Hanmaru Restaurant

A couple who went on vacation with us in Korea spotted this new Korean restaurant on Harvard Avenue in the Allston neighborhood. We decided to give this one a try. This restaurant is conveniently located half a block from St. Paul T-station from the MBTA B line. The restaurant is a well lighted place with simple décor.

It’s time to order some food, shall we? The menu consists of many traditional Korean family dishes and appetizers. The waitress brought us free starters, which include broccoli, fish cakes, kimchi, and potato salad.

Next, we ordered a Fried Tofu appetizer. The tofu is lightly batter up with corn starch and deep fried, and is finished off with a light soy sauce. The skin of the tofu is a little soggy, but the inside is very moist. The light soy sauce is definitely a good match for the dish.

Korean restaurants are usually known for their BBQ bulgogi, and bibimbap. Instead, we tried out two Korean family soups, Gamjatang and Samgyetang. Gamejatang is basically a pork bone soup with pork spine, vegetables, green onions, potatoes, and lots and lots of hot peppers. After the first sip, it felt as if the soup was boiled for hours with the aroma from the pork bones deeply simmered throughout the soup. The meat from the pork spine was extremely tender and was easily separated from the bone. Also, since this soup contains tons of proteins and nutrients, it is good for the body.

The best dish of the night definitely goes to the Samgyetang, which is a Korean Gingseng soup with a whole chicken! This soup brings back fond memories of our trip to Seoul last year. If you have never had this soup before, the soup can be a meal by itself. The chicken is stuffed with sticky rice, ginseng, chestnut, and herbs, and then it is boiled in a broth with some garlic and ginger. The chicken served here is tender with a strong ginseng taste. The sticky rice is nice and filling and so we went home with a fully stuffed stomach. This soup is very authentic compared to the Samgyetang we had in Seoul. We were very surprised to find the same soup in Boston.

This is a very solid Korean restaurant, not known for its BBQ but their soups. The service is attentive and our server refilled our side dishes “automatically” without even asking. Kamsamnida Hanmaru!

HOKAT Rating:
87/100

Address:
168 Harvard AveAllston, MA 02134-2701(617) 779-7907
http://www.hanmaruboston.com/