I tried this restaurant a year later and am happy to report it was just as good! I look forward to coming back again. read more

Horang - West coast poke lunch set - Korean Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

Visiting for a Monday lunch at around 1PM, we had no idea Horang would be that popular. At the time, the place was completely full and we were advised there would be a 30 minute wait for bar seating. We wandered over to the attached Horang Market, a little grocery store filled with Korean goods, to browse while waiting. In our case, we were lucky to be at the tail end of the lunch rush. It actually took only 15 minutes and we managed to get a table! Korean Fried Chicken, Yangyum Glaze, Half ($21) - A half order of the fried chicken consists of eight pieces. I thought going into the restaurant it would be only four pieces and was planning to order another dish as well, but thankfully I asked the waitress and she explained everything. As a surprise, we actually got nine pieces of chicken since two pieces had stuck together! The pieces are all boneless thighs, with the dark meat allowing the meat to remain juicy through the frying process. It's kept skin on, and the skin is rendered out excellently. They simply salt and pepper the skin, then dip into the batter. The fried coating is applied evenly, resulting in a consistent bite that remains somewhat crisp even through being dipped in the yangnyeom glaze. I'd say the crispness isn't as robust as other KFCs I've eaten, but it's still pleasing nonetheless. The sauce is of course the draw. It's extremely viscous, basically to the consistency of caramel due to the amount of sugar added. It's slightly funky with a faint heat that's barely felt in the mouth. The dish comes with one dipping sauce that isn't required at all given how flavorful the chicken is. We got the garlic aioli anyways, which is surprisingly strong in garlic flavor with the mayo completely eliminating the garlic pungency. It's actually much stronger than a toum that we had from a Middle-Eastern place the day before. (5/5) Charred Daeji Galbi Soban ($23) - This order comes with a variety of different banchan: Mandu - Two pieces. I'm not sure if these are made in house, but I'm leaning towards these being commercial. They have very uniformly thin wrappers housing a mix of savory and very salty ground pork, mushrooms, and vermicelli noodles. The wrappers are dried out and kind of leathery in chew. They are served in a sauce that I think is a combination of vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar, making it sweet, tangy, savory, and salty. I think they precook these and let them sit in an open warmer, which explains why they are so dry. Japchae - The japchae is very salty like too much soy sauce was added, yet also feels very dry and missing the fragrant and oily sesame sheen. The noodles feel undercooked in some portions, being very firm, different from the bouncy texture I normally associate with sweet potato noodles. This isn't a very good japchae. Napa Denjang Soup - Includes napa and tofu. Pretty standard miso taste, not particularly strong or funky. Prawn Twigim - Two pieces. Tender, sweet shrimp, covered with tempura batter and fried. This gives a light crisp coating. They add the same soy/vinegar dipping sauce on the bottom of the serving container, soggifying the ends of the tempura a bit. Kimbap - Two pieces. They are filled with plenty of chopped carrot, a piece of pickled daikon, some avocado and tofu skin in rice and seaweed. Simple, but fresh and tasty. Salad - Greens in a very sweet and citrusy dressing. Lightly dressed, no dressing pools on the bottom. The main dish includes perfectly cooked medium grain rice with great texture and mouthfeel. On top, they have a couple pieces of charred galbi with a thick sweet sauce glazed on top. The taste of the char actually penetrates into the rice, creating a flavorful bite. The galbi is fatty, tender, not too chewy and generally tastes quite nice especially due to the glaze. (3/5) I really enjoyed the Korean fried chicken served at Horang. For the Charred Daeji Galbi Soban, while the main dish was good, I found the banchan to only be subpar to average. Then again, I wasn't expecting to find good Korean food in Nanaimo in the first place, so it was still a pleasant surprise. Washrooms - Three rooms, one for men, one for women, last one accessible. read more

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Absolutely amazing food experience! Highly recommend making a reservation to get in and get a good table. The reservations cost, but it's way worth it. We ordered the fresh oysters, the KFC in hot pepper soy garlic, the galbi jjim Birria tacos, and the gochujang tuna tacos. Everything was so well prepared. The flavors were authentic yet contemporary. The service was on point as staff is readily buzzing by every table. Service was quick and tables turn pretty readily, even though the place was jam packed on a Saturday afternoon. They even have a really cool take out area that doubles as a market and merch sale area! We will be back again for sure! read more

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I had lunch here yesterday. There was a twisted shred of metal in my noodles from a metal scouring pad. I spit it out thinking it was just a hard piece of vegetable or something. I informed the wait person and showed them the twisted metal shard. I was offered a free dessert! so I'm wondering "what's potentially in this dessert"? If I was the owner of Horang there would not have been a bill! read more

Came back here again with my family. Had their lunch specials. Such a good deal and big portions. The deep fried tofu and KFC were delicious. Definitely worth stopping for lunch if you're here in Nanaimo. Staff always friendly and patio sitting was comfortable. read more

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Wow! Friends took us here for our first time. Easily one of my favourite restaurants in the world now. Dumplings - a must. Our tables favourite by a long shot. Tuna stack - they loved it, I found it mushy. Fried chicken sushi appy - huge portion! And it was amazing!!!! Crusted Albacore tuna salad - very good tuna and overall salad flavour but they put sooo much dressing in there that I ended up with a soup. Still ate it happily though. I'd suggest half dressing unless this was a mistake. Bulgogi burger - friend loved it. He didn't realize it was an $8 charge for the upgraded fries so he was a little put off by that but was overall happy. He said he would also ask for half the amount of fries next time. KFC sandwich - friend liked it but said it was dry and needed sauce. The chicken was good though. Fish Tacos - she liked them. Spicy margarita - was not good. Friend said they must have made it wrong or changed the recipe as it used to be good. Popsicle boozy drink- very good..so delicious. Service was exceptional. I think our Servers name was Rachel. She made the experience amazing. Will make sure to return if ever in Nanaimo again. read more

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Looking for a modern twist on Korean flavors? Horang in Nanaimo serves up inventive dishes that are a must-try! With a cozy vibe and a bustling weekend crowd, make sure to reserve a table-- we waited 30 minutes for ours, but it was totally worth it! Cote Galbi Box Chobap - 35cm of flame-seared pressed sushi, packed with galbi-marinated prime beef short rib, kimbap rice, miso aioli, and sesame oil. Perfect mix of smoky, savory, and melt-in-your-mouth goodness! Korean Fried Chicken Mini Burgers - Duo of brioche sliders with crispy fried chicken, a sweet yangyum glaze, tangy Korean slaw, garlic mayo, and pickles. So juicy and full of flavor! Korean Fried Chicken - Half-sized portion with the same addicting yangyum glaze for a perfect crunch in every bite. Birria Galbi Jjim Tacos - Tender Korean braised short rib on pan-grilled tortillas with melted cheese, cilantro, and a spicy consomé dipping sauce. This fusion twist is insanely delicious! Drinks were also a hit: Strawberry Screwkiss (my favorite!), Mellow Dalgona, and Yuza Drop brought a fun and refreshing twist to the night. The only bummer? They were out of dessert since the pastry chef was on vacation, and our Mellow Dalgona was missing the marshmallows , but the meal was still unforgettable. Don't forget to pop by their market next door for snacks, sauces, and take-home goodies! Food 4.5/5 Service Ambiance 5/5 Parking 5/5 read more

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This is our go-to. Fancy, delicious, great service and well priced. It's clean and we love eating here!!

=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE While the food is good and the staff are nice, the rating would be better once they button up the service - management could pay more attention to how their front of the house staff are deployed throughout their shifts and who is responsible for what roles. Interestingly, their nearby sister restaurant Nori is much better run and naturally earns a higher rating. === 2. FOOD During the latest visit we tried two Soban Lunches: they each come with two pieces of prawn tempura, two mandoo (fried dumplings), a small side of japchae noodles, a small side of kimchi, a spinach-based miso soup, and your choice of entree on rice. The Charred Daeji Galbi ($23) included tender pieces of pork, well-cooked. The Korean Fried Chicken ($20) was well-cooked also and can be served with the sauce on the side (in case you have little ones like I do who may not like the mild heat of the spicy sauce). Both dishes would have been better if they were warmer/hot (see Service notes below). We've had better experiences. Overall, the value is there, the presentation is spot on. The prawn tempura (like at Nori) has a fair amount of batter (excessive :) ...but overall the dishes are well worth the price of admission. === 3. SERVICE A number of staff appear to speak English and Korean and all we interacted with are polite and helpful. While no team or establishment is perfect, this most recent visit encapsulates the underlying issue: management should set clear expectations of the role each staff member has and who is the lead / responsible for the functions of hosting, clearing tables, serving food. Management should also monitor and pay attention to the flow of their staff and customers. Unfortunately, during this visit: - Staff walk around frequently empty-handed. - Staff see but avoid approaching customers waiting to be seated (despite walking around empty-handed, seemingly without purpose). - This lead to our waiting 20 minutes for a seat and three parties raising voices and walking out without being seated. - Notably, it should not take the blonde-haired lady to show up at 2:00 pm to clear tables before tables could be made available for dine-in patrons. - Our simple drink order of a blueberry mango sunrise should not take 12 minutes - because the lady behind the bar finally saw and remembered to make it. - Our food took 32 minutes to get to us (despite the restaurant being only half full) and it only came that quickly because my wife asked twice for someone to retrieve our food (we can see it on the counter of the open kitchen). Thankfully the second male server did not brush us off and asked a colleague to help him carry it over right away - it was clearly not waiting for any additions. The food was lukewarm at that point, but still tasty. - The blonde-haired lady was really quick at bringing us the bill (note: tips start at 18% unless you choose "Other"); I wish she was there that day the entire time we were there. === 4. ENVIRONMENT Like Nori, it's modern, clean, and darker-coloured in theme. It's often busy and you can bring groups large and small here. Wheelchairs and baby strollers would work but may be a bit squeezed during many of the busy hours. Parking is up to your luck in the shopping complex lot outside (which can be busy)! read more

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Food and service were amazing! Definitely recommend this restaurant. They even have a small market for fast take out next door. read more

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Given my obsession with Nori, I had a feeling I would love Horang. We visited for dinner on a Sunday and got seated right away with no reservation. The ambiance was trendy without trying too hard - dim lighting, cool neon signage, etc. They had a few mocktails on the drink menu, so I ordered the Blueberry Mango Sunrise. This drink was so beautiful - served in a big margarita glass with a mango slice garnish. It also tasted great and was so well balanced, despite all the sweet flavors. For food, we ordered the Yangyum Glaze Korean Fried Chicken and Hot Cheese Beef Galbi Jjim to share. This was way too much food for two people, but both dishes were delicious. I loved the Yangyum Glaze on the chicken, and it went so well with the Garlic Aoli dipping sauce. The Hot Cheese Beef Galbi Jjim was also delicious. The texture of the beef was great and the broth was so flavorful. It also came with rice, kimchi, bean sprouts, and pickled onions as sides. Serving sizes were extremely generous, considering we had ordered the smaller size for both dishes. We also got a Raspberry Matcha Tart to take home, which was phenomenal. The flavor combination was so good! Overall, would happily return to try more menu items. read more

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The food was good,neither good or bad! The service was good and bad so 50% neither good or bad so 100% Ambiance was enough you wanted to let loose a beer. read more

Great lunch spot! Make reservations, it was busy. What lovely food, we really enjoyed it! Pretty affordable for the amount of food you get too. The kimchi was particularly excellent. No issues accommodating my peanut allergy too - they said they typically don't use peanuts in the kitchen! Will be coming back to try out dinner. read more

Horang - Korean Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

Went for dinner at 4:30pm - restaurant filled up quickly, so recommend reservations. Food was delicious, large portions and quick and efficient service . Small and well designed restaurant. Even though it was full , not too noisy. read more

Horang - Korean chicken - Korean Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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Had lunch soban Korean lunch. So much fabulous food. Enjoyed every item with enough left for supper. Will order again but want to go through menu and try everything. read more

The highly anticipated Horang is finally opened and we're excited to try their food! Tapas: - Gangjung Korean Fried Chicken ($17): this comes with deep fried tteokbokki and glorious bite -sized chicken covered in a delicious sweet and spicy sauce. The chicken was lightly coated and it was an amazing dish. - Oyster chives gul Jeon ($22): comes with 4 individual pieces, and a fresh plump oyster in the middle of each--I loved this dish! The batter was perfectly cooked and not oily at all, quite enjoyable. - Creamy rose tteokbokki ($22): this comes with tableside flamble service to melt the cheese, but it didn't quite work out haha but a fun show! The flavors reminded me of the Buldak creamy carbonara sauce, and it was delicious. The sausage was the perfect touch with the cheesy creamy tteokbokki Mains: - Galbi sal BBQ ($52): ordered by @nanaimonoms . This was a grill at your own table experience, which is quite neat! The flames got a bit exciting after about 10 minutes though haha the meat was fresh and a good cut, I just wish it came with more banchan and rice! - Pork rib gamjatang ramen ($26): we substituted the ramen for rice here. It's a very big deep bowl filled with soup and onions, pork ribs, and smashed potatoes. They give you a glove to de-bone the ribs with, very thoughtful. We didn't like the flavors of this one, it was too earthy with a tea-like aftertaste. The pork ribs were tasty, however the potatoes didn't seem to fit with the overall meal. - Truffle bulgogi meal ($24): this comes in a cast iron pan sitting on a tea light stand to keep it warm. There was so much beef in this dish and the egg was so beautiful. I wish the dish was hotter though because with the cold egg the tea light wasn't enough to warm up the rice. Basically it became a luke- warm meal :( I also found the bulgogi too sweet I couldn't eat more than a few bites, maybe it would've been better if it were hot Overall the service was wonderful and the place was packed! We were lucky we got a table without reservations (came right at opening) I loved all the tapas, but the mains seemed hit or miss. Excited to have a high-end Korean joint join the Nanaimo food scene though! read more

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This place is amazing. The Korean fried chicken comes in extremely generous portions. Its crispiness and flavor bursts are unlike any other place I've had! The galbi and bulgogi also come in huge portions and with mouth watering flavors. I'm a huge fan of Korean BBQ, but this has to be one of my fav places on the island! read more

Amazing food! Great vegetarian options. The fried chicken is prime. We will defiantly be coming back here next time we're driving through town. read more

Amazing food, nice atmosphere. Some of the best food in the city for sure. The market has some really fun and delicious items as well. Highly recommend Horang. read more

Delicious, unexpectedly large portions, very reasonable prices. This is the second amazing Korean experience I have had on Vancouver island, i didn't realized Korean was so good here. I wish we had this back home, beyond just the typical bbq but a big variety of creative dishes in addition to the standards. read more

We ate at Horang yesterday for the second time and will be back. The food was fabulous, the service was excellent (our server explained everything very well) and everything was done in a professional, timely manner. Presentation - excellent Quantity - excellent Taste - Out of this world Also they now have a great little store next door where you can get take out and home baked, delicious pastries. Just a great little restaurant! Go early for lunch. It's getting popular and busy! read more

We tried Horang as it was recommended by a Korean friend. The food and the service was great. The vegan options on the menu weren't clear so we ended up asking the server. I'd definitely be back again. read more

Great korean inspired Restaurant & bar. Creative, modern twist exceptional dining experience. Highly recommended. read more

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Food was so good and they have great service. I also love the ambiance of this restaurant. I highly recommend it

Went in on a Thursday night to try something new. I had the bulgogi bibimbap with poached egg and fiancé had the bulgogoi cheesesteak. Both were delicious. Restaurant was very busy but service was excellent including a small appetizer that the chef sent over. read more