Hanuri Korean Restaurant

Although we only sampled a tiny slice of Hanuri’s menu, we’re writing about it here to highlight how experientially different two small Korean restaurants can be despite their on-paper similarities. Over the course of a couple of weeks, we randomly came across both Hanuri in Garden Grove and Seoul Haus in Irvine when driving around their respective cities. At Seoul Haus, we were given all-text paper placemat menus with 33 options, while Hanuri handed out color menus with 43 options, showing each dish with a clear image of what to expect.

Each place focused on soups and stews, with only a single appetizer – mandu dumplings; entrees (also including meat plates, katsus, and cold noodles) were priced at an average of $20. For roughly the same price, we had spicy bibim maengmyeon cold noodles at each place; here, also regular beef naengmyeon in cold soup broth (rather than Seoul Haus’s pollack naengmyeon), both substantial and delicious portions. We initially ordered more (adding pork katsu) at Seoul Haus, yet Hanuri included more banchan side dishes (seven versus five) with our meal. Just like their more thoughtful menu design, Hanuri continued to extend wonderful hospitality throughout, while Seoul Haus’s staff basically disappeared after delivering our food.

Even when their sizes are similar, their menus options and execution are similar, and their staffing levels are similar, there is no such thing as a “typical Korean restaurant” here. Holding everything else contant, some are kinder and more generous than their guests than others, and that alone can be a factor meriting a revisit. We only experienced 1/20th of Hanuri’s menu on our first visit, but because of the way they treated us, we’ll be back again, and widely recommend that others do the same.