Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Maru

    4.1 (49 reviews)
    ModerateKorean, Asian Fusion
    Open 11:30 am - 11:00 pm

    Maru Photos

    MARU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Maru

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Kelly C.

    Yummy. Got the spicy pork which was a good size portion and very tasty and came with three sides. Also tried the chive pancakes which were yummy, a little greasy but I still enjoyed them. Cool vibe and friendly service.

    Mary A.

    I'm surprised it's taken me this long to try Maru when it's so good ! All I can say is yummm. Good variety of Korean dishes with reasonable pricing. They offer Korean bbq upstairs too! There was a queue when we tried getting a table but they seated us very fast. Our waiter was helpful and attentive as well. Sad part is: finding parking since it's in the heart of the city. I love how they give you your own bottle of sauce for your bibimbap so you can control how saucy you want it. The boneless sweet chili fried chicken with melted cheese is so good too - I nearly finished the whole plate myself!

    Jonathan L.

    Came here with a few of my med school friends and the food was really good! We bought one of the package dinners which costs 60 dollars and there was A LOT of food. It easily fed the three of us and could have fed a 4th. The meat was really good quality and I think think the prices are one of the most reasonable compared to other Korean restaurants in Brisbane. Overall, the service is decent with fairly priced food.

    Seafood Pancake
    Tammy L.

    My first impression was that Maru's interior is a bit dark, but is sleek and very 'modern Korean,' and nicely tucked away on the second floor on Elizabeth street. Wowie, it was packed on a Thursday night! Well, to be fair, it was "shopping night." I was greeted by a friendly waitress who quickly led us to our table, which I had just reserved that same night. (I don't know many places that reserve on the same night) The service was incredibly speedy, as they brought out our first dish (dumplings) and sides. I'm not sure if it was the fact that we didn't look experienced at Korean bbq, but the throughout the night, waiters and waitresses kept coming around to help us grill the meat... The seafood pancake was delicious and packed with enoki mushrooms, leek, oysters, and octopus! It was pretty awesome, as I wasn't expecting them to be so generous with ingredients. The korean barbeque came promptly- and they even bothered with presentation! I was quite impressed. Interior decor and presentation is all fine and dandy, but taste is always most important, and the flavors were excellent! The meats were marinated quite well, though got to be a little salty without any rice. The table next to us got the spicy pork, which I definitely want to try next time! Nom nom nom. The food was so delicious and tasty and we ate till we both had food comas, then took a stroll home to watch Star Wars. Whata night. =) PS- the $10 lunch deals M-F are TOTALLY worth it! They give you quite a bit of meat in the bibimbap and the are pretty good portions for lunch!

    Bbq Pork Belly
    Chloe C.

    Maru is a restaurant that I always visit every time I come to Brisbane. They have a mix of Korean dishes, if you have a big party you're not sure where to go, this is the place for you, it definitely would satisfied everyone since it offers a little bit of everything (soup, bbq, bibimbap, fried chicken, noodles, different kinds of alcohol etc.) However I do found their stew in particular not very authentic. I had their soy bean stew before, and I was very disappointed... But other than that everything else is pretty delicious for example their omelette rice, definitely is a must try.

    Seafood pancake
    Melissa L.

    This is probably my favourite Korean eatery in the city. It gets super busy at lunch with the office crowd, so if you can, come in early or after 1pm to avoid the queue. The meals are well priced with plenty of options and the pancakes always come out crispy.

    Kamjatang - Pork bone soup
    Jessa E.

    I'm from Toronto & I've been to Seoul so I've eaten a great deal amount of Korean food (I'm a huge fan). It's always been a comfort food for me, and in Brisbane, I needed just that. Ambience A lot of families/friends sit together during lunch time so it can get quiet busy. Apparently there's a KBBQ level, but I didn't go there. The place is spacious. Don't feel awkward, there are lone-rangers too eating too! Staff They were very nice. The place was busy so I can understand the struggle, but I wish I was given a glass of water on the get-go. I had to ask, but they were very nice about it. Food This one's a 2.5 for me. I ordered Kamjatang (pork bone soup). The sides were nice. I believe you get three. Tofu was on the fishy side or may be it was just me, but I wasn't crazy about it. Then this white one that was nice. The kimchi, however, took the cake. I loved it! Now, the soup itself. It wasn't as I was hoping it would be. It was nice to eat while hungry or hungover but it's definitely not as good as in Toronto -where you virtually pay almost half the cost. Aesthetically, it looked good though ! Price May be it's an Aussie or Brisbane, or this particular restaurant's prime location, but back in Toronto, we pay less and get more sensational flavours (given you go to the right place).

    Little red button by my sunglasses calls for service. Don't be afraid to press it!
    Frank A.

    I must be crazy. The menu clearly denoted "VERY Spicy Cold Noodle" (yes it capitalized the VERY) and even the waitress warned me one last time that the noodles were VERY spicy. However, when I see something like that on a menu, I take it as a challenge to my manliness. No food can possibly topple me! Yeah that all sounded great in my head before I got to the end of this delicious dish. By that point, I was cursing my bravado and my lips were starting to numb. However, no matter how I tried, I really just could not stop eating! The noodles (buckwheat I believe?) were nice and chewy and they even provided me a pair of scissors in case I wanted to cut through them to make it a bit more manageable. The highlight of this meal though had to be the thick red sauce which comprised of a variety of flavors: sweet, tangy, slightly salty and above all spicy! Mixed into this concoction were a couple beef pieces, sliced cucumber and topped off with half a hard-boiled egg. The meal also included 3 side dishes: bean curd, kimchi and macaroni salad. I have to say I was not a fan of the macaroni salad but the two former sides were pretty decent and complemented the meal quite well. I quite enjoyed my experience at this little place and would happily come back again to try some other stuff like the slew of jjigae (tofu soup) that I saw plastered on the wall menu near the entrance.

    Platter A on the left, platter B on the right.
    Alex H.

    Maru is a decent KBBQ, but it didn't leave me in a state of awe. I came with a large group, and we ordered Platters A and B to split. The sides were ok, the kimchi very good, and the service present, but not impressively attentive, as it was hard to track down enough utensils, water, and rice for everyone. The cuts of meat that my group got were fairly good. Sauces and flavorings were not as wonderful as I've come to expect at a KBBQ, but not bad. In all, Maru was an okay dining experience. Not my new favorite, but I wouldn't be against coming back.

    Marci K.

    I'm either spoiled with LA Korean food or just have higher standards than most who visit this restaurant. I ordered the seafood soondubu and it was watery and lacking ingredients, with the exception of onions. In fact, onions dominated this jjigae. Weak panchan dishes - only 3 varieties (kimchi, rice cake, and a namul covered in mayo). Extra fee charged for credit card transactions. I'll keep looking for a decent Korean restaurant in Brisbane.

    clear stir-fried noodles

    I have eaten here more times than I can count. Their menu is like 10,000 pages long so there is something delicious for every one. Do not be overwhelmed..below are a few dishes I typically always order...order a few of these and you'll be set: 1. spicy chicken bimbimbap (not authentic? who cares..it's the most flavorsome bimbimbap ever invented.) 2. japchae (stir-fried clear noodles) - nice noodle dish to accompany all the rest of the dishes that are eaten with rice 3. kimchi/chive pancake - there aren't really any green/veggie dishes per se so I usually order this as my "veggie dish" (although to be honest this is just another yummy main dish and can be eaten alone) 4. Any of the BBQ combos - this is a Korean BBQ joint after all...my favorite cuts are the wagyu cube or chuck eye roll..melt in your mouth delicious Maru is great value for money. They even have a happy hour menu (daily from 9-10pm) where certain items are half-priced! AND to top it off, they are BYO! Also, side note: Look out for the K-Pop videos streaming on their tvs..always super entertaining. This place is big, loud and busy on weekends...if you're looking for a fun, funky place that serves amazing food, this is the spot!

    See all

    15 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bell P.
    9
    39
    16

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Absolute staple, curry chicken bibimbap is half my body weight now. Beef taretare also is decent

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mary A.
    40
    126
    880

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Quality and delicious food. Ambience is impressive and great location. Thanks for wonderful experience!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of T. M.
    26
    8
    0

    3 years ago

    food decent, soup was the best! the service was excellent

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dan M.
    1240
    764
    2896

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Marci K.
    17
    69
    14

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joel A.
    2
    24
    11

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Denny J.
    18
    56
    38

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Craving soft tofu soup and this place hit the spot. Happened to be right across the street from my hotel. Bonus!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Stephanie A.
    17
    393
    406

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nick B.
    21
    12
    0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Maru Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Maru

    m. The food was so delicious and tasty and we ate till we both had food comas, then took a stroll home to watch Star War

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Korean 1,047 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Longtime - Pork Gyozas

    Longtime

    4.4(43 reviews)
    1.4 kmFortitude Valley
    $$$

    Great place. It is quite impressive with the size. Must seat a couple hundred people. Longtime was…read morequite full and service didn't miss a beat. Service 5/5. Atmosphere 4.5/5 We ordered: - Crispy Duck Pancakes served with house made hoisin sauce, thin little wrappers, cucumber and green onions. They arrived in a Birdcage!!! It was quite cute. A first in our lives. They were very good, not the best I have had but up there. The duck slices seemed to have been fried(maybe not) and that was a first also. We split the 6 between the 2 of us and were happy. The Hoisin sauce was awesome. - Pan Fried Pork and Coriander Gyozas served with a soy/vinegar dipping sauce and another sauce that is normally reserved for veggie rolls but was pretty good on the gyozas. Some of the best of the trip. Perfect little browning on the dumplings and the pork had a great taste. Food 4.5/5 Highly recommend.

    This is for the LONGTIME YUM CHA (Dim Sum) on 250 Edward St Brisbane. It's inside the Queen's…read morePlaza mall/arcade upstairs to Chanel & Gucci. The food was amazingly fresh and huge portions of had the haw gao & dumpling with scallop shrimp as well as the corn crab soup. WOW the food was absolutely tasty. Had the Lucky Lady mocktail and it was yummy with the lychee. Love the ambiance of this place just exudes sexiness and discretion. Located in high street location so you can shop and have a spot of tea snack lunch dinner after shopping. MUST TRY place. Highly recommend.

    Photos
    Longtime
    Longtime - Seafood delish

    Seafood delish

    Longtime

    See all

    Little Singapore

    Little Singapore

    3.6(30 reviews)
    0.1 kmCBD
    $

    I'm easily persuaded. Yesterday afternoon, within 10 steps of leaving work, hubby had successfully…read moreconvinced me we should eat dinner out. Little Singapore is tucked into the Albert Lane, er, laneway. If you're heading up from Elizabeth Street, stick to the right, and head in just before Kathmandu. It's on the right, between Sushi Sushi and something akin to General Clothing Co. It's table service (at least it is for dinner), so just plonk down into one of their high backs and start browsing. Ambience *** The restaurant is blockaded by glass panelling so you can be sure you're corraled into the correct place. Marble tabletops, dark wood chair legs and cream leather cushions on the seats indicate that when this place first opened, it was immaculate. Now, well, it still has a swish groovy feeling, but you know its starting to wear. The kitchen is open; you can watch your chefs with their funky hats on cook your meal if you're sitting close enough, which would be good, except they need a uniform upgrade, they're looking a bit shabby for an open kitchen. There's a sauce station near the cashier, where you can help yourself to a multitude of spicy or mild options. I couldn't hear any music, and no doubt because half the restaurant is open-air, where the other half is a little dark and intimate. I prefer my air fresh and my people watching unobstructed, so we sat 'outside'. This restaurant is group friendly and family friendly, so if you've got rugrats, feel free to bring them in. Service ***** Our waitress was very welcoming and accommodating. Her english was good enough to understand me when I asked what some of the items were as they were not in English. Also upon asking if I could substitute the seafood in my meal for chicken she was very happy to organise that for me (yay!). The staff, all Asian, work happily around each other judging by their regular smiles. There are plenty of wait staff on at dinner time; you only need to raise your eyes toward one of them and they'll come straight away to take your order or answer a question. The cashier at the end of the meal was just as nice and smiling as the waitress, and I was happy to tip for our meal (I don't auto-tip). Food *** I'm not sure if the menu has changed since I was last here - maybe, maybe not - but it does seem reduced from what I remember (or think I do!). Check it out on their website, under the 'Uptown' menu, but I'm almost 100% there used to be more variety. I ordered the... bugger, I've forgotten... Char Kway Teow, with chicken, and hubby the Beef and Blackbean Chow Mein. We also ordered frappes ($5 each), him the mango and me the strawberry (see photos). They were MASSIVE. I couldn't find a measurement on the cupware, but good lord, they were huge! I was expecting half of what we received - for the same price you'd get much less at Coffee Club! The flavour was okay, I couldn't put my finger on it at first, but I realised halfway through dinner that mine tasted like (okay, stick with me here) strawberry jelly crystals. If you were ever a jelly crystal eating kid, you will know what I mean. It was definitely strawberry flavoured, with these little bubbles of flavour which burst into your mouth, and there was evidence of some fruit pulp/ seed in the frappe, but I wouldn't hesitate to say there's a good bunch of artificial flavouring in them, too. The food came out fairly quickly after the frappes, hubby's first, and I kind of cocked my head at the sight of the button mushrooms. Now, I'm no Singaporean cook, and I'm quite likely wrong, but I've never seen mushrooms in a beef and blackbean before. On the other hand, my dish looked and tasted spot on, with bean sprouts, flat noodles, and a GOOD portion of chicken tossed in. My only gripe with my meal was that it was way too big. I brought the doggie bag (yes they do) to work for lunch today. Yum! Additional notes VERY IMPORTANT! This venue is CASH ONLY. There are ATMs back out on Albert Street, just turn right and head up to the NAB ATMs (of which there are 3). Also, Little Singapore's trading hours, according to the sign on the window, says its open til at least 10pm every night. I'm not going to guarantee that, but if you are out late having a good night, might be worth a pop-in for a pre 'sleep-off-the-impending-hangover' meal. This restaurant could make a better profit by cutting down portions. I might be sounding racist, and if I am, I don't mean to offend, but I can't tell if Asian restaurants have become accustomed to serving larger portions to deal with Western appetites or whether these are normal portion sizes. Almost every Chinese, Thai, Viet eatery I've been to, I haven't been able to finish my meal. And I hate wasting food. Charge more, or serve less. Hubby and I could have easily shared one plate if we'd had an appetiser to share as well.

    Ordered beef brisket rice, chicken rice, egg ho fun and fried chicken with curry sauce and fried…read morerice. All good except fried chicken. Thought it would be Marryland chicken thigh instead chicken breast with some sort of fried battered. In fact it is the same fried battered they used in buffet take away. Not recommended. This dish needs a bit more innovation. Drinks are good and big. Similar to Chatime drinks.

    Photos
    Little Singapore
    Little Singapore - Monster frappes with odd little 'flavour beads'.

    Monster frappes with odd little 'flavour beads'.

    Little Singapore - 味道不错,一个AUD14.5,另一个AUD13.5。厨师和招待都是二十几岁的姑娘小伙,工作认真,值得称赞!

    See all

    味道不错,一个AUD14.5,另一个AUD13.5。厨师和招待都是二十几岁的姑娘小伙,工作认真,值得称赞!

    Panda Brisbane - Spicy chili chicken!!

    Panda Brisbane

    3.5(2 reviews)
    0.1 kmCBD

    Really great experience here! The options where all Fantastic looking but I decided to go with the…read morespicy chili chicken, and it was so good! The Service was very good and all the employees were extremely nice and easy to talk to you! Also a very friendly staff! I would highly recommend this place if you're looking for some very good Korean food in the area. A note though the portions are very large so I'd recommend sharing!

    I decided to take a chance and eat at this Korean style restaurant. It had a teenage quality to it,…read moreK-Pop and similar music videos playing on the screen and most patrons were 25 years and younger. I ordered the black bean noodles called Ja Jang Mein based on the pictures on the menu and a drink. The food came out quickly and I was already disappointed that they served yellow pickles called Danmuji instead of kimchi. The noodles were fine but the sauce had too much chopped onions and not enough sauce. The sauce was on the watery side and I didn't finish the dish. Credit cards are only accepted if you spend more than 20 AUD and a small sign appears on the register proclaiming this. Overall, I probably picked the wrong dish and perhaps I should have selected wiser with my dinner selection. If given the opportunity, I would visit other Korean restaurants since there are many on Elizabeth Street and on St. Charles.

    Photos
    Panda Brisbane - Brown bean noodles

    Brown bean noodles

    Panda Brisbane - Water available at this restaurant

    Water available at this restaurant

    Panda Brisbane - Yellow pickle

    See all

    Yellow pickle

    Saké

    Saké

    4.1(67 reviews)
    0.4 kmCBD
    $$$

    Updating my review as I have been here several times now and it has easily become one of my…read morefavorite restaurants. The service from my first experience has increased tremendously. My most recent visit was for my birthday last month. Its hard celebrating being away from family and friends but the staff truly made me feel special. They went above and beyond to always check up on me and make sure I was enjoying the entire evening. I even chatted with one of the waitresses for awhile during one of the slow periods which made for a very lovely dinner. I decided to get the Také No Hana for my birthday. There were so many courses that I barely finished all my food. My favorites definitely were the nori crisps, hiramasa kingfish, and miso caramelized 'glacier 51' toothfish. All of the flavors, seasonings, sauces and ingredients were so perfectly put together. Fantastic experience and amazing service during the visit. Also a tip - if you're driving up from Gold Coast you can park near Kangaroo Point and take the free boat over to Eagle St Pier to avoid the pricey parking.

    Waitress super friendly and helpful. Asked the chef where each type of fish comes from. Seeing we…read moreare hesitated on the restaurant choice, she provided an overview of restaurants nearby. At the end of the dinner, she wrote us a list of weekend places to visit. Also. The sashimi is SUPER fresh! Fresher than some of the top sashimi I've had in Tokyo! They melt in your mouth.

    Photos
    Saké - Mushroom side with cauliflower

    Mushroom side with cauliflower

    Saké
    Saké

    See all

    Maru - korean - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...