Koreana

I was really, REALLY hoping for the best when arriving at Koreana on Niagara Falls Blvd. in Tonawanda. I really enjoy Korean cooking, so I was excited to see what this restaurant (now under new ownership) was offering. However, my disappointment at what I found here could not even be measured. Everything, from service to the food, was just THAT bad. This had been a cute, clean and comfortable restaurant before it changed owners. The quality of the food and this restaurant's welcoming demeanor is gone. With the past owners, you'd felt welcome when you came in, and the food was truly down to earth, home cooked Korean. The welcome feeling and warmth has left this place, along with the former owners. It's now sadly owned by a wannabe, so-called chef with an "edgy" attitude. This 'chef" (he lists himself as such on the restaurant's business card), along with his bad attitude, waits on you at the restaurant's pick-up counter. Not having table service isn't necessarily a bad thing if handled properly, but counter pick-up here is dealt with like a bad stage play. When we ordered, I asked if there was a menu I could take with me. I was arrogantly told to just "Take a picture of the menu" by the owner, as the only menu available was the one above the order station. A friend of the owner, someone who was sitting at a table right in front of the order counter, continued to harass me with incredibly stupid cracks at the serious questions I was trying to get answers to, so I stopped asking. I'd wanted to know more about the food, but with this irritating "side-show" going on, I'd lost interest. It's extremely sad to watch the owner relish in the disdain he feels for the potential customers who walk through the door. I also heard the owner telling others that you only get what he chooses to give you for the traditional Korean side dishes when you eat-in, making it plain as day that he gives less (and different types) with take-outs. With the owner's "My way or the highway" attitude, the self-importance he exudes when he's strutting around being sarcastic to people is truly sad and embarrassing to watch. The prices would be fair if the food stood up to even half the quality of the former owners, but the pork Kalbi (a main dish at most Korean restaurants) was all neck bones, with a lot of fat, veins and very little meat. The new owner keeps some of the old food pictures up, obviously to lull you into thinking it's all as it was. When asked, he tries to make you think he's doing the cooking FOR the same owners, but this is certainly NOT the case. Along with the owner/'chef's' creepy attitude and arrogance, the barely okay food, the 'chef's' friends who feel the need to bother you when your ordering and/or asking questions (with the owner/'chef'' laughing along with them), I recommend eating elsewhere. I'm sure this 'chef' will have his excuses and angry rationalizations as to how his way of doing things is correct, but time will tell if this 'restaurant' can even survive. It's bad enough that this place has become such an incredible disappointment on so many levels, but paying for it just adds insult to injury. With so much better Korean fare available in the WNY area, why eat here and put up with this? With this type of unsettling, uncomfortable behavior going on, I also worry about the possible health risks associated with the food, its preparation and its storage. I have no idea what this owner/'chef' could possibly be thinking, but it's all incredibly unprofessional, non-welcoming and potentially unsafe. Adding to all of this is an incredibly poor (or nonexistent) ventilation system. I mention this because after you leave, your clothes and coat will STINK for days. I'm sure it's no surprise that my wife and I will never be going back to Koreana.

small cafe like restaurant. has good food at a decent price. u order and pick it up from counter. rly nice lady too