Hanjan Oliver — Restaurant in Edmonton

UPDATE Aug 2025: My previous review was glowing, but sadly I have to downgrade it. It's dramatic, but I'm honestly heartbroken over the new changes. Like other recent reviews, my family, friends, and I were huge fans and would visit many times. I have so many good memories here. The last time we visited, we were very shocked about the change to the size in the Samgyeopsal. It was a favourite so we were so disappointed to see the portion size cut in half with less rice, but at basically the same price. Same with the bulgogi. My #1 favourite, exclusive to this location, the honey mustard chicken, was also axed. I've seen the owner's responses to some recent reviews and I can understand and respect the goal of reducing food waste, but I don't think this change should be made at the expense of loyal customers who know the portions and will eat the full size at the restaurant or to take home. I think servers could confirm with customers that they want to full size and share how many it serves, ask how many pots of rice they want, etc. The BEST part about Hanjan was the value. I always felt so full for such a good price after visiting. Last time, I left hungry, but didn't feel it was worth it to order more because it would have been too expensive. As others have said, the service is still amazing, but the value is sadly gone. We even noticed a bit of a decrease in quality when they even expanded to whyte (eg. cold corn cheese). I'm really sad to say that my circle doesn't think it's financially worth returning which sucks because we've loved this place for years. I really hope the owner seriously considers these recent reviews from loyal customers because I was happy to give my money to Hanjan before as I'm sure they were too. Never thought I'd have to find a new favourite spot and that I'd degrade my rating. Incredible all around, always my go to. Every time I've shown someone Hanjan, they fall in love with it instantly. My out of town family is always dying to come back because they love how flavourful all the dishes are. Best Korean fried chicken I've had, they have me dreaming of it! Always nice for a casual spot to have a chill date night or friends night. Their service is fast and the food comes out nice and hot. Even on their busiest days, they thank us for our patience/apologize for the wait even though their timing is still fast. Love how big this place is, you don't feel cramped. Seating is comfortable, it's not too dark. Of course one of the best parts is the button system! I have nothing but good things to say, I love the staff, they're so kind and look like they enjoy their jobs (I hope they do!) The manager seems super organized, professional, and...

I've always wanted to go to Hanjan but never had the time to visit for months. Now the stars had finally aligned and we came here right after an Oiler's watchparty. We arrived right before other people filled up the place so it was a little busy. I'm surprised at how much space and seating they have. At first I just saw 4 person tables but they led us to the other area where they had large tables for bigger parties. We had 9 people in our party and they seated us immediately.

My boyfriend and I split the Bulgogi Fries and the Padak (Soy Garlic) Korean Fried Chicken. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. After one bite of the Bulgogi Fries, it was an immediate 10/10. The fries were crispy and had the perfect golden crisp + soft inside ratio. And don't even get me started with the sauce on top. The white sauce was light, and had the perfect combination of slightly sweet and savory. It was a wonderful aioli. And the veggies added were so good. The tomatoes and scallions added a nice freshness and slight acidity to the overall dish. Lastly the bulgogi was just chef's kiss. I don't really know how else to explain it other than the Bulgogi Fries were a well-balanced dish. We were scooping every single missed vegetable in the sauce after we demolished the fries.

The Padak (Soy Garlic) fried chicken was so tasty. Whenever I get wings, my go-to is pretty much anything soy garlic, or anything included garlic. The fried chicken skin was the best part. Great texture, crunchy, crispy, wonderful flavor. It was a great blend of savory, umami, and garlic. And the green onions on top was a great addition. Portion size for both things we ordered was perfect for the two of us.

Also, don't even get me started on the banchans. Great kimchi, radish kimchi was so refreshing, and that mashed potato side? Terrific. We asked for more banchan when we were done.

Lastly, we came back the very next day to try the desserts. At first, I wanted to pick one dessert to share between me and my boyfriend but it was so difficult to choose one. So we got both lol. We ordered the Injeolmie Waffle, Honey Butter Bread, and tried some of my cousin's Strawberry Bingsu.

The Injeolmi Waffle itself was delicious, sweet but not too sweet. The ice cream added that sweetness and the almonds on top were nice. And the Honey Butter Bread? Wow. The milk bread and the fresh whipped cream were fluffy, light, and not too sweet.

I would go back again in a heartbeat. If I was in the neighborhood, I would be a regular. And when I give a place 5 stars, 5 stars to me means: take my money and I might dangerously spend too much of my paycheck here. Which is what I did, but no regrets. I will not stop talking about this place. 10's all across the board for me!...

We made a reservation for 10 people at 11:15 AM, 3 days prior to this date. Our server was excellent. Unfortunately, he was by himself so he was stretched out throughout the restaurant. I could hear the "Skip" or "UberEats" tablet going off a bunch during our stay too. Our server was very occupied. I really wish we got his name so I could give him a proper thank you in this review, I couldn't even find it in our bill.

When I googled the location I thought we were going to Olive Square, but I very much like this location. There is lots of parking in the back and it's very spacious. If it were in Olive Square, I feel like it would be too busy with the traffic and construction to go in and out.

The service and food was lovely. I wish I had more pictures to share with everyone. This is our first time at the Hanjan Oliver location. We usually go to the Hanjan on the south side. We all agree that the new spot is very spacious, the washrooms were very tidy, and there's quite an impressive bar and sound system. Lots of tables, all spaced out nicely. During COVID I feel uncomfortable when the tables are too close together.

Gratuity was included in our split bills, which I am very happy to see. When I brought a table of 8 to the south side we didn't have the gratuity on the bill. Of course we tipped a little extra this stay because our server was running off of his feet. Thankfully another person came in around 2 PM.

The drink menu is very impressive, lots of options for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The desserts are always amazing. The bingsu is always a must when we visit. I love all the different flavors you get from the different meals to share with the table. Spicy, sweet, salty. They have everything for everyone's tastebuds at Hanjan. We can't wait to visit again. Thank you for making our birthday celebration a...