Ma Ma's Korean Restaurant — Restaurant in Lawrence

People leaving 1 star just don't know what they're talking about, honestly.

So my husband, my wife, and I went just after the lunch crowd but before the dinner rush so we has the whole place to ourselves. None of the three of us had had Korean in a very long time and this really hit the spot. Like I cannot emphasize enough how awesome this place is.

One thing to note is that there were three of us so when we saw the Mama's beef dinner special fed two people, we ordered that and the seafood plate. Considering Korean BBQ comes with like a million side dishes, we could have definitely gone without the seafood. The seafood is meat for two while the dinner special is more for three so our side dishes were pretty untouched.

I was raised in Japan as was my wife. Because of this military lifestyle growing up, we had the opportunity to eat in Korea due to various school activities. I say this to reinforce the authenticity of this establishment. This is authentic Korean cuisine made and served by Korean immigrants who want nothing more than to share food and culture and it absolutely shows.

All three of us loved the kimchi, myself included which is a high compliment considering I generally cannot stand the stuff. Of all the kimchi I've tried (and I've tried a LOT) this was the only one I enjoyed, let alone could tolerate. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to capsaicin so I'll have to bring antihistamine next time we come.

All the side dishes were lovely, the service prompt and pleasant, and the atmosphere relaxing. I felt like I was back in high school visiting Korea for a theater event again. It was wonderful feeling like I'd stepped back in time and I can't wait to go again.

DO NOTE that because this is Korean BBQ, everything is expensive. That's pretty par for the course and we spent about 112 for the three of us and that's without alcohol as none of us drink. That price is pretty inexpensive so far as this type of restaurant goes, honestly. I've been to places that charge 50 a head just to sit down.

If you love Korean food, look nowhere else because this place is definitely where you should be spending your money.

IN RESPONSE TO ALL THE LOW REVIEWS

This place is owned and run by immigrants who don't speak English as their first language. They don't want to embarrass themselves with broken language and be made fun of because, let's face it, Americans are very rude when it comes to bilingual speakers but especially immigrants and immigrants of color. So they're not going to speak a whole lot of English and run the risk of being abused by people who took Spanish in high school and can barely count to ten.

The place is not run down at all. It's low key with a family style type set up which is commonplace for Korean restaurants. It is clean and well kept too. Our waiter was plenty attentive, warm, and prompt. Frankly, I've had MUCH worse service at places with more staff.

People keep saying that the owner will have a problem if you don't tip enough but that's actually part of Korean culture. It's rude for you to not tell someone when you have a problem with them. Not confronting someone and holding in how you feel is considered extremely rude. It's not uncommon to see people arguing or even shouting at each other on the streets, from car to car while on the road, and so on. So the fact that he's calling out what he sees as unfair is him being polite.

Not to mention, it's becoming an issue lately where people feel entitled to not having to tip or they leave lousy tips for Asian food. People expect it to be as cheap as fast food so they think "oh this is already way too expensive" and then skip tipping. But you're getting fresh, quality ingredients made daily by people who know the food. Some of these dishes take hours or even weeks so the asking prices are more than fair.

This is a truly excellent place with good people, good food, and provides an authentic experience I've seen in few other places in my time back stateside. Don't let people who don't know the culture or what it means to be an immigrant convince...

Went out with my colleagues on a Friday night. The place was really busy, but they were able to seat 5 of us in 20 minutes. It took a while before they were able to take our order, and at some point they asked us to pick up our drinks and move to another table. The food was excellent. Most of the Korean BBQ dishes are for a single person, but 2 dishes on the BBQ menu were meant to be shared by 2. They also serve cooked food and soups, but we didn't try them. They bring you the raw meat to cook on the grill, but the sides are selected by the staff and brought to the table in small Korean Style dishes. The sides are served per table, not per meal, and they allow free refills on 3 sides. They let us refill 4 sides, not sure if it's a policy change or for some other reason. With each order of a main dish, they serve individual white rice, and 2 rices for shared plates. There are two beef orders that at the time of this posting are 3 dollars in difference. There's a reason: bolgolgi is marinated and tastes extremely good, worth the extra price and definitely my favorite. The grills are served on coal, and the coal lasts long enough to cook your meals. We got down to the last portion of our orders just before the grill died out. When the staff aren't busy, they're quick to refill your drinks, and ordering more raw meat dishes is quick. I'd suggest starting out small with a combination plate and ordering more later if you want. The menu claimed parties over 7 would be charged mandatory gratuity, but they added it to our group of 5.

I'd give it some dings for service. One of the servers was visibly agitated and gave one of my guests a lot of attitude, even rushing us to order. But my guest was also being a bit obnoxious. The rest of the service was great! The place is also a bit pricy, coming out to about $40 for each of us, so that limits how often I'll come back, but I'll definitely be coming back.

But for reference, I've only had Korean BBQ maybe 3 other times, all in San Diego, and over a decade ago. So I'm not one to really make good comparisons to other similar places. But I definitely...

I would give them five stars, except for the service. The place looks scary on the outside but trust me, if you want a good Korean meal in Indy, this is the place. Whenever a new Korean restaurant pops up (and later inevitably later goes out of business, so sadly...) I always try it, only to discover the food at Mama's house simply better.

The napa Kimchi is crave-able and you can order a container to go. If we order the Yukaechang, I always eat that soup last because it is so spicy that my taste buds are ruined for at least an hour.

The lunch menu prices are reasonable and the dinner items are pricey, but I guess they know they can get by with charging that much because they are the best in town!

People who are leery, perhaps with a more "midwestern" pallete, should try the bulgogi. It's seasoned, grilled beef and is very good. Also, the lunch special chicken saute is also good. It comes with a sauce that is a little sweet (but not too much!) and a little spicy. There are hints of sesame and garlic, and while I don't think it's a very traditional entrée, it's still very good.

Some of the servers will ignore your empty glass and then roll their eyes if you ask for a refill. I'm not sure what the deal is with that, but if you want good Korean food, definitely check out...