Ah-Lang

The Ah Lang Restaurant, aka Angry Korean Lady or AKL… This is not your everyday dine in restaurant. I just came here tonight with my boyfriend and his parents and never had I experienced something like this before. She’s called the Angry Korean Lady for a reason. She acts angry towards her guests, and she has a list of rules on the table you have to follow (or else you have to clean the dishes!). She also has a wall of shame on the walls of her restaurant if you fail to keep her sane. She was quite wild on my visit (taking drinks from guests, swearing like an angry Korean lady, etc). Overall however, I think it’s just an act. She said thank you to us when we left, which was a pleasant surprise. I wouldn’t recommend taking children here as the environment is very inappropriate. This is not the typical dining experience I expected. but if you can take a joke, it’s downright hilarious!

There is only one reason I would smoke a cigarette today. I mean, sorry smokers, but cigarettes are nasty. They stink and make your grill yellow. I do it for AKL or maybe so that I won’t get punished by AKL. Each time I’m there we end up outside the shop smoking a cig together. She says something along the lines of, «F@CK, I need to smoke a cigarette». The she gives me the «come with me or else» death eyes. What am I to do?! Yo, AKL, don’t quit now. Don’t shut down. Who am I going to smoke cigarettes with?
I was called a bitch for putting a napkin in some sort of sauce she placed on the table, she slapped my husband for reasons I don’t quite remember, and smashed a cake into a friend’s face after a seductive birthday lap dance. She sang karaōke to us and told us of her dream of being a famous singer.
I’ve eaten all her bomb food and it is all excellent. Don’t EVER ask her if something on the menu is «good». She will give you the kill eyes. She probably will even kick you out or if you’re lucky you might just have to wash the dishes.
It’s BYOB there which is perfect but make sure to bring her Michelob Light. If you do this there is a better likelihood she will come hang with your party if she feels like it.

Ah shucks… I heard Ah-​Lang is closing. Hurry and go if you can and check out the famed Angry Korean Lady aka AKL. I must admit, I was intimidated before going there because I don’t tolerate bad behavior yet alone the cursing at an elevated tone level. But you know what? Like fellow Unilocaler Rod U., I don’t buy it. Gimmicky perhaps a lure to bring in the masses? She doesn’t need it… food is good here!
Who calls at 7pm to find out if they are taking reservations or walk-​ins for a huge party? Me!
Who walks into the restaurant at 7pm even though the sign reads «CLOSED?» Me!
Yeah, I’m not scared of the AKL! Lol!
So yea, I started off in the negative. I figured if I’m going to place my order myself, get my own water and refills, bus my table and tally up my bill (and leave her a tip), I might as well come in when I want and demand food. Ok, so maybe I left out the fact that she growled at me when I asked to bring my party late. She didn’t say «no,» so I took it as a «let’s go!.»
Don’t worry it’s scarier than it reads. We did get food and ENTERTAINMENT. Despite forgetting to bring her booze, we still got served some pretty delicious eats. Teasing, flirting and complimenting her basically allows you to barge in when she’s closed and get fed.
–Kim-​chee Friend Rice — best I’ve ever had! You hear of people getting meat sweats? I got the rice sweats… yeah, I’m a lightweight and I tend to get my food in the negative zone on the Scoville level.
— Kalbi — Oh my, you’ll be begging to suck the bones of all the flavor. It’s that good!
— Doo-wap…bim bap in a stone pot — I’m a sucker for these dishes. Love the sizzle and crunchiness of the rice. Decent and filling.
— Fried Wings — I’m not a chicken fan but had a little taste. Wings done right — small bite packed with garlicky flavors. Crunchy and golden.
— BAN CHAN… I must be the only one who really loves the sides to the Korean dishes. I could eat the whole thing by myself. Just couldn’t figure out why we had so little to share amongst our party. I was ashamed to ask for more. But seriously… why do all restaurants (especially this) give so little?
Solid restaurant! I’m sad to see it go. We were entertained with her drunken antics with her drinking guests/​buddies. Her bark is benign and the fabled bite — no such thing.

AH-​LANG @725 KAPIOLANI BLVD C119:
Located in the Imperial Plaza by La Cucina and Café Grace.
One time lunch review. I enjoyed the experience. Food was good, and it is awesome to see one lady doing everything.
Advice to you: Read the house rule, follow it.

HOAX!
First of all, she doesn’t look Korean.
Second of all, she is not angry. She may have an attitude problem, but I’ve seen my share of angry Korean ladies, and she is definitely not one of them.
Third of all, her food is not authentic.
I love Korean food, but not for Ah Lang’s. One would expect a chef being that particular would be as equally passionate about their food. Sadly, this was not the case. There were a little good things here and there, but it was more down than up.
We ordered:
2 servings of the kalbi tang. Bowl of soup with long rice and dried stewed beef. (how can stewed beef be dry?) The broth was a generous scoop of hondashi mixed with hot water.
2 orders of Fried chicken wings with spicy level of 4. Meh… Not spicy at all. Wings were fried nicely and drenched in a Korean sauce. Tasted ok but the meat was overcooked.
2 servings of Mandoo. Rip off of the night. Dumplings filled with soft meat, long rice and shredded carrot. The first bite, you could tell it was boiled in hot water. Some weren’t closed properly and the hot water seeped in and left a waterlogged mess. Bland inside and out. Not good eats. At $ 2 a piece, certainly a let down.
Spicy rice cake with fish cake, spicy level at 5. The noodle was limp: overcooked and soft; the fishcake came from a package from the Korean store, but the sauce was awesome! It was nice and rich, and the spice level was perfect! However, we did find it strange that this was much spicier then the chicken wings. Is the transition from level 4 to 5 that drastic?
Seafood pancake: Bland. Anyone could make this. Nothing special.
Soondobu: Water tofu soup. If you want to try a good soondobu from an AKL, then you should go to Cho Dang. The soup there is much richer, flavorful, and she is the AKL that won’t hesitate to tell you off. Also ordered this one at spice level 5, but was not spicy at all.
Kim chee: Looked good but it was red colored salted wonbok. So disappointing. Level 4? Haha more like level –4
Plain White Rice: Nice color and cooked to perfection. Sadly, this may have been one of the best dishes served all night.
Meat Jun: Tasted good and looked very nice, but very small portion. Had a pleasant sweet taste.
Bulgogi: Generic. Reminded me of chapchae. Lots of onion and long rice mixed with the beef. Nothing special.
Kim Chee Fried Rice: Wet and oily but the rice crust partially redeemed it. Once again, not spicy enough. The egg was undercooked. I love a nice sunny side egg with a runny yolk, but I don’t like translucent eggs.
Most of our meals came with ban chan, but we were given just 1 portion of ban chan for the 7 of us to share. When we asked for more, she yelled from the kitchen that she charges and didn’t give us anymore.
Also, they may pride themselves in not using MSG, but there’s something in there. The dryness in all of our throats at the end of the meal didn’t appear for nothing.
Lesson here: Overpriced Korean food with the occasional «f word» heard in the background. Service was okay. I have no problem with her «rules», but the foods gotta go. For $ 150, I was expecting a lot more.
AKL-​marketing gimmick. May get you there to try her food. After the first visit, you’ll know better.

Went there again this past Wednesday (3÷2÷16) since I had seen some posts that the original owner would be leaving at the end of February (?) So me and a couple of friends walked over for lunch, showed up a little past 11:00 AM and yup, there was another person in the dining area preparing some food to cook. But we decided to give it a try anyway, hoping that the recipes, cooking style and taste would remain the same … so we all sat down and the new lady brought us cups and a container of ice water (that used to be self serve before). The House Rules were still in place and the menu was still the same, under the glass table covering… and then when we peeked into the kitchen… we noticed the original Angry Korean Lady was in the back! HOORAY! Rejoice! Haha! so we found a pad and pen, wrote down our order, took it in the back like always, and after a while, the food was served by the new person… and it tasted exactly the same. Meat Jun — A+. Special Spicy Chx Wings — A+. Spicy Somen Noodles (didn’t have the fat noodles that day) — A. Then after we all finished eating, we all took our dishes into the back, placed it near the sink (like always) and paid for our meal. So it seems like perhaps, the original AKL might be trying to pass on the knowledge to the new person? Haha — we were too nervous to ask! But for those who are wondering, at least for now, food seems to be the same — oh yea, we did see the AKL come out angry to scold this couple who didn’t follow the rules!

*** 3.5 STARS ***
I get my haircut at Imperial Plaza on a regular basis and pass by AKL every single time exiting the parking. Sometimes it’s empty, sometimes I see patrons. It took me MANY years to wait to eat here. Kept on putting it off until I heard AKL was closing. My previous attempt with family fell short as she was closed due to a private function. This time I called ahead to make reservations and dined with 2 Yeeps along with family.
Restaurant is quite small, with a seating capacity of about 24 people. As stated in other reviews House Rules are on each table so make sure to read before you do anything.
After deciding what to order you write down your food selection and need to calculate your own bill. You pretty much do things yourself.
AKL came to check on us and she barked. Some of the food selection was individual and she took away our settings while saying «She’s a one person show and don’t want to wash anything excess.»
With 7 of us we sampled many dishes:
1) Seafood Pancake Jun (³⁄₅)
It was large and filled with good chunks of seafood. Sorry but once you’ve been spoiled by sampling Kyung’s Seafood Pancake, no comparison. AkL’s version was standard, nothing to write home about. Kyung’s was waaaaay better than AKL.
2) Kalbi Tang (¹⁄₅)
Highly disappointed. We were drinking Hondashi soup straight out of the package with long rice and nice chunks of tender kalbi. Not to my liking at all.
3) Kimchee Fried Rice (⁵⁄₅)
A MUST order. One of the best fried rice I’ve ever consumed. Nice crunchy bits of rice seasoned well. Not that spicy. We broke the sunny side egg to have the egg yolk ooze out and mixed with the rice. I so want to eat this dish again.
4) Fried Specialty Wings (⁵⁄₅)
Another MUST order. Wings were deep-​fried until perfection. Enjoyed the crunch with generous bits of spicy garlic sauce. Could probably eat a full order by myself.
5) Soon Du Bu (⁴⁄₅)
The soup came out bubbling so you know this was temperature hot. It w a good but I’ve had better. Portion was small so disappointed. Better than standard soon du bu so 4-​stars.
6) Mandoo (²⁄₅)
At a whopping price of $ 2 for a piece of a large boiled, not fried mandoo, I was disappointed. From other pictures on Unilocal I was expecting a boiled mandoo but it broke up too easily. My filling oozed out. Generously filled, the filling was so-​so. A bit mushy for my taste.
7) Bulgogi (¹⁄₅)
Tasted like a Japanese cook made this, eating teriyaki beef spiked with extra sesame oil. I can see small kids enjoying this dish. I was done after just one bite.
8) Spicy Mochi w/​Fishcake (⁴⁄₅)
This dish was very flavorful. Mochi pieces were firm, which I enjoyed. Don’t care for mushy or soft mochi. Wanted to spoon this gravy to eat over rice but we ran out. Wanted to save further embarrassment of AKL yelling «extra charge» so I sadly saw the gravy go to waste.
I was surprised the ban chan portions were really small for all of the food that we ordered. Tried to get more kim chee but AKL barked saying «extra charge» after ordering $ 150 worth of food. Each plate of ban chan was so small for 7 people. UNBELIEVABLE.
Overall, I enjoyed my dinner with my family and friends. Food had highs and lows but a slightly above average meal.
Had the impression her «attitude» was forced. The anger didn’t seem natural to me. Yes, on on the other table F-​bombs were dropped here and there. Hearing her cuss patrons out made my dining experience complete. Is that wrong of me?
With less than 30 days before she closes I recommend the fried rice and specialty wings. This was a quite unique dining experience.
NOTE: Cash Only. Sign on the door placed strategically at eye — level.

Note: AKL said she’s closing down sometime between March 15 – 30, 2016.
I’ve always walked past here and wanted to try. I saw it had great reviews on Unilocal but never actually read those reviews. Just paid attention to the stars and pictures. I asked my friend about it since she lives in that building and she said it was good food but she doesn’t like the owner because she’s mean. My friend also prefers to eat her moms Korean cooking. So I never really found someone to go with. Then eventually another close friend asked me if I’ve heard of a place called «Angry Korean Lady» I had no clue what he was talking about but referenced that I know of a Korean place that apparently has a mean owner haha. Sure enough it was Ah Lang and finally we stopped by for dinner last night.
So everyone has heard of the house rules right?! It’s the thing that makes this place unique aside from the owner herself. But upon your trip be sure to read that list of rules on the table thoroughly! It’ll make the experience easier and you’ll get a good laugh. My friend was legitimately scared and nervous. He didn’t want to mess up and get yelled at. One of the main things to pay attention to and probably the most daunting is grabbing a ticket and writing down the number of people in your party, listing your choice of food and cost, spice level if it applies, and the total of it all. Once you’re done you walk up and bring her your order and she cooks it for you.
My friend and I each had Meat Jun and the Fried Specialty Wings. Both were really good but if I visit again I’m definitely getting the wings. You won’t see such a thing anywhere else. AKL said she has Korean tourists come in and say oh we don’t have back home. I was in Korea not too long ago and can verify that! I wanted to order more traditional foods to eat but my friend is pretty simple when it comes to eating out. I’d love to try AKL’s Tobboki (spicy rice cake and fish cake stir fry). AKL actually laughed at our order saying it was easy and simple. Idk if she meant it’ll be a fast dish to cook or she was judging our choices haha.
The place is BYOB but only if you share with AKL haha. As we started to sip our Primo’s, AKL yelled, «Where’s my beer?! F you guys!» We laughed so hard. Fortunately I had extra. She loves Michelob Ultra so if you bring that she’ll be über happy. But she said she’ll drink almost anything free except for Coors or Yellowtail.
The evening was filled with lots of F bombs and plenty of fun. It’s a different experience from most places but it’s all worth it and her cooking is great! Don’t bring your kids!

Food quality is still amazing after all these years. We had the meat jun, bulgogi, fried specialty wings. Food came out pretty fast. This place is byob

AhhhMazeBalls! Definitely satisfies any hunger for great Korean food. Where to begin…
Our friend who’s a regular recommended that we experience the Angry Korean Lady before she closes her doors to her restaurant on Kapiolani near Ward/​Kakaako. It was a little terrifying at first and because AKL runs the entire thing, it was expected that we’d have a wait. but that gave us time to wala’au and catch up on things. Before we knew it our food was done and she delivered it to our table.
We first got the Korean Chive & Seafood Pancakes and a stone pot Bi Bim Bap. The pancakes order was huge! It easily served the three of us but could have probably served another person just as well. I love Bi Bim Bap out of a stone pot. I believe if you’re gonna eat Bi Bim Bap, it has be out of a stone pot otherwise it just ain’t the same. I especially love when it arrives still sizzling and when you mix it up there’s a crunch from the rice at the bottom that is papa’a and crisp, mmmmmmmm!
Next we received Meat Jun and a Vegetable Soon Dubu (Soft Tofu Stew). Best ever soon dubu. The serving size wasn’t really a shareable size but we managed. Again, when it comes out still sizzling, that there just enhances the whole Korean cuisine experience. Meat jun was juicy and tasty.
I’m glad I got a chance to experience Ah Lang (AKL)!

Never a dull moment with Umma. No one makes a Hot Stone Pot Bi Bim Bap like her either. If you got scoldings, or bad service, It’s your own damn fault. ;-P When you stop by, don’t forget the Michelob Ultra.
I’m going to miss her cooking when the new owners take over at the end of this month.

She is amazeballs! The food is out of this world! Make sure to call ahead and FOLLOW THE RULES. If you don’t you are taking your life in your own hands

Ah-​Lang is NOT CLOSED.
Sitting inside, waiting patiently for our AKL food.
AKL is NOT CLOSED!

The AKL is NOT closed! We are sitting here waiting for our food scared out of our pants.

Been here a few times, always fun, always great food, AKL is awesome! BYOB, but be prepared to share with AKL. When she says spicy, she means it, careful what you ask for. Do your math right. We will be back

I am never going here again! What an experience though… I went here with my family and everyone had a horrible experience, kinda funny though. Note both of my parents work in the restaurant/​food service industry for 30+ years, my mom literally was appalled and my dad was joking to my brother about how the AKL kept saying «I charge» everytime we requested for sides or rice– which by the way, we did order and yes, we are okay in getting charged for it. Let’s just say, I had to calm my usually chill mom down because she was kinda furious from the lack of service Ah-​Lang provides. The food is decent, but so are many other awesome korean restaurants out there where you don’t have to write your own order, get your own cups, bus your dishes, or have your server point at things without talking when you ask a question. Overall, very interesting experience, just want to eat and be served, not with astounding service but with SOME at least.

The food is awesome!
If you get bad service it is your fault!
We had the chive pancake, meat jun, kal bi, chicken wings, clan soon dubu, and some other stuff that was amazing!
A must go to!
I will be back!
Oh follow the rules!

The absolute best Korean food I’ve had on the island. The biggest compliment I can pay Ah-​Lang Restaurant is that I would suffer through the most terrible torture to eat here. i.e. If they told me that the H1 and H2 freeways eastbound were completely closed with just a single lane open due to rail construction, and that single lane had a car accident in it with an ambulance on the way (how even?!), AND it was the last day that Ah-​Lang would be open before it closed its doors forever I would not hesitate to go through that s — , and dragoon several friends into coming with me, as well. Such is the extent of my love for this place.
The food here is absurdly delicious, and always cooked to perfection. There are several things a first-​timer must order: 1) Kalbi — well-​marinated, fatty, and tender. So good. You will be spoiled for any other kalbi you’ll ever meet. 2) Kim-​chee fried rice — the Angry Korean Lady achieves dat crispy rice layer that is so rare and so tasty. A generous pile of rice is graced by two runny eggs. The rice is not spiced beyond the limits of the average local, so don’t fret. 3) Chive Pancake — my favorite thing here, and there’s no lack of competition. I think the chive pancake is really a testament to AKL’s cooking skill — something so simple should not be this tasty, but it truly is. Chock full of fresh-​cut chives, crisp, and accompanied by a great Korean dipping sauce, the chive pancake somehow avoids being oily, and it’s incredibly addictive. Plus, it’s 90% chives, and 10% batter. A nice, healthy ratio for the discerning dieter.
Oh oh. I’ve always wanted to infuse some urban-​dic into a review, and here’s my chance! The ban-​chan here is on fleek. (throws shade* at basic restaurants that actually charge for ban chan)
There are a litany of House Rules here, but honestly, if you can follow simple, common-​sense directions, you have nothing to fear. You will not be shamed in the eyes of the other patrons. I myself have never experienced verbal abuse at the hands of AKL … but I wouldn’t mind it if she did. In the words of the Arctic Monkeys, «Be cruel to me, cos’ I’m a fool for you.»

Okay so, having researched this place and the House Rules ahead of time, my friends and I set out on our quest to get some Korean food with the notoriously horrendous bad service this Angry Korean Lady is known for.. .
First attempt going – FAIL. It was about 7:30PM, right when we sat down and started to look at the menus on the table, AKL pops out of the kitchen and turns her ‘Closed’ sign around at the door. If you didn’t read the House Rules, that means, I’ll cook for you, but you’re washing all the dishes. At that point, we basically rage quit and went to find another Korean place.
Fast forward to today, we got there at 5:15PM determined to get food this time. Lights off, doors closed, «Back at 5:30». There was a lone woman, a bag lady actually, camping outside the door. We decided to follow suit. 5:29PM, AKL appears and opens the door.
As per the House Rules, we wrote our order neatly on the notepad, indicating the quantity and spice level (1 being weak sauce –8 being gonna hit tomorrow hot) and walked it back to the kitchen. We ordered the Fried Specialty Chicken Wings, Spicy Pork Bulgogi, and a side of Meat Jun.
There were some phone orders and take out orders that managed to snake their way ahead of our’s so we had to wait a while. She brought out our side dishes, rice, and complementary mandoo. A bit later, she brought out the wings and the spicy pork. She totally forgot about the meat jun, and after having eaten everything else, we finally decided to ask her about it. She brought it out later without even saying a word.
The food. Was it worse than food in Korean refugee camps after Japanese occupation like we had read? No, not really. Was it among the best Korean food on island? No, not that either. The mandoo was lacking in flavor. The banchan were just average. The gaji namul had an off-​putting fish sauce and sugar taste, the kimchi was a bit too sour and tasted too shrimpy, the other vegetables were just average. The chicken wings pretty good, they were covered in garlic and sesame seeds, maybe a bit too much sesame though. There are way better chicken places out there. The meat jun had a nice almost airy texture with the egg batter, but the meat was a little over-​marinated and salty. This place’s saving grace was their spicy pork. It pretty much tasted like something your Korean mom or aunty would cook for you– you know, minus the love of course.
One thing that I was definitely disappointed with was AKL herself. After reading the reviews, I was really hoping to meet the worst, most terrible, bad mannered, angry, hot tempered savage monstrosity to ever walk the face of the earth. She was not that at all; she barely even spoke. I guess mildly salty Korean mute just isn’t as catchy?

So we heard so many stories about this place & had to experience it for ourselves as my cousins & I are Korean & we know what good Korean food should taste like if you know what I mean.
Angry Korean Lady is a very angry lady who works by herself & is darn right the rudest human being ever that I have come across in a restaurant.
There is a sheet of paper on our table with House Rules & it is ridiculously crazy. We have to write down our own orders & must write legibly & we have to get our own water from the back. We wanted to share our food so we asked for some plates to which she replied «NO» How rude!
We ordered Bi bim pap, Bi bim kook soo, meat jun, spicy pork Bulgogi, & some chicken… Honestly, the food is just ok but the bi bim kook soo was not good at all. You may as well go to any Korean restaurant on Keeaumoku & most of them are decent Korean food & better service.
I don’t know how Angry Korean Lady stays in business with her so called angry looks & terrible terrible service! We were the only people there for the entire lunch time as she closes at 1:30pm. I am definitely not returning as I felt really really uncomfortable with an Angry rude person waiting on us. There are so many other places to dine at & get treated like a customer. Just beware of the Angry Korean Lady!

My aunt suggested this spot and I’m so glad she did! Novelty? Maybe, but this restaurant was unlike any restaurant I’ve been to. It’s hilarious and extremely entertaining. I didn’t see the AKL till 30 minutes into our meal because she was cooking. I honestly was a little nervous looking at the menu and the 100 rules that she has. There was nobody else in the restaurant except for our party of like 10.
Bring her beer (Michelob Ultra)! and SOJU! We all got pretty hammered. The food was amazing and the entire night was so fun! We sang (bring your own batteries for the mic) and danced! AKL GOT MOVES! Write on the wall too!
I wouldn’t suggest coming here if you want a calm non-​drinking night.
Had a great time and definitely will suggest this spot to friends!

Revisited Ah-​Lang now aka Angry Korean Lady for lunch after not visiting for about 5 years. My, how things have changed, and definitely not for the better.
It looks like the AKL has fully embraced her image, even printing out a sheet with about a dozen or so «rules» for her restaurant. So what once was a slightly charming quirk has now turned into a dictatorship like experience, which is a major turnoff. Do this, do that, don’t do this, don’t ask me that, pay for this, etc. She has quickly entered Soup Nazi status.
All of these new rules could maybe be tolerated if the food was out of this world, but I’ll classify her food as simply «good.» I ordered the spicy pork again and it was good. The meat juhn was good. However, the homemade mandoo was horrible this time around. The filling was seriously lacking in meat and had a very weird texture.
Also, the prices have all been jacked up by $ 3 — $ 5 from what was already an overpriced menu. Why are costs so high when overhead is so low?
So with all of the rules and the high prices, it is not worth ever going back. There are plenty of better choices out there. Please stop kissing this ajumma’s ass and go somewhere else.

Dining here was hilarious, but that doesn’t mean I want to repeat the experience. All of the patrons are sort of in shock, afraid to do anything wrong and they’re openly laughing about it. So there’s an interesting dynamic and feeling inside the restaurant.
I brought my Korean MIL here and she was really not impressed with the food. She said something like «even when we were refugees in the war we had better food than this.» In my opinion, the food didn’t merit the hoops we had to jump through to dine here and my MIL agreed.

AKL!!! SHE IS AWESOME! VERY GENUINE AND REAL.
Atmosphere: small and quaint place. You are allowed access to the kitchen for better or worse… ;) the restaurant is off Kapiolani side street next to the Mandarin.
Service: a good balance between self service and a normal restaurant. Make sure you read her rules. I won’t go into detail like all the other reviews. Just READ them. I’ve seen her get really busy and frustrated because she is the only person working.
Food: it’s hard to find good Korean food on island, but she definitely makes tasty Korean. We ordered pork galbi and kimchee pork stew. Very hearty meal and tasty. I haven’t left this place disappointed.
Intangibles: very entertaining meal. Be ready for some fun!

Had planned to hit up another joint on King but was feeling like Korean, couldn’t find parking, and walked by AKL a couple times so figured what the hell, let’s check it out.
Parked out front (meter parking pretty plentiful in the area) and walked in, small joint maybe five tables if I remember correctly. Nobody was in the front so I assumed (rightly) I just grab a table wherever and immediately read the directions (printed on the table). Got myself some water, wrote down my order, and handed it off the server girl. Kid got the meat jun + kalbi and I got the bibimbap; both all were excellent.
Meat jun had that average standard taste which I appreciate as a lot of places oversalt it or or use low quality meat. The kalbi was an excellent cut and had probably the best marinate I have had on Oahu though the meat was too fatty for me; not necessarily a bad thing though as I know most folk prefer it that way, I don’t. The bibimbap was nothing special either but as with the meat jun, I appreciate and enjoy that as a lot of places mess it up; loaded it up with sauce (a mild gochujang?) and was pretty satisfied. The appetizers were standard Korean fare and was unimpressed outside the kimichi which had an excellent flavor though disappointingly mild. Service was excellent and quick. They also use non-​disposable chopsticks which I appreciated. Prices reasonable.
Really my only complaint, and def minor, was for a serve yourself sort of place would be nice if they put out some more napkins, one never cuts it and you get the impression from the directions printed you aren’t suppose to bother them for more which is some BS.
Anyways like the joint and will repeat.

I think this place has the best Korean food! So although it’s a bit scary to face the AKL and ordering the food is not of the ordinary, it is totally worth it. Of course I would never go alone. I need some back up just in case she releases the dragon.
When you go, you must get the chive pancake. Most places it’s more batter than chive, but this place makes it with more chive than batter. It’s very crispy too. The soon-​du-​bu, is also good. The kal-​kook-​soo is also good. Actually whatever you get here, it’s good.

For our first AKL experience, we came with a group since we were too intimidated to come by ourselves haha. The guys brought a variety of beer (Coors Light, Kona Longboard, etc.) and makgeolli from Don Quijote to share. AKL took the Longboard and her daughter really liked the makgeolli. Perhaps AKL was having a good day or perhaps having her daughter assist her makes her more mellow, but AKL wasn’t angry when we went (phew!). Granted, we offered her alcohol and were very careful not to break any of her house rules!
Our group ordered the meat jun, kimchee fried rice, kimchee pancake, fried specialty wings, and spicy pork bulgogi. I didn’t try the meat jun but of everything else, my favorites were the fried specialty wings and spicy pork bulgogi. We went with spice level 6 for both and it was perfect. The kimchee fried rice was good too – about a third of it was lightly crispy rice, which gave it a great texture. I didn’t like the kimchee pancake too much because I am not used to sour kimchee but the others enjoyed it.
Right before we were about to leave, a customer from another table went into the kitchen to alter his order. AKL was not happy because she started cursing at him. He left the kitchen quickly. AKL later came out to make sure the guy didn’t take it badly and took shots with the table. Even though it ended well for them, I am so glad our table left unscathed!

Angry Korean Lady, such an appropriate title. What’s fun is that Ah-​Lang totally owns the angry Korean lady deal and though it was more reading and instructions to follow than i wanted to the food was great and it’s a pretty efficient setup.
My BBQ Chicken came out sizzling with a nice healthy bed of onions… I’m a sucker for corn rows… and grilled onions.
I was with the great Alan L. (add him on Unilocal,he’s great) and we got good laughs and a break from the mundane. The veggies were on point and well pickled and spiced and the name your own hotness/​spiciness level was cool.
The way she does the water is quite unique too, she has cold nalgenes ready to go in a fridge and you help yourself and pour into your cups. She wasn’t particularly angry but seemed to show faux anger for reputation sake. Fun experience you should try with good natured friends only.

1. VERDICT/​VALUE
(Hopefully this review doesn’t get the Angry Korean Lady angrier ;) …it’s great food that’s pricey, but really — you’re here for the experience! Those looking for food that’s almost as good at a lower cost/​better value point can find it in one of the many Korean places nearby.
2. FOOD
The Kalbi & Meat Jun ($ 18), all prices inlcude tax here) combination starts with a bowl of white rice and 5 side dishes: bean sprouts, kimchi, choy sum, rice cake, and a marinated vegetable I’m not familiar with. The kalbi is fantastic — soft, tender, flavorful and arguably one of the best in town. You realize you’re not in heaven when you’ve eaten the last (and third) small piece. The meat jun is fantastic — the meat is thin and tender, yet the egg topping is also thin… not overly battered and deep fried like you would find in other places. Full points to the Angry Korean Lady for getting the meats done right!
The Kimchee Fried Rice ($ 13) we ordered mild and so it wasn’t overpowering with kimchee and garlic. However, it was pleasantly chock full of onions and zucchini and a special touch — crunchy rice. I assume she let’s it sit and fry a little longer to get that texture. It comes topped with a mostly-​cooked egg. Disappointingly though, while I tried to be generous in the angle of the photography, the dish is frightfully small.
The two of us are small eaters and after $ 31 of good food and angriness from the host, we had to get our second dinner somewhere else.
3. SERVICE
The rules of the restaurant are posted at each table. Be sure to read all of he rules. The most entertaining part of Ah-​Lang is the service: I won’t repeat my fellow Unilocaler’s comments but from the curt/​rudness of the host, to getting your own cup and water from the kitchen’s fridge, to bussing your own dishes to the kitchen (optional, by the way), to waiting in fear potentially a long time to get any food (she’s the only worker in this place), to watching everyone else nervously mousey around the restaurant… you’re going to really enjoy this place or flat-​out run away from it!
4. ATMOSPHERE
Three tables of four and two tables of 6 or 8 is all Ah-​Lang has room for. It’s cramped even with that. If you like an older environment a with few fluorescent-​type lights (you really don’t want to look too closely in the corners anyway, like many places in HNL), then you’ll be fine here. It’s best to call ahead and pre-​order your food to avoid disappointment and/​or long waits. Parking is best found on the street at a meter after 5:30 pm.
I’m signing out now, because I think she’s keying my car… I should have written a more positive review!

The haters are gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate my review because I didn’t get what the big hype of this Angry Korean Lady (AKL) and her food.1.5 star worthy
Daniel L. and I were in the mood for Korean food and came here for dinner to find a mix of authentic and local style dishes. My heart was set on the dol sot bibimbap — hot stone pot with charred rice on the bottom and he was craving the basic rice cakes.
AKL took our order and surprisingly returned with our five banchan. Pretty basic — kim chi, fish cake, bean sprouts, etc. The self serve water was by the kitchen. I was afraid to send him to ask for anything because she might take him hostage and make him wash dishes or something!
My dol sot bibimpbap ($ 15) came piping hot in the stone pot with five different types of veggies, seaweed, bulgogi and a raw egg yolk. I had to drown it with the spicy sauce and felt the quantity didn’t justify paying $ 15 for this amount.
The spicy rice cake and fish cake stir-​fry ($ 12) was a sloppy, over sauced dish with some slivered veggies mixed in. This dish did not come with any rice and the size was rather small. Again for the value, this could have been purchased at a local Korean grocery store for half the price.
We were the only patrons and saw some empty tables with dirty dishes waiting to be cleared. And let’s not talk about the rules. Oy vey.
Would I return? I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake. Shake it off and not be back.

This place is not for everyone. If you can’t stand the F-​bomb being dropped around you or towards you… stay away.
A few buddies and I arrived at 1110 and the place was closed. We saw the lights on and after calling with no answer decided to go around the back to see if anyone was there. We knocked and there was no answer. As we were standing there this lady pulls up and is about to open the door she looks at us up and down and we ask if the restaurant is open. She says nothing. I give her the puppy dog eyes and say we are hungry. She grunts and tells us to follow her through the kitchen. As we were going to sit down I try to be nice and compliment her place, she then tells me to «Shut the F@&k up and order.» It begins.
We place our orders, which you have to write yourself, and I included a ten percent military discount on there… Yeah, don’t try that, almost got kicked out for that one and I really think she would kick you out.
We ordered the:
* I am no expert on Korean cuisine
Beef Bulgogi $ 18 — This was good.
Kalbi and Chicken $ 18 — I enjoyed the Kalbi as it was not chewy, as I have had at other locations where you are trying to rip the meat off the bone just to eat it. Her Kalbi was tenderer. The chicken tasted great
Spicy Pork Bulgogi $ 17 — I was actually surprised by this dish and I took it to be my favorite. Not to spicy as we ordered it on the «4» scale but tasty and delicious.
The dishes come out in a cast iron skillet, fajita type style, with a bowl of rice and sides. If I recall correctly the sides included Kimchee, Korean seasoned Kale, Korean seasoned bean sprouts and a couple of others. I wish she would have brought out some plates so we could have scooped a little of each dish onto our plates but no one wanted to ask for plates. We had enough drama asking for chopsticks after one idiot in our party wrote 4 forks on the check. So we ate it family style.

Maybe she was in a good mode but she brought us our water and cups and took away our dishes. She is actually really nice when you get to talk to her.
I will have to say I am not sure about her business philosophy because we were the only clients and she turned away about eight couples telling them the place is closed. I was like WTF! We are sitting here eating. She basically said she is hung over and needs to take a nap so she can be ready to drink again tonight. Interesting?
I will leave you with this as I don’t want to spoil your visit to this «delightful» restaurant. This place is cash only which we weren’t aware of and a couple of us had to go to the ATM which she said was right next door. We go out and see a sandwich shop right next door so we keep walking almost to the corner. Next thing you know we hear a «Hey!» Of course the whole block turns to look at the commotion and she yells «here» and points. As we walk back people in the street are laughing and as we get closer she yells out, «How the F*ck did you get promoted?» Which of course the whole street erupts in laughter and we are sitting there looking like fools. It’s all good. It was a good line which I had no retort to.
Overall this is the place to take some friends/​family if you want some entertainment and a laugh at their expense and I am a fan. It’s not for everyone but if you want regular «service» there are thousands of restaurants on Oahu that can provide you that.