A member of our party doesn't eat seafood or other meats besides chicken, so Iru was the perfect restaurant for them: where chicken is the star of the show. We arrived at our reservation time and were seated promptly. They had 4 set menus to choose from or an à la carte option that does not include their signature samgyetang. We got the lowest priced set menu, which included all their banchan plus the choice of sweet shrimp or scallop, and we didn't feel we were missing out on anything. Higher priced tiers included additional items such as galbi or crab, but our meal was plenty filling and tasty without them. All the food we were served was delicious. The 9 banchan dishes we got included a variety of kimchi, seaweed, and vegetables and were a decent portion size to share a set between two people. After we finished most of our banchan, the samgyetang was brought out and put on portable heaters on our table, where the servers broke the chicken down right in front of us. The chicken was so tender and delicious, and the broth was flavorful and hearty, but not heavy. We were given one chicken to share for every 2 people, and the portion size made for a very filling dinner. Although pricey, this was the perfect place to go for our special occasion. The servers were friendly and attentive, and the decor was simple and clean. I would definitely come back again! read more

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Iru is a Korean restaurant in Brookline, Ma. There were four tiers with ascending prices per person for the set menus. We are told that the restaurant owner, Chef Hajime Yamazaki, uses his mother's recipes and the restaurant signature is their samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) which is offered with each set. Each set comes with nine house-made banchan (side dishes). I feel that this restaurant makes a great experience for two. I came as a family of four, two children, and it was just enough food. The sides dishes that accompanied the main was very tasty. I especially enjoyed the zucchini. The scallop was delicious. My husband especially enjoyed the chapjae noodles, claiming it was the best he has ever had. I think its appeal was simple clean ingredients. The jokbal, boiled belly, was very clean tasting as well. I was a bit disappointed with this one item and wished I went with the alternative option on the menu. As for the main chicken ginseng soup, our waiter, served this dish to us while telling us the concept of the restaurant, about the owner and his journey and mother's recipe. The story, about 5 minutes long was enjoyable while she took apart and served us the soup. I wished she didn't shred the entire chicken the way she did, literally to shreds. I would have liked to pull apart the chicken myself and served my kids. I understand many Korean restaurants have the server serve by the table but for this dish, I would have liked to serve my family myself. The taste was very clean. I do wish it had a bit more white pepper flavor. Customer service was outstanding. I would recommend going as a couple or group of four at most. Reservations are recommended. There is street parking. During my visit, walk-ins were being accepted since the restaurant was not completely booked. The server had to explain to walk-in patrons that the restaurant is strict on their set menus and that it was dine in service only. read more

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This place is very nicely decorated, and has a set menu. Tried the Matsu. Banchan were ok, maybe not my favorite selection but still nice to much on. It was a bit weird to me they didn't serve anything with rice. Scallop was great, super fresh, and had a delicious sauce with it. Japchae and mung bean pancake I thought were just ok. The mung bean pancake wasn't my favorite. In general it felt super pricey for being just ok. The Kalbi Chim and Samgyetang were my favorites. Kalbi was super soft and tender with a delicious broth (though again, rice?). The samgyetang was something really special with the sweet rice on the bottom of the soup. I think this place is really special for their samgyetang. I would come back again and have just that. Service was super nice though! read more

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Great meal at Iru. We had the full set meal with about a million ban chan dishes, bulgogi beef, beef short ribs, raw scallops and shrimp, and fall-off-the bone whole chicken soup. The pancakes were fluffy with a slight crisp. Everything was delicious. Of the ban chan, my personal favorites were the fried anchovies, fried seaweed, and spicy cucumber. The japchae paired well with the Wagyu bulgogi beef. The short ribs were great and their pièce de résistance- the chicken soup- was hearty and satisfying. Service was attentive and the servers were very knowledgeable about the food. (Our main server Judith was great!) We also got a table visit from one of the chefs, which was a nice touch. read more

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I have been dying to try this place and was able to snag a Monday dinner reservation the night before. I guess some people cancel at the last minute. It is a small restaurant, so I'm not surprised that it's hard to get reservations. If you drive by car, then good luck on finding street parking. This is a pretty busy area. We got lucky finding a spot a few blocks away. The staff were friendly and phenomenal. Special shoutout to Lydia (a fellow Ahn) and JK. They were great servers who helped with recommendations and were very attentive. We ended up trying the most expensive pre fixe since we wanted to try as much food as possible. Come with a hungry appetite or be prepared to take some food home, which we ended up doing. Everything was delicious. The star of the show was the samgyetang (although my wife may say it's the shrimp and scallop). JK broke down our chicken, removing most of the big bones. Caveat you will likely still find some bones in your stew so eat carefully. The dish was seasoned to perfection. Near the end of the meal, the chef came by the table, which we appreciated. Thank you to the staff for a great meal and experience. Can't wait to come back. read more

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We've been meaning to try this small restaurant for a while and finally got the chance! The place itself is quiet and cozy, and staff are all very accommodating and sweet. As soon as you walk in, they take care of everything! We ordered a premade course including banchan, japchae, kimchi, and samgyetang. Separately, we tried their wagyu as well. The banchan and kimchi were soooo delicious, truly the best I have ever tried! I especially loved the sweet little fish, the seaweed, and of course the cabbage kimchi!! Everything was displayed so thoughtfully as it came, and cleaned up as soon as we finished! Served last, their samgyetang was the star of the show! The taste was so home-y and it warmed me from the inside out. The broth was so savory and tasty, it was perfect for the cold weather! I highly recommend this restaurant if you're looking for a more upscale dining experience! read more

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This spot is still quite new so I'm giving them some grace on the occasional awkward service. The table set up is a bit cramped and hard to fit everything on the table. This isn't a fast casual spot but meant to be a family style meal that crosses over with fine dining. The food itself was really good. Everything we ate was tasty and there weren't any misses. The price is quite high but we got the highest tier and got to try just about everything they offered. I'm surprised with how much food came with the set. There were at least 10 different small plates. My favorites were the seafood (marinated raw shrimp and scallop), kalbitang, and samgyetang. I honestly think the price is reasonable for the amount of food and care that they provide. If I were to go back, I would probably do the mid tier just bc it was too much food for me to finish. The Samgyetang is a light chicken soup that might not be for everyone so think they mellowed out the ginseng flavor since it might turn off some people. Overall would come again and recommend it to others to try a more homey tasting Korean meal. There's a variety of different flavors in Korean cuisine and glad this spot has been added to the Boston area! read more

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While I enjoyed my overall experience at Iru, I cannot say that I would come back or recommend it to others. I have had samgyetang in Korea before and this experience was quite different in presentation, taste, and cost. While I understand that the origins of this restaurant are Japanese, the extent of the difference was not worth it to me. I enjoyed the banchan, particularly the seaweed tsukudani and the napa cabbage and radish kimchis. The cucumber kimchi was ok and the namul sets did not stand out to me, neither did the japchae. My favorite parts of the meal were the scallops, kalbi, and bulgogi. If I were ever to return these would be the dishes I'd try again. I appreciated that for the shrimp we were provided gloves, and while the texture was not quite for me I could appreciate that the flavors on it were very good. I had come in hoping to try the chive pancakes, but the menu had changed to include mung bean pancake and it did not stand out to me. The samgyetang itself also was nothing special, it tasted like a simple chicken soup. I could not taste the ginseng and barely got any rice. I just do not think I could justify coming back to spend $28 on a simple chicken soup. Our experience being served was also very slow, it felt like they brought out the soup and left us for 30 minutes while it sat there before they came and turned up the heat to proper serving temperature. They specifically said they would come back to serve it, so after waiting so long we were confused if we had misheard. My water cup was refilled maybe once or twice, and it seemed only 1 of the 3 servers were really paying attention to the patrons, walking around refilling water, and serving up the soup. It was a relatively small restaurant, with nice warm lighting and intimate vibes. read more

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I had really wanted to try to this place for awhile. A reservation on the weekend at a normal time needs to be booked far in advance. I got their toku set menu. They started off with banchan, which were done super well. They were all eloquently balanced with flavor and freshness. It definitely felt more elevated compared to the banchan from other Korean establishments. The marinated shrimp, scallop and japchae came next. The japchae and scallop were my favorite bites of the night. Then there were 2 meat dishes, pancake and then finally the chicken soup. The chicken soup was also very good and had so much flavor. I would come back again for the banchan, japchae and chicken soup again. I do have a few criticisms on the meal. For a set meal, I don't think it was present in the most enjoyable order. The pancake came in right before the final dish of the chicken soup. The flavor and texture wasn't very good and felt so out of place as everything else was so well done. If it was brought way earlier, I wouldn't have a second thought on it. But it felt off putting being the second to last dish. Also we were a bit thrown off by just the pacing of everything. You would think that you eat the banchan along with your mains, but it more felt like you needed to finish them sooner given the limited table space. The last thing is the chicken soup is brought way too late into the meal. It's essentially the main part of the meal, but is brought in last after you finish most things. I'm a big guy and can eat a lot, but I was full by the time it came out. Despite what I wrote above, the food was amazing and so eloquently made and presented. read more

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My partner and I got the Toku prix fixe menu w bossam (pork belly) and kalbi chim (short rib), and The Citrus One sake - TASTE: 5/5 - so many highlights from the banchan, including the salty myeolchi bokkeum (dried anchovies), strong radish kimchi, and seaweed tsukudani. Loved the tasty braised kalbi chim, sweet shrimp, and sesame oil-y japchae TEXTURE: 5/5 - crisp bean sprouts and thinly sliced cucumbers, fatty bossam, tender scallops, chewy bindaetteok (pancake), and comforting Park Sam Soon samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) PRICE: 4/5 - thought the $80 Toku set was worth it! And appreciated the other menu options available SERVING SIZE: 5/5 - didn't realize how much food would come out lol. Got full even before the samgyetang, aka the final dish and star of the show lol, was served SERVICE: 5/5 - my partner had secured the Friday night reservation via Resy. Once at Iru, truly everyone, including chef Hajime, was so kind, helpful, and attentive! Glad to learn more about the original Iru locations in Japan and their Michelin recognition ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - smaller, intimate space w limited seating and simple decor PARKING: 4/5 - got a metered street spot right on Washington St read more

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My partner heard about Iru through social media and made us the reservation so I had zero idea of what to expect. Right off the bat I was impressed by the space. It's simply decorated but still feels warm and intimate. For food, we didn't go for their signature samyetang and instead opted for a few of their other dishes. The person taking our order even asked, "You don't want the samyetang?", which made us feel like we messed up. Between the two of us we got the Chive Pancake, Japche, two of the Yannyong Scallops, and Kalbi Chim. This was definitely more than enough food. The Chive Pancake was the last to come, and at that point I think we could've just done without it entirely. The Scallops and Japche were my favorites. I particularly enjoyed the texture and flavor of the Scallops. I will note that we originally ordered the Bulgogi, not the Kalbi. The person taking our order even read it back to us to confirm everything was right. When the Kalbi came, we only realized after they set it down, but it looked and smelled good so we accepted it anyways. I wish I could give 4.5 stars but I did really end up enjoying the meal. Service overall was good and our water cups were never left empty. I would definitely come back to try their signature dish. read more

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Only come here if you have a lot of time. It been over an hour and we still haven't gotten our main meal. The price for all the banchan/side dishes is not worth it. The chives pancake is terrible. They work on the bigger tables first and then service the table with less people. It was not base on your arrival time. Very disappointed paying $80/person for this. read more

Iru Brookline - Inedible chive pancake - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

We went to Iru on May 20 and we were very excited after seeing on the Instagram hype on the restaurant. We looked at the menu online and had a game plan in mind but when we went there we were surprised they only had an option for omakase. If you want the ala carte menu you had to sit at the bar but you cannot order their signature Samgyetang so we had to pick the omakase option. It comes with the option of $60 dollar per person for some side dishes and the Samgyetang. $70 dollar per person for 10 side dishes, scallops or shrimp (1 per person) and Galbi or Bulgogi (1 per group). $80 dollar per person for more side dishes, some of the other dishes, and a chive or seafood pancake. We picked the $70 dollar option because we heard that the Galbi was very good. The 9 side dishes were roasted anchovies, 3 types of kimchi (regular, radish, and cucumber), kelp, roasted seaweed, spinach, bean sprouts, regular cucumber, and the japchae. 9 side dishes: 3/5 The shrimp was similar to a sushi sweet shrimp and they provide gloves so you don't get your hands messy. Shrimp: 3/5 The samgyetang is their signature dish and we had very high expectation. At the end of the day it's a clean chicken broth that is good. The chicken was tender and the soup had some flavor with the sticky rice but it did not match the hype we expected. Samgyetang:2/5 Surprisingly enough we enjoyed their galbi more than their signature dish. The short rib was very tender in a flavorful broth/stew. 4/5 House lemonade soda was refreshing and we saw it made from scratch. 3/5 The atmosphere and service was great and high quality but for the food itself it did not match it. The employees will take your coat, open the door for you, and have small conversations with you as they break down the chicken for you in the Samgyetang. Overall we were disappointed and our expectations were not fulfilled. They charged $60, $70, $80 dollars per person but you get the same amount of food. Everything is made from scratch but not from scratch before you order. They already prepared the meals and it is ready to be brought at to your table instantly. I do not believe it's worth coming to Iru at the moment because the omakase feels like a scam. If they have the previous menu where you can individually pick each menu item it would be more worth. It feels like I'm paying for the michelin star recognition more than the actual food. read more

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Really enjoyed my experience at Iru! It can be quite expensive overall, and I think it's hard to compare this to what you can get in LA and in Korea -- honestly, I think a lot of people often say their culture's food is going to be the best where home is, so that's a given. I think if you're coming here to compare this to what you can get back in Korea or ktown in LA, you may be disappointed. However, I think for Boston, this is a great spot to experience authentic Korean home food, especially since this is a reflection of the owner's upbringing and he shares dishes inspired by his mother, which I think is so sweet. The service is spectacular -- they really take care of you and help break up the stuffed chicken in the samgyetang, which is what Iru is known for. The sets are great for folks to experience majority of the banchan/side dishes, some entrees, and such. I think the Toku set is quite filling, so I'd go for the lower priced sets personally. You also can come just to have the samgyetang à la carte but it requires a two person minimum at $25 per person so that's also a great option if you don't want to do the sets. Overall ambiance is very homey and comforting! read more

New small and intimate Korean restaurant in Brookline Village that has been open for about a month. Simple and cozy interior accompanied by some background music. We were immediately greeted when we arrived and they had a rack to hang up your coat. We were initially seated at one of the smaller tables, but then they moved us to a 4 person table after we selected their last Omakase option (comes with the most dishes). The restaurant has limited seating since it's in a small space, but it wasn't full on this Tuesday evening after Labor Day. All 3 of their omakase options include banchan (normally they are side dishes that accompany a meal and are "free"), but here they were included as their own dishes. They had 9 banchan of which 3 were kimchi based, and then there was a dried seaweed, spinach, etc. The banchan were fresh, but didn't seem like they underwent much fermentation so the flavors weren't quite there. The beansprouts were crunchy and only seasoned with sesame oil and sesame seeds so it was a bit bland to us (other variations tend to include scallion and garlic for more flavor). We ordered the most expensive Omakase option and we selected the seafood pancake (didn't come sliced, was bland, and seemed a bit soggy - didn't get crispy). We also got the galbi tang soup which was extremely rich and fatty (lots of umami, but too fatty for me). Japchae was alright but nothing out of the ordinary, finally we got the ginseng chicken soup which is their signature dish. They heat it up at the table in front of you, and then take the chicken apart. Inside the chicken is a sweet glutinous rice which they mix into the soup once the chicken has been separated. Goji berries are sprinkled on the top to add a freshness to the soup. Overall it was a solid chicken soup, but I felt like regular white rice would've paired better than the sticky rice. The service was great filled with small talk during certain intervals like when they were preparing the chicken, and our cups were constantly attended to (never have to ask for water). I also tried the corn tea which was fermented and had a strong bitter more medicinal taste. Overall the food is light and bears on the healthy side, but seemed to lack flavor and creativity. The chef follows recipes from her mother which are rooted in traditional rural Korean dishes. I also agree with some of the other reviewers who mentioned that having banchan as part of the actual dishes seemed a bit off. I wouldn't rush back, but glad I got to check it out. read more

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Wow! First of all everyone was so nice when I ran in asking if there might possibly be a table for two at 530 pm on a Saturday- I knew it was a long shot. They were able to accommodate us at the bar in 30 min- with a saved chicken soup. It felt like we won the lottery! The soup was delicious but the banchan were out of this world- esp recommend the house favorites. My son said the bulgogi was the best he ever had. We had a lovely time talking with our waiter- a memorable evening. I will be back and will recommend Iru to friends . read more

Delicious food and wonderful service! A new restaurant in Brookline, and was lucky enough to grab a reservation for their official first day. The samgaetang (a korean soup with chicken stuffed with sticky rice, dates, and korean ginseng, elevated with goji berries here) is warming, perfectly seasoned, and enjoyable to eat especially on a rainy day. Made me very nostalgic as it is a soup I grew up eating. They do charge pp for the soup, and it ended up being perfectly portioned for the two of us. While I'm typically not a fan of paying for banchan, we did splurge on a side of kimchi which was delicious. From the Park's table menu section we ordered a seafood pancake, which was heavy on the onions and chives. Overall would return for some delicious soup! read more

I was so excited to try this place. I love korean bbq so when I saw a korean omakase style restaurant open up I was thrilled. Everything tasted good for the most part but we paid $80 for the "14 course" omakase and I just truly did not feel like it was worth the cost at all. Calling a tiny side of kimchi or seaweed a course is kind of laughable in my opinion. Banchan are small side dishes that are an essential part of korean cuisine, typically served alongside rice and other main dishes. But here- they're considered an omakase course. I've had many omakase dinners before, mostly at higher end places and while the portions were small for each course they were substantial, not banchan. If the cost for what we got was $50 pp it would have been a lot more reasonable. read more

Iru Brookline - Samgyetang - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I visited Iru with three others, and we all went for the large tasting menu. If you're looking for an immersive Korean dining experience, this is the the way to go. The kitchen sends out waves of small plates, each one perfect for sharing. The variety alone makes it wonderful. A few standouts for me were the anchovy dish, the seaweed, and the short rib. Each had its own distinct flavor profile, and nothing felt repetitive. There's a lot of food, so definitely come hungry. Just when we thought we couldn't eat another bite, the servers brought out their house specialty: samgyetang, a ginseng chicken soup. They finish it right at the table, boiling the broth and breaking down the whole chicken in front of you. Honestly, if (when) I go back, I'd probably just order the samgyetang and a couple of sides. Plenty of food. Service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. It seemed fast, but we were there for almost two hours. If you enjoy Korean food, variety, and sharing with your table, Iru is worth a visit. read more

If you're hoping for an authentic Korean samgyetang this is not quite it. The seasoning of the banchan is very mild, which my mom appreciated, but most Koreans would find it underseasoned. The kimchis were disappointing, and for a dish like samgyetang it's such a crucial piece! The japchae was pretty good though. The samgyetang itself was tasty but did not have a deep flavor. You have to ask for salt/pepper separately. They take apart the chicken for you which is helpful if you're unfamiliar with the dish, but for my mom and I we found it left lots of small bone pieces in the broth and agreed we would've been better off doing it ourselves. The samgyetang has goji berries which I've never seen before and thought it was an interesting dimension to the flavor. I enjoyed the experience but for the price you're better off going to a traditional Korean restaurant. read more

I had wanted to try Iru for a long time and we finally did. Did I leave satisfied? I left feeling full, but my expectations were quite high, and unfortunately, they were not met. We had a lower tiered set, which included all the banchan, one piece of shrimp and scallop, and one pot of samgyetang to share. The service was fast and attentive, the atmosphere was clean and comfortable - although the tables could be bigger to accommodate the sheer quantity of dishes! First, the banchan was too bland. They served the samgyetang last, which was odd. I like having banchan to accompany my main meal. It was almost like banchan was an appetizer (this was not explained)? We loved the raw components of the banchan, which makes me think that perhaps the Japanese style of this restaurant was stronger than its Korean. Anyway, when we tasted the broken down chicken and soup - it was tasty, clean, and comforting, but lacked chicken flavor and of course - ginseng. I thought this was the biggest contributor to the price. Alas, it was barely a pinky size piece found smushed against the carcass. For the price of $60 per person, I expected a bit more. I wanted more zing to my kimchi, which would refresh my palate from the savory broth. I wanted a little spice to the radish, which would wake up my palate from all the super mild side dishes. The price did not justify for the banchan ($25 for 1 samgyetang a la carte, $120 for the set. This means the banchan is $70 since we only had 1 chicken soup for the table!) This concludes that I would not hurry back or recommend highly to others, but it was a good attempt and the service was amazing. read more

if i could give iru more than five stars, i would! this was genuinely one of the most incredible dining experiences I've ever had. the staff was patient and kind and answered all of our questions. the restaurant itself is beautiful and the atmosphere was perfect. while it is a smaller space, i didn't feel like we were on top of the tables around us and we were able to converse freely without bothering anyone else. the main attraction is, of course, the food. my friends and i ordered the lowest tier of the set menu, along with an order of the bulgogi and the bossam. the banchan was incredible and the dishes were the best i've ever had at any of the korean places i've been to. but my favorite part was the samgyetang. for what could be a very simple chicken soup, iru's samgyetang blew me away. it was well flavored and hearty and while i know samgyetang is typically sought after on the hottest of summer days in korea, it was such a comforting meal on a chilly evening in october. i can't wait to come back again!! read more

Might be one of the most memorable meals this year. The bosom melts in your mouth the perfect about of texture and chew. The Kalbi and bugolgi has rich aromas of sweet onion and cooked perfectly. The pickles were fresh and the Banchan was all house made. Highly recommended read more

We thought Iru was great. The food was delicious and we loved our server. I understand what others have said about value - yes, you can get Korean food that tastes this good at a cheaper place (some of the best I've had was at a Korean spa in suburban Chicago), but that's true of just about any upscale restaurant. We loved our experience and thought it made for a fun and delicious special occasion dinner. read more

Was very frustrated with this place. The cost to value is just so incredibly out of whack that it can't not be mentioned. The main soup is reasonably good but it wasn't special. It was chicken soup. Not much more. It's bland, you can't taste any of the comfort components to it like the ginger root or the supposed Korean dates. At the end of the day it's kind of normal chicken soup. And guess what, it's $28 per person. If you go with 3 people it's $84 for chicken soup and you're not even getting any different portion than a 2 person soup. The other dishes are small, like the japchae for example. It's going to be a popular place but surely a lot of people will be walking out feeling the same and ultimately this is unsustainable. 28/person for chicken soup is one of the very craziest things I've ever heard of at a restaurant. And on top of that we all left and were starving an hour later. Careful because the influencers are about to make a big fuss about the place as that's the new model. Don't have to take my word though try it out. read more