MIGA

Take my review with a grain, as I really don’t know what the food was like, as we never got served and left after wasting 45 minutes here. Here’s my experience because I’m suspect when a 2 month establishment has 24 reviews already, are hugely positive and with such terrible service.
We had a party of 3 and arrived closer to 9 pm, still within the 8 oclock hour. A couple was waiting as well and the dining room looked quite full except for 3 4-​top tables occupied only by empty pint glasses.
The hostess didn’t greet us and after a few minutes waiting in the foyer of the well decorated Korean themed restaurant I asked the status and if we could get a grill table. She checked her book first and offered that it would be 15 minutes for a table. The empty tables didn’t have the grill built in, so we offered to wait.
It was only when asked to site did we then notice a sidewalk board marketing BYOB.

Miga has relocated to 2001 Hamilton Street across from the WaWa. They re-​opened in early 2015. Their website is now
We’re happy to finally have a decent Korean restaurant in the neighborhood. They have an awesome outdoor deck! My husband and I went on a whim for Saturday lunch on one of the early spring days that was warm. It was nice to sit outside on the deck, nibbling on Banchan and enjoying a beer. They relocated to the space that was formerly «lox, stock, and barrel» and an Italian restaurant before that. They say they have plans to put the bbq grill tables outside, so for now you can only order Korean bbq inside. The menu is huge and the portions are pretty big as well.

Profoundly mediocre. It amazes me how a restaurant can take vibrant, exciting Korean cuisine and transform it into dull, bland, plain food.
After my move from NYC to Philly, I was missing K-​town badly and longed for the comfort of Woorijip. I came to MIGA with friends, seeking out japchae, bibimbap, and bulgogi. MIGA managed to render several of my favorite Korean dishes into unidentifiable masses of blah. I also have a strong feeling that the place used to be an Indian restaurant because of the blatantly non-​Korean décor .
If you are a lover of hot, tasty, home-​cooked Korean goodness, stay away. MIGA is overpriced and well below average.

MIGA is solid in the Central Philly desert of Korean food, which edges it toward a 4 star rating, given the dearth of alternatives in the area. Stews are tasty and salty. Spicy pork is yummy but not amazing. Food thus seems overpriced — I’m used to better Korean food for cheaper. Nice décor and service.
I love Korean food but wasn’t left hankering to go back. If I was stuck in Center City craving Korean, I’d probably go to MIGA. But I’d rather not.

Miga is an above avg Korean restaurant. It’s probably not the best place for BBQ or soups but has a bunch of everything.
I really enjoy how they bring out a large number (12 i think) of side dishes for you free of charge. It’s a nice touch and allows you to enjoy some variety if you’re new to korean food. As for the entrees, they are above average, but nothing exceptional. I’ve had the bibimbap and their meat dishes which are good. I would say it’s a little more expensive than most places, but still a place that I would come back to.
Service has usually been good. I believe one time our food was a little slow and they comped us a few shots of sake etc. That was nice.
There aren’t too many korean restaurants in Philly so if you’re looking for something decent, come here.

Few things: Korean rice is a little more wet and mushy than Chinese or Japanese rice. When the menu says «pork,» more than likely it is pork belly (which has a lot of fat, but lot of flavor, like bacon, but not salted).
The décor is nice, and it is awesome you can grill your own meat at the table. I don’t think any Korean place in CC has this. I haven’t tried the BBQ, so no comments on that.
I have been there twice, and things have been just «ok». The dishes that I have tried were too sweet and not authentic at all. The banchans (side dishes) were just «ok» as well. The banchans actually haven’t been too fresh the two times I have been there.
If I had a SERIOUS craving for Korean and North Philly wasn’t an option, I would head to Sammy Chon’s in Chinatown.

We headed to Miga with a big group for dinner. I’ve never had Korean barbecue before and this place was a nice intro. We had a requested to have a table with a grill when the reservation was made. While we got a table — only one burner was working. This ended up being okay because only half the table planned on grilling.
Our server was very helpful in answering all of our questions. I ended up splitting the pork belly and the seafood bibimbap with my husband. Wrapping the cooked meat in lettuce & topping with a chili paste was great — flavorful and crunchy. The bibimbap was excellent — a lot like fried rice — and the serving bowl kept the food really hot. The dishes also came with an assortment of small side dishes — the kimchi was excellent!
When we finished our meal, we waited a while to see our server again — the restaurant was almost empty and I felt like she forgot us but I’d definitely recommend this place.

Steamy hot bowls of spicy kimchi stew with soft tofu hit the spot on a cold snowy winter’s night. The stone bowls that hold the stew keep the stew piping hot during the entire meal. They come with a bowl of fluffy short grain white rice which helps to mitigate some of the spice from the stew. If it’s cold outside, you should definitely order one of these and there are many varieties on the menu. The one I ordered usually came with pork, but they left that out for me since I don’t eat pork. They are very accommodating when it comes to vegetarians.
I made reservations at MIGA for a party of six two days before without a problem. We were promptly seated when we arrived. If you park across the street at the «Park America» (I think that’s what it was called), you can get your parking validated after the meal and park for $ 12. It’s normally $ 16.50 in the evenings.
We had the Korean pancakes with kimchi as an appetizer. They come with a soy/​sesame dipping sauce. They describe it as a Korean pizza, but I think it’s more of a crêpe. Whatever it is, it is tasty. I ordered the lychee soju to drink. It came in this really cool little bottle that looked like a Final Fantasy Potion potion that held a pocket of ice in the middle to keep my drink cold. They gave me a little shot glass to pour it into. It was sweet and smooth. We ordered the vegetable tempura because I was craving it, although I consider that Japanese food. It was crispy and fresh and a large portion. However, I could have used more variety with the vegetables. There were too many what appeared to be sweet potato and kabocha (pumpkin). There was only one onion and one piece of broccoli. The stew described earlier was the highlight of the evening. I wish I had left-​overs for today, but we ate it all last night.
Others in my party had Bibimbap, which I’ve had from Miga previously. It’s good, but I usually don’t get that because you can get it above the H-​Mart at 69^th street for cheaper. Everyone seemed to enjoy their plentiful portions of food. A friend got the tempura banana with ice cream for dessert and it was enough to share with her date. We also had all the little Korean side dishes they bring out with the meal. I particularly enjoyed the beansprouts and the little fish that were chewy and salty like jerky.
When I ask my Korean students where is the best place to get Korean food in the Philadelphia area, they always say MIGA. Actually, I ran into a group of former students last night sitting at the table behind us. I have been pleased with MIGA both times I’ve gone, and I’m looking forward to trying some other items on the menu.

Great for inexpensive soju.
Lately the quantity of banchan hasn’t made up for quality — broccoli with ketchup & sprouts so old they break into mush when touched with chopstics, really? The stews don’t really pack any kick either, going too mild on the spice. The service is always friendly, but the kitchen can easily get backed up leading to loooong waits between courses.
I appreciate that if a Korean food craving strikes on a Sunday, Miga is always open, but sadly it’s a bibim bop only (safe) kind of place for me.

I did try to like Miga. In fact, I was quite excited about it. Going into the restaurant, I was also at first pretty impressed. The space was large and clean and the waitstaff were courteous. But for some reason, the food just didn’t measure up (part of me just really misses the Korean food in LA).
The dolsot bibimbap is pretty average. None of the BBQ meats really tasted right. They definitely did not satisfy my Korean food craving. The soft tofu soup (soon du bu), also did not really measure up.
Unfortunately, I’d rather drive out to the outskirts of Philadelphia (Cheltenham or Upper Darby) for Korean food than dine at Miga.

Three people could easily eat one lunch special. They bring out banchan and man do you get filled up on the banchan, maybe cause I was by myself and I would have had to share? Who knows?
The banchan I was served were string beans, potatoes, a lovely not too spicy sprouted bean salad, steamed perfectly spiced tofu, kimchi and probably missing another one. They were delish. A meal could easily be a bowl of miso soup and banchan! the miso soup was perfect even on a humid day!
Then after I am full on soup and banchan, my lunch comes out. Noodles, rice, 2 dumplings, salad, and three california rolls and egg custard!!! I am forgetting oh and my entrée! I felt so bad not finishing everything and only wanting to take home my not so adventurous chicken teriyaki. This chicken teriyaki! So moist, the sauce so tasty… not too sweet, not too salty… just right!
Did I mention my server was a sweetie and sent me home with extra rice?
Oh and there is a small bowl of fruit at the end? Crazy I ordered a soda and guess what my bill was 11something!!! The lunch special is 8.95!!! Crazy! Go now!

OK, not so good. I AM KOREAN so I want to say I know what I am ordering.
I had the jumuluck galbi which is suppossed to be very plain, and have a side dipping sauce of seasame oil with salt and pepper.
it was overcooked so the meat was tough, and marinated in bul gogi marinade which is sweet. and they didnt give me the dipping sauce.
On top of that I decided to order Bibim Nang Myun (cold spicy noodles). That was also very sweet (suppossed to be spicy) and didnt taste anything I am accustomed to.
Overall a disappointment, and I the ban chan (side dishes) were also not very good. kim chi was good but the other dishes were not so good. not fresh, not tasty, very bland.
korean food in general is very spicy, flavorful, and this was neither of those…
so bummed… will try it ONE more time when i am in town again but was bummed.

Yum. Yum yum yum. Yum yum yum yum yum.
See that? That’s a new language. It describes how MIGA makes me feel. In fact, that’s the only coherent thought that can be expressed by this language. It’s beautiful in its simplicity, much like my wanton internet displays of self-​admiration, yes?
MIGA is a classy joint with Korean food that’s about average price-​wise, but super huge size-​wise. Seriously. My dolsot bibim bap — pork, of course — came in a bowl the size of my head. This was after the rice cakes in spicy broth, beef mandu (dumplings) and seafood scallion pancakes we had for appetizers.
Another great thing is the spread of sides and different kim chis that were laid out for use. They had these little mushroom stems in some sort of glaze, dry roasted jalapeño, marinated tofu, and all sorts of other crap to add more pizazz to your food. As if the Korean cuisine at MIGA needed it, anyway — the courses have more than enough flavor on their own… but, between you and me, I’ll never turn down an opportunity to add more spice to the mix.
Which brings me to my next point. MIGA’s cuisine, at least the dishes that are meant to be spicy (read: the only ones I ever order), is actually VERY spicy. In a great way. The pain receptors in my tongue have been conditioned over the years by a combination of exceedingly hot peppers and poor life choices that my lower intestinal tract will never forgive me for. As such, I don’t really feel the heat imparted to my food after about a jalapeño’s level of spiciness. I do, however, sweat. And MIGA pretty much left me needing a shower. And antacids. I love a little masochism with my hot pots.
If you like Korean, and spicy food, try this place.
Pro-​tip:
They provide long, thin metal chopsticks, which handle quite differently than your wooden or plastic variety. I found my hand began to cramp a little towards the end of the meal. Ask for a fork if you’re not so good with chopsticks.

I found this restaurant on Unilocal after a reservation we had placed fell through (Thanks Unilocalsters!).
We had a group of 9 people and Miga was a great place for us! It was a really nice Korean restaurant– I agree with other reviews that said it was the classiest Korean restaurant they’d ever been to! But then again the prices also reflected that since it was a bit expensive for a Korean restaurant.
They had plenty of room for large parties (and even had a room to the side for groups that have reservations). The staff was very friendly and accommodating. We were there for a surprise dinner and we ended up waiting a long time for the guest of honor to show up. They weren’t irritated at all that we were there for such a long time and didn’t try to shove us out to get other guests in.
The food and drinks were great! The lychee soju was very mild and smooth to drink and was served in very unique bottles. The fish in the chirashi was very fresh! And the soondooboo jjigae was tasty. They also offered a good variety of side dishes (bahnchan).
One things to watch is that they say on the menu that tip is automatically included for large parties (I think it was for 6 or more?). So when we paid, my friend who was handling the bill sidn’t pay attention and just told us what we owed. After we paid, we realized that the tip hadn’t been included so we had to redo the bill. We mentioned that we thought that the tip was already included and they say that sometimes they don’t. Oops guess it’s good to always check, eh?

YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM. Where do I begin with Miga?
For starters, it is one of the classiest Korean restaurants I have ever been to. I was here for a rehearsal dinner and the couple ordered a lot of food, so I was able to get a really good idea of the quality and service at this restaurant.
Starters:
Kimchee Pancake
Seafood Pancake
Japchae
Duk Boki — rice cakes in spicy sauce
Pan Chan — mini plates, kimchee, soybeans, tofu, beansprouts, anchovies, etc.
Mains:
Kalbi — short ribs
Bulgogi — sliced beef
Spicy calamari with udon
Grilled Mackerel
Kimchee Jigae — soup
Everything was so delicious and authentic. I loved the high ceilings, the wooden décor, and the glass lamps.

Miga’s got class.
The first thing that hits you is the beautiful décor. Red, black, and golden hues abound, and clean lines make up much of the dining room, evenly broken by ornamental plants. The bar is a bit understated, but thankfully only sports a single TV.
As for food, specials are reasonably priced, which never hurts when Korean is concerned. Their lunch box with jaeyuk bulgogi is a winner, made of tender marinated beef, with a salad and noodles to even things out. If you find anything too spicy, there’s rice. On the flipside, their banchan side dishes (included) are decent if you’re in need of kimchi.

I dun luv me sum Sundubu
This was my first time visiting Miga and I definitely will be back. Immediately when you walk in, you can’t help but notice how nicely designed/​decorated the place is. It gives you the impression that you are in a much more expensive place than you actually are. The tables have these really cool infrared/​charcoal grills in them which serve as eye-​candy and a nice conversation starter.
I came here with my asian food club. Seven of us stepped lightly through the menu with the help of a few Korean food veterans. Our appetizers were the Ddukbokki and the Pajun. I was more partial to the pajun which was fried very nicely. The sauce of the Ddukbokki was very tasty but I found the dish to be a tad heavy.
I ordered the seafood Sundubu and wow was it delicious! It came in a sizzling hot pot and was served with a raw egg. Taking the advice of my food compatriots, I cracked the egg over the hot soup and stirred it in with the chopsticks. The egg added an extra layer of richness and slightly cut the heat of the soup. The soft tofu was delicious and the spice level stayed at a constant level throughout the dish. Just perfect by my standards. I would call the heat of this dish «the edge of pain.»
I didn’t get to use the grills in the table, so I’ll be going back. We had an interesting discussion at the table that Korean might be the best cold weather asian food. After this experience, I think it’s been settled.
Up next: Bulgogi.

MIGA is in an energetic area of Philadelphia. When you walk in it’s clean, bright, and artistically furnished. The bar is to the right and it’s gorgeous one at that.
We spent a couple hours here and in that time we were able to get to speak with the bartender who taught us a lot about Korean food– which was informative to say the least.
We then ate– and ate well. The grilled meats and sides were tastefully prepared, although you will have to adjust your palate for the soybean tofu or the spicy string beans if you’re not accustomed to that taste. We enjoyed our pork belly and the rib was good but not the best. Overall a good experience and the wait staff wants you to come back and will bend over backwards to assure that.

3.5 stars for solid korean food in center city.
i came here with a friend after hh in the city so we were more than a little bit tipsy. that may have affected my judgment so maybe on a more sober day, i would’ve given this place less stars.
we started with 9 different banchan. i like the quantity, but the quality was a bit lacking. also, not my particular favs in terms of banchan choices. too much turnip/​radish/​random veggies and not enough soybean/​cucumber/​seaweed.
my friend ordered the dukbokki and i got the dolsot bibimbap. didn’t blow me away, but satisfied my taste buds for the night. decently large portion sizes. i like that the egg came on the side for the bibimbap because i never eat it and serving it on the side saves me the trouble of removing it from my dish. the spicy sauce needs a bit more kick to it.
the inside looks much fancier than any korean restaurant i’ve ever been to. looks like it could be a french restaurant or something, definitely doesn’t have that heavy dark wood and homey feel that many traditional korean places have. not sure if i like that or not.
prices definitely reflect the fancier décor. this is more than i normally pay for a good korean meal, but at least it didn’t disappoint. and good service was a plus.

I’ve gone to Miga a couple times with my girlfriend, and both times I’ve gone home stuffed and happy. It has a good location at 15^th Street (just off Walnut), and the atmosphere inside is quiet but friendly. The staff are all very helpful and help to get you seated and get your food prepared/​served quite quickly. Each time we’ve gone, we’ve always gotten galbi, which is done incredibly well. The marinade is extremely flavorful, and they never overcook the meat — it’s always tender and chewy, just how I like it! We’ve also gotten other meat dishes, which are equally good, and we’ve also gotten the seafood pancakes in the past as well. Those are deceptively filling but are very delicious as well. The many appetizers that come with the BBQ are fairly standard but are a good complement to the beef dishes.
The price is very reasonable here — certainly better than a couple of the overpriced Korean BBQs I’ve gone to in K-​Town in Manhattan. And it’s also right across the street from the newly-​opened Max Brenner, so it’s easy to go and get your chocolate fix right after! It’s not the flashiest restaurant, but the value for the food is great, and it’s a great place to go for a nice dinner but one that won’t leave your wallet feeling lighter.