Arirang, Family-Style Korean in Rockville Featuring Soondubu - the Germantown Branch is Closed

[smokey]

Ok, here's a place I've been curious about for a few months (but will admit, I haven't yet had a chance to try)--Arirang. The address/phone is:

1326 E. Gude Dr. Rockville, MD 301.279.0023

It's in the same strip mall as Baronessa (to link it to a restaurant for which there is only minimal love!). Somebody posted a rather cryptic rec for it in a somewhat unrelated thread on chowhound, and I've never seen much about it elsewhere. Anybody know anything? Maybe an RPLC lunch sometime?

[grover]

smokey said:

Ok, here's a place I've been curious about for a few months (but will admit, I haven't yet had a chance to try)--Arirang. The address/phone is:

1326 E. Gude Dr. Rockville, MD 301.279.0023

It's in the same strip mall as Baronessa (to link it to a restaurant for which there is only minimal love!). Somebody posted a rather cryptic rec for it in a somewhat unrelated thread on chowhound, and I've never seen much about it elsewhere. Anybody know anything? Maybe an RPLC lunch sometime?

I haven't been there yet but I got the review about this restaurant. Click here. [The website koreandc.com is now defunct.]

[smokey]

grover said:

I haven't been there yet but I got the review about this restaurant. Click here. [The website koreandc.com is now defunct.]

Thanks for posting that, Grovere. I had actually gone to that website initially when I first say a posting about Arirang, and there was nothing there at the time. They've gotten a couple of hits since then, clearly!

[cha_charoni]

Arirang is a good Korean restaurant that specializes in Soondooboo, a spicy tofu soup that comes in different varieties. They also have the standard Korean staple dishes and the panchan is pretty good although not as plentiful as the good restaurants in Annandale. But make no mistake, most people go there for the Soondooboo. Another restaurant that specializes in this dish is Lighthouse Tofu House which has a restaurant in Annandale and in Rockville near Twinbrook Metro. I actually prefer Arirang over Lighthouse although both are quite good.

BTW, Arirang is currently opening a second restaurant in Germantown on the intersection of Clopper and Liberty Mill Road behind the Chevron gas station in a previous Japanese restaurant in a small strip shopping center.

[smokey]

cha_charoni

Thanks for posting your opinion (and welcome!) Interestingly, it was the comparison to Lighthouse Tofu (which I've heard others make before) that made me want to give this place a try.

So, the RPLC met for lunch there today. I was, all in all, pretty disappointed. I think the prices were slightly higher than Lighthouse Tofu (by a dollar or two on a $10 item), and I liked the food slightly less. I had a mushroom tofu soup. I thought it was spicier at Lighthouse (where they give you a range of 5 or 6 different spiciness levels) and the broth was more complex and more flavorful. The panchan wasn't as good or plentiful as at Lighthouse. I wouldn't tell somebody to stay away from Arirang, nor would i tell them to run to it. With another Soondooboo place I prefer in the neighborhood, I probably won't be returning.

[xcanuck]

I was one of the others who went to Arirang in Rockville today for lunch. First of all, take my opinion with a grain of salt as I've never had Soondooboo before and have nothing to compare today's lunch to. But it definitely did taste a little flat - like it needed something to perk it up. Maybe a bit more spice? Salt? And it could definitely have used more meat. There were several teeny small meat-like scraps. The portion size was fine for lunch, but I'd want more if I was there for dinner.

Given that there are so many choices for authentic ethnic foods in the area, I can't say I'd go out of my way to go back. It wasn't bad...just not that good.

[DanielK]

Thirded. Lighthouse was better.

[Scott Johnston]

fourth

I thought the prices were a bit high as well, as I recall the fried dumplings were $9. I am heading back over to lghthouse.

Thirded. Lighthouse was better.

[cha_charoni]

cha_charoni

Thanks for posting your opinion (and welcome!) Interestingly, it was the comparison to Lighthouse Tofu (which I've heard others make before) that made me want to give this place a try.

So, the RPLC met for lunch there today. I was, all in all, pretty disappointed. I think the prices were slightly higher than Lighthouse Tofu (by a dollar or two on a $10 item), and I liked the food slightly less. I had a mushroom tofu soup. I thought it was spicier at Lighthouse (where they give you a range of 5 or 6 different spiciness levels) and the broth was more complex and more flavorful. The panchan wasn't as good or plentiful as at Lighthouse. I wouldn't tell somebody to stay away from Arirang, nor would i tell them to run to it. With another Soondooboo place I prefer in the neighborhood, I probably won't be returning.

It was interesting to hear your take on the place. Ironically, I ate at Lighthouse twice this past week because two different group of friends wanted to dine there. I do prefer Arirang over Lighthouse but I seem to be in the minority on this board and even amongst my friends although there are some that do prefer Arirang. But don't get me wrong, the difference to me is not big enough to avoid one over the other.

In terms of spiciness level, both places offer 4 types, white(no spice), mild, spicy, and very spicy although Arirang probably doesn't do a very a good job of making people aware of that on the menu like Lighthouse does by showing the peppers. I'm actually Korean-American so they usually ask how spicy I want my Soondooboo so I'm not sure if they made a difference in your group outing if there wasn't a native Korean in the group to translate and talk to the waitress/waiter. It's unfortunate that most Korean restaurants don't really try to be more accommodating to non-Korean clientele although Lighthouse probably does better than most with their menu in 3 different languages(Korean, English, Chinese). I didn't know this until I asked my parents, but apparently Soondooboo is very popular to native Chinese and is similar to some dishes that they have in thier cuisine.

[DonRocks]

On 3/1/2007 at 10:27 AM, cha_charoni said:

BTW, Arirang is currently opening a second restaurant in Germantown on the intersection of Clopper and Liberty Mill Road behind the Chevron gas station in a previous Japanese restaurant in a small strip shopping center.

The Arirang at 13541 Clopper Road (Seneca Park Plaza Shopping Center) in Germantown closed, and became Germantown Kabob & Sweets, a Halal, Indo-Pakistani restaurant with delivery.

[pras]

I haven't been there in a while, but I always enjoyed it.  I guess I should have gone more often.