Mannaza Korean Restaurant — Restaurant in Newcastle upon Tyne

We ate here on valentine's day, we stood in the crowded doorway for a good 10 mins before realising the staff weren't particularly interacting with the waiting line of people. We approached the desk after a while assuming we must be waiting with the walk-ins but the fact was they were just ignoring the line as they had no tables. We arrived at 8pm for our booking, we were finally sat around half past to the upset of people who had arrived for their half 8 table only to be made to wait. The restaurant itself has a lovely atmosphere, although ventilation could be better, and the staff are pleasant when you can get their attention. We ate BBQ and so we cooked the food ourselves, the quality of the food was excellent, however we had to remind the staff to bring everything we had asked for. We tried to order a dessert at the end of the meal but eventually gave up waiting for it to arrive. We weren't offered chopsticks, the bottle our water was served in, had been melted by previous diners. I enjoy having a clean table at a restaurant, however having your meal interrupted constantly by plate clearing is unpleasant, especially when you weren't lacking space, towards the end of our meal a plate containing the BBQ tongs was taken due to this insistent clearing (we still had food both on and off the grill). My main issue was with the BBQ itself. Instead of a traditional set up each table is provided with a £10, butane powered, camping stove with a hot plate on top: with the excess oil draining into a bowl next to the BBQ. Not only was I disappointed by this aspect, I found it to be quiet dangerous. A danger that the staff are seemingly unaware of; I watched one member of staff manoeuvre through a busy restaurant with a lit BBQ! Including oil covered hot plate! It was my first time at Mannaza, so I'm not sure if they were just overwhelmed with it being valentine's, but I don't know if I'll return...

It was busy when we went for dinner. Staff was too quick with serving us that they forgot to give us plates. Ended up taking them ourselves after they have forgotten a second time. This was however understandable, didn’t mind this bit at all.

Japchae did not taste authentic at all, it was more like Chinese chow mien with too much oil and pepper. The noodles should not stick together that much for a proper Japchae.

Seafood pancake was not cooked through, we could only taste the batter. Minimally seasoned. We had to grill it again on the BBQ plate but that did not improve the taste either. Only had few pieces of fake crab meat. Not much filling. Added on to the fact that it was so irregularly cut, sadly it gave an impression that not much effort and care was put in food preparation.

Marinated chicken and pork were good with reasonable price. Lettuce and sauce were a separate order though. Squid, on the other hand, was not seasoned at all and was completely tasteless even after the grill. Not fresh. Did not see a point in ordering something that was unseasoned and only tasted like the soybean paste sauce we dipped them in.

The dipping sauce which came together with the BBQ (not the soybean paste sauce) was also eye opening. We had not tasted a sauce with such a mixture of strong taste — deeply fermented (like wine), acidic but not tangy, bitter, and slightly sweet. It felt more like a random concoction of sauces rather than a proper dipping sauce with a strong, individual personality to complement the meat.

Verdict: out of the orders we had, will only recommend the marinated BBQ pork and chicken. Not Japchae, not seafood...

I had the unfortunate experience of dining (group of 15 people) at this Korean restaurant, and it was nothing short of disappointing. From the moment we walked in, it was clear that our evening was not going to be pleasant. They seated us in a dark, stuffy corner with no window and poor ventilation, making it feel like we were banished to a dungeon. We have to ask them to change the seats and take us 20 mins.

The menu was an exercise in overpricing, with exorbitant prices for dishes that left much to be desired. It's one thing to pay a premium for quality, but this was simply a rip-off. The food itself was underwhelming, lacking in flavor and authenticity. It felt like they had just thrown together some ingredients without any care or expertise. Btw the meat also thin like paper.

As if the subpar food and terrible seating weren't enough, the service was equally abysmal. The staff seemed disinterested and inattentive, as if they couldn't be bothered to provide even basic customer service. Our drinks were never refilled, and it took ages to get the attention of a waiter when we needed something.

In conclusion, this Korean restaurant was a complete letdown. The combination of overpriced, lackluster food, terrible seating, and abysmal service makes it a place I would strongly recommend avoiding. Save your money and go somewhere that actually values its customers and serves quality food. Trust me, im an Korean so i pretty confident that i know what im writing here, and how the food should be

Never come back...