Maru Ramen & Korean Cuisine — Restaurant in Merrifield

I was excited to see this place had opened since I live so close by. I enjoyed the decor and the clean, spaciousness of the restaurant. Unfortunately, the food wasn’t as great as I hoped it to be. We were greeted and seated right away as there were only 3 other customers. Bottle of water and glasses were brought out right away along with the menu. I asked one of the servers on items she would recommend. She only answered with two items; fried shrimp buns and bibimbap. I started to get a bit worried then but proceeded to order our shrimp bun, spicy pork bibimbap, and spicy miso ramen. The shrimp bun was OK- shrimp is tiny and it’s heavily breaded but it was probably the best one out of our order lol. Now on to the bibimbap. If you know Korean food, this came in dolsot (stone pot). This is used specifically to create the crispy rice in the bottom by heating up the whole pot before serving. To my surprise, the stone pot came out without it being heated and of course the no crispy rice in the bottom. What is the purpose of using stone pot? Just serve it in a different bowl? Lol the spicy pork itself had a good fire/smoky flavor but it was way too sweet. Then onto my spicy miso ramen :( this place does not know what “chashu” is. If you reference my photo, the pork used is different and huge/tough to eat. And the seasoning used to cook the pork is way too strong and affects the ramen broth a lot in a way that’s not enjoyable.

The two servers were friendly although one seemed to be newer and wasn’t confident in her answers or knew what gochujang was when I asked if the bibimbap already had it in there (there was a separate bottle of sauce the other server ended up bringing it to us).

Unfortunately a very disappointing meal. The aesthetics are there, not...

Went for dinner with my partner and had quite a fun experience. We had been here once before and enjoyed it. But with the large "NEW MANAGEMENT" sign out front and pictures of sushi (which they didn't offer before the change) we didn't really know what to expect.

I started out a little bit nervous due to the choice of music, (really old school Korean music/kids tunes?) the handwritten signs on the wall, and the unfortunately low quality photos on the menu. But that's where the skepticism stopped.

Me and my partner both got the spicy miso ramen, and I ordered a sushi roll as well to see how they did. And we were both very pleasantly surprised. I feel like the ramen was on par with what our local Jinya has been serving recently and at a noticeably lower price. The meat in it was amazing, the broth was super rich, and the noodles were the perfect amount of chewy for me. The presentation was a bit off, so my food wasn't necessarily insta material. But the cost/experience outweighs that by a lot.

The sushi was good, not great. The roll was just under $10 and had large pieces of fish inside, so really no complaints there. They weren't rolled super nice, so again, not insta ready. But that quantity of fish for that cost I would still recommend it.

We went here on a Saturday night, and we were the only ones there. So if you're looking for a good casual bowl of ramen go check them out. I'd love for them to...

We had a meal at this fusion ramen restaurant some time ago, and the food was terrific. I particularly liked the ramen shop's simple and minimalist interior design, and this restaurant's dishes showcased perfectly blended Japanese and Korean cuisine. They had different options for bao buns, so we ordered bulgogi-seasoned buns and the usual pork belly buns, and all tasted good. However, the service could have been better as it was just okay. Improving the service would significantly enhance the overall dining experience.

Update: April-12-2025

After several months, I recently had the opportunity to revisit this establishment and noticed some notable changes under new management. The ambiance has shifted to a cozier and darker setting, enhanced by lanterns, with dividers that offer additional privacy for diners. The menu emphasizes Korean and Korean-inspired dishes, featuring traditional ramen and other Japanese offerings.

I particularly enjoyed the side dishes served prior to the main courses, with the spicy cucumber salad standing out as a highlight. The tonkatsu ramen, which included a well-prepared backbone, offered a rich and flavorful broth, and the shumai served as a delightful appetizer. The service was friendly, and overall, I found the pricing...