Reviews & Ratings for Hoban Korean Restaurant

03/15/11

Not so good, average

by sushimania at Citysearch

I went to this restaurant because the review was good and I had Oxtail soup for dinner and I also had Dukmandoo-guk for take out. The oxtail soup was not taste. It has to be boiled for a long time, but it was not. Also, the Oxtail did not seem fresh. The taste of side dish was not that good, and the service was too slow.

Once they server your food, they never come back until you ask them to bring the check.

The decoration of the restaurant was so poor.

I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

By the way, my parents used to operate Korean restaurant in Korea and my aunt opened the first Korean restaurant in NYC. They are retired now. So, I really know the taste of Korean food.

08/03/10

One of the best Korean places in the cities!

by Bejeweled2010 at Citysearch

Definitely one of the best Korean places to eat in town. Ever since the remodel, this place has been one of my favorite places to go on a weekly basis. The food is delicious! and not too greasy, or saucy unlike many Asian restaurants I know of. If you are new to Korean food, I suggest you try the Kalbi, Dolsot Bibimbap, or Chicken Bokum/Bulgogi. Well seasoned Korean eating pros, go for the Soon Du Bu, Gamja Tang, Kalbi Jjim, Pork Bokum, and order it with a Hite or OB beer while at it. Last year, my wife and I met pro golfer Yang Young Eun, who apparently went there everyday he was there playing at the Hazeltine PGA Tour and beat out Tiger Woods! That was really cool.

Theres also a coupon link that allows people to receive a free appetizer with a purchase of an entree. www.minnty(dot)com/restaurants/hobankoreanrestaurant

Just scroll down and download the coupon. Try the mandoo appetizer and enjoy :)

• Pros: Great food, nice service
• Cons: Its way too busy during the dinner rushes on the weekends

07/21/10

Best Korean Food!

by xsgmx0 at Citysearch

Hoban is one of the best Korean restaurants that I have ever been to. I always bring new friends here and they too get addicted! I enjoy their huge selection of entrees, and it's fun to try something new. However, their jungols are super huge, so I think you should always bring a friend. Their portions and pricing is ridiculously awesome! (Compared to some other korean restaurants.)

Service is always great! However, they have some days when it can be better, but I understand since most of those days are the weekends, when it's the most busiest. Yet, they still give good service!

• Pros: Good food, nice renovation, good service

09/25/09

Get there early for the lunch buffet

by BuffetChamp1 at Citysearch

They bring Korean sides or condiments to your table in little bowls such as Kimchi, bean sprouts, shredded white radish and a few others.

About half their customers are Asian who often order from the menu.

I have been there maybe 10 or 12 times and have had to put up with waiting for the buffet to be resupplied with food more than a few times.

This last time I invited a friend and while I managed to get decent plate full, he returned from the buffet with meager pickings. He became unhappy with the long wait to eat. We decided to go to another restaurant to eat and offered to pay for one meal about $8 and politely explained why. We were brusquely told to pay the full price and that we could have waited.

• Pros: Sweet and sour pork and the soup
• Cons: They often run out of food at the small buffet

05/12/09

Horrible service and management

by private1002 at Citysearch

I've been there lots of time before and never had a problem with them until after their renovation. I went there two weeks ago to try something new on their menu and it tasted great yet not so spicy. Today I went there for lunch with 2 new friends from out of town and they gave us the worst service I've ever had! We asked for lemon for our water and she gave it to us both times (unwillingly) and later on I found out they charged me $1.95 for the lemon we had asked and the boss told me that she had given us a whole lemon and that's why there was a charge. I understand why she did that, but I found it rude how they didn't tell us why there was that charge until we asked! I told my friends to try the item I had tried 2 weeks ago (#63) this time they made it extra spicy (10 times hotter than the first time I tried) and I can tell they jux slapped a whole bunch of chili garlic sauce on the bottom! The waitress checked on all the customers that was there and asked how everything was, except for us! She didn't check up on us until we were done and instead of handing us our bill (like they usually do) we had to go up front and ask for it. I would never go there again and I would tell all my relatives what happened.

• Pros: Renovation was good
• Cons: bad service, food taste different each time

03/25/09

Good authentic Korean food

by completelyunexpected at Citysearch

I'm not generally a fan of Korean food but was pleasantly surprised by Hoban. For a family owned restaurant the service was excellent and food was very flavorful.

• Pros: varied menu, family owned, fast service
• Cons: none yet

11/06/08

Bad Bul Go Gi

by jayleck at Citysearch

I honestly want to give Hoban a good review. I've been here before the renovation and the food was good. First, let's talk service. I have no doubt that at times, they have good service but today just wasn't one of those days. The waitress tells me I can seat myself but I was left sitting there with no menu and no water. The same waitress walks by 2 minutes later and says "I didn't see you come in." That astonished me as she had JUST told me to seat myself! As I waiting for my food, I noted that the service was very disorganized and I wasn't the only one who seemed dissatisfied.

Now I?ll address the food. I ordered the staple Korean dish Bul Go Gi. It wasn't edible. The beef wasn't marinated and it was sitting in a pool of water. I've eaten at wonderful places such as King's in Fridley, Chosun Galbee in LA, and Garden in Chicago and this has been by far the worst Bul Go Gi I've ever had. I didn't have the heart to send it back because it probably wouldn't have made a difference. The pan chun was good but if a restaurant can't cook a staple Korean dish, it?s in a lot of trouble.

The new renovation is nice; it needed it badly. I'll give Hoban another shot next year or so and hopefully it will be better.

• Pros: Nice Renovation, Good Location for Eagan
• Cons: Service, Food

11/03/08

Excellent food but waitstaff calls you out if they think you didn't leave a tip.

by atomicbettie at Citysearch

The food here is always great. The dolsot bibimbap is the best I've ever had. I've tried a few other dishes and they were equally good. I highly recommend the bul go gi as well. My only problem with this place is the service. Last time I was there I left a cash tip on the table and when I paid the bill up front with my credit card, when the waitress saw I didn't add a tip she said "tip was not included in the total" as if she was chastising me for not adding one. I thought it was VERY rude and it embarrassed me, so much so that it will probably be a while before I return.

• Pros: great food, easy to get to, plenty of parking
• Cons: waitstaff will embarrass you if they think you didn't leave a tip

08/26/08

!!Newly Remodeled!!

by beachh20 at Citysearch

The Hoban has received a giant facelift!! What was once a worn establishment with slow service, nasty bathrooms and great food has been transformed into a great place to bring family and friends!!! The newly upgraded resturant is very clean, has excellent, fast, smiling service and some of the best Korean food we've had since San Francisco!! Not in the mood for something exotic, try the kal bai beef ribs (they are my favorite!!) I also LOVE the fresh Kim Chee!! I hear they also have a lunch buffet but I have not tried it yet...

This place was pretty good before, now it's great!!!!

• Pros: Great food, great location, much improved service and newly remodeled facilities
• Cons: lack of ambience

08/11/08

people are stupid

by mickotoole at Citysearch

I honestly cannot believe that the service was ever bad. Both my sisters are completely crazy (as are their boyfriends, of course) and are rude, terrible restaurant people. However, the staff has always been overly patient and polite to us. When I'm there alone they're nice and polite, and when I'm with the wack-jobs they're nice and polite. Thus, I must confer that the people claiming snickering etc. are paranoid or stupid. The latter seems more probable.

But onto more important things: this is the most delicious authentic Korean food you can find in MN period. (just as Taste of Thailand St. Paul location is the most authentic Thai.) And yes, I have been to Korea (South and North).

It's delicious, flavorful, beautiful food. So even if you are paranoid (or stupid) - stiff upper lip- go there (it's 20min. from Mpls. about 13 from St. Paul - NOT the middle of nowhere. That's a total mid-western thing- people commute an hour to work but eat at Applebee's because Hoban is 20min. away). Enjoy!

• Pros: Amazing food