6 Best Korean Restaurants in Negeri Sembilan
Locally known as the state that houses beautiful beaches, parks and palaces, Negeri Sembilan is a must-visit spot in Malaysia. However, what most people don’t know is that this area is also home to several Korean restaurants that are to die for.
In this review, we’re going to list down some of our favourite Korean restaurants in Negeri Sembilan that we recommend you try. Let’s get started!
What are the best Korean restaurants in Negeri Sembilan?
There are numerous Korean restaurants available in Negeri Sembilan and its surrounding areas but we only wanted to highlight the best ones. To do this, we had to rank the restaurants we found with the following criteria:
1. Hide Or Out Cafe & Space – H2O
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Menu | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Variety | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Taste | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Speed | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Friendliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Atmosphere | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Interior Decor | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
If you’re looking for a great place to chill at and indulge in authentic Korean cuisine, we recommend going to Hide Or Out Cafe & Space – H2O. We heard a lot about this cafe because of its widely varied menu consisting of desserts, coffee drinks and Korean food.
When we entered their store, we were greeted by their cool and hip vibe. For us, it looked like a chill cafeteria in a private school and we loved it, and it was clean too so it was an instant A+ for us, ambience-wise.
As we browsed their menu, a lot of their items piqued our attention but one thing that we had to get was their spicy Korean fried chicken. This particular dish was marinated and seasoned perfectly which gave it a great balance of sweetness and spiciness.
We also tried one of their waffles which were drizzled generously with chocolate syrup and topped with marshmallows. It was too sweet for our liking but we loved how they didn’t cut back on the number of toppings in their servings.
Of course, we also had to try out one of their famous frappes. The one we got had some caramel popcorn and we loved it!
One thing that we didn’t like that much about the restaurant was that their Korean menu was a bit limited to our liking. However, one could argue that they’ve prioritised putting in quality over quantity when it came to their selection of Korean offerings.
Pros
- Cosy atmosphere
- Delicious drinks and dishes
Cons
- Limited Korean offerings
Customer Reviews
Dine in | Lunch | RM 1–20
“Nice atmosphere and ambience. The place is cozy and comfortable. Good settings for some Instagram-able pics.
I think it’s a good place to hang out whether it’s for late breakfast, lunch or late evening tea time. The food is not bad and the staff are very friendly and extremely helpful.
I give 4.5 stars due to my fries not being served crisp. There’s room to improve in the food preparation. Thanks to the staff that prepared my special request. Also they provide the option to order first before you arrive to lessen the waiting time.
Will go again to relax and enjoy different food.” —kelvin gan, Google Reviews
Hidden Eatery in Tampin
“Good service and tasty food. Has been visited a few times. Affordable price, nice atmosphere and good music. Loved their beverages” —Kumz11, Tripadvisor
2. Hongik Univ Restoran Korean BBQ
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Menu | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Variety | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Taste | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Speed | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Friendliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Atmosphere | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Cleanliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Interior Decor | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
One of the most famous things that Korea introduced to different countries in Southeast Asia is Korean barbeque. If you want to experience an authentic KBBQ in Negeri Sembilan, we recommend trying out Hongik Univ Restoran Korean BBQ in Seremban.
It had a lot of sets on their menu but we ended up getting the D set, which was great for our group of 5 people. It included sliced pork belly, sausage casserole, steamed eggs, grilled small octopus and a bunch of side dishes.
Our favourite side dish was undoubtedly the kimchi, as it had this perfect balance of flavour between sourness, spiciness and sweetness. We also ordered rice which we mixed the kimchi in to create our own version of kimchi rice.
We also appreciated how varied their menu was even though they were primarily a Korean barbeque restaurant. They featured a la carte meals and side dishes which are reasonably priced.
However, don’t expect to have something sweet after eating tons of meat because this restaurant doesn’t feature a dessert menu.
Ambience-wise, the place is your typical KBBQ with wooden tables and chairs. It doesn’t feature any grandiose interior decor but we think that’s what made it feel more authentic.
If we were to nitpick something that we didn’t like about the place was its long waiting time but this was because it was packed the moment we got there.
Aside from that, it was overall a pleasant experience dining here at Hongik Univ Restoran Korean BBQ.
Pros
- Reasonably-priced sets
- Delicious pork belly slices
- Authentic KBBQ experience
Cons
- Long waiting times
- Lack of dessert menu
Customer Reviews
Good food and excellent service
“Food was good, and service was excellent. No problem finding parking in the area on a weekend. We had to being the appetizers to the counter for a refill, which wasn’t a problem. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. Good choice for Korean food.
Will go again to relax and enjoy different food.” —Kwok San Chan, Google Reviews
Best Korean BBQ in Seremban
“We go to get our Korean BbQ fix at least once every two or three weeks – if we had our way it would be more. Discovered this place purely by following our noses! The smell was where the love affair with their food started. We love bringing friends and family here. Great place, friendly staff, always busy (good sign) and excellent food.” —Dornehl, Tripadvisor
3. Seoul Garden
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Menu | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Taste | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Speed | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Friendliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Atmosphere | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Interior Decor | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Another Korean barbeque spot we highly recommend is Seoul Garden. It’s one of the most famous KBBQ chains in the country which is why we had to include it in our search.
Fortunately, we weren’t disappointed and the hype is indeed worth it. We headed to their branch in Seremban where we were greeted by a packed establishment.
It wasn’t a long wait though and after a couple of minutes, we got seated at our table by the friendly staff. One of the things that immediately caught our attention was the restaurant’s menu which was impressively varied in terms of meat, side dishes, seafood and more.
We ordered a set that included barbeque chicken, bulgogi beef and teriyaki dory, and we could tell that each one was fresh.
However, what we wanted to highlight the most was their wide selection of soups. Usually, these types of restaurants only offer one kind but we were surprised to see Seoul Garden’s selection of five different soups.
As part of the set we ordered, we also treated ourselves to free drinks and ice cream which completed our overall meal.
As for things that we didn’t like, there wasn’t anything that actually bothered us but we did notice some things worth mentioning. As for the ambience, it’s your typical Korean barbeque chain and it doesn’t feature anything special in the interior design department, but it was clean.
Secondly, we felt that customer service had some room to improve as we found ourselves following up on our requests. Then again, we visited during peak hours so that may have had something to do with it.
Pros
- Wide selection of meat options
- Generous servings
- Reasonable prices
- Clean premises
Cons
- Okay interior design
- Customer service speed could use some improving
Customer Reviews
Dine in | Lunch | RM 60–80
“We bought the premium package with unlimited slice beef. -The staff is very helpful. We eat a lot of meat hence we changed the metal plate a lot of times. Staffs are friend and kind. Very fast and always take the used plate regularly. The overall variety of choices and places is nice. Thank you, will come again. :)” —Asyikin Razali, Google Reviews
Dine in | Lunch | RM 40–60
“The staffs are friendly, plenty of options esp free-flow premium platter. Love the soup esp tomyam and champong. I personally like the marinated Asian chicken. Free drinks and ice cream. Free birthday meal for me as long as I bring three adults. Thanks!” —Nad Sfd, Tripadvisor
4. Choo Choo Chicken
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Menu | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Variety | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Taste | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Speed | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Friendliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Atmosphere | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Interior Decor | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
One famous restaurant that caught our attention because of their acclaimed Korean fried chicken was Choo Choo Chicken. As self-acclaimed chicken connoisseurs, we had to visit it immediately and judge it for ourselves.
To cut the long story short, we’re glad we gave in to the hype as this was indeed one of the best Korean fried chickens in the country.
They nailed down everything with their chickens, from the texture to the juiciness and the taste itself. Plus, they offered them in different flavours such as soy, sweet, spicy, garlic and more which is great for catering for a broader audience with different tastes.
Another item from their menu that piqued our attention was something called “Rose Chicken”. It was a plate piled up with 12 crispy chicken potions, and in the middle of them was a bread bowl filled to the brim with creamy cheese sauce.
Furthermore, even though they’re mostly known for their chicken, Choo Choo Chicken still offers a fair variety of other dishes. This includes burgers, salads, hot pots and more.
If we were to nitpick its lowlights, however, it would have to be the restaurant’s ambience. It was nothing special but it was mostly clean which is the most important thing in the end.
All in all, we enjoyed our time here in Choo Choo Chicken, especially considering that their friendly staff was eager to help us during our stay.
Pros
- Friendly staff
- Amazing fried chicken
- Variety of dishes
Cons
- Subpar interior decor
Customer Reviews
Dine in | Dinner | RM 20–40
“The restaurant is located in a commercial square near Rasah town. Tried the Rose Chicken and Cham Chi Rice Burger and surprisingly they were quite good. Why surprising, because looking at the cleanliness and interior of this restaurant, leaves much to be desired.
The wall seats look dirty from droppings of food and the table and chairs look worn out. However, the 2 dishes ordered taste good and I will likely try other dishes next time.” —Chan XH, Google Reviews
Fried needle mushrooms
“If you want to have crispy and juicy Korean chicken, this is definitely the place! My favourite also would be Fried Needle Mushrooms (so crispy and yummy) and Kimchi Cold Noodles.”—Farah R., Google Reviews
5. K Fry Urban Korean
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Affordability | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Menu | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Taste | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Speed | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Friendliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Atmosphere | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Interior Decor | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
K Fry Urban Korean is a famous chain that spans across Malaysia, and we had the pleasure of dining at their Jalan Oasis branch. Safe to say, it’s worthy of being on this list for two major reasons: its wide selection of famous Korean dishes and their taste.
Once seated at our table, we glanced at their menu and immediately gravitated towards their K’razy spicy cheesy fried chicken bumbuk. The dish consisted of boneless Korean-style fried chicken that has been marinated in sweet and spicy sauce.
Then, a generous serving of creamy cheese is ladled to the side for dipping. We loved this dish so much and we think it’s worth the visit alone because of the perfect combination of yangyeom sauce and cheese.
Their customer service is also commendable as we were always assisted with a smile by their friendly staff. Although we think there’s room for improvement in their service speed, their friendliness made up for the occasional long waiting times we experienced.
Ambience-wise, it was alright. Their premises were clean and the interior featured this rustic vibe that consisted of exposed brick walls and metallic beams.
We were also comfortable during our time here thanks to the air conditioning and the plush leather seats.
Overall, we enjoyed our time here at K Fry Urban Korean while we feasted on a variety of Korean dishes.
Pros
- Delicious dishes
- Wide variety of Korean-style dishes
- Friendly staff
- Clean premises
Cons
- Slightly long waiting times
Customer Reviews
Good food
“Just love everything about this place! Good food, reasonable price, great ambience and the most important thing excellent service!” —solehah nb, Google Reviews
Nice staff
“I hope they can improve their service as it’s understood that this branch is very newly opened. I believe all K Fry outlets serve fast and the staff are all nice, and I hope this will be included too. Our waiting time for chicken bumbuk was nearly 1 hour”—Aten “N.”, Google Reviews
6. Daorae S2
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Menu | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Taste | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Speed | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Friendliness | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Atmosphere | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Cleanliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Interior Decor | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Korean barbeques are huge in Seremban, and one of the most famous restaurants that offer this kind of dining experience is Daorae S2.
Upon entering, we were seated in one of their plush leather sofas and presented the menu. We were pleased with how many sets they offered in their restaurants as they catered to different tastes and the number of customers.
We eventually landed on ordering their set number two which was great for 3 to 4 people. It consisted of different slices of pork, chicken and baby octopus.
Along with these pieces of meat were different kinds of sides including kimchi and other fresh veggies.
What we especially loved about this order was the perfect texture and thickness of the pork shoulder. It was sliced just right to cook evenly on the barbeque and had the perfect fat-to-meat ratio.
On the other hand, we were slightly disappointed with the serving portion as we felt like it wasn’t proportionate to the price we ordered.
As for its atmosphere, we appreciated how they sprinkled the interior with Korean design elements, from the windows to the lamps and more.
However, we felt like their customer service could use some improvement. We didn’t encounter anything rude whatsoever but we felt like the friendliness that we’ve seen in other Korean restaurants wasn’t as seen here.
Nonetheless, it was a pleasant experience dining here in Daorae S2, and they indeed offer some of the best KBBQ sets in the country.
Pros
- Delicious meat
- Variety of sets
- Numerous inclusions
Cons
- Slightly small meat portions
- Long waiting times
- Customer service could use some improvements
Customer Reviews
Better compared to other Korean restaurants
“IMO the food here is better compared to other Korean restaurants in the area. The servers are generally rude and sometimes seem impatient when you have questions about how/what to order. However, my friends and I had great service today by one Bangladeshi server named Piash.” —Sonia Lasong, Google Reviews
Flavourful food
“Pleasant experience. Although the price may be slightly more expensive for Seremban but the portion given was not too bad. Taste wise the food was flavourful and wouldn’t mind coming back again. Recommend to go early as the crowd starts coming in at about 6ish on a weekend.”—Chan XH”, Google Reviews
FAQs about Korean restaurants in Negeri Sembilan
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