Horang Korean inspired restaurant & bar — Restaurant in Nanaimo

Here's the food we tried at the newly opened Horang! Tapas: Gangjung Korean Fried Chicken ($17): this comes with deep fried tteokbokki and glorious bite -sized chicken covered in a delicious sweet and spicy sauce. The chicken was lightly coated and it was an amazing dish. Oyster chives gul Jeon ($22): comes with 4 individual pieces, and a fresh plump oyster in the middle of each--I loved this dish! The batter was perfectly cooked and not oily at all, quite enjoyable. Creamy rose tteokbokki ($22): this comes with tableside flamble service to melt the cheese, but it didn't quite work out haha but a fun show! The flavors reminded me of the Buldak creamy carbonara sauce, and it was delicious. The sausage was the perfect touch with the cheesy creamy tteokbokki 🤤

Mains: Galbi sal BBQ ($52): ordered by @nanaimonoms . This was a grill at your own table experience, which is quite neat! The flames got a bit exciting after about 10 minutes though haha the meat was fresh and a good cut, I just wish it came with more banchan and rice! Pork rib gamjatang ramen ($26): we substituted the ramen for rice here. It's a very big deep bowl filled with soup and onions, pork ribs, and smashed potatoes. They give you a glove to de-bone the ribs with, very thoughtful. We didn't like the flavors of this one, it was too earthy with a tea-like aftertaste. The pork ribs were tasty, however the potatoes didn't seem to fit with the overall meal. Truffle bulgogi meal ($24): this comes in a cast iron pan sitting on a tea light stand to keep it warm. There was so much beef in this dish and the egg was so beautiful. I wish the dish was hotter though because with the cold egg the tea light wasn't enough to warm up the rice. Basically it became a luke- warm meal :( I also found the bulgogi too sweet I couldn't eat more than a few bites, maybe it would've been better if it were hot 🤭

Overall the service was wonderful and the place was packed! We were lucky we got a table without reservations (came right at opening) 🥰 I loved all the tapas, but the mains seemed hit or miss. Excited to have a high-end Korean joint join the Nanaimo food...

I would never recommend coming here with a big party. I’ve had terrible service twice now with groups of around 9 people.

The first horrible experience was in November. When our food arrived we realized we only had half our food. The wait staff said the system had an error so they rushed the rest of our food. I appreciated that and recognize that the system error was not their fault, but felt that it was strange that they didn’t offer us a discount or anything comped. Our party had to decide between waiting for half of us to eat our food and have it be cold or eat at different times. Then when we left the restaurant they chased us down and accused us of stealing. There’s absolutely no way that happened and when we told them that they said “oh yeah I remember all of you paying, must be another system error.”

Last night I was back with another party of 9. We had a reservation for 13 originally at 6:30. We ordered food and drink and were ordering multiple rounds of drinks. At 8 we were told that we need to get out as another party had a reservation in 30 minutes. We weren’t even finished eating as it hadn’t been long since we’d gotten our food. They gave us boxes to take our stuff and told us to leave. We were all understandably upset by this and were discussing at the table as we felt it was extremely weird that they would take another big reservation 2 hours after ours, especially since our reservation was originally for 13 people. The waitress came over and rudely said “there’s a lot going on”. We all understand that but there’s no way they would even be able to suitably serve that many people in that time period. At 8:30 they told us we need to leave immediately as the other party has arrived and needs the table. Again, we were not offered any kind of compensation despite being obviously upset. We spent a lot of money there and would have spent more on drinks if we’d been given the chance.

I do not recommend for big groups or really at all. Seriously the worst service I’ve...

A Nanaimo Gem Worth Visiting

This place is absolutely dynamite—I'm already counting down the days until my next visit!

The atmosphere is lively and upbeat, making it the perfect spot for a fun evening out, especially on weekends. Whether you're here with friends for drinks, socializing, or just craving some top-notch food, you won’t be disappointed. The menu has a fantastic variety, from lunch to dinner, ensuring there's something for everyone.

Here's what I tried:

Crispy Mandu Dumplings – 8/10 Sriracha gochu mayo, green onion, yangyum chil soy (vegan) These dumplings were a great start to the meal—crispy, flavorful, and perfectly paired with the spicy mayo and savory soy sauce.

Crispy Eelicious – 9/10 Deep-fried BBQ eel twigim, soy glazed, honey dijon mustard "Uhhh, eeliciously delicious" is an understatement. Safe to say, I’m now a fan of eel. The crispy texture paired with the soy glaze and honey dijon mustard is just next level.

Krispy Chicken Tacos (Set of 3) – 9/10 Soft white tortilla, Korean fried chicken, Korean slaw, pickled red onion, pico de gallo These tacos were seriously good. The perfect balance of crispy Korean fried chicken, crunchy slaw, and zesty pickled onions. Simply delicious!

Birria Galbi Jjim Tacos (Set of 3) – 10/10 Beef chili oil pan-grilled yellow corn tortilla, Korean spicy braised beef short ribs, consomé dipping, Tex-Mex cheese, chopped onions, cilantro, fire-roasted salsa HOLY SMOKES. These tacos are deadly good—don’t even think about leaving without trying them. The flavor is bold and packs a punch, while the consomé dipping adds the perfect kick. Trust me, you’ll be back for these.

Overall Rating – 9.5/10 This place rocks! 100% worth checking out. Whether you’re having a laid-back lunch or a lively evening with friends, the vibe is always upbeat and welcoming. They also have a cool little market attached, featuring specialty items, snacks, and treats—perfect for grabbing something unique on your way out.

I’ll definitely be back. No...