Review Arirang Korean Restaurant - Tampa

My wife and I stopped in for dinner. We enjoyed the friendly service, and home-style feel that other reviewers have mentioned. The owner and servers created a welcoming atmosphere. I removed one star for the following reason, the pricing is much higher than I would expect for a restaurant like this. For two people, only drinking water and dinner (after tip, 20%) exceeded $75. However, the food was very tasty and felt worth it. Still, I can't help but feel its a little too pricey.

What a wonderful experience! A limited, but very nice selection of Korean food, we got kimchi fried rice and the kimichi with beef, the later was different than any other Korean dish I’ve had before it came in a savory tomato sauce with just a touch of spice. We also got a kimchi pancake that was delightful. The homemade ginger tea was soothing and a little cinnamon tea after the meal was relaxing. The owners were vibrant and so hospitable and helpful. It was really a wonderful experience!

Don't judge the restaurant by the sign! It may be worse for wear, but the food and friendly service were wonderful! My wife enjoyed bibimbap in a stone bowl with bulgogi on top, and it was delicious. My galbi were tender and rich, and the pickles and kimchi were varied and delicious. I could taste the charcoal they were grilled over, which I was surprised at (never noticed it before. My kids are enjoying spicier foods, so a little gochujang makes everything better! Bottom line, it's great. Korean food is done of the best in the world, and you'll enjoy it here without a doubt.

What a great place! From ambiance to service to food! All 5 stars! My father wanted 3 Korean dishes. He had not had Korean food since 1978 and while on holiday visiting us, this was his request. After doing a Google search this was the only place that had all 3 dishes. So we drove 55 minutes and I am so glad we did! We were greeted warmly and promptly by the owners and seated straight away. Misook, the owner was lovely. She made us feel so welcomed. We ordered and food arrived quickly. It was all homemade and authentic. Just what my father was looking for. Misook made it a point to stop and chat with us all for a bit. After we paid our bill she hugged us all and thanked us. We of course thanked her back. This is a wonderful place for so many reasons and we will definitely come here again soon!! Thank you so much Misook for your hospitality , warmness and great food!

The food here was amazing! Large portions and really flavorful. The staff here are very good and courteous. Will come back again and again! 😋

Wow, wow, wow, wow! That is most of what I have to say about this place! Misook makes you feel like family and she is so sweet! Everyone who works there is so kind and attentive. The food is absolutely delicious and more flavorful than I expected it would be. My bf and I ate all around Korea last year and this food was reminiscent of all the delicious flavors. But seriously, if you are not a soup fan, this place will change your mind! I’m not the biggest fan of soup but I also really wanted to try the tteok mandu soup, and the broth was phenomenal and perfectly seasoned! The banchan were good and included a little potato salad which was unexpected but tasty! My bf and I also shared the big plate of yangmunung (sorry I forgot how it was spelled!) chicken and that was amazing as well! The chicken was crispy but tender and the spicy sweet sauce was perfect! The prices are high, but honestly the portions are shareable and we ended up taking a lot of our food home! We also got the mandu steamed and the meat also seasoned deliciously with a perfect balance of spices and green onion. Misook really knows her seasonings! As far as the decor goes, it’s nice and homey and reminded us of a lot the little family restaurants we frequented in Korea during our time there. UPDATE 1/31: My boyfriend and I returned a few months later when it was not busy and our food was a complete let down. I ended up getting the same soup, but it tasted reheated and stale. My bf ordered the jjamppong and it was okay at best. The banchan however, were awful and we did not end up eating them after tasting them. The potato salad was way too sweet like someone had dumped sugar in it accidentally. The kimchi was also too sweet and just didn’t have the spice that kimchi normally has, and the other dishes were just awful. :( We were disappointed by this experience but might try it one more time in hopes that it was just an off night. We did have amazing cinnamon tea that night though.

Very good Korean food. They are Korean, not Asian fusion. Nice selection of soup and noodle dishes.

The best Korean food we've found in the greater Tampa area. Excellent food and the service to match. Incredibly friendly staff.

The food here was so good! We got the kimchi pajeon, jajangmyeon, and chicken ginseng soup. So yummy! The owner was also super nice! Definitely recommend!

Everything my friends and I ate was delicious and the owner is absolutely delightful. Good place to end a nice day. 정말 감사해요🙏🙏

Incredible atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff, and phenomenal food. This restaurant is family owned and guests are treated like family. Did I mention the food is amazing with large portions. Def one of my South Tampa favs!

My family and I absolutely love this place. I would say that it is our favorite Korean restaurant in South Tampa, but it might just be our favorite restaurant, period. Korean Thanksgiving in October is a great time to sample lots of different foods as they make a nice buffet, but if you come on a regular day you can’t go wrong with the galbi or bulgogi.

Easily the best Korean restaurant in the Tampa Bay area. Misook, the owner is from Daegu and moved to the US just a few years ago. It's a very authentic Korean restaurant and the quality of meat is pretty good. The Bulgoggi and Japchae as well as the Bi Bim Bop are all very good. They also have Hite beer. There is no Korean BBQ here though- the traditional kind that is grilled on a table in front of you. Go early as it gets very very busy.

Small family restaurant. The best Korean food around. They even have an optional take out menu. Vegetarian friendly. This has become my favorite place for a treat meal. The inside is well taken care of too. Will be visiting again.

Excellent, authentic Korean food! Definitely one of the best of its kind in Tampa!

This was the kind of bulgogi I was hoping for. Staff was really nice. It's a small cozy restaurant. Will definitely be back.

Food was amazing and it is a family owned place...they are so friendly and check on you Everytime and will ask if there is anything needs to be added...I have added some pictures

I really enjoyed the food here. Everything tasted delicious and the food was cooked perfectly.