Namsan Korean Restaurant

Unassuming Korean restaurant, I was surprised Kalamazoo had something like this. I was expecting more pan Asian than authentic Korean. They were fairly busy on an early Friday evening but I was able to get a booth. I took a few minutes to look over the menu but basically knew what I wanted before I arrived. Tteokbokki and the mackerel. Why I wore a white shirt to eat tteokbokki idk, but it was almost instant regret. Plenty of that chilli sauce but it was fairly mild in spice. You could find a few pockets of heat tucked in the glass noodles. The mackerel was everything I wanted it to be. Crispy, salty simple and straight forward. The banchan while on the mild side was good and paired well with the fish and rice. It was way more food than I could eat at once. Service was pleasant, I was seated and served quickly, pay at the register.

Authentic korean at Kalamazoo. This is a classic place. Reasonably priced and very healthy food.

This is my go-to Korean restaurant in the Kalamazoo region. The food is undoubtedly some of the best I've ever had in the local area, but--due to either lack of competition or expense of ingredients--is also some of the most expensive. Expect to spend at least $14 per person. Attached is a photo of the $20 spicy pork dish (my favorite from the menu) with all sides integrated. Judge for yourself whether this is a worthwhile expense. The portions are extremely filling, and the food is seasoned and balanced to perfection. If you're getting takeout, prepare for the containers to leak moderately. The service is passable; the older hostess may not understand you the first time you ask her something. The bathroom is padlocked and, upon getting the key from the host, opens to reveal an unusual mix of a dingy outhouse and traditional Korean decor. It's a sight to behold. Lastly, and a particular note about the atmosphere, it's my perception that this restaurant is largely popular among local Asian families or college students as a place of comfort and relaxation. If you're planning a trip here, stay quiet, polite, and conscientious.

My wife and I were excited to try Namsan bc it had been a long time since the last time. We ordered mandu and takbeokki to start. Mandu was crispy and hot. The teokbokki was not what we were used to. The sauce was thin and it came with glass noodles but it was tasty and spicy. The entrees also offered some diversion from the traditional. The bibimbap came with a strange sauce in a ketchup bottle that was not gochujang. We asked for gochujang and our server asked us if we wanted the 'real' gochujang. I guess other patrons don't like gochujang? I had the Chinese dish, jaejaengmyeun and it too had a thinner than expected black bean sauce. All other ingredients and taste were fine.

The food was excellent. As good as what we had in S.Korea this summer. The service was great. We enjoyed chatting with the owner too.

Just DEVOURED an entire bowl of beef bibambap and my taste buds are SINGING. Our server, Steve, was fast and friendly, the atmosphere was quiet and welcoming, and the food was delectable. I highly recommend stopping by and grabbing literally anything on the menu. Also - they have kimchi to go so I’ll be enjoying that for the next few days!

For my first time eating Korean, this was a very pleasant experience. The server, who I assume was also the owner was very sweet. I told her to surprise me with her favorite dish as I was unsure what to get, (I could tell she was nervous by this lol) and she brought out the bulgogi with assorted kimchi. The Mandu guk and bibimbap were also very good. Would definitely come back here again and try some of their hotpot dishes.