Hansang (한상) — Restaurant in Palisades Park

I am a big fan of the mom and pop joints so it gives me no pleasure in giving a negative review but this place put on a clinic on how to NOT have returning patrons. I see some other reviewers had positive experiences so it could be that everyone in my party happened to have ordered all of their worst dishes.

This was my first and last time I dine here.

It was a Saturday night around 7:30. I found a spot right in front and since the rest of my party wasnt there yet, I sat in my car for a bit with my family and wondered if the place was open because all the seats were empty. When I did walk in the place was empty except two tables. I knew right away that this was not a good sign since they were virtually empty on a Saturday night!

Rest of my family came and we ordered. Normally banchan comes out pretty soon after ordering but nothing came out till right before entrees came out. Cost cutting measure perhaps? In any case, the banchans were nothing to write home about and no one asked for more of anything. And as soon as we started digging into our entrees, we were all asking each other how their dishes were since no one liked what they were eating.

Overall, a VERY disappointing dinner experience. Here are the three big negative highlights:

1. Always had to ask for water, napkins, etc . For an empty restaurant really poor service.

2. One of the dishes we ordered, the bibimbap with jjookoomi, was SO bland and tasteless, I asked the waiter if there is supposed to be some sauce that didn't come out yet. He said no. So I told him how bland it is and he said he could get me some sauce. I said sure and a lady who might have been the owner comes out with a small plate of red paste. Upon asking her what it was, she said it was gochujang. The dish was not red at all so I asked her if that is their normal seasoning for this dish. On a side note, I know how to cook and I knew just dropping in some gochujang wasn't going to fix this dish. She responded that they usually use soy sauce. In my mind I was thinking, if that's what they normally season this particular dish with, why are they giving me some arbitrary condiment...and for ME to fix? I said (and very nicely throughout the whole time) that I am not a chef so I leave it up to them to add whatever they think is appropriate to make it taste better. She was nice enough to take it back and came back a short time later with just some fried kimchi bits added. It was slightly better but still bland. Also, there were only THREE baby octopus pieces in the entire dish.

3. NEVER ORDER THEIR KALBI. I repeat...NEVER ORDER THEIR KALBI. It is 29.99 per order. In line with per order prices at normal bbq places. You know...the places where you get the lettuce, the dips, the sliced garlic and peppers...you know. Well...SEVEN pieces of the LA style kalbi came out on a bed of onions in one of those small oval shaped sizzle plates. They weren't even the ones with three bones. These were SEVEN...SINGLE BONED...LA style pieces for 29.99!!! Nothing else came out with that dish. And no offense to my wife but the kalbi she makes following an online recipe is a hell of a lot better! And more tender!

Maybe I went on their off day, maybe everyone in town was staying home to watch a new sitcom premiere...who knows...but I for one will not...

Han Sang is the authentic Korean restaurant you take that person that cooks Korean food so well they do not like to dine at Korean restaurants.

Really great authentic-style Korean food, which is hard to find in the area with all the MSG-flavored put everything into a pot quick quick quick! style Korean food that's out here. This place would be considered a 맛집 (maht-jib), short for "delicious food place," even in Korea. Han Sang offers a sort of Korean gourmet, or authentic quality cuisine.

Don't get me wrong, the food here does not take any longer to come out than at other Korean restaurants. It just tastes much, much more....real. Well-planned out, good ingredients, all prepared by someone that knows good food and how to prepare great ingredients in the most perfect ways possible.

Cost: The pricing is maybe about $3 more per entree compared to other Korean restaurants in Palisades Park area--you could say it's similar to NYC Korea Town pricing. ~$14 per entree.

BUT IT'S TOTALLY WORTH IT.

The only con: Seems inconsistent. Most recently, we went on a Sunday for the first time and all of the food we ordered (4 or 5 entrees that day) were missing that last 2% that makes their food taste like gourmet. They seemed to be missing that secret ingredient, whether it be an actual seasoning or an extra 3 minutes on the stove. Maybe the chef doesn't work Sundays, who knows.

Menu suggestions: Try the 쭈꾸미 돌솥비빔밥 (jjooggoomi hot stone bibimbap) for a perfectly toasted rice entree with small octopuses, water chestnut (I assume?) pieces and small kimchi pieces that makes for an ever-so-slightly spicy, savory, chewy, crunchy, juicy bite.

Or the 씨레기탕 (ssiregi stew) for a creamy, nutty, savory slow-cooked cabbage stew that reminds Koreans of the kind of authentic home cooked meal perfectly prepared by an elderly woman in rural Korea.

Or the (조개 닭복음탕) clam chicken stew for a delicious twist on the authentic Korean spicy chicken stew. Who knew clams could taste so good with chicken, and in a stew?! Comes in a 2 serving size, but they can accommodate you if you want it to be for one person.

Other details: *Parking is very easy (in front of restaurant) and free. We never had a hard time finding two spots for when we meet people there. Much easier than Broad Ave meter parking. *For non-Korean-speaking folks or first-time Korean food people: this is a great place to try real, authentic Korean food. The menu may not be the most descriptive, but try the ones I suggested above or one of the ones on the wall. Be sure to ask how many people your menu selection is for; some are for more than one person (usually the...

I don’t normally leave reviews unless it’s unbelievably amazing or extremely bad, and this place is just too good to be true. I happened to visit Hansang last July for the first time and my husband and I became regulars immediately. We both absolutely love this place and look forward to our next visit all the time.

Food is nicely presented and even the simplest banchan has a deep flavor that you can tell they care a lot about the fresh ingredients and the efforts that go into cooking (don’t expect boring white rice here! They serve you the best kind that’s very nutritious). They have great variety in menu and the food quality is always consistent which is super important for me.

The staff is very tentative and provides great service - they smile when serving and it feels very warm and personal which I find so nice whenever I’m there! They always come by and ask if we’d like more banchan:)

The general atmosphere is also really nice. Spacious and clean - I just visited here again a couple of days ago and they had holiday decorations out (not the cheap kind🎄). They have a clean, nicely decorated restroom as well.

If you haven’t been here, I strongly suggest you give this place a try for authentic Korean food with...