Mirim Japanese and Korean Restaurant

I am giving this four stars because their service left a bit to be desired [though, very typical for Asian/​Korean as it’s a cultural thing], but the food was excellent. Some dishes were definitely done differently than the traditional Korean way. I ordered Japchae and Kalbi. The kalbi had a different flavor of BBQ sauce than I am used to, however it was still delicious. And the japchae was not as flavorful as I would have done it myself, but I still felt it was very good. The shrimp shumai and tempura udon soup were also done well. If you like them on Facebook, you get free gyoza. Their gyoza was also yummy, but I have a feeling they are frozen bought and not made fresh as they are so similar to a frozen variety I get at our local Hmart.
We went there directly after a day at Sesame Place this past Sunday, as I had Googled local restaurants and I was so surprised and happy to see a Korean spot. Korea representing! ;) When we arrived, they told us we had to wait and they sat a group before us apparently by accident as there seemed to be two main hosts/​servers who do not communicate with each other. They were apologetic and seated us at the next available table. My child was tired and hungry, so I was not the happiest of Moms at that point.
They forgot lettuce and sauce for my kalbi, though this was corrected upon bringing it to their attention, and were not very attentive throughout the course of our meal [even for Asian standards]. I am hopeful this is not the usual for them and that they were just overwhelmed with how particularly (?) busy it was that Sunday evening. However, the food was very good and I would go back just for that and for the proximity to a place [Sesame Place] we frequent often.

AMBIANCE: It is a big restaurant with plenty of tables and booths. Dimly lit, clean, and open. It has potential for a good date location.
LOCATION: It is off a big street. If you are looking for it you can’t miss it. Idk if they get very much random foot traffic since it is a bit harder to notice from the street. And you wouldn’t see it if you just walked by. Its part of a small strip mall.
SERVICE: Quick and friendly. I came during lunch and it was a bit dead, so I was skeptical, but it turned out great.
FOOD: I got the Bibimbop, it was delicious. It was also a huge portion. I had enough food for 2 more meals. I definitely recommend this and of course it comes with the tiny starter dishes. I also got the wonton soup which was good, nothing special about it. The bibimbop was filled to the brim with food, not just rice, but tons of protein and all the other condiments.
PRICE: Very reasonable and manageable. Especially for the portion you get.

Drove out here from Jersey and they did not disappoint! I loved that Soon Du Bu, and their sides dishes were delicious and plentiful. Of course, I did come with a Korean person, so maybe that’s why they were extra attentive in refilling our sides. ;) Dare I say that it satisfied my Soon Du Bu (SDB) craving just as well if not better than BCD Tofu House, my usual go-​to spot for SDB???

We didn’t understand all the rave reviews for this place. The setting is fine and the service good. Dulsot Bulgogi was a generous portion with almost no spices and not the greatest beef. Japchae had the same problem: very little excitement in the food. The appetizer dishes were OK, but nothing special. We don’t eat a lot of Korean, but Maru in East Brunswick NJ is far, far better. This wasn’t terrible, just mediocre at best.

I probably passed Mirim 100 times and never even noticed it. It’s set way back in a shopping center on Woodbourne Road, behind a vast parking lot and sporting a relatively small sign.
After discovering it, we would up stopping in 2x in the last 10 days. Kind of a mixed bag. Some elements of the food were pretty good, but the downsides were notable.
On the first visit I got the beef udon and a yellowtail and onion roll. The udon had pretty good flavor and had a good amount of vegetables and noodles in it. I didn’t care for the meat at all. Every piece was way too thick, and most were gristley disasters. After a few pieces I just avoided them. The roll was decent enough and I noted that the fish was indeed fresh. However, the rice to fish ratio was really off. There was basically a speck of fish and a little onion encased in a boatload of rice. Not my idea of stellar sushi.
I left pretty disappointed, but my chick had a much better meal than I, so she made it a point that we should go back again and give it another shot. I wasn’t too keen on it, but I’m married so…
The second time around I got the spicy beef, egg and vegetable soup and the fried tofu app. The spicy beef soup again had superb flavor and a great spice level. The meat was so much better this time. It was sliced super thin and was quite delicious. However, there were literally just 4 or 5 small pieces of it and unfortunately there wasn’t much veg in there to compensate. So I basically wound up eating spicy egg soup, the idea of which I didn’t love. As for the fried tofu, I absolutely loved it. Perfectly fried up, very crispy, great color. A pleasure to eat.
At around 40 bucks for lunch for 2, Mirim is not a great value and the quality has proved to be a mixed bag. I probably wouldn’t come back again.

Really awesome and delicious authentic Korean food and sushi. 10 times better than that expensive over rated Korean fusion in Newtown. Try the Tang Soo Yuk. Great prices and portions. Plus BYOB!

There really aren’t many Korean places nearby so we do frequent this place… in fact more than I’d like. But it is what it is… one of our regular places.
Their YookGeJang is really good, I admit, with a generous portion.
Their DonKatsu is always a safe bet for those who might be not-​a-​big-​fan-​of-​Korean-​food-​but-​my-​family-​brought-​me-​here. (My daughter is one of those.)
Their Sushi/​Sashimi is fresh, and the sushi rice is tasty.
Many of their dishes, including the side dishes (banchan) are doused with an extra dose of sugar compared to other places.
Their service is consistently attentive.

The best yuk gae jang I’ve ever had! Really big bowl of everything you could want. Soup is velvety and bold, and always consistent! Friendly staff and very attentive. The mini sides are also great too. You get between 6 to 8, and they’ll always give you more if you request it.
I’ll always come back here for my Korean fix.
Not too mention their home made kimchi is just as wonderful.

This is my absolute favorite Korean restaurant in Bucks County and possibly one of my favorite restaurants in bucks county in general. Having eaten at Korean restaurants in NJ, NYC, and Pittsburgh, this place offers the most authentic food for the best prices. I have never actually had their Japanese options, but their Korean dishes are definitely their best selling point.
The staff is extremely friendly and seem to have relationships with many of their customers. When we asked what was in their tea, they gladly brought out a sample of the ingredients and told us how to purchase them. Also, once I considered ordering several items but the waitress kindly told me that it would be too much food to finish and that the portion sizes were fairly large. I really appreciated that advice because you often don’t get such an honest opinion from employers.
Mirim offers a generous amount of starter dishes. I’ve also had their jap chae, dolsot bibimbop, and KBBQ. Jap chae is one of my favorite Korean dishes and they definitely do it well here. I think the bibimbop is their best though because they offer an assortment of vegetables on top. The sauce is also offered separately so you can add as much or as little as you’d like. I think their flavors are a little less spicy than typical Korean dishes such as their kimchi and sauce but it appeals to a broader audience which is appropriate for the location. The KBBQ was also perfect and something you cannot find in the area.
Overall, I really appreciate having such an authentic cultural restaurant in the area because it is rare. Furthermore, the food, prices, and service are better than any Korean restaurant I have been to in the country including areas where the Korean population is greater and big cities with more diversity. This restaurant definitely enhances the options in Bucks County.

Very authentic Korean cuisine. Delicious and well priced. The service was great as well.

Coming from the west coast this place definitely knows what’s up. Very good Korean bbq. Only with a 2 meat minimum will they cook it in front of you but still awesome. Their sushi menu isn’t that extensive but the little they offer is very good.

I have been to this place at least 7 times but realized I have never written a review.
Yes, I do like this place very much. My buddy and I always get the same thing — seafood pancake (appetizer) and the shredded pork. You also get the assorted dishes with your meal. All this is PLENTY for the two of us.
The staff is very friendly and I look forward to our next visit!

Korean food is pretty hard to find in the greater Princeton area. So to get GOOD Korean food would be way too much to ask. UNTIL I found Mirim! You know it’s a good sign when you walk in on a Sunday night and quite a few tables are filled with ALL Koreans. Plus it smelled amazing! We got the seafood pancake, bibimbap and Dolsot Bulgolgi and all were delicious. The service was so friendly and attentive and the prices were super fair. I am sooooo happy I found my new favorite place!

My husband and I have been searching for a good Korean place without having to travel into the city for some time now. Who knew this hole in the wall was just what we were looking for. The place is small but was filled with diners… great sign! Good came out quickly and the food was great! I had a side of sushi too and it was very fresh! This is our new favorite spot and we will definitely be back.

Holy crap! Forgot to review this place! Food was excellent and so was their service! Kalbi and bulgogi was great with their marinade. BYOB with an H&Y Mart right next door. Side dishes are flavorful and always available past closing.

Mirim is a surprise! It’s in a small strip mall so, outside is standard but, inside it’s very nicely decorated and cozy. The food is fantastic! We started with sushi for appetizer which was very fresh. Entrees were Pork Katsu and Jae Yuk Bokum (spicy pork with vegetables); both were excellent. The Katsu had a delicious brown sauce. Like a traditional Korean restaurant they bring you Banchan (little complimentary side dishes) to go with your meal… cabbage kimchi, cucumber kimchi, marinated bean sprouts, glass noodles and tofu just to name a few. All delicious!
The portion sizes for the dinners are huge so make sure you are hungry. They have brown rice instead of white if you prefer. They also have Japanese food. A big selection of sushi and sashimi plus teriyaki and Udon noodle bowls. That’s next on our list to try. Service was excellent and everyone there is very friendly.

I’m a huge fan of Korean food, eating in Koreatowns at both NJ and NYC. With that said, Mirim does not disappoint. The location was very clean, put-​together, and clearly Asian inspired, setting the mood for your meal.
Since I had come with my family, we ordered the dolsot bulgolgi, sundubu, jjajangmyun and bibim naeng myun (which was only written in Korean apparently). Though nothing was exceptional in terms of the food, the food was still delicious and the place does a great job of maintaining the authenticity. My only gripe was that the sundubu tried too hard to not offend any taste palettes (meaning it was bland).
Since I live on the border of NJ and PA, though, this place probably has the best Korean food in a 25 minute radius. I will definitely be coming back.

Always wonderful & never disappointing! Lunch today with a friend. Delicious paju, japchae & sundubu. Everything was perfect! Got an order of pork and spicy rice cakes to go for another friend. These are definitely my favorites!
This restaurant is a jewel!

Meh.
It’s a monopoly. There is no competition here so the reviews reflect that and inflate it.
Not trying to be pretentious, merely stating a fact, but I am Korean, grew up on the food, and also eat at many Korean restaurants in heavily Korean populated urban areas and also, South Korea. So, I have a lot of experience.
If this restaurant was located in LA or NY, this place would have been out of business, seriously. Not because they’re terrible, but because there are so many other better Korean restaurants around that nobody would choose to come here.
I get the feeling that a lot of the reviews are from either friends/​family of the owner/​employees or are people with limited experience with Korean cuisine. That’s fine, but I’m going to tell you like it really is.
The food is OK. Sometimes, a little better than ok, sometimes worse. Inconsistency in and of itself is a problem, but overall the consensus is that it’s just… average. It’s like food court or cafeteria grade Korean food. Nothing special at all, but necessary when you’re craving it and it’s the only choice you got.
The worst offenders are the Jjigae/​Guk (stews/​soups). Bland, not enough seasoning, spice, not cooked long enough to develop complex flavors, not the right temperature, watered down, not the right ratio of liquid to solids. It feels lazy, almost as if they know nobody is going to know any better so they do their minimum and just send it out the kitchen. It doesn’t taste awful, but I know they could do better.
However, I do love their seafood pancake (Haemul Pajeon). It’s pretty good. Sometimes it’s a bit too greasy or underdone, but when they do it right, it’s delicious. Their sushi is decent too, better than a lot of other sushi places around here. The quality of the fish did decline a little bit over the years, but still decent. The Banchan (small side dishes) is also lacking and leaves a lot to be desired. The JajangMyeon (noodles with black soybean sauce) is Ok… nothing special. Their Don Katsu (Japanese pork cutlet) is tasteless, like they didn’t salt or season before breading and frying. I’ve had a lot better.
Like I said, this place is mediocre, but does well because there is nothing else around for miles. The menu is also so very limited it’s frustrating, but I guess with only two or three people working the entire restaurant, it’s understandable. The place is clean and the workers are typical Koreans… meaning, don’t expect to get the same kind of service you get an American restaurant. They won’t come around to fill your glasses and they won’t ask you how your food is. It’s not that they’re rude, it’s a culture difference. Anyway, I’ll continue to come here because I don’t want to drive 20+ miles and I’m too lazy to cook my own Korean food all the time.

I came here with the bf and brother for dinner. I was really in the mood for tonkatsu again. The bf got the kalbi tang and brother got spicy tuna roll with fried rice. The place was fairly empty at the time so service was pretty fast. They brought out some edamame for us to munch on while we waited.
Then came the variety of banchan. All pretty good but mostly spicy (for my spice tolerance). My tonkatsu was enormous and enough to share with three people. The fried rice was lacking flavor though but my brother was a fan of the spicy tuna roll. The bf said the kalbi tang was just okay but the meat was super tender.
Overall, still the best Korean restaurant in close proximity.