Best Korean restaurant
Pork belly slices surrounded by vegetables on the grill at Honey Pig. Photo: Becky Stein / Special
YOUR PICKS
1) Honey Pig
You say, “Honey Pig is definitely on top of my list. They have a very interesting and different layout of how the Korean barbeque is served and presented. As for taste, I’d have to say it’s definitely one of the best Korean BBQ restaurants in Atlanta hands down.”
2) Woo Nam Jeong
3) Hae Woon Dae
4) Il Mee
5) Bakery Café Maum
Banchan, a beautiful array of side dishes, from Woo Nam Jeong. Photo: Becky Stein / Special
OUR PICKS
1. Woo Nam Jeong
AJC dining critis Meridith Ford Goldman says, “Woo Nam Jeong (Stone Bowl House) offers Korean classics – bulgogi, dolsot bibimbap and soondubu – but with a homey difference. Meals here seem to be prepared with a loving hand and splash of panache from owner Young Han. Opened last spring, the tidy restaurant is tucked away in Seoul Plaza on Buford Highway, and the moment you step through the door, you know you’re in for a treat: the smell of kimchi, garlic and sizzling galbi (sweetly marinated beef short ribs brought to the table on a griddle, fajita-style) meld to make your mouth water.”
2) Honey Pig
3) Hae Woon Dae
4) So Kong Dong
5) Bakery Café Maum
For more on some of these spots and other local Korean favorites, check out the latest In Search of… on our Food and Restaurants page.
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59 comments Add your comment
Jimmy Kim
February 15th, 2010
1:37 pm
honey pig in Duluth off of old norcross has good food and it’s a unique experience!
Atlanta Native
February 15th, 2010
2:02 pm
Han Il Kwan and Hae Woon Dae
tkc
February 15th, 2010
2:10 pm
I love going to Cho Sun Ok.
gbsstudent
February 15th, 2010
2:11 pm
White Windmill bakery on Buford Highway is out of this world for baked goods and sandwiches.
Kim Jong Il
February 15th, 2010
2:18 pm
So Kong Dong (Tofu House) on buford highway. It is located in the same strip mall as El Rey Del Taco.
Carlo
February 15th, 2010
2:21 pm
Love the food at Ilmee Korean Restaurant in Marietta..Off the beaten path and very cozy. Food is great
Atlanta Native
February 15th, 2010
2:23 pm
I agree in Cho Sun Ok
Both White Windmill and Maum are great Korean bakeries.
Mary J
February 15th, 2010
2:24 pm
HONEY PIG and So Dong Kong
Alexis
February 15th, 2010
2:24 pm
I second my dad. Ilmee Restaurant, the best korean food. Although my dad cannot stand up after eating from the floor. His knees lock up.
Mandy
February 15th, 2010
2:38 pm
Hae Woon Dae for BBQ and Koryo Dong or White Windmill for bakery food.
csk
February 15th, 2010
2:48 pm
Hae Woon Dae for Korean bbq, hands down!
KBG
February 15th, 2010
2:50 pm
Tofu House 88 on Buford Highway (under 285, next to the Shell station) has THE BEST mushroom tofu soup and cucumber kimchi!
Whitney
February 15th, 2010
2:53 pm
Jang Su Jang in Duluth for soup, Cafe Mozart for delicious pastries, and Honey Pig for bbq. Mmmmmm, baby pig!
ATLxKRN
February 15th, 2010
2:54 pm
HONEY PIG!
reservoirDAWG
February 15th, 2010
2:58 pm
I bet Tyler Pike’s dad makes mean Korean BBQ.
Pegster
February 15th, 2010
3:17 pm
Hae Woon Dae without a doubt. They have the best Korean BBQ.
Siobhan Hudson
February 15th, 2010
3:34 pm
Definitely Jang su Jang on Satellite Blvd in Duluth. The food is excellent, the atmosphere warm and inviting, and the staff is always welcoming and friendly. We’ve taken a lot of skeptical military friends here, people who are looking for true Korean food and find most restaurants lacking, none have come away from Jang su Jang disappointed. They do need a better sign for English speaking visitors, the one they have out front is in Korean with only the words Tofu and BBQ in English, so you might miss it if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
Steve
February 15th, 2010
3:36 pm
I used to love Mirror of Korea on Ponce, til they went bye-bye a few years ago. Among the “living”, my two favorites are Hae Woon Dae and Ilmee.
Chris
February 15th, 2010
3:42 pm
Tofu Villiage in Marietta. Far from the Buford area but awesome Bi Bim Bop and BBQ short ribs.
David
February 15th, 2010
3:57 pm
Jung Su Jung on Satellite Blvd between Steve Reynolds and Pleasant Hill
Tyler Pike
February 15th, 2010
4:02 pm
My vote is for Dad’s vinegar based Korean BBQ pork skewers. He brings a southern presence to the Korean culinary way of life.
Steven Josovitz
February 16th, 2010
12:39 am
Honey Pig Rocks! Cool hip LA Joint arrives with cool servers that are young an hip. Hands down and no one even close…. It is so much fun and you cannot walk. Usually you pick one menu item per person. It is really reasonable too. I always pick wild mushrooms, shrimp, short rib or less or more depending how many quests join us. They put piles of kimchee or the big garbage can cover curved BBQ flat top grill and cover your table with little plates of cool things from a ton of pickled veggies. Pots of soup are served ( ask for the egg custard soup, umm ) and they grill your items on the grill. They also add a pile of rice and chop any remanning stuff you have cooking. You cannot even stand to get up as they serve you so much and it is only about $15.00 per person…. Awesome….
H
February 16th, 2010
7:22 am
Hae Woon Dae is amazing. Best BBQ.
RumbleSis162
February 16th, 2010
7:29 am
I would love to know if there is a decent Korean restaurant on the South Side. I frequent the Korean stand inside H Mart in Riverdale, but crave the sit down of an authentic place on the south side of the ATL!!
Noway
February 16th, 2010
7:47 am
You’re not going to find Korean on the South Side of Atlanta..LOL… Try llmee in Marietta.
Mike
February 16th, 2010
8:29 am
llmee in Marietta is hands down the best in Atlanta area, food is authentic, service excellent….those on Buford are good but lacking the family feel…
ER
February 16th, 2010
8:30 am
Han Il Kwan on Buford Hwy
Paddy
February 16th, 2010
8:44 am
The great way Steven described the Honey Pig was mouth watering. Gott Try! I see a part time food writer in the making. Nice job!
Jean
February 16th, 2010
8:55 am
Stone Bowl House Woo Nam Jeong on Buford Highway, the best dolsot and banchan I’ve tried.
jeremy
February 16th, 2010
9:07 am
il Mee in Marietta, on 41/under Canton Road. Way better than most on Buford. They give you more banchan than most places and all their food is very good. No fusion cooking here. Just straight Korean comfort food.
David
February 16th, 2010
9:15 am
Chungdam is the best
GatorFan96
February 16th, 2010
9:57 am
Myung Ga Won off Pleasant Hill is hands down the best
Addy C
February 16th, 2010
10:00 am
Woo Nam Jeong Stone Bowl House – they have the best tasting dol sot bi bim bop and bi bim bops around.
Ugly American
February 16th, 2010
10:36 am
Hae Woon Dae and So Kong Dong
Kim (I am American)
February 16th, 2010
11:06 am
I say Cho Sun OK on Buford Hwy. I spent 4 yrs living in Seoul and after returning to the States and coming to Atlanta area we have been going there now for 9 yrs. Food is great and the ladies are friendly.
Randy
February 16th, 2010
11:18 am
Han Il Kwan on Buford Hwy. I spent a year in Korea, and this place is as authentic as it gets. I get cravings for Korean and go there to get my fix!
Grant
February 16th, 2010
11:20 am
I don’t know if they’re still open but Bud Namu in Norcross was amazing when my family and I ate there a few years ago.
candlerboyz
February 16th, 2010
11:40 am
Hae Woon Dae–without a doubt
Mike
February 16th, 2010
3:36 pm
Woo Nam Jeong Stone Bowl House by a mile. The 12 course meal has no comparison. Everything tastes so good there.
Ji Won
February 16th, 2010
3:46 pm
I like the stone bowl house too, I ate there after the AJC reviewed it a few weeks ago and it was the best I’ve been to, by far, in Atlanta. It reminds me of the great home cooking that I grew up eating. As a caveat, that’s were the picture (above) is from, if I remember correctly. Honey Pig was good after they opened but they fell off a bit since, and that’s Korean b-b-q which should get its own grouping or a subset of barbecue in general.
Min
February 16th, 2010
8:27 pm
I’d also have to go with Woo Nam Jeong as the best Korean restaurant in Atlanta. The owner is also the chef and she had previously owned a Korean restaurant in Cincinnati. The huge plaque in the enterance area says that it was voted top 25 in the city. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Woo Nam Jeong on top of one of those lists here in Atlanta.
Jina
February 16th, 2010
9:12 pm
I would totally go for Stone Bowl House (Woo Nam Jeong) anyday of the week! Love the hot stonebowl dishes. So many variations and they are all super yummy. I think a lot of the people like Honey Pig because it’s trendy. However, when it comes to real Korean flavor, Stone Bowl House is the place to be! The chef really knows how to cook Korean food…just the way grandmas made it at home Yum!
Amber
February 16th, 2010
9:24 pm
Woo Nam Jeong is hands down the most authentic and consistent Korean cuisine I have ever experienced. The wait staff is friendly and actually gets your order correct. I would recommend it to anyone that wants something to please the palette every time.
Rochelle
February 16th, 2010
11:24 pm
Amber, Woo Nam Jeong is teh best!!!11
Ella
February 17th, 2010
12:40 am
I will have to say Woo Nam Jeong. I loved the food and the friendly staffs. Enjoy going there every time.
Mindy
February 17th, 2010
2:29 pm
Living in Atlanta there are many Korean restaurants to choose from but by far my favorite is the Stone Bowl restaurant (Woo Nam Jung) on Buford hwy. Stone Bowl offers the upscale dining experience (food and service) without the upscale price. Their 12 couse menu is just fabulous!!!!
Elizabeth
February 17th, 2010
3:31 pm
Bakery Cafe Maum on Buford Hwy is my favorite Korean Bakery.
Cakes are always fresh, love the ambiance and interior.
Dak Juk in their Brunch buffet and KalbiJim in their dinner buffet is my favorite
Joseph
February 17th, 2010
7:01 pm
Maum on Buford Hwy is my favorite bakery too. Actually their new buffet is the best in town. Hotel quality food with very reasonal price. Love it!
germa
February 17th, 2010
7:16 pm
Buffet of Bakery Maum is fantastic!
Great menu, great taste and unbelievable price~~
I always meet my friends there.
Kelly
February 17th, 2010
8:58 pm
Without a doubt it will have to be Woo Nam Jeong on Buford Hwy. My all time favorate korean dish is the dolsot bibimbop. I’ve tried many korean restaurant for the perfect dolsot and couldn’t find it till last March when Woo Nam Jeong opened. You can tell each vegetable in the dolsot is seasoned to perfection not like other korean restaurant where they just saute some carrots and zucchine with some poorly seasoned bean sprouts and if your lucky spinach. I especailly love how the dolsot here gets and nice golden crunch at the bottom which is the best part of the dolsot, which for some reason couldn’t find anywhere else. Another thing about Woo Nam Jeong is the side dishes, it is by far the best I’ve ever came across.
Tomoko
February 17th, 2010
11:01 pm
My Favorite bakery cafe is Maum on Buford HWY. All taste soooo good!!!
Their buffet is taste very good. This is the best place to meet my friends.
This place makes me always relax. Also, staff are very nice.
Joe
February 17th, 2010
11:09 pm
Honey Pig is definitely on top of my list. They have a very interesting and different layout of how the Korean barbeque is served and presented. As for taste, I’d have to say it’s definitely one of the best Korean BBQ restaurants in Atlanta hands down.
Jane Son
February 18th, 2010
12:48 am
Let me tell you about Maum bakery cafe on buford hwy. It has been my favorite place for fresh bread, cookies, cakes and coffee ever since they opened.
They recently started buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Oh My Goodness, it was so~ nice. My husband and I went there 4-5 times last week.
I could not believe the quality and diversity of food which was eqivalent to hotel buffets. I just hope that a lof of people go there and eat so they could keep it for long time. I honestly thought $7.99 for dinner was way too low for all that nice food.
Andrew
February 18th, 2010
2:57 pm
Honey Pig! I think Honey Pig is one of the most famous restaurants in ATL. Any other similar restaurants are just counterfeit. They cannot immitate Honey Pig!!!
Cedar
February 18th, 2010
4:42 pm
Hanil-Kwan on Buford hwy. Doraville has best Kal-bi in Atlanta,
Randy
February 19th, 2010
5:49 pm
Myung Ga Won in duluth is definitely the best in town. Especially I love their gal-bis and sul-long tang. Also the waitresses are always welcoming and services are great. No other restaurants can compete with Myung Ga Won. They are definitely the best.
mom
February 20th, 2010
12:07 am
i love myunggawonthey have good beef.yummy.
young
February 21st, 2010
4:03 pm
budnamu in Duluth is best~!!!
Woo Nam Jeong, Doraville GA « Food Near Snellville
September 3rd, 2010
10:33 am
[...] September 3, 2010 Woo Nam Jeong, Doraville GA Posted by foodnearsnellville under Korean, Near Atlanta, Restaurants | Tags: Doraville, Georgia, recommended, Take Thou Food | Leave a Comment Woo Nam Jeong is a smallish restaurant on Buford Highway, tucked away in a narrow strip mall north of Oak Cliff road and south of the larger ‘L’ shaped mall that houses Sushi House Hayakawa. It’s very much a family affair. There are postings, on entry, of a previous restaurant. The owners are thus veterans of the restaurant scene, and I’m not clued into the reason for the movement to the warmer climate of Atlanta. Sean P. has written what I consider to be the definitive set of reviews of this restaurant in a series of articles, both on his blog and on UrbanSpoon. There isn’t much I can add to his exhaustive coverage of their 12 course tasting menu. What I can give you is my personal reaction to a restaurant that is regarded by some as the best Korean restaurant in town. [...]