This is one of my favorite places ever to eat. Great sushi and Korean food in one place? OMG Yes! My favorites are the bulgogi, kimchi jigae, and of course no meal would be complete without bibimbap. And they even include the banchan (side dishes at the beginning) which I love... none of my friends do so I always get it all. One of my friends returned from S. Korea and ordered some street food item that I can't even remember the name of (maybe some kind of teok?), it wasn't on the menu but they made it for us and it was goooood. If I could afford it, I would go to this place all the time. I can't say for sure if it's really authentic Korean, but if what my Korean ex-MIL used to cook gave me any clue, it's pretty close. read more

I frequent Diaspora fairly regularly. It's nice to have a pretty good Korean restaurant close to campus with easily accessible parking. The ddukbokki is really good & probably my favorite in Columbus. The sauce is good, the rice cakes are plentiful, and the fish cake pieces are big! My other favorite is the jampong. It's huge! Lots of seafood & noodles with a yummy, spicy broth. I also enjoyed the dolsot bibimbap and kalbi. Good variety of banchan as well (note: many dishes don't come with it - costs $3 extra). The only dish I've tried that I didn't like was the duk mandu gook (soup with rice cake & dumplings). Maybe it was an off day but it tasted & smelled strange. However, overall, I've enjoyed their Korean dishes & the sushi as well. The employees are friendly but service can be spotty. There have been a few times when our server gave us our food & never came back to check on us or refill our water. However, the affordable & tasty Korean food makes up for it and will be the reason I continue to come back. read more

I left Columbus, but I used to go there so often. I dream about going back there for a good meal. My personal favorites are jampong noodle, beef bulgogi with squid, soon tofu, fried chicken wings (no sauce), and there are so many more. One of the best food place accessible from the campus. read more

I don't know the food here. But they close at 9:30 although it show 10:00 in the door. Even I want to get something to go is not possible. I am so disappointed and hungry. If you close at 9: 30 just write that on the door! This make me even do not have enough time to another restaurant. I'm so HUNGRY!!! read more

Went to this place because some friends said it had ok sushi, but I should've looked into their Korean food more. Korean food is definitely my favorite, and I've been to tons of different restaurants, and this one was by far the worst. I got Kimchi Jjigae and it was really bland, it was basically just kimchi with little pieces of not good pork. The bowl was also abnormally small from any other Korean restaurant, and it was still the same price of 10, definitely was a waste of money. My boyfriend went for the tempura udon, and was pretty hungry so he ordered more tempura shrimp, and six small pieces of tempura shrimp came out; that plate was 9 dollars. On top of that the udon was just that, noodles in a broth, nothing else at all and that was also 9 dollars! I feel bad saying the food was horrible because the two guys serving were SUPER nice! The food was just not worth it. I think I might come back and give their sushi a shot, but their Korean food and Japanese were just sad, bland, and not worth the average price. read more

Diaspora - $9 plate of tempura shrimp. - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Now, I'm not a huge fan of sushi, but I can tolerate it every now and again - and when a friend wants some, the only place I can think of to go is here. It is the best! The rice is fluffy and the rolls are huge! Typically, I pair the salmon roll with the Seafood Spicy Noodle Soup. I'm obsessed with that soup. Huge chunks of shrimp, crab, octopus...yum! Perfect amount of heat, too. The wait staff is attentive as well. I drink a lot of water when eating the spicy soup, but they always kept it refilled! :) Only downside, they have a good 10 TV's, on the same channel, yet play music instead of sound from the TV. Not that I actually pay attention to it anyway, as I'm much more interested in people watching the crowd. read more

I decided to walk across OSU campus after a football game last weekend. I wasn't at the game, but the weather was amazing and I wanted to grab a bubble tea on High St. The tea place was not open, but this was. And so I formed a last-minute contingency plan: sushi. Walked in off the beer- and pizza-scented sidewalk, drenched as it was with the sound of a cover band playing on the upper floor of the spot over on the northwest corner of Lane and High. As soon as I stepped into this unassuming, almost invisible restaurant, I knew I made the right dinner choice. Even while the neighborhood was crowded and noisy, Diaspora was busy but not full. A hostess/manager/I'm not really sure spotted me right away and asked how many. "One?" she said. I like it when they leave off the "just" before the "one." You know you're not out of place eating alone there, even for dinner on a Saturday night. I was not feeling adventurous, so I simply had the chef's choice sushi combo (six pieces nigiri -- not sure what it's called in Korean -- and a roll). The chef's choice turned out to be pretty ordinary: tuna, salmon, shrimp. Completely unfancy but BIG. Each piece appeared to be one and a half times larger than I'm used to. And taste? Also unfancy but fine. The contents of the spicy tuna roll were a bit overly mushy, but the spicy made up for it. The salmon, I think, was the best. The place feels so informal that when I arrived, I thought I had wandered into a takeout establishment. But no, it's sit-down. Everyone was very nice and neither rushed me nor neglected me. I was almost dismayed to have to head back out into the post-game district frat party. read more

surprisingly good korean food in a small unassuming location. We ordered the bulgogi dinner box and it was all good. One odd thing, the California roll was giant! And it fell apart so it was difficult to eat. But they used real crab meat so it tasted good. We also ordered the soft tofu soup and it was really good too. A bit salty for me but really flavorful. If you're in the mood for korean food in Columbus this place is definitely the go-to place! read more

Bright, spacious and inviting, I was excited to try Diaspora as soon as it moved in. I really, really like Korean food. Specifically I love all the small appetizers you tend to get and I love bulgogi. On both account Diaspora exceeded my expectations and has made me something of a devotee of their establishment. I love Diaspora. Their bulgogi is generous and delicious. Juicy, sweet, bursting with flavor. Good stuff. The assortment of appetizers beforehand are also top-notch, with the kimchee being a personal favorite. I don't know much about Korean culture or, really, Korean cuisine but I love bulgogi and I love Diaspora. Clean, quick, and reasonable, this is a great place to grab a few drinks, fill your belly, and get the night going. read more

I love Diaspora. When I attended OSU, it was my go-to lunch spot. I usually bought the sushi, which is of excellent quality, but their entrée items are good too. They have a good number of different sushi rolls, including some fried ones. I've never had a bad meal here, and it's usually packed with customers. They offer some East Asian beers, too. IMO, it's neat to drink one of those with your meal, but the beers themselves are just average. The TV screens are nice, especially if you go alone. However, they all play the same station. The atmosphere is open and inviting, and provides a nice sense of calm from the bustle of High St. at Lane Ave. There is car parking around back, but this isn't immediately obvious if you've never been. Also, check out their website; it's gorgeous. read more

I crave Korean food 24/7, so it's handy having a casual restaurant down the street from my office. If you're like me and want everything, the combo box is a good way to get a bit of this and that. It comes with salad, Cali rolls, dumplings, egg roll, and your main dish (I get the beef bulgogi). They've added jjajang noodles to the menu (delicious), and I'm also a fan of the spicy soups (kimchi jjigae and soon tofu), especially during this chilly season. read more

Diaspora - Ddubboki (spicy fish & rice cakes), bulgogi (grilled marinated beef), jjajangmyun (black bean noodle), and banchan (sides). - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Diaspora is pretty good. I'm not an expert of any kind on Korean food, but I am an expert in delicious. They are delicious. Tip: get a food that comes with side dishes. Diaspora's side dishes are wonderful. You get some sort of cold potato-y dish, tofu strands, kim chi, some sort of pickle kim chi, you know what, I'm not sure what many of these dishes are, but trust me, they are a highlight of Diaspora's dining experience. Bibimbop is pretty good. Fish cakes are superb. The short ribs looked tasty. All of the sushi was fair. I have sampled the dinner special a few times (always changing) and I have never been disappointed. Everything is slightly spicy and very flavorful. The portions are quite large, so consider sharing or going on a totally empty stomach. Also, if they happen to have the ginger liquor, try it! The fried green tea ice cream is something to shout about as well. Sounds weird, tastes heavenly. read more

I come here for all kinds of occasions: to celebrate, when I feel homesick and sad, too tired to cook, and those days when I am struck craving my favorite food ever--sundubu jigae. I wish they were vegetarian friendly, offered more variety of and spicier versions of sundubu jigae. But I guess they have to cater to the general population of OSU who come here for sushi. Not a substitute for my favorite tofu houses in So Cal, but without Diaspora nearby I don't know how I can survive Ohio. read more

Not impressed, but a decent place to eat. First of all, the inside has the feel of a chinese take-out. While we decided to sit down any way, the first impression was strange. Looking at the menu...I was familiar with almost everything. I work at a Korean Japanese restaurant myself. The prices here seemed inflated. We ended up ordering Bulgogi and Kimchi Dolsot. When the Bulgogi came out...I was in disbelief at the portion size. The restaurant I work at serves twice as much as this place does. There was more side dishes offered...but they were sub-par. I'd much rather have a larger portion of my entree with 2 or 3 side dishes than the smaller size here. My Kimchi Dolsot was good. I think that was well priced. I would have thought there would have been more seafood in it though...I know that seafood assortment mix they use isn't very expensive. The staff here seems nice. They are prompt and kept our drinks full. I think that if it wasn't as busy as it was, they would have been more attentive...but we were taken care of. I'd rate the service 4 stars. But the food did not blow me away. The atmosphere did not blow me away. Maybe another time I will try the lunch menu, but I won't be back for dinner. Their sushi was decent. I don't enjoy minced spicy tuna, but that's because I've been spoiled by my restaurant's style...it's served in small chunks instead, and has a much more appealing texture. I don't know. For the price of everything, I expect more. BUT, you guys serve mochi! That's awesome. :) read more

After being to Diaspora a handful of times, it was about time to write a review. I LOVE Korean food. Therefore, I tend to judge it more harshly than other foods that I am less familiar with. Diaspora is a Korean restaurant that continues to linger in the middle of the pack. It is not so bad as to deter me from returning, but not so good that I crave it on a regular basis. Essentially, it is simply one of the more conveniently located restaurants that serves both Korean food and sushi which is why it continues to do adequate business. I have ordered duk bok ki, bi bim bop, kalbi, naeng myun, Jjahm bong, and other dishes. Most of the time they are just good enough to keep me happy. From time to time the broth tastes off. When I want to be wowed with Korean I head to Bethel or Henderson. The appetizers are usually better there, and I think you get more for your money. read more

I love the tiger roll here! I am also a fan of deep fried sushi so the crazy boy roll is pretty awesome too. I'm no longer close to campus so I haven't gone but their lunch specials are such a good deal! They're slightly pricier on some things, but the food isn't bad; however, I wasn't a huge fan of the dubboki. It was too soft and seemed either frozen for too long or overcooked. Some other favorites here are the ramen and jam bong (spicy seafood noodle soup), and most of the entrees I've had with bbq items are good too. My sister really likes the california roll because it tastes different than your average one. Not sure if I can describe it fully, but the rice is fluffier. PS If you never knew, there's a small parking lot in the back! read more

Yes, there could be better, but there can always be better. Great place for lunch or dinner with friends. The owner is always nice and everything on the menu is good. Used to live close by and ate here all the time. Now i only go once in a while, but still good and still the same nice people. Probably about 10-15 a person depending on what you order. But literally, i have never had anything bad here. And of course i recommend the green tea Mochi ice cream. read more

Tried lunch special spicy pork and everything is good. It's a nice lunch choice around campus. read more

Diaspora - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I had been wanting to try this place for awhile now, and finally did tonight! I just recently became a sushi fan and was intrigued by Diaspora's extensive selection. I loved the atmosphere - although small, the modern decorations and earth tones were peaceful and the place was very clean. The staff were super friendly and the food came out quickly. The food presentation was excellent - exquisite and appetizing, and everything tasted great too! Important piece of advice: the sushi rolls are huge!! Definitely good for sharing, or taking them home for a second meal as I did. It was a bit pricey, but similar to most sushi places I have been to and the rolls were very large. Since I got two meals out of it, I guess its not bad at all! Overall, had a great experience and will definitely go back :) read more

This is my first Korean restaurant and I would say it as a pretty good food. I vegetarian options are very very limited and I wouldn't blame that!! I tried the bibimbap which I my sense was very good. It had rice, sprouts, egg and other seasonings which kinda packed carbs, proteins and taste. The portion was very filling and I couldn't even finish the whole thing. Though I am not a Korean food connoisseur the 3 start is for the overall experience. The place definitely deservers a 3.5 start. But yelp doest allow a half star and 4 would be bit too high. The place is very limited and ambience is average. The waitress was cordial and helpful in explaining us the menu since we were a vegetarians!! If you are close to OSU campus and happened to try a different cuisine I would suggest a visit to diaspora!! read more

We stopped in late on Friday night about an hour before closing (I felt bad). And the place was empty which made us nervous. But the sushi and udon were quite delicious! The service was great and friendly and we were not rushed despite them slowly starting to close. read more

Diaspora - Udon!! - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Super nice servers. Samurai taco was pretty yum as well as the dumplings. I ordered the shrimp killer and crazy boy ( fried Cali roll). read more

I've had numerous things on the menu: shrimp tempura sushi, spider roll, baked salmon roll, udon, tempura, agedashi tofu, spicy ramyun, and dolsot bibim bahp, just off the top of my head. Everything is good. I am a big udon fan, and theirs is delicious. It's one of my favorite things to get on a cold day, it warms you right up. I've tried it at several other area restaurants and while it is almost always good, it's never as good as Diaspora. Aside from the food, what makes Diaspora stand out to me is the service. My friends and I go quite often and the waitresses remember us and our orders (although I change mine up, some of my friends are strong adherents to the spicy ramyum, which is the best around). Never had a bad experience here, and that's the truth. read more

Excellent food. Decent atmosphere and a bit short staffed but overall great experience

They have the most authentic Korean food in the city and they are quick. Very good quality, I love them and I hope they stay around foreverrrrrr. read more

Excellent for Korean food, especially the small plate appetizers. (Where else near campus can you get a quart of spicy seafood soup?) Decent for sushi, not great for non-Korean food. Not so cheap on a student budget, but not terribly expensive. read more

I've been here before, but not very often - as I've mentioned in my other reviews of Korean restaurants, I can't exactly say that Columbus is the mecca of Korean restaurants. I've been thoroughly spoiled by an upbringing by a wonderful Korean mother who was a fantastic cook. But there are days you just don't want to cook. Came here with the hubby and the brother-in-law yesterday afternoon. I got the soon dubu, he got the champong (I don't remember how they spelled it on the menu.) and the BIL got dolsot bibimbap. Everything was a-ok, but not fantastic. It does the job, but it's nothing special. They didn't really refill our banchan, which I was a little sad about, and my soondubu didn't have much in it besides the tofu and bits of seafood - I was expecting more, and an egg. At least it was hot and spicy. Meh. I'll probably go back to Arirang for my soondubu fix. read more

I've come here a few times in the past and it was always OK. I've gotten the bibimbap in the stone bowl and the sushi in the past. Bibimbap was OK and sushi was good. Yesterday, I was here with a few of my friends and I ordered the Diaspora Combo Box with Beef and let me tell you, the beef bulgogi is soooooooooo gooood. I'd recommend it over the other two items that I ordered in the past. The decor of this place and cute and there is parking in the back of the store. My friends ordered the Pork bulgogi and Pork Katsu, and they were both good as well. The prices are a little on the higher side but, beef bulgogi is super good. read more

Diaspora - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Literally, this place is the best Korean Food in Columbus, Ohio. It is as close to authentic Korean as you can get in this area. Although there are other great places, this one is small and quaint but top-notch! I could go on and on! read more

They also have lunch specials! Rolls & Noodle combos, Tempura, Bulgogi (either soy-sauce based beef or spicy pork) over rice, etc. Weekdays only from 11:30am-3pm! read more

Diaspora - lunch specials! - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I love Diaspora. Diaspora was the wife and I's favorite place to eat our senior year of college. Just a walk away from our apartments located on the north campus strip of High Street you can't beat good sushi and Korean food. With drink specials and great personal service the man and woman that own this restaurant are very friendly. We came frequently and were recognized and welcomed every time we visited. With our most recent visit we had not been back since we graduated a few years back. The owner recognized us and commented on how we haven't visited in a while. We explained to her that we lived in Chicago and she was sad. But we dined in for old times sake had a great time, she wished us the best. Whenever I come to Diaspora I try and get the Ramyun. It is a fantastic Korean style spicy noodle dish. I love it so much the wife doesn't even get any. Diaspora was the first place where I had this style of noodles and I've been in search for something similar to it in the Chicago area. Diaspora is a casual dining experience with a fantastic menu with many selections. You will find campus students dining with their friends with music and televisions in the background. There is always a good amount of available seating and you will never be let down by service. Until next time Diaspora... read more

Amazing. We love it here, this is the kind of place that if I move away and come back to visit and Diaspora was gone? I'd be devastated. The bibimbap is delicious, any soup with broth is awesome, I'm not a big sushi fan but they have a ton and I've liked what I've had. read more

Really loved this place. Not too expensive, close to Ohio State's campus, and the food was great! I had the tempura udon, which I would highly recommend. Service was also good, and it is a nice place to have dinner with friends! read more

We have been craving sushi during this quarantine and wow, Diaspora did not disappoint! The rolls are huge and the quality is amazing. I don't know how they do it at such great price. I ordered the udon noodle soup and a cucumber avocado roll and my husband ordered the spicy pork dupbap and a spicy tuna roll. We both loved our meals and have leftovers for later! read more

Amazing sushi! The Diaspora Deluxe box is perfect for your first time here. I came here with my daughter and she loves it too! I'll definitely come back when I visit the city again. read more

Diaspora is a pretty small sit down restaurant next to Noodles and Company for an incredibly fair price. I'm not a big sushi guy, but the rest of their entrees that I've tried are all generally good. My personal favorite is the Dolsot Bibim Baph, a classic that everyone would enjoy served in a hot stone bowl. Overall Diaspora is a great Korean restaurant on High Street and is probably one of the best at its price point, especially around the area. read more

I've frequented here countless times over my years in Columbus, including approximately weekly for 2 years when I lived nearby. The Ra Myun and Geisha roll are my favorites. The Ra Myun is spicy, especially if you finish the broth, but I love it and consider myself to have moderate spice tolerance. They have good lunch specials (Ra Myun + 1/2 roll for example). I've introduced a number of people to Diaspora and none found it disappointing. Definitely a gem hidden among the fast food of High St. read more

I love Diaspora! The people are very nice and the food is always good. For a Korean restaurant, they have a nice variety of delicious sushi rolls also. I really enjoy some of their tempura ones. Their ramyun (ramen) is spicy and tasty and the noodles are cooked to perfection. Their bibimbap is huuuuge and delicious as well. My boyfriend tried their lunch box with bulgogi twice and doesn't like it though. He says the meat is too stringy and tough. However, everything else we have had at Diaspora is great! read more

Let me just preface by saying that I have no basis for comparison re: Korean food in Columbus and I'm trying not to compare it to Korean food in other cities that I've had (which have been really good, so it wouldn't be fair). Came here for a quick lunch and to check out the food. There were 2 polite and efficient servers running the roomy and very pleasant space inside. Ordered the dolsot bibimbap and a pork & kimchi soup and both were pretty good, standard, quality. The prices are a tad high especially after lunch so keep that in mind. Overall a solid selection when you need a Korean food fix in the university area. read more

We we're very pleased with the quality of the food at diaspora! They had the best jjam pong in town! Use to be Poong me( spring of China) but ever since the new owners took over, quality of the food is pretty bad! Not sure who's the cook? Major problem at Poong mi. As soon as we walked in " diaspora", the place was so packed and lively, they offered me drink while I was waiting . They kindly informed me about my table. Once we sat down, they brought over shrimp tempura dish on the house for waiting! We had ordered Korean friend dumplings for appetizer, it was the best dumplings in town. It's a Must try! It was delicious! It's totally home made! The best dumplings I had in a long time! Jjam pong was full of seafood, green vegetables, blue crabs, meaty squid, it was colorful and yummy! It's served in massive big bowl. Enough for 2 people! ( if you decide to share) Great service, great food, good customer care! read more

Diaspora - Korean Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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