Alirang Korean Restaurant

Reviews

• Bta A.

  star star star star star 17 July 2026

  I normally go to the other alirang located in downtown ottawa, but this one also is good. They have a bbq on tables as well. The only problem I would mention is the smoke from bbq. They need to work on ventilation system, other than that everything looked perfect. They were quick to prepare the food and taking the order, it tasted delicious as always.

• Lojain M.

  star star star star star_border 17 July 2026

  Pretty good food for the prices listed! It doesnt beat other korean restaurants that i've been to, but it's something different to try.
  Note: their sides are a little different from what im used to!

• Jennifer P.

  star star star star star_border 9 July 2026

  I've been to the Alirang downtown on Nelson St before and enjoyed it, so I was thrilled to see that they opened a second location on Merivale Rd where Dick's Dairy Dip used to be. I went there for dinner with my mom and we both loved it.
  
  We arrived within 30 minutes of opening so it wasn't too busy, but by the time we left, there was a lineup out the door.
  
  We were greeted right away and asked if we were doing the Korean BBQ or just ordering regular dishes. Since we said we were going to order regular dishes, we got a booth at the back without a grill in the table. Tables with grills are at the front of the restaurant.
  
  They brought us menus and a pitcher of complimentary tea. It was some sort of roasted tea, either corn or rice, I'm not too sure. The tea was good, but I was a bit disappointed that the hot tea was served in a plastic pitcher. I'm always concerned about hot beverages in plastic because of the potential of dangerous chemicals from the plastic leaching into the drink. Thankfully, the glasses they gave us were made of real glass. So I poured the hot tea into the glasses as soon as I could.
  
  We shared the Seafood Pancake ($12.95) to start. Then I got the Bulgogi Bibimbap ($13.95) and my mom got the Beef Bulgogi ($15.95).
  
  The Seafood Pancake was thinner than I'm used to, but still good. The only seafood I tasted was shrimp, so not sure if other seafood was in it. It also had onions and bell peppers. It was a bit too greasy for my liking, but still tasty.
  
  I really enjoyed my Bulgogi Bibimbap. It had lean and tender pieces of beef bulgogi, sliced shiitake mushrooms, julienned zucchini, carrots and potatoes, and a fried egg, all on top of a bed of rice. It was served in a hot stone bowl, so my meal stayed hot the whole time I was eating it. The accompanying hot sauce was also good. I added a bit to my bowl and it enhanced the flavour nicely. It's definitely one of the best bibimbaps I've had.
  
  My mom enjoyed her beef bulgogi, except she felt it was a tad too salty. Her dish was served on a hot stone plate. I noticed a lot of oil at the bottom of the plate, and my mom said that pieces of meat at the bottom of the pile were very oily. In addition to beef, there were also mushrooms and onions in the dish, and it came with a portion of white rice.
  
  They gave us 3 banchan dishes: bean sprouts, potatoes, and kimchi. I didn't have any bean sprouts because they contained sesame seeds, but I ate the other 2. The potatoes were deep fried then tossed in a sweet sauce, but were served cold. They were ok, but not something I would order. The kimchi was on the mild side, which I liked. It wasn't too pungent nor too spicy.  
  
  Service was very courteous and friendly. They came to our table to take our order, and checked up on us once to see if we were enjoying our meal. There is a call button on the wall, if you need service, but we didn't have to use it. When you are done, you pay at the cash register. It's helpful to remember your table number (the sticker is on the corner of your table). If you pay cash you get a 10% discount.
  
  Overall, very tasty food, good service, and the restaurant is neat and clean looking.
  
  There is free parking along the front, side and behind the building.

• Christine L.

  star star star star star_border 9 July 2026

  This location of Alirang takes over the former Dick's. It is nicely redecorated with Asian frames and details. I went for lunch and found the place pretty full.
  
  I ordered the Gamgatang (pork stew) with potatoes. It came with three banchan (Korean sides) of bean sprouts in sesame oil, sweet potatoes and kimchi and a bowl of rice. There was lots of meat on the bones and the sides were the right complement. Korean tea is complimentary as well.
  
  Definitely a nice addition to the neighbourhood. The place is not huge but could seat a few medium size groups.

• Amy N.

  star star star star star_border 29 June 2026

  This is the (New) 2nd location in Ottawa that Alirang has located on Merivale Rd.
  
  The one downtown I LOVE but living in Barrhaven - it is quite the drive so I was pretty excited to have one closer to home.
  
  The downtown location? Always always has a line up and is packed.
  This location? Still a line up sometimes but not as bad.
  
  In terms of the restaurant itself it is much more spacious.
  
  Food? Still good. I have to say my first time here they just opened as I was expecting the same quality as the downtown location but it was lacking.  However, the past few visits have improved so - Yes. It is still good.