ARISU Authentic Korean BBQ — Restaurant in Burnaby

Arisu is one of the typical Korean restaurants that you’ll find along the North Road corridor between Burnaby and Coquitlam. This particular location is on the second floor of a mini mall above the Hannam Supermarket.

Arisu is fairly large in size but the interior is rather dark and dimly lit. At my booth, there was a small inlaid tv in the wall playing some type of k-pop video (although the sound was muted so it was difficult to tell). The menu here, like at many Korean restaurants, is geared more towards larger dishes which are shared among the table and there’s not a lot of dishes that cater to single diners.

After ordering my Bibimbap ($9.95), they brought out some banchan dishes comprised of stewed potatoes, broccoli, kimchi, and a green salad with a blueberry-like dressing.

I was disappointed when my bibimbap arrived as the menu said that it was served with a raw egg (and the picture in the menu clearly showed a raw egg) and what arrived was a fried egg. The egg yolk was somewhat runny but it was not the same (I hate when menu descriptions aren’t accurate). Supposedly, there was beef in this rice bowl but I didn’t really see it (perhaps it was under the fried egg). In any event, I mixed it up with some gochujang (a sweet and savory hot sauce) and the rice bowl was somewhat okay.

They also have dolsot bibimbap (ie. served in a hot stone bowl). I wonder if they would have included an actual raw egg if I ordered the dolsot version? Or maybe they knew that I wasn’t Korean and thought I might not want a raw egg in...

It's difficult to find good, hardcore Korean BBQ in Vancouver so we made our way east. It was worth the trip. I had been here once before and took the millennium line out- it was super convenient and I could get my drink on. This time I drove out with my family and it was as good as I remember.

Seafood pancake was the sleeper hit for our table. Super crispy and chewy where it needed to be. The meat for grilling was good. The portions were generous and seasoning on point. The banchan could use some help- not enough served and really not particularly special.

Service was okay. It's a Korean BBQ, what should anyone really expect? They get a bonus star for having a call button at the table- Asia style.

Four stars because the place is a good Korean BBQ. Three stars in the detail because I don't want anyone to expect this place to be what it isn't. If you're on the fence about coming to this place, just go. Don't expect much and drink a lot of booze and grill your meat- you'll understand my score after that.

My wife says this place was better than Gangnam in Richmond if that's any indication. I agree- and I really...

Arisu's perfect for family outings or big social gatherings with friends. For eating with like, one or two other friends though? It's alright, but probably not ideal.

Half of the items on the menu are 'party-sized', so to speak. Big platters of high quality Korean meat, ready for barbequing at a moment's notice. Problem is, they seem to only come in those portions, and those portions are pretty darn pricey. You'll pay a minimum of about 35 bucks (you have to buy at least two dishes), and some of the more expensive items fetch for over 100. This isn't really a problem if you're hosting some big event, but it's not really the kind of place you'd go by yourself or with a small group. That being said though, this place does have its fair share of single-serving, moderately portioned meals for equally moderate prices. And those? They're pretty darn good. The meat's really tender and and flavorful, without feeling overly greasy, and the non-meat items are pretty solid too.

Definitely check it out if you're nearby. Just keep in mind that depending on how many other people you're with, your options on what to order...