lot of people ordering it. this restaurant also serves thai food. overall it is very delicious, and i'd say the price is mid range for a college student like myself. this is probably my favorite restaurant on harvard ave. if you are stuck between COLOR and this restaurant, definitely pick this one, unless you're really looking to spend less.
(4)Julie O.
I tried Gamjatang and Bean Stew at this place and the food was pretty nice and the side dishes were delicious (although the portions are very small). Service was nice despite the wait time was too long...
(4)Bing Bing W.
I came on my birthday with die-hard determination to get Dukbokki (sweet, spicy rice cake). With a party of 3, we ended up with a dukbokki appetizer, Pork stew Option B (copying two Korean fellas at the next table), a chilled bibimbap, and a hot bibimbap. The pork falls right off the bones in the stews but lacked some flavor so I would highly suggest you make use of the soy sauce and/or wasabi that is also supplied. I'd suggest generously mixing in the red bottled sauce (not spicy) into the bibimbap because it becomes heavenly. I'm in love with the 6 little dishes as a precursor because it sets the mood for a fantastic meal. The waitress was extremely understanding as we changed tables and were given new utensils and plates. She also tried hard to be helpful with suggestions and personal preferences. Don't be deceived by the red color of some dishes, as it's not an indication of hotness, but may well be the kimchi flavoring or their unique tangy red dressing. I admit at one point I was scooping up spoonfuls of the dukbokki sauce and slurping it; I wouldn't mind more rice cakes in the dish but it was an appetizer after all. My only suggestion is that dukbokki becomes available as a main dish. Treatment is inviting and comfortable, despite Hanmaru not being as large in square feet as its neighbor. When you leave, the "accountant" that handed you the bill bows cordially. Hanmaru has earned my customer loyalty for a long time to come. *Parking is on the street. I can on a Monday night so there was ample room. I cannot speak to Friday evenings or weekends, however.
(5)Anna T.
First time here even though I attempted to come here two times already and it was unfortunate that it was closed on both those times. Came here after a whole day at Water Country on a not so hot day so needed something very hot and spicy to warm myself up. I had the Pork Stew (Gamja Tang). Was recommended by a coworker to try the Pork Stew. And it totally delivered. Delicious, flavorful, spicy (although I can do more on the hots) and I was warm by the end of the meal. I believe I had this at Korean Garden too but it did not have the option of serving 1 person. I was a little overwhelmed by how much was inside this pot. I didn't even know where to start. I had two big pork meaty pork bones along with lotsa of halved potatoes. The meat easily came off from the bone so I didn't have a battle w/ it. It was a lot for one person though (not complaining ~_^). I bought half of it home after I deboned the pork. If you haven't had this before, give it a try. Warning: if you can't take hots, ummm don't try. My bf had the Hanmaru Ramen w/ the pork slices. I have very high expectation for ramen after Ippudo in NYC. I haven't found any place in Boston that can even come close to that. The Hanmaru Ramen was decent but nothing to bring home about. But if I'm really really really craving for ramen and I'm not in NYC then I might go to Hanmaru for it. The broth was decent, my bf said it had a hint of spiciness but after my Pork Stew I couldn't taste the hint of spiciness he said. The pork slices were soft but pretty bland but it was soft. When his ramen is compared to my pork stew, his dish seemed so much smaller. He was done w/ his and I was not even halfway with mines. Banchans were good. First time the two of us ever finish all of the banchans (probably cuz the portions are smaller than other restaurants) but also because each of them were good and something that we actually eat. I was actually hoping for more spicy banchans but the kimchee was all the spice I got. Oh well. Overall the food was good there. I will be going back to try the other items on the menu hehehe. Restaurant was clean and service was prompt.
(4)Momo K.
Just an okay. Their soft tofu chigae was ok. Bimbimbak was weird bc it came in a metal pot. The cold noodles were alright. The pork feet was not good. Somewhat of not an outstanding restaurant in Allston with so many places to eat at.
(3)Jang David K.
Yes, it's back!!! Weclome Hanmaru and your gamjattang (pork stew). Most people think gamjattang is a potato stew because gamja in Korean is potato. However, there is a part of the pork called GAMJA for all u meat noobs out there. And in the begining, everyone would order gamjattang and expect at least some potatoes...so they started adding potatoes to gamjattang. This is the story of gamjattang from Korea....=) Anyways, Hanmaru does it well. The meat is super tender and it just falls off the bones. You HAVE to dip the meat in the wassabi/soy sauce because it makes you wanna cry for joy. It's an awesome combo. Now, I told you from many of my Korean restaurant reviews that I've very sensitive to MSG. Their soup is like MSG central. This is where I'm very disappointed. It's like MSG maddness. Koreans pour MSG in their stews like it's water. But all in all, it's great gamjattang for Boston. I've had plenty of 5 star gamjattangs in Korea with a lot of vegetables and no msg so I can't it's the best. But I'm satisfied. It's 3.75 star worthy.
(4)Huong P.
Went to Hanmaru the other day with the family to celebrate for my graduation. I was trying to figure out a venue that would be fit everyone's taste (a very difficult feat I must say) and ended up choosing this restaurant based on word-of-mouth and my handy dandy Yelp. The decoration on the exterior and inside was simple, but identifiable among all the Korean shops on the street. When we entered, we were immediately seated. As the mothers started chit-chatting, they left me with the responsibility of choosing the dishes. Fine, I'll choose, they eat. So I planned to order the seafood pancake, the spicy rice cake appetizer (ddukbokkie), two dolsot bibimbap, two B gamja tang, tonkatsu, and a pad thai for the seven of us. The waiter, however, looked over the choices and recommended that we order just one gamja tang (A) to serve us all. I was really quite happy that the server was very considerate of us and how much we could eat and even saved me some money (as I was footing the bill)! Other restaurants would most likely have let us overbuy dishes. With waters and extra bowls nicely served, we got the pancake and the ddukbokkie first. The seafood pancake was good, but not memorable and the spicy rice cake was hot, hot, hot and delicious! The rest of the dishes started filing in and everything was decent and solid except for the gamja tang. Perhaps I already had high expectations, or perhaps it was an off day, but the gamja tang did not have that much flavor and all I could taste was a slowly burning spiciness and disappointment. We ate it of course, but none of my family members liked it. In the end, however, everyone was stuffed and I was happy that everyone had a decent time. As I am a fan of Korean cuisine, I would definitely come back to have some Korean comfort food. The servers were great, the food solid, and the company amazing.
(4)Consuelo V.
I ate lunch here with some friends because they were gushing about it for a couple months. The atmosphere was really cute. There was a giant party next to us but it wasn't a bother at all. All very chill. The server was attentive and kind. There were funky little apps that came out of no where (I wasn't feeling terribly adventurous). We had the seafood pancake as our appetizer, which was a scallion pancake with crab meat, shrimp, and squid. It was good but I would have liked the scallions to be chopped finer. We all shared one of their giant stews and it was good. Not too spicy, not horrible. The price wasn't too bad it was $10 per person when we split the check. Would definitely go back again with someone who'd eat this with me, i.e., not my girlfriend.
(4)Hey C.
I have never seen a Korean restaurant serve Kamjatang in the US before until Hanmaru. Eating this kamja tang was a life changing moment for me and I grew more Korean as I ate it. I even called my mother about it and she is making a trip from Virginia just because she hasn't had this dish in the US before. It is spicy and porky, ask for it with extra vegetables which makes it even better. It feeds me for days. If I have leftovers, I freeze them and eat them at a later time. It was still delicious and an easy meal weeks later. The banchan (side dishes) are not the freshest or best but they give you plenty which is great. I can't say enough about this place.
(5)Mike Z.
The gob chang gungol hotpot stew is awesome - definitely one of the better stews I've tried in the Boston area. It tasted great and the portion is relatively large. Also ordered the seafood bibambap rice plate - tasted great. I'll be coming back here soon!
(4)Princess T.
The restaurant's atmosphere isn't as modern or relaxing as many of the other Korean restaurant's in the Harvard area, and there isn't much space to accommodate a party of perhaps 6-7 people. I was quite impressed about the wide variety of Asian cuisine they served there such as Korean, Thai, Chinese, and Japanese. However, because of the variety of cuisines, aside from Korean dishes, the menu was quite limited with about 4-6 entree's per cuisine. I ordered a Kimchi Chigae, it was very tasty and spicy. The portion was quite large and it contained a lot of beef and Kimchi for about $9.50. However, a friend got Kampungki off of the Chinese menu and the chicken was over breaded and the taste was not very good either, not to mention the plate did not come with rice. The restaurant is not bad at all, however, if you would like Korean food or Thai food particularly, there are better restaurants around the area. I suggest this place if going for a restaurant that suits a group who have different taste preferences.
(3)Cathy S.
Food here is rated OK by Boston standard and SUCK by LA's. The reason for one star? Horrible ventilation that made me feel like I had bathed with a thousand fried chicken upon completion of my meal. Will I be back? HELL NO.
(1)Heather F.
My boyfriend and I came here because of the good reviews here on Yelp. We both ordered stews - I had the beef stew with rice cakes and dumplings, and he had the Korean Miso, tofu, and vegetable stew. Several bites in, I realized that I could have been drinking water and not known the difference. The broth was totally bland. The dumplings were overcooked to the point where they were literally falling apart in the broth. The rice cakes had no flavor, and there were maybe two paper-thin slices of beef in the whole stew. BF's was a pretty red color, but...totally lacked any flavor at all. It's as if they completely forgot to season our meals. We asked for soy sauce to brighten up the meal... they brought out something LIKE soy, but it definitely wasn't straight soy sauce (it almost tasted like ponzu)... and it was so watered down that it did nothing to help flavor the meal at all. All in all, we were both totally underwhelmed and unsatisfied with our dinners. We won't be back. Honestly, the only good thing about the whole meal was the Thai Iced Tea... but that's pretty hard to f up.
(1)Chris R.
This is NOT a Korean, but an Asian fusion restaurant, despite its name. its name and many of their menu items, not to mention their 'speciality' of Gam-Ja Tang, implies this might be a Korean restaurant, but neither the owner nor the chef is one. (Chef is an Indonesian who has 'experience working at a Korean restaurant'. Flavors are far from authentic, but does many approximation of various asian dishes. Service, however is excellent(both stars for their 5-star service).
(2)Tracy C.
I've been here once without wanting to, and I was pleasantly surprised. I went with a big group of friends and sometimes when big group of people dine out together it gets a little hectic trying to figure out what exactly to order (especially at a restaurant where foods can be shared). The staff was very patient with us and constantly filled our waters until we were finally ready to order. I wasn't very impressed with the seafood pancake, but we got some stir fried beef (with scallion and some garnishing vege) on a metal plate and that was very tasty. We also got stir-fried rice cake in sweet/HOT sauce with veges, that wasn't the best I've had but it wasn't bad. What impressed me the most of the huge pork stew with potatoes, asian cabbage, tofu...etc-- It was delicious! I was blown away. I do not like pork at all, and I couldn't help myself from eating the juicy, flavored, tender, fall-off the bone pork. As what Korean restaurants should, they gave us lots of side-dishes, and unlike most other places, they voluntarily re-filled our side-dishes over and over again! It was awesome :)
(4)Snuffles B.
I just moved from LA, so my Korean food standards are pretty high and I've been disappointed by what I've had in Boston and even NY standards. This place is no frills and doesn't offer the big Korean BBQ venue, so I'm not too disappointed when they are out of Kalbi. They offer a decent number of banchan (~8), but average quality. This and their pan asian menu (usually a bad sign) alarmed me, and it serves no ETOH. (You saw that right, NO alcohol w/ Korean? How are we supposed to eat our meat w/o OB or Hite!??!! However, I must say this place exceeded my expectations: - Dolsot Bibimbap - Generous toppings, bowl was hot enough to give a great crisp, and the flavoring was good. - Soondooboo Jigae - Similarly generous with their seafood and broth was well flavored, not too spicy. - Pork Stew Hotpot - Delicious, not much meat b/c its rib and spine, but falling off the bone. Tender tofu. Not too spicy. - Pad See Ew - I know the whole pan Asian thing seems wrong, but we were curious and it was pretty darned good, not greasy, lots of veggie and beef. - Kimchi Mandu Gongol - HUGE pot, flavors OK, could have used more veggies and some more heat and Kimchi. - Tangsuyuk - Eh, its sweet and sour chicken, can't taste bad, but you can't expect much. - Scallion Beef - Loaded with both, piping hot and juicy, it made me glad that we didn't get the Kalbi or else we would have missed this. The best thing on their menu. Overall, it is a solid place to get Korean when you don't care about the atmosphere and just want some good food.
(4)Sandra C.
I'm going to have to develop my taste buds to become accustomed to spicy foods because I cannot resist the Gamja stew here! It was sooo good but PAINFUL to eat! But I wanted more! I really like the music played here too, and the environment is very nice and clean. I was with my Korean friends and watching their reactions after trying the stew...and I think they looked like they died and went to heaven.
(4)Jessica C.
Yay, 4 stars for Hanmaru! I wanted Korean for dinner on Saturday, and so did my friend. He had BonChon in mind, but I convinced him that we could have delicious chigae tofu stew and ramen at Hanmaru... and I'm glad that the meal turned out well. It really felt like I was back home in the Bay Area, eating Korean food at one of the many, many Korean restaurants along El Camino Ave. in Santa Clara. Service was (semi) brisk, friendly and bustling. The banchan was decent, and I liked the chigae. They made it spicier upon my request, since Korean restaurants usually ask you to specify your desired level of spiciness for chigae, but Hanmaru did not, for some reason. My friend and I also ordered the stir-fried pork and scallion, which was also oh-so-tasty. Unfortunately, we did not try the gamja, but I hear it is very good, and I shall order it the next time I visit Hanmaru!
(4)Peter F.
Nice, quite small korean restaurant that also serve "asian" food of other kinds. It is a korean establishment though, and there were quite a few Korean speaking people present during my visit. And just like you shouldn't order a hamburger at an italian place, don't eat chinese food at a korean. That said, let's get on with the review. I had the galbi that turned out to be very nice. I got six types of banchan with it, although I missed the kaktugi, which is my favorite. Also no soup. The size of the portion was alright, but after the meal I didn't really feel full. The galbi was markedly more expensive than other dishes, but worth its price in my opinion. I'd come here again and like to recommend this resturant to others.
(4)Vee X.
It hurts my heart to see my precious Hanmaru reviewed badly. Honestly, if you are going to come here to order the non-Korean fare, why bother? In Korea, restaurants often have just one specialty that they serve exclusively or with a few variations. In most cases, Korean restaurants in the US function very similarly. Here, the specialty is the stews, notably the Gamjatang (a spicy pork and potato stew). It's absolutely delicious, especially on a cold winter's night when you need something to warm you up (and god knows in Boston that's just about 8 months of the year). The banchan (tiny side dishes) are also very good here, especially the chilled mashed potato salad. Whenever I come here, we refill that one about seven times. I would recommend Hanmaru for anyone who is a fan of Shabu-Shabu. It's similar, and IMO, much more tasty. (And yes, this is coming from a white person. Not that that should matter.)
(5)Sandy W.
I love their Gamja Tang and surprisingly, they serve Thai Iced Tea as well! I can't have enough of it! So yummy! The waiters are very friendly. I will definitely go back for some delicious Gamja Tang!
(4)Orphée R.
I discovered Hanmaru thru a korean friend and was my first korean cuisine ever! Eva eva; eva evaaa... The restaurant is located in one of the most Korean street of Boston 'Harvard Ave'. Let me set it straight, Hanmaru is GOOD! I especially like the 'Pork Bulgogi' (very spicy). Their is a lot of other dishes that you can pick; the portion good for a person who eats a lot. On Friday night and Saturday the place is usually full (make sure to reserve orgo early). The restaurant burned in 2009 and was redesigned. It's nicely designed wit nice colors as well as city-pictures on the walls. The restaurant is well ventilated can seat about 35 people. The waitresses are usually nice, willing to propose and even explain the dishes while some other days, they just take your orders. Also with every-meal that you order a set of 6 or so sides comes. They are Yummy! I recommend this restaurant for any person willing to try good Korean cuisine with friends but or for a second or third date.
(4)David L.
Despite my longing to like this lovely Korean restaurant, I always leave feeling slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong -- the food is leaves me full and is quite tasty, and the wait staff are the nicest in Allston. I think my disappointment stems from two perhaps subjective reasons. First, I probably wouldn't order half the things on the menu I'm Chinese-Thai so I'm used to eating all sorts of stuff (fish belly, chicken feet, goose wings), but the main stew at Hanmaru is made of pork spine. Really? For some reason, spinal tissue + meat around spinal bone is just a little too much for me. Other than the gross factor, they serve Pad Thai. Really? You get 2-3 of the best Thai food places in Boston just blocks away. Choice is not always a good thing; specialization usually signals commitment. I rule out things like ramen (instant ramen, really?) and teriyaki chicken (please). So, that leaves typical korean dishes which are done ok. The one dish I wanted to try was the chicken stew which they no longer carry. Secondly, the prices just leave me feeling jibbed despite being full. Today, I paid $30 for a pot of spicy soup with.... instant noodles, sliced hot dogs, sliced ham, sliced turkey luncheon meat, egg, spring onion, and onions. Really? The cost of the dish is probably $1.25 + spicy soup base. Ok, add the rice and the side dishes, maybe $5 max + soup base. To be honest, the soup was really tasty but overly salty. Why is this dish the same price as the pork spinal bone stew? So, unfortunately, I'm going to have to go with 3 stars with this neighborhood restaurant which I want to love but can't.
(2)Sal Y.
Their gamja stew was great! Pricey but the portion is fairly big so.. also i think this is the only place where you can get gamja stew in boston. And thank god it's great! I had gamja stew in Korea too (in a famous place), and Hanmaru's gamja stew tasted almost just as good. Well, at least I thought it was good. I'm easy to please when it comes to spicy Korean food. :) My little sister gets curry donkatsu and it's really good. Crispy on the outside, juicy meat inside. With curry, it is heavenly. Their side dishes are also excellent. I always get re-fills on them before the entree even come out.
(5)Serena L.
I cannot believe that this restaurant is so highly reviewed. I went when Yelp was offering their $25 for $50 worth of food and drinks coupon and will never come back considering that their food was a HUGE disappointment for the price and the service we had to deal with regarding our bill was atrocious. I barely touched the noodles I ordered and they automatically billed us with their 18% gratuity guideline included and only asked for our signature. My boyfriend and I ordered kimchi scallion pancake, rice cake mandu stew, LA galbi, and neng myun ("spicy cold noodles" from their specials) The kimchi pancake was decent, a bit oily but had good flavor. The mandu stew was also okay but the dumplings had a very off flavor to them. Perhaps it was the seasoning but the dumpling filling did not seem fresh. The real disappointment was the galbi and neng myun. The LA galbi was $18. When I ordered it, I expected a plate full of galbi to match its expensive price. However, the plate we were served had no more than 8 tiny pieces (half the size of normal kalbi pieces) that barely covered the serving dish. What a rip off. The neng myun was even more disappointing. I ordered it because it was on their Hanmaru specials menu so I expected it to be one of their more popular dishes. I received the saddest bowl of soup I have ever seen in my life. The bowl simply had noodles with 3 pieces of beef, 4 floating pieces of carrots, a few measly shredded pieces of daikon, and several ice cubes. When I braced myself to try the noodles since that was basically the only thing in the bowl, I found the noodles incredibly slimy and just left the entire bowl untouched. I have ordered neng myun from restaurants like color and super 88 and those were far better in terms of presentation, taste, and cost (which is pretty sad if you think about it considering super 88 is fast asian food). At the end of our meal, we waited over 10 minutes for our check (despite this being a monday evening so their restaurant was not busy at all) because they gave our check to a different table. I had to finally ask them where our credit card was. After they realized that they had given it to the wrong table, they had the audacity of charging an 18% gratuity despite it being a "guideline," writing out our total on our receipt for us, and asking us for only our signature. We went $2 over the $50 coupon and only needed to pay $5 something after tax and before tip. However, they automatically charged our credit card with $11.32 (I have no idea where this amount came from) and wrote our total to be $15.32 ($5 for meal+ tax + $10 for their suggested 18% gratuity) on our receipt without taking into consideration how much we would actually want to tip considering how unhappy we were with our food and service. While I understand that 18% gratuity is typically included in larger parties, we were a party of 2. When I went back demanding that we define our own tip and that they actually bill us for our meal and tax like a normal restaurant, they apologized and treated us kindly until we left. I have to give them credit for that but next time I want asian food, I will be visiting the restaurant Color right next door.
(1)Rhan K.
This has been one of the better Korean places around town. Growing up near Korea Town in VA, this can't compare, but for the Boston area, its not too bad. The prices are a few dollars more expensive than other places that I'm used to at home, but for Boston, its cheap. The food is really good. The portions are large and the food comes out delicious. They don't do BBQ at the table, which was a bit sad and their selection of food is a little weird (they have a lot of non-Korean food that threw me off). I had their ox-tail-soup (seul-lung-tang) but that's a dish you really can't get that wrong. If you have room for dessert, I would highly recommend their fried ice cream. It sounds super weird but it is definitely the best way to end a Korean meal that was probably very spicy and very salty. Parking is difficult on weekends. Note: They do not have any alcoholic beverages (no soju -- sad)
(4)Festher C.
hanmaru, im not in boston right now and i miss you. olivia and i love your succulent pork pieces, the size of my fist (ok my hands are really small but im talking decent size portions) that fall off the bone. your potatoes are really big and maybe you should consider cutting them into smaller pieces, because i always scald the roof of my mouth when i try to eat the potato bits too fast. the watercress is a great garnish and the tofu is firm but tender, loving and delicious. i really like how you give us that spicy soy sauce and wasabi dip and i especially love your potato salad ban chan. i'll be home soon. ps-- your bathroom is always really clean. thank you.
(4)Smanee p.
Beef scallion is very good.
(4)Cassie M.
Went to the restaurant tonight with a friend. The food was pretty good. I ordered the Tofu BiBimBap and my friend ordered Omelette Rice. Prices for these meals were reasonable. We were both very disappointed by the service though. The place was practically empty yet it took over ten minutes just for someone to come over and take out menu. We had to literally catch the eye of the host so they could take our order. I ordered a miso soup as well and it didn't come until our meal. I was also not given a spoon for it or the paste for the BiBimBap until we asked for it and/or caught the server's eye. Then we finished and waited around 15 minutes with dirty plates in front of us waiting for someone to come over and ask us if we'd like dessert or our check. We opted to not stay for dessert though because it would have just taken us longer. Meanwhile, the host/server and the only waitress were giggling and talking amongst themselves. Both of them walked by us several times too and saw we were finished. We had to ask for the check just to get out of there. The poor service was inexcusable. As a final note, it was hard to find a parking spot. I would not go back here again.
(1)Benito L.
The kamjatang is seriously one of the best I've ever had. But damn, how can you have a Korean restaurant with this bomb ass spicy stew and not serve any soju. :(
(4)Alan T.
Three words - mashed potato panchan. RIDICULOUSLY GOOD here. And obviously it's free... IT'S FREE! OH-EM-GEE!!! Happy days. Alright I just really had to get that out of the way first. This is my go to place for a sit down Korean meal (Myung-dong is where I go for soju and snacks... but they kind of have a monopoly on that in Boston...). My favorite type of Korean dishes are the stews, and Hanmaru's got their stews down pat. I honestly have never eaten anything else here. OK OK I had their ramen once before, and it was kind of salty, but I'm overlooking it because their stews are so freakin' godly. Gamja tang anyone? I transform into a wild beast when I order this dish with friends, and nobody wants to sit next to me because of it. I get chunks of pork marrow in my hair, grease and chili spice on my face, I reach to high five my friend's four seats down with my dirty dirty hands...it's not a pretty sight, but it is so delicious. It's definitely an experience I urge anyone that likes Korean food, but hasn't branched out from the usual bibimbap or kimchi jigae, to try. Fair prices, attentive servers, all fine and dandy but bottom line really really really delicious food. And that's what it's all about. THE TASTE MAN!
(5)Linda Y.
I think this place has some really great dishes. For those that like the tofu chigae... you should definitely try the tofu gungol. the taste is pretty similar but with more flavor (which is due to the egg and the seafood, etc). the dish goes for $30 and it's recommended for 2 people (per the menu), but honestly i think u can feed 4 people w/that meal. and my bf and i are big eaters. $30 for 4 people? that's a deal right there. the owner is a genuinely nice guy. and the waitstaff are very friendly. my overall impression of the place: decor: decent and clean waitstaff: awesome selection of food: decent. it's not extremely extensive but i think it covers all the korean basics. Hanmaru has a decent 4 pages (w/one page dedicated to lunch specials) food: korean with a small selection of chinese influenced dishes. overall taste: pretty good though some dishes are better than others. the tofu gungol was excellent. the stonepot bibimbab was decent. though more meat would have been nice but who are kidding? what korean place piles on the meat on the bibimbab in boston? my friends and i ordered the sukiyaki before (again, huge huge pot of food) and we thought it was only ok. and just for reference... im not korean, nor am i a die-hard korean foodie. I love asian food and i like korean dishes, though i mostly stick with the basics like tofu chigae and bibimbab. overall, i think boston lacks really good korean food. this place is decently good and decently priced.
(4)kathleen l.
nothing to look at in terms of decor or atmosphere - but we enjoyed our meals very much.
(4)Atrebor B.
Despite the pleasant decor, genuinely friendly owner, and a sweet and attentive waitress, my bento lunch box just wasn't very good. And this makes me sad because I really wanted to like this place since everyone here made me feel welcomed and comfortable - no easy feat. My bento box ($8.35) consisted of rice, spicy pork, 3 fried gyozas in tonkatsu sauce, 2 mini pieces of pickles, salad, and 4 cubes of canned pineapple. The side dishes which preceded the meal were excellent in variety (5) and taste but the main course was disappointing. The spicy pork suffered from "stewed pork" syndrome. It was neither "spicy" or sweet but plain salty. The canned cubes of pineapple looked so pathetic that I didn't even bother to try one (see pic). They used honey mustard on their salad, which I found unacceptable since they're a Korean restaurant and should have their own sesame/ ginger vinaigrette. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to return and try their special stews since everyone here was just so nice.
(2)Stevie P.
YUMMY IN MY TUMMY. I ordered gamja tang with my friend. It was probably the best gamja tang I've ever had... but then again, I haven't had a lot of it in my life. I loved the potatoes, the pork that came right off the bone, and the green stuff. Watercress? Whatever that is, it's delicious and adds more flavor to the dish. I paid 19 dollars for the 2 person sharing gamja tang and a can of coke. Not too bad... but it would have been nice if it were cheaper, but it is Boston after all, therefore low priced Korean dishes are rare... I haven't tried their other dishes, but gamja tang is the way to go.
(4)Matt S.
awesome food, if you dont mind blowing it all out your ass a few hours later. oh, service was great too.
(3)Foodie K.
Really great food. We decided to try it on a whim, and we absolutely loved the all the food. We went to eat on a weeknight and it was packed, but the waitstaff was extremely attentive. The customers are almost all Korean and Japanese -- a great sign if you're looking for tasty authentic food. We had a beef stew and the tangsuyuk (Sweet and Sour fried pork). The most popular dish seemed to be this bubbling spicy brew of potatoes and pork (gamja stew). If we only knew... Everyone in the tables around us ordered it. We can't wait to go back and try it ourselves.
(4)Tom E.
Did you know that for 30 dollars you and a friend can share a giant bubbling boiling bowl of pig carcasses and potatoes in spicy sauce, smothered in pepper seeds? It's called Gamja stew - a Korean dish for those cold days in December. It was touted to me by a friend as the hottest, spiciest dish in all of Boston and served to many a Korean in Allston every night. I hear they will line up outside to get this. It really looks impressive: the bowl is on a heater and kept boiling as you eat, with the huge chunks of pork bones protruding out and the whole thing layered with spice - pepper seeds, sichuan peppers and kimchee. It actually wasn't ridiculously spicy which was a slight disappointment, but it was enough to clear the sinuses and seriously warm you up from within like a good shot of morphine. The best part of all was the pork meat - it would just fall away from those big bones and melt in your mouth like the best pulled pork in town. We were the only non-Koreans there, and everyone else was having the same Korean stew. The other stuff we tried was unremarkable. But portions are huge. They get bonus respect for playing traditional Christmas carols all night whilst we devoured our porcine corpse. EDIT - I keep drooling about having this again, so up to 5 stars I think.
(5)Hana C.
The potato pork stew is def the dish to get here and you won't regret it. They serve the best potato pork stew here in Boston, with chuncky, tender pork meat that literally falls off its bones and is the most authentic it can get. I had some hesitation at first because in the last 7 years I have been in Boston, this place has changed its name and closed down and re-opened at least 4 times that I know of- it went from being Korean to Mexican to Korean-fusion and then closed again for a few months and then reopened to again a Korean restaurant. But I must say, that I am very impressed with their pork potatoto stew as it is also advertised as its at Hanmaru. Their side-dishes are also very yummy. The service is very good and I noticed that almost all the tables beside me were eating that pork potato stew dish. Can't wait to go back again. It is perfect for a cold Boston day!
(4)Emily M.
Hanmaru is always my favorite place for korean dishes, especially, Gamjatang. It is so so delicious, tasty, and yummy. Side dishes are awesome with refill all the time.
(5)Melissa N.
OK. So I eat here a lot. I love the food. the marinated beef and the spicy cold noodle is DELICIOUS. the stew, everything about the food makes me happy. the service on the other hand. TERRIBLE. I mean the food comes out in a timely fashion, but you will honestly be sitting there with empty plates for 20 minutes before you get your check. BOOO
(3)Kristen K.
I love love love Hanmaru. A friend who lives around the corner happened upon it and loved it and brought me. I am addicted to their beef ramen- the broth is spicy and the noodles are perfect. The staff is also really nice and will bring a fork if you ask for one- I'm still working on my chopstick skills. Definitely come here!
(5)Mcslimj B.
A Korean place so good it could get you to love pork-spine stew. Hanmaru is back from the ashes of a 2008 fire that closed down many nearby businesses. I'm gratified, as last fall I included this entry in Stuff Magazine's annual Dining Awards, under the banner: "Most Delicious Dish That Doesn't Reward Close Scrutiny." From the description of the award: "Hanmaru serves the city's finest gamjatang, an entree you know you should order because every other customer is eating it, and you're the only customer not speaking Korean. What arrives is a headily fragrant, transportingly spicy stew of pork, tofu, potatoes, scallions, and chilies showered with wild sesame seeds. Damn, it's good, but the pork looks odd, kinda bony. What is that? Don't ask. You insist? Okay. Those are pork spines. Did I tell you not to ask?" In praising this dish, listed as gamja stew ($35, serves 2-3), I exaggerated its offal horror. It's no scarier than eating chicken wings or spare ribs, really. And it is truly delicious -- the pork fatty, coarse-fibered, and rich, the stew served atop a gas burner to keep it bubbling. Like most entrées here, it's accompanied by white rice and several banchan (cold vegetable side dishes), making for a substantial meal. The broader menu of Korean specialties includes spicy napa pancake ($10), a big, crisp crêpe of kimchi with a soy/chili dipping sauce. Rice-cake mandu stew ($10) is a bowl of mild broth loaded with slices of beef, sliced rice cake (think chewy rice-flour gnocchi), dropped egg, scallions, and outstanding pork/chive dumplings. Dakdoritang ($30, serves two), a hearty stew featuring big pieces of chicken, potatoes, and carrots, is a glorious brick red from incendiary gochuchang, the lightly sweet Korean chili paste. And there's a good selection of Korean stir-fries, noodle dishes, rice plates, "barbecue" (marinated meats grilled in the kitchen -- no grill tables here), and Korean/Chinese fusion dishes ($10-$22). Drink options include complimentary tea, water, and canned American sodas ($1.50). It's good to see this plainly decorated, friendly little place back in business, as it does its specialty exceedingly well, executes nimbly on the rest of its Korean menu, and even offers some familiar Thai and Japanese dishes for folks who see pork spine as a Fear Factor food. That's faintly ridiculous for anyone who's ever eaten a Fenway Frank, but even if American squeamishness holds you back from the joys of variety meats, Hanmaru will still have you eating well and frugally.
(4)cassandra L.
The Gamja tang is very spicy and flavorful and this dish itself should garnered 5 stars but the spicy rice cake was way too sweet. the mashed potatoes and the macaroni that were served as a free side dish was also very sweet. Service was efficient and the owner and server are courteous. Pretty interesting that they also offered some Thai dishes here. An odd combination. Quite difficult to find parking. You will be better off to just take the T. It is located right next to another Korean restaurant-Color
(3)Christina O.
I loveee hanmaru's kamjatang, and while I am new to this city, I don't believe there's any other restaurant that serves it. You get to pick how much soup, meat, veggies you want by 3 different options -- small, med, or large. You don't get as many sides as other Korean restaurants, but if you order the kamjatang, you won't need it seeing as you'll get super full off of the huge soup. My boyfriend and I got a small and we still had leftovers for the next day. They also have lunch specials -- bento boxes with bulgogi and other meats. Pretty good and fairly priced -- around $8. Service is always super friendly and quick. Also, I heard the owner is Filipino and if that's true, he makes a pretty damn good kamjatang.
(5)MingPey L.
love the stuff there, too bad they still havent gave out a set date for reopening, anyone have any idea?? Kam Ja Tang is amazing, all of you should try it.
(5)Mishka C.
I've been to the LA KBBQ's and this is expensive. Here it is about 2x the price of an AYCE buffet in LA, and it is not even AYCE. In fact, they don't even have those white rice paper things which I love. Sigh, but you know, it is the same price elsewhere in Boston so what do you expect. It will last me til I move back!!! Good food though, great bibimbap!!!
(3)Jungmin L.
5 stars for the Gam-ja-tang. Hanmaru's Gam-ja-tang, which is a traditional pork stew commonly eaten after a night of heavy drinking (or DURING heavy drinking, for starting the night), is actually better than most found in Seoul. Even those in famous Yong-san area! They use more sesame leafs, wild sesame, and other veggies to complement the way the soft shreds of pork smoothly covers your tongue and...omg I'm drooling. I found other dishes to be good too: tofu-kimchi, and sauteed pork-belly dish. The dduk-bokki was forgettable. Not open on Sundays.
(5)Marie J.
I enjoyed the lunch that I had @ Hanmaru, I chose one of their spicy stews for 8.95 which turned out to be very good. Our service seemed better than normal-Our dishes were surprisingly accompanied with 6 or 7 little dishes (all were tasty).. The atmosphere was NY retro and at the same time very peaceful which was perfect as I was having my brunch! Very surprised that this place had only a few people eating I'd visit this place again.
(4)Elena S.
The food is great -- the service is good, and the potato salad is probably the best I've ever had in any Korean restaurant. I ordered the nabeyaki udon, which is not a Korean dish, but it was still fantastic. I can't wait to try the pork stew after reading these reviews -- I will definitely be back.
(4)P-Rock F.
I was spoiled by K-town in LA and was craving that spicy tofu stew (forgot the name) and I'm happy to say I found it at Hanmaru. The food was authentic and well done. Better than the Korean food I've had in NYC. The kimchi pancake was delightful and the papaya salad, albeit Thai, was really good as well. My reunion with the spicy soft tofu stew really did it for me. Definitely coming back for more.
(5)Grace M.
i was with my father in-law and husband- when we saw the japanese place we were going to went out of business, we wandered in here.. well, i'm korean and korean food is by far my favorite. so i figured, why not.. well, i was kind of disappointed! i should have taken a warning from the fact that it's a korean restaurant that also serves thai.. korean/chinese, korean/japanese, but korean/thai? kind of weird combo.. the banchan were so blah- the potato salad they give you comes in what appears to be an ice-cream scoop (i.e. it's too mashed, not really potato salad as much as mashed potato) and the worst part of it was how sweet it was. there was a lot of sugar put into it and tell me if i'm wrong here, but i don't think sugar really goes with potatoes. xP i got beef tang-su-yuk (it's pork on the menu, but they did it with beef for me), which was alright.. sauce was way too thin and pieces of beef not fried long enough. My husband got nakji-bokkeum (stir-fried octopus), which was mediocre and his dad got dwenjang-chigae, which i didn't taste, but looked also mediocre. bamboo floors and ikea lamps make the decor nice- the place feels fresh and clean, i like the look. overall though, this place is probably best suited for those who don't know genuine korean cooking, because it's alright, but not very quality.
(2)Kev H.
mah god. the price for this stuff is crazy, its' so awesomely spicy I cry for 10 minutes before finishing the pot of beef noodles. It's really the soup that makes the meal, it's fantastically rich and thick. I would comeback to this place for a flavor tangent, it really tastes strangely awesome. The Hanmaru ramen is a great start for any fans of ramen out there.
(4)Ed Y.
i found this restaurant through group on. tried it once and have been hooked since. their signature dish, a korean stew is excellent, especially if you like spicy food. the hanmaru ramen is also very good. all meals come with a bunch of sides. service is very attentive, restaurant is not big so you wont feel lost in it. decor is ok, very simple and clean. i highly recommend this korean japanese restaurant.
(5)Qiang W.
Perfectly fits my taste except that the bone needs a bit more salt.
(5)Xin S.
YUM! I came here with the Yelp deal and $50 was not easy to spend for 2 people! (certainly not complaining) We got 2 appetizers and 3 entrees; everything was delicious! Highlight was the rice cake appetizer: logs of yummy rice cake stir fried with potato (?) noodles, fish cake, and scallions in a delicious spicy sauce. Bibambap was good, as was the shredded pork stew. Shortrib kalbi was fantastic as well! Delicious food, very reasonable prices, and just down the block from my new apt... will definitely return!
(4)Amy L.
I like their Potato Stew. Spicy but tasty. But I don't like anything besides Kam Ja Tang ( Potato stwe ).
(2)A. T.
The soondubu is average: they mash the tofu into bits instead of leaving it as solid chunks, and it is much less flavorful than other places (eg., Koreana). The kampoongi is way below average: it pretty much tastes like General Gao's chicken with itty bitty pieces of chicken, so you're better off going to Buk Kyung II down the street. And the panchan are not really that great.
(2)andrew g.
was looking for a place to eat while getting my car worked. i came here wanting soon too boo chigae, but kim chee chigae was crazy cheap on the lunch menu. while i'm no connoisseur with respect to korean food the soup base didn't taste quite right. it totally hit the spot, though and it was in the bowl thingy that makes it stay hot. they gave me like, three refills on the bean sprout stuff. the only weird thing was the waitress wasn't korean and they were playing the stuff my brazilian friends listen to. i'm definately coming back.
(4)