Manna

Oh my, what a cultural gem find!
Not much to look at on the outside, or location wise, but once you set foot inside the restaurant, allow yourself be transported to a charming Korean establishment that serves both as the business venue and home to an older Korean couple. The people, the setting, the food… I felt like i was invited to dinner by a friendly Korean family that spoke little English, but can cook up a storm. They let the food do the talking.
Pros:
— Authentic Korean cuisine… need I say more?
— Generous portions for main entrees and the side dishes
— Good selection of Korean tea
— Though it is a basic dining setup, it really does feel like you are dining in Asia… a very typical experience for those of you who have traveled and dined off the beaten path in Asia. We had Korean karaōke playing in the background too, though it is feels rather quiet regardless since there were only two tables occupied at that time.
— Korean store next door with all the hard to find ingredients for Korean cuisine
Cons:
— Weird hours. Tried coming here several times before for dinner @8 PM and it was closed! Also no one answers the phone if you call outside of their operating hours. Dinner is 5 – 7.30 PM.
— Sketchy area, weird location
— Owners speak limited english, so if you are not familiar with Korean food, you might be in for a wild cuisine ride! On the bright side, you can always use your smart phone to look up what the menu item is …(is what I did!).
Overall, I have enjoyed the food and will def. be back to explore the menu!

Love this place! I always get the Kalbi ($ 14.99) because I love spare ribs. I also get the soft tofu soup too. I don’t like this one as much because they only offer beef and I prefer seafood. My friends have gotten the fried rice and bibimbap and they were both pretty tasty.

From outside, it looks like they may slit your throat in there. It’s in the middle of nowhere. If I was driving by (and didn’t have Unilocal!) I would NEVER stop and go inside. BUT… once you go inside you’re greeted by a very friendly family. The food is delicious! A must go. A true hole in the wall. Try it. You won’t be disappointed. Yumm…

I’ve been to this restaurant off and on in the past 10 years that I’ve lived in Nashville. After reading everyone else’s, I will have to agree, it is a hole in the wall, and the service is very slim. So, if you are not used to spicy food, as most Korean food is, than you should be prepared to ask for a pitcher of water.
Most times I’ve been here, there hasn’t been a large crowd. Usually a few customers scattered across the large dining room. The lady that serves you has been there each and every time, and she is very nice.
While I haven’t had the short ribs here, I do want to try them out, as they seem to be the best out of all of the Korean restaurants around Nashville.
I have had the Ja Jang Myun (brown sauce over noodles), and it’s okay. It’s not like my Mom’s, but it is hard to replicate that.
The dol bibimbap is good, but be careful to not burn your tongue, as I have done so many times.
I have gotten the food as carry-​out before, and it is a lot of food for one person. I would say that is the reason they’ve got the prices that they have. I would definitely recommend a lunch menu as opposed to the dinner, as it is cheaper.
I believe they are closed on Sundays, so do not bother to come then. However, if you are there M-​F, and see that the OPEN sign is not on, go ahead and go in. As previously stated in other reviews, it is in a place where you think it is an abandoned building, but trust me — -it’s open!

Manna is a kind of a strange establishment. It is tucked away in an odd location off Charlotte right downtown. One of those locations that you can drive past dozens of times without even realizing that there is a business there. Most of the times I have gone the place has been virtually empty. Yet somehow they manage to survive and pump out some pretty quality Korean food. I attribute a great deal of Manna’s quality to sharing space with the Market next door. The food always seems like it is made with quality ingredients which makes sense when everything is only five feet away.
The food is very good and really has a homemade quality to it. Makes sense as it seems to be a family run establishment and the back dining room seems to be equal part restaurant and living room for the staff. As one might expect from a family run place the service is interesting. Typically there is only one staff member at the front of the house with a limited grasp of English, but they are attentive and helpful if you flag them down. Me and my family have always been warmly welcomed and treated very well.
As to the food, In my experiences the bulgogi and bibimbap are far superior to a much more lauded spot on the west side (name omitted to protect the innocent) and the side dishes are exceptional. The portions are very generous which is fortunate because the prices are fairly high considering the location.
Overall, Manna is a good choice if you are looking for solid Korean food in the downtown or east side area. It is not as heralded or polished as some other spots in town, but the food can hold up to almost any other joint in Nashville.

Really more like 3.5 stars.
I came to Manna really really wanting to love it and wound up liking it a good deal. BUT. There is no denying that my husband and I had one of the weirdest dining experiences ever here.
To kick things off, I have to agree with all other reviews that suggest that Manna inhabits what looks like an abandoned building. When we pulled up, the OPEN sign wasn’t lit up, so we thought they were closed. But when I popped out of the car to check, the door opened and a woman came out from the back to greet me so we assumed they were open, but really, for the rest of our meal there, we wondered the whole time whether they were in fact open. We were the only diners, and our hostess/​server/​cook (?) was frequently in the back, so it was honestly like we were in the restaurant all by ourselves. Our server seemed friendly, but like I said, she spent most of her time in the back (perhaps watching the Asian film that was playing on the tv back there?), which meant that our interactions with her were minimal. We pretty much saw her when she took our order, delivered our food, and brought us the check… that’s it! I wound up needing my water refilled partway through my meal, but as she was nowhere in sight, I wasn’t sure what to do about that, so while service wasn’t exactly slow (everything got to us quickly) it was also very bare bones and I admit I felt a bit uncomfortable because I really couldn’t tell whether we were supposed to be there or not! Also, at one point the phone in the restaurant rang and rang but she never answered it, which only added to our doubts that maybe Manna wasn’t really open!
All that said, the food was really quite good. As others have mentioned the banchan offerings were plentiful and generous (we got 6 different ones, I believe), though I think I may prefer the ones provided at Korea House just a tad more. I ordered the kalbi, which was really yummy, and though $ 15, was a big enough portion that I easily had enough for a second meal. My husband got the pork bulgogi, though he initially wanted to order a different dish that involved pork belly but was told that the bulgogi was better. We weren’t clear on whether the pork belly was not as good because it was more appropriate for 2 people or because it involved having to cook it yourself, but we figured that the server likely knew best so deferred to her judgment. The bugolgi was good, though it was not at all spicy as the menu claimed. Though I am still not a Korean cuisine expert, I definitely got the vibe that all of the food was of the «homecooked» variety, which was honestly really nice.
So overall, I have mixed feelings about this place. The food was solid, but the service and atmosphere really confused me. I am no stranger to hole-​in-​the-​wall type establishments, so the relatively sedate and no frills décor didn’t really phase me, but the feeling of abandonment really did. Again, our waitress seemed really nice, I just wish we would have seen her more! I would be up for returning and trying some other dishes, but I might bring a bunch of friends because the quiet as a graveyard vibe didn’t really make for an easygoing dining experience.

A hole in the wall, for sure, but home cooked style Korean food is not easy to find in Tennessee. Service wise, we waited quite a long time for our food, despite the fact that my party of 6 were, initially, the only customers in the restaurant. The prices are a bit much, as well, but I’m willing to pay for the only jajangmyun I’ve found since moving to Tennessee a few years ago. Hubs enjoys the bibimbop, bulgogi was good, too. Definitely worth the effort to find this place, that’s for sure.

I was surprised to see this place come out ahead of Seoul Garden, so I had to give it a try. Previous reviews are right — it looks like a dump before you walk in, and then no one is there. On top of that, there’s no music playing. It was the quietest dinner I’ve ever had.
But who cares?! Korean food is the best thing that could ever happen to you!
Let’s talk about the things this restaurant does well–
1) Service — no one is there, so you get all of the attention
2) Banchun — delicious, perfectly crisp, with some creative side dishes that I hadn’t seen before
3) Dolsot Bibimbap– mixed mixed rice! My husband really enjoyed his serving of this traditional dish.
4) Kimchi Stew — This is the perfect winter soup. Spicy, flavorful, delicious. I predict some takeout orders of this soup in the future.
What doesn’t go on the good list is the bulgogi. It wasn’t bad– the marinade is delicious, but nothing can be the fresh grilled taste that comes from grilling at your table at Seoul Garden. If you’re looking for Korean BBQ, go there, but if you just need a quiet night with some traditional korean food and delicious side dishes, save yourself the hassle and spend a nice time at Manna.

This place is a hidden gem, and if you have been lucky enough to stumble upon this review, I do hope you treat yourself to the great experience I just had. I have never had Korean food from a restaurant before, but I have worked for years with Koreans in various asian/​sushi restaurants, and have had the good fortune of having them prepare meals for me. Manna tops it in every respect.
Sure the place is off the beaten path, in a sketchy area of town, looks like a dump, and the décor is about as bare bones as it gets … just go in! DO IT! Talk to the sweet sweet Korean lady and order some food. I promise you will not be let down.
For $ 15 I got pork bu-​gog-​gli (sp?) with steamed rice, my own pot of Korean green tea, and an assortment of 7 different appetizer dishes ranging from the best kimchi I have ever had to a bean sprout salad. I spoke with several other diners who sang nothing but praises and encouraged me to come back and explore the menu.
The whole place is run by a single older Korean woman, who was a sweetheart. She greets you, takes your order, brings drinks, and cooks. She is a damn juggernaut. I have not been this excited to review a restaurant in a long time, and I am more than happy granting 5 stars. I’ll be back soon!

s’been a little while since I went here but its good, needed champong desperately this week, good $ 10 spent, no frills, just broth and seafood and noodles. Asian films in the back room, mah jong and that good olé crazy Korean service. Beer available, nowt else, mad. Not much atmosphere, make your own.

Was in the neighborHood yesterday and saw the review so figured I’d give it a try. Place is attached to a Oriental Market and it is a scary looking place, I wasn’t quite sure it was open cause it has an abandoned building look. Went in and it was empty, no wait staff or anything, but there was a tv playing and looked open. Waitress came out and offered menu, was alone so I saw there were a few magazines and newspapers hanging around, grabbed the first magazine (maxim) wow, not your normal lunch time reading but, what the hell. Ordered the chicken bulgogi (?) and waited with apprehension. Maybe 20 minutes later, after hearing a good amount of pot clanking in the kitchen out came a wonderful tray of korean goodness. The bulgogi was served with a assortment of delicious chimchi (7) in all and was fresh and delicious. The place is a little more than run down but the food was fresh and delicious and i didnt get sick, will try again.

Absolutely incredible!
I won’t lie, I was a bit nervous because we went in and it was empty. But, we decided to stay and eat due to the 4.5 stars on Unilocal.Very good call on our part (thanks Unilocal).
We got the beef bulgogi and chicken bulgogi. Incredibly fresh and outstanding blend of flavor. A little sweet with a little bit of heat made for a happy mouth.
The kimchi was fabulous as well. Had a perfect texture and a good amount of spice to it without being overpowering.
Will ABSOLUTELY be back.

Tasty, affordable, easy. If this was just a tiny bit closer to my house, I’d never cook again.

This hidden gem serves the best Korean cuisine in town.
A Korean friend of mine first recommended this place, and takes his family here every time they visit.
First comes the traditional appetizers, and here Manna shines. The banchan (small appetizer dishes) are fairly large and quite varied, ranging from kimchi cabbage and kimchi cucumber to dried fish, boiled egg strips and fresh soybean sprouts. Unlike other places, the banchan portions are definitely enough to get full from alone, making communal sharing and trying a must.
The bulguogi (barbeque marinade) chicken comes freshly made sizzling on a skillet. The chicken is a little on the chewy side, but the sauce is interesting and sufficiently spicy to satisfy my tastes. The rice comes separately little metal bowl and is just the right amount of dry and puffy to work well with the barbeque. More traditional pork and beef bulguogi are are also available.
The Jajangmyeon (noodles and vegetables in black bean sauce) however was a bit flat and didn’t have the savory punch I’m used to with the Chinese Zha jiang mian, but that may just be me. The potatoes in the dish didn’t do it favors though.
The tofu soup was thick and spicy, with a lot of kimchi lettuce and tofu. It was good though not much different from others I’ve had before.
Dinner costs around $ 15, so it is reasonably pricy, but with the banchan you definitely get your money’s worth.
Service comes in the form of a single friendly middle-​aged lady who does everything, so service tends to run on the slow end. Décor is a bare-​bones room with tables and seats.
Perhaps Manna’s lack of popularity is due to its remote, isolated location on Charlotte near 440. If that is the case, this wrong should be corrected as it is definitely worth visiting.

mmmmm just like mom’s. Ok maybe not just like mom’s but it was good. I’m very picky when it comes to Korean food. My mom can throw down. My husband has been very spoiled from our marriage with very delicious Korean food, we gave this place 2 thumbs up. Even our one year old was gobbling up the banchan, With rice and banchan being a staple in our home, theirs was quite delish and fresh.
It’s kind of the hole in the wall «ethnic restaurant» but that’s what you want, you want place that is traditional, decently priced and so so yummy!

4.5 stars — I really wish we could give ½ stars.
I had heard about Manna through a few friends and wanted to check it out, so I finally got the opportunity to this past Saturday with my friend. We went for a late lunch at 1 PM and were surprised to find that no one was in the parking lot. Actually, no one could really be found in the greater vicinity of Manna – it’s a bit sketchy-​looking from the outside. But, as we pulled into our parking space, another car parked next to us and out came two Korean ladies carrying some supplies. Next thing we know, they are unlocking the door to the restaurant. My friend and I were confused and for a few seconds, we weren’t sure what to do but asked if they were open for business. They nodded and welcomed us in to the empty and deserted restaurant. It felt much like being received into someone’s house at the same time they are returning home. [As a note, it might be a good idea to call ahead to check that they are open – if we had come seconds earlier, we would have completely missed them and decided it was closed]
And that’s exactly what I think of Manna’s food. Home-​made Korean food. I’m not really a fan of kimchi, but their’s is pretty good. They gave us very generous portions of panchan (the side dishes that come with your meal). I ordered the beef & tofu soup and my friend ordered japchae (the clear sweet potato noodles). Both of us were pretty satisfied with our meal. I think I’m still partial to Tofu House’s tofu soup, but this one had a very homemade and authentic feel to it – like I was at some friend’s house and a Korean mom cooked dinner for me.
The atmosphere was clean but almost eerily quiet. According to my friend, they must have renovated the place recently. As we sat waiting for our meal, though, we couldn’t help feeling a little awkward in the silence and in being the only people in the restaurant.
Definitely worth a try. I’d come back and try some of the other dishes. But, maybe I’ll call in advance to make sure they’re open!

A good authentic tasting Korean restaurant. Had the bulgogi, tofu soup and chapchae. Came with kimchi and prices were reasonable.
Near 12^th and porter, I’m always in the mood for Korean food. The tofu soup was really good, I imagine the kimchi stew is as well.

We came here during a visit to Nashville after reading about it online. It’s definitely easy to miss as you drive because they don’t have a big sign. The place was quiet. Our waitress, a Korean lady, gave us a few suggestions. We tried their kimchi soup and pork bulgogi. The soup had chunks of soft tofu with kimchi and some meat. It had a nice amount of heat without causing any pain and it was very tasty. Bulgogi was also very good. Overall it was a quiet place with delicious food and good service. We really enjoyed it!

i ate here for the second time tonight, and i had the kimchi stew again.
i’ve been going to war over the past week or so with a cold/​sickness of some sort and have managed to finally get the upper hand with a salvo of kimchi stew and phở. the first time i had the kimchi stew here, quite frankly, i was ambushed. i’ve had kimchi stew enough times to know what i was getting into but this was something i just wasn’t prepared for! the broth in the stew was boiling, almost snarling in the bowl as it was placed in front of me, and was more viscous than at any of the other restaurants around. there is a fair bit more kimchi in the stew here than the other places, and the little bit of beef seemed it was there more for flavor than anything, but was certainly appreciated.
there weren’t as many sesame seeds in the stew today as there was the last time i paid a visit. that’s ok, though, because the kimchi was there in abundance and it made its presence savored. lots of mean looking cabbage with all it’s fiber in tow and onions for good measure. plenty of cubes of tofu as well and bits of spices and flavoring that sink to the bottom and make that last few spoonfuls of broth out of the world. if you can’t tell, i’m fully in love with stew here and hope you can all find a corner of your winter to share with the sweet lady at manna that will take care of you.
eric b

fw*88efkjsd3jwt5uj3owejdskjklj this place is goooooood.
I’ve only had one thing on the menu and it’s one of the dishes that I judge Korean restaurants by, kimchi jigae It’s basically a semi-​spicy stew with kimchi, meat, and soft tofu. The version here is quite possibly the best of the best in Nashville. It’s not overly spicy like other versions in town, but still has a kick. The stew is chalk full of soft tofu, and it has a very faint taste of sesame oil. What makes it is the thicker broth and the INCREDIBLY STINKY kimchi. Yeah, I said stinky. If it’s not stinky and funky, it’s not good kimchi.
The side dishes here are pretty solid. We were served with a total of 6 sides. The standout, of course, is the kimchi. We also had what appeared to be seaweed or some sort of green veggie swimming in a very fishy sauce, it tasted like sea water. There was also sweet and sour squash, a very lightly dressed bok choy, bean sprouts, and something else that escapes me at the moment.
Don’t except much from the place, you’re going here for good Korean food, not for the ambiance and décor. Don’t be scared by the exterior, and definitely don’t be scared by the nice old lady that serves and probably cooks the food also. She speaks English and is super nice. The inside is simple, the walls are bare, and there’s not much else to look at.
I’m told the kalbi (Korean short rib) is some of the best in town. I’m sure I’ll be back soon to work my way through the menu. Stay tuned…