koreana


larry
2
10 yıl önce
tonawanda
used to visit here often. new owners and menu are a big disappointment. several chicken and shrimp entrees i tried to order were all unavaialable. wound up with mediocre meal (tofu stew) way beliw the suin dubu i have had elsewhere. this place had changed from 5 star welcoming place for cheap ests under prior owners to 2.5 stars unwelcoming place now.
0
toypassion
10 yıl önce
tonawanda
much better korean fare elsewhere. do yourself (& your wallet) a favor & don't even bother.. i was really, really hoping for the best when arriving at koreana on niagara falls blvd. in tonawanda. i really enjoy korean cooking, so i was excited to see what this restaurant (now under new ownership) was offering. in this day and age, with a restaurant scene that's exploding with greatness all over wny, i was incredibly optimistic. however, my disappointment at what i found here could not even be measured, as everything (from service to the food) was just that bad. this had been a cute, clean and comfortable restaurant before it changed owners. now, the quality of the food and this restaurant's welcoming demeanor is gone. it had been owned by people who really had their act together. you'd felt welcome when you came in, and the food was truly down to earth, ethnic korean. the welcome feeling and warmth (as all restaurants should exude) has unfortunately left the building, along with elvis and the former owners. it's now sadly owned by a wannabe, so-called chef with an "edgy" attitude. this is a 'chef" (he lists himself as such on the restaurant's business card) who, along with his bad attitude, waits on you at the restaurant's pick-up counter. not having table service isn't necessarily a bad thing if handled properly, but counter pick-up here is dealt with like a bad stage play. i had no idea that my wife had previously gone into koreana (for the first time since it had changed hands) a couple of weeks ago by herself for a take-out. she didn't know the restaurant's hours, but that's besides the point. there was 20 minutes to go before closing and the door was still open, so she walked up to the order counter to place an order. the owner/'chef' curtly told her that the kitchen was closed. she said "but i won't be staying. it's a to go order." the owner's response was an intense "we're closed!", so my wife left. unlike myself, my wife is a person who always looks for the good in not-so-nice people. she wanted to try to eat there again, this time to dine in. since i didn't know what had happened previously (until she came clean after our terrible 'dining experience'), i went along. when we ordered, i asked if there was a menu i could take with me. i was arrogantly told to just "take a picture of the menu" by the owner, as the only menu available was the one above the order station. a friend of the owner, someone who was sitting at a table right in front of the order counter, continued to harass me with incredibly stupid cracks at the serious questions i was trying to get answers to, so i stopped asking. i'd wanted to know more about the food, but with this irritating "side-show" going on, i'd lost interest. it's extremely sad to watch the owner relish in the disdain he feels for the potential customers who walk through the door. while this place is on the same nasty level of seinfeld's "soup nazi", it's certainly not part of any comedic tv series. i also heard the owner telling others that you only get what he chooses to give you for the traditional korean side dishes when you eat-in, making it plain as day that he gives less (and different types) with take-outs. with the owner's "my way or the highway" attitude, the self-importance he exudes when he's strutting around being sarcastic to people is truly sad and embarrassing to watch. the prices would be fair if the food stood up to even half the quality of the former owners, but the pork kalbi (a main dish at most korean restaurants) was all neck bones, with a lot of fat, veins and very little meat. the new owner keeps some of the old food pictures up, obviously to lull you into thinking it's all as it was. when asked, he tries to make you think he's doing the cooking for the same owners, but this is certainly not the case. along with the owner/'chef's' creepy attitude and arrogance, the barely okay food, the 'chef's' friends who feel the need to bother you when your ordering and/or asking questions (with the owner/'chef'' laughing along with them), i recommend eating elsewhere. i'm sure this 'chef' will have his excuses and angry rationalizations as to how his way of doing things is correct, but time will tell if this 'restaurant' can even survive. it's bad enough that this place has become such an incredible disappointment on so many levels, but paying for it just adds insult to injury. with so much better korean fare available in the wny area, why eat here and put up with this? with this type of unsettling, uncomfortable behavior going on, i also worry about the possible health risks associated with the food, its preparation and its storage. i have no idea what this owner/'chef' could possibly be thinking, but it's all incredibly unprofessional, non-welcoming and potentially unsafe. adding to all of this is an incredibly poor (or nonexistent) ventilation system. i mention this because after you leave, your clothes and coat will stink for days. i'm sure it's no surprise that my wife and i will never be going back to koreana.
0
billy
5
12 yıl önce
tonawanda
best korean in buffalo. i second everything that has already been said here. the menu is not extensive (anywhere from 6-10 dishes available depending on the day), but that doesn't matter. i've eaten here about 6 times since it opened and i've tried something new every time. every single dish was excellent.

the consistent quality of the food can be attributed to one thing: the same woman cooks every single meal that you will have at koreana. i've brought a handful of korean friends here. after trying this, they claim that koreana is "more authentic" and "simply better" than the food that one can get at korean express on the ub north campus. that's saying a lot. korean express is also excellent.

the portions are generous and cheap. also, be sure to check out the korean/asian market next door that is run by the same family.

this is a wny hidden gem. hopefully, it lasts for a long time to come.
0
nora
5
12 yıl önce
tonawanda
i want to eat here every single day.. this place is amazing, seriously, just amazing. completely authentic, fresh, perfectly spiced and every order comes with a delicious plate of pickled things. i'm not sure what more you need in a restaurant, did i also mention that it's cheap?
0
buffalo
12 yıl önce
tonawanda
the bulgogi was good—not the best i’ve ever had, but definitely worth the price in terms of both quality and quantity. the bibimbap was a tasty mix of vegetables and a fried egg over black-and-white rice, while the soup included ample tofu and scallions, clams, shrimp, and several types of vegetables.
0
chrisrex
5
12 yıl önce
tonawanda
it's like eating in someone's home. understated and clean. the bulgogi was good but the pork kalbi was excellent! a little spicy and a little sweet. it was a really good sized chunk of pork as well. very tender.
0
ajlee
5
14 yıl önce
tonawanda
great food. the restuarant was clean the food was delicious, me and my friends enjoyed a fulfilling meal with a decent amount of money.
0
buffalo
5
15 yıl önce
tonawanda
to all you catholics out there, welcome back to lent! now that mardi gras is over it's officially time for us to slow down the slaughter of cows, pigs, and chickens and increase the killing of sea creatures. welcome to the season of fish frys, fish sandwi
0
jeremy
15 yıl önce
tonawanda
"though all korean restaurants in the area have the feel of family-run establishments, koreana is perhaps the closest you'll get to dining at someone's home."
0
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