Haroo Korean Homestyle Cuisine

Phone: (604) 284-5596
Address: Central Richmond#2000, 8580 Alexandra Rd, Richmond, BC V6X4B3
Hours: Open for dinner daily, except Tuesdays. Open for lunch on weekends.
Website: N/A
Date of Visit: Apr. 03, 2013
Parking: Parking available at strip mall lot outside or meter parking along street.

Haroo is a small family owned Korean restaurant located on the second floor of a strip mall on Alexander Road.

 

Banchan

Juk 7/10

• Warm rice porridge with bits of jujubes.
• Light and bland flavour
• Thick consistency

This was the first time I had rice porridge as a starter. I don't particularly like rice porridge, however, I did not find anything I disliked about this starter other than its blandness (which it is supposed to be).

Banchan and House Salad 7/10

• House salad was dressed with a light berry-based dressing, quite refreshing and pallete cleansing.
• The selection of banchan (side dishes) was pretty standard. There’s the braised potatoes, the kimchee,, beansprouts, and I’m not too sure what the one of the far left is. I believe its some kind of braised root.
• All pretty tasty.
• Side dishes can be refilled once.

PERSONAL MEALS

TOFO SOUP 7/10

• Cooked and served in a stone bowl, arrived very hot, and served with a bowl or rice.
• Soft tofu was used.
• A raw egg was added.
• There were several options  for the protein to choose from. We ordered beef, pork, and bulgogi. Despite the differing protein, the soup tasted same.
• Soup was light, and savoury, although a bit bland.
• There was a lot of tofu in there, but not a lot of meat.

BIBIMBAP 7/10

• Cooked and served in a stone bowl, arrived very hot.
• Topped with a sunny-side-up fried egg.
• There was a good portion of vegetables, however, not a lot of protein to balance it out.

PLATTERS

MODEUM JANGBAN 8/10

• Pan-fried dumplings and firm tofu served on a bed of stir-fried vegetables and topped with beef. Served with hot and soy sauce.
• The dumplings were great. Pan-fried so that the wrapper had a bit of a crunch while the filling was still juicy and not overdone.
• The exterior of the tofu was chewy, the center soft. They could have benefitted from being coated in some starch before pan-frying for that extra crispy.
• The vegetables and beef weren’t very notable.

ATMOSPHERE

• Clean and cozy atmosphere.
• Seating was comfortable.
• Restrooms were clean.

SERVICE

• Despite that there was only one wait staff, service was quick and attentive.

VERDICT

Haroo is definitely one of the better Korean restaurants in Richmond. The food is good, service quick, atmosphere clean, and prices reasonable. Haroo is more of a place for a quick casual meal. I wouldn’t recommend arriving with a large group and space is limited, there are plenty of larger Korean restaurants nearby better suited.