Craving a flavorful bite of galbi? How about prime cuts of Wagyu? Northern Virginia’s Korean restaurants are serving up delectable dishes you don’t want to miss. Check out these four restaurants, selected by our critics as part of our 50 Best Restaurants of 2025, for an unforgettable Korean meal.
By Alice Levitt, Dawn Klavon, and Monica Saigal
Price Key: Entrées = $ 15 and under | $$ 16–25 | $$$ 26–40 | $$$$ 41 and over | * = prix fixe only
CHĪKO
Arlington & Sterling | Chinese and Korean | $$
Practically as soon as you order them, there are bowls on the table at CHĪKO. But don’t call it fast food. With chefs Scott Drewno and Danny Lee at the helm, this casual, inexpensive local chain boasts James Beard–fueled cred. Indeed, the pair have been nominated by the famous foundation more than once, most recently as outstanding restaurateurs this year.
At the family-friendly NoVA locations, diners can expect big flavor that comes from the chefs’ dual expertise in Chinese and Korean cuisine. Where else can you make a meal of some of the crispiest Korean fried chicken around, paired with pulled lamb and ropy fresh noodles in a Hunan-influenced sauce?
For many chefs, dessert is an afterthought, but the coconut custard — which gets an unusual spin thanks to a shower of spicy gochugaru and lime zest — is worth a trip on its own. Food may come out quickly, but this well-oiled machine makes meals you can feel great about sharing with sophisticated friends.
Eat This: Double-fried chicken wings, cumin lamb stir fry, coconut custard
Chosun Hwaro
Fairfax | Korean | $$$$
There are many beef short ribs on this list. But this is the only restaurant that specializes in them. Including soups and stews, there are seven ways to sink your teeth into one of our favorite cuts here. Order from among the five varieties of galbi, grilled by expert servers beneath advanced hood systems that prevent you from smelling like smoke.
With certified Angus beef sizzling away at the table to the accompaniment of K-pop tunes, Chosun Hwaro splits the difference between high-end and casual, youth-focused KBBQ restaurants. Think of it as something for everyone, even diners who wish to get their meat grilled while they watch the news at the bar.
The best of the flesh is seasoned, boneless Emperor’s Galbi, and the optimal way to experience it all is the Chosun Hwaro Combo. The small version also includes the bone-in Empress Galbi, thinly sliced brisket, cheese-covered gyeran jjim (steamed egg), and bubbling tofu soup.
Should you desire to embark on an all-out short rib feast, bring a big group to try it all. You’ll get to the meat of the matter in no time.
Eat This: Gunmandu, Emperor’s Galbi, gyeran jjim
Ingle Korean Steakhouse (No. 7)
Vienna | Korean | $$$$
Remember the Choose Your Own Adventure book series? Packed with choices that would lead to myriad possible endings, the stories were an eminently satisfying way to make kids read. Ingle Korean Steakhouse is the wagyu-powered equivalent.
It starts with the first sip of water, when your server arrives with a tray of cucumbers, lime, and lemon from which to pick. The six-course prix fixe dinner includes a collection of American wagyu cuts of the day, but from there, you have almost as many options to devour as you did as a book-hungry youth.
Shared appetizers might be steamed mussels marinière, cod roe garlic toast, or a scallion pancake with shrimp, but we encourage trying the sashimi salad, spicy-and-sweet hwe moo-chim. Each diner gets to select their own savory meal, be it beef fried rice, soup, or one of three takes on chilled buckwheat noodles.
But when it comes to the tender meats grilled on your table, to paraphrase Sondheim, loving them is not a choice.
Eat This: Corn cheese, hwe moo-chim, wagyu cuts of the day
Seoul Prime (No. 5)
Falls Church | Modern Korean | $$$$
We can all agree: Korean barbecue is delicious. But from bulgogi to soybean stew, it’s not the most creative or varied of cuisines. Unless you get your ’cue at Seoul Prime.
There, the team behind Honest Grill kicks the Korean steakhouse concept up several notches with original creations that taste every bit as fantastic as they sound. Try the heirloom tomato and burrata salad. Dressed in kimchi vinaigrette, tiger-striped tomatoes share space with creamy, oozy cheese and pickled biquinho peppers.
But the beef is still the centerpiece. There are three “tours” and à la carte options. Pick the mid-range prime steak tour that starts with a hulking, dry-aged rib-eye. The four-meat assault of ideally caramelized protein cooked at your table culminates in marinated prime short ribs that melt in sweet delight.
End the meal with a croffle — a buttery, flaky croissant cooked in a waffle iron and topped with vanilla ice cream and berry coulis. There’s no question that this is fine-dining Korean barbecue that stands out in the increasingly crowded field.
Eat This: Heirloom tomato and burrata, prime steak tour, croffle
Feature image of Ingle Korean Steakhouse by Rey Lopez
This story originally ran in our November issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
