Haru Korean — Restaurant in Madison

I've been eating at Haru since a little bit after they opened, probably about four years at least. The family that own this restaurant work very hard to make excellent food and run the front house at the same time during their shortened hours, so show up right when they open to make sure you're able to get some great lunch! This place seems to be busy every time i stop in, and i cant help but feel proud of their growth! This restaurant has become very dear to my heart as a frequent diner.

I have been to 3 other popular korean restaurants in this area, but Haru is definitely my favorite korean restaurant in huntsville/madison area, for several reasons: 1. its never greasy. 2. the food is always cooked perfectly and fresh 3. its a hole-in-the-wall restaurant so i can comfortably eat by myself, and 4. ive been coming so long that the sweet lady that usually runs front of house knows what i order and how i like my food cooked!

food is never greasy. i had this problem at a few other places in town. i dont leave haru feeling like i ate a brick no matter what i ordered. their banchan (side dishes that accompany a main dish) are always fresh and house made, and they're perfectly and simply flavored, so it compliments the meal well!

their menu has downsized a lot since covid (which i have no issue with personally) but everything they serve is made to order! so the second you get it, its basically just come right off the stove. crispy dumplings, crispy savory pancakes, steaming hot soups, bulgogi, and rice- everything is cooked and seasoned perfectly. If you like it spicy, theyll make it spicy for you. I also remember once (years ago) they happened to have matcha ice cream, and the lady who knows me gave me a scoop for free. :')

this place is pretty small, im talking like maybe 10 ish tables max. now while that can pose an issue, i enjoy eating alone often so its easy for me to snag a spot for lunch! i like the homey and plain atmosphere personally, but i do hope one day the owners will be able to expand their space, since i would love for more people to experience their food.

my order: usually, i order soybean paste soup, and i ask for it to be a little spicy. its a filling meal with banchan, and probably my favorite version of this soup. even though ive been to a lot of korean restaurants in other places, this one is still my favorite- ive even tried to replicate it at home.

Though everything ive ordered here is excellent- ive ordered dumplings, kimchi pancake (a favorite), beef short rib and radish noodle soup, bulgogi, spicy pork, japchae, ramen, bibimbap, and soft tofu stew. Their kimchi happens to be one of my favorites in the area. And though their lunchbox items are great, i encourage you to order a soup next...

Haru is a tiny restaurant that, if I remember correctly, is run by a mother and her son. A young man provided all the table service. He was friendly and prompt.

The lunch deals/prices are pretty good!

My boyfriend had the bulgogi bento box and I had the dolsot (stone pot) bibimbap. We were both given complimentary bowls of miso soup. It was milder than a lot of miso I've had before. I quite enjoyed it.

Haru was SUPER generous with its banchan - small plates of Korean side dishes served family style with your meal. I couldn't identify a lot of it - and there was so much that I sadly didn't have the appetite to try it all. I really enjoyed the spicy cucumber kimchi, though, as well as the broccoli dish - it had an almost vinegary taste.

My boyfriend enjoyed his bulgogi box. He said the beef was cooked perfectly and was very flavorful, and that the rice was the perfect texture. It came with some more spicy cucumber and two mandu - Korean dumplings. I sampled one and enjoyed it, although it was perhaps a little gummier than I prefer.

My dolsot bibimbap was the best version of the dish I've ever had. I got it with chicken, which was cooked well. I enjoyed the mildly spicy seasoning on the chicken. When mixed together, it rubbed off on the rice, providing flavor in every bite. The ratio of meat to veggie to rice was perfect. My favorite part of bibimbap is the impressive variety of texture and temperature - crunchy, silky, smooth, chewy and alternately cool veggies and scalding hot rice. I'd eat this dish again and again. I could have done with maybe one or two more spoonfuls of rice, but I'm quibbling at this point.

I'd visit Haru again the next time I come to the...

This is the real thing .... Quite little hole-in--the-wall Korean restaurant with truly authentic Korean dishes. ... This small family run business provides a relaxing atmosphere, great service, large variety of delicious food at an affordable price comparatively to other local restaurants. Large serving size assures patrons will not go home hunger. I saw several customers asking for take-home-plates as they couldn't eat it all in one meal and it's to delicious to let it go to waste... As for me, I cleaned my plate, but it was a challenge to eat all that at one meal. Only complaints I have is that it took me so long to find out about this restaurant. Thought about not rating this great find so it would never be crowded, but the owners are so nice, I just had to share with others.............. I am appending comments to this original post here describing my return trip to Haru..... Back again today .... Restaurant was fully seated .... Five minute wait to be seated .... Five minutes to obtain request for order.... 15 to 20 minutes til food served..... Not bad for small staff with full house of customers.... Did not go back to work hungry as the servings were more...