Kaya Korean Restaurant
7818 Montvue Center Way, Knoxville, TN, 37919
Kaya Korean Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Knoxville for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Knoxville for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Knoxville for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
7818 Montvue Center Way
Knoxville, TN, 37919 - Phone (865) 691-0237
- Website https://www.kayakorean.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Gobo B.
Considering that this is Knoxville, if you're looking for Korean food there are only two places to go, Kaya or Korea House. I'm giving both places 4 stars because they both have a few dishes that are better than the other. It all depends on personal preference. Kaya has a bigger selection of Korean food than Korea house, they have some great dol-sot bimbimbap, and is the only place in knoxville where you can get korean barbeque on the table. It's a little overpriced, but I guess they figure they can do that since they have no competition. Their buffet on the weekends is awesome and a really great deal! If you haven't really tried korean food yet I recommend coming for the buffet to try a little of everything just so that you can get an idea of what korean food is like. The owners have been friends of my family for years and I can tell you one thing for sure: they are super clean and very friendly! It's not the best korean food out there, but it's pretty good for Knoxville. I would really recommend their bulgogi (if you're not really familiar with korean food, it's a great dish to start with), any of their soups, bimbimbap, their seafood pancake, and their dukbolgi, which is a lot better than Korea house's. I'm giving this place 4 stars instead of 5 because it's good food, but a little overpriced.
(4)Jennie C.
Kaya can do much better. a) Banchan is usually serve in small, little dishes. Kaya serves them buffet style. And they don't refill them often. And they aren't that good. b) Dolsot bibimbap was not too bad, loved the hot stone bowl, but the waitress got my order wrong. c) Not sure if they do cook-it-yourself Korean BBQ, but it looks like they do. Sadly when I was there, no one was taking advantage of it. It's okay, but like I said, they could do better. But considering it's the only Korean restaurant I know around here...ehhh.
(2)David G.
Interesting dishes for a Korean food connoisseur.
(4)Paul P.
I called about the food safety score first; they "guessed" around 89 (that is not a good score), then when I asked them to check, they left, came back, and said "You can check it when you come here" and hung up on me. Rude, and obviously not a clean kitchen. Wouldn't go.
(1)Liz Y.
Service: One word. Horrible. We decided to eat here for lunch on a weekday. BAD IDEA. We walked in and waited about five minutes just so that we could be told that we could seat ourselves. The waitress took forever to get our order. It took so long, my bf decided to go run an errand while i waited to order. The woman practically throws the plates on the table. If you want barley tea or water, be ready to beg and plead for refills served with a nasty glare. We sat next to another table with guests and in order make room to serve them their entrees they put their dirty appetizer plates on our table and left them there the whole time. How pleasant! That table must've known the owner because they got the royal treatment from the waitress AND a waiter who magically appeared from nowhere. Price: decent except for kimbop or korean style sushi. We paid almost $7 for a huge roll that consisted of 90% rice. I regret not taking a picture. We also had pork bulgogi and stone bowl bibimbap. It was alright. Not the best. I know this is one of the only Korean restaurants in Knoxville. I'd rather drive to Atlanta than put another penny into this place.
(1)Natalie E.
We had a horrible experience at the restaurant. In fact, we didn't even get to eat there. We waited roughly about 30 minutes before we were acknowledged and finally seated but the wait didn't end there. We waited 15 minutes for someone to come to our table to take our order but that didn't happen. We had no choice but to leave. I've been looking forward to eating there since we'd move to Knoxville. I'm very disappointed that I didn't not get to try the food and since we had such a bad experience, my husband refuse to ever go back there.
(1)Melissa T.
I come to this family-owned restaurant every time I come to Knoxville, we usually eat here twice per trip. The portions are satisfying with enough for left overs and the reception is always inviting. I enjoy korean food very much but find my experience at kaya to be the best I have ever had.
(5)Richard C.
The service is horrible here: we sit there for 5 min, nobody came asking what we wanted. No water served. No chopsticks or forks or napkins provided even after the food was served. We had to fetch chopsticks and napkins ourselves.
(1)Lena J.
I love Korean food, and missed my old favorite up in Washington state, so when I heard that Knoxville actually had a Korean restaurant, a friend and I went as quickly as we could. We didn't do the BBQ (next time!), but we both ordered the Dolsot Bibimbap, along with an appetizer of fried dumplings. The dumplings were good, but a bit lacking when it came to the filling on the inside, and were more air-poof than anything. The stone bowls, however, were very good, and the lunch price made them even better (around $9, after tax, for a whole lot of food). The banchan was tasty as well, and my friend and I ate through them happily. Our waitress was also friendly, and helpful. The wait for food was fast, considering the lunch rush that was just clearing out as we entered. While I'm going to give Korea House a try, just for curiosity's sake, Kaya is easily going to become one of my Knoxville lunch stops.
(4)Angeli P.
The food was okay. The place is set beautifully but the service was terrible. The lady serving my family hated us right when we walked in and disappeared all the time. There is zero sense of customer service. I don't understand how my request for kimchi provokes the server to tell me that there is still a bit more on my plate instead of just getting me more. I'm a paying customer, if I wanted more I shouldn't be questioned and told to finish my plate. Definitely not a kid friendly place because the waiter did not like kids and was rude. I will NOT recommend this as a pleasurable dining place.
(1)Rochelle W.
The kids enjoyed this fun international experience! They had bulgogi. We had the buffet. I would say come early if you want the lunch buffet, which is only served on the weekend. My sister said she would come here again. I thought it was a little steep for lunch. The atmosphere is really nice, though, and it feels authentic.
(4)Faith D.
My husband and I were traveling through and stopped by Kaya Korean Restaurant. When we initially arrived there was only one other customer dining in. At first we were worried, but it didn't take too long before other people started coming. The food was good and came out shortly after placing our order. The portion size was plentiful! The service was very efficient. Do not expect overly warm greetings, but straight-forward service. If we lived in the area, we would be back.
(4)Tanya S.
This place is really good! I ordered the beef bulgogi. It's a bit on the pricey side but it included white rice and some kimchee. My friend ordered the kimchee rice and it was awesome. They were pretty quick as well. Will definitely be coming back! I have to try the Bibimbap.
(4)K D.
This is not the first time I've visited Kaya, but this will be the last time. Food is mediocre and service is HORRENDOUS. I've never had good service here, but today tops it all off. We were seated promptly; however, it was over 20 mins before someone even came to even give us any water. The only reason that she came to wait on us was because I was packing up all my stuff about to leave the restaurant. She came over to us to say "I'm gonna wait on this other table first" and those people came there after us!!! When we were out of water we had to wait over 15 mins to get another round of water and that was only after I raised my hands MULTIPLE times before being acknowledged. When we asked for extra pickled cucumbers and rice, we were told they were out of both, which is really hard to understand considering rice doesn't take that long to cook and you pickle cucumbers in batches....I've had it with the service and it's not ok.
(1)Zhu L.
We had the lunch buffet and it tastes good. Several kinds of cold side dishes including the tasty kimchi to choose. The hot dishes are beef, shred pork with cabage, fried pork, tempura, shrimp and squid, ect. The beef tastes a little sweet and greasy if you eat too much. My boyfriend loves the fried pork while I find tofu with my favourite chili sauce seemed to agree to my taste. There are also very fresh watermelon and oranges. The price is $10.95 per adult, seems a little expensive. But the foods are good, though.
(4)Mary T.
I walked into this restaurant and waited for someone to seat me. I stood at the front door for close to 5 minutes before someone noticed me. I kept standing there because there was a sign that said to wait and I wanted to see how long it would take for someone to notice I was waiting. Finally, a woman came out from the back area and pointed us to a table. We were one of three tables in the restaurant. We sat down and ordered green tea to start. It was very good and very green. We started off with the Shrimp Tempura. There were only four small shrimp in the basket. I posted a picture of them. It was a sad looking appetizer. They were not the best shrimp I have ever had but they definitely were not the worst either. I ordered the Vegetarian Kimchi DolSot Bibimbob, and I was brought the Kimchi Dol Sot Bi-bim-bob. Notice the difference in those two dishes. There is not much. The difference is the spacing. The second dish is kimchi, beef, fried-egg, and vegetables over rice. The vegetarian dish is the one without beef. I did not get what I ordered but it wasn't bad. I don't think I would order what I got again. I am used to Kimchi that is very fragrant and bold in flavor and the kimchi here was not. I also ordered the Pork Bulgogi and it was very good. It is marinated sliced pork and was a stir fried dish. I ordered it medium and it was very hot. You are given the option of ordering it mild, medium, or spicy. I cannot imagine what the spicy would have tasted like. The side dishes were tasty as well but not very spicy and there were six side dishes! The food itself was good but the service was not great. We had to ask for silverware and napkins when our food arrived. We were not offered a refill at all on our water. Next time I will try one of the casseroles they cook at your table and is made for 2 people, the jap chae, or one of the stews. Enjoy and Cheers!
(3)Russell C.
Attentive staff and great food. I ate here on a Tuesday evening around 6:15. They were not too busy. I had to wait for a moment to be seated as there was no staff in the front of the restaurant initially. Service was prompt. I ordered fried dumplings, octopus and vegetables (small), and a Hite beer. The fried dumplings were at the table almost instantly. They were deep fried and piping hot. The dumplings were ok... A little under stuffed and a bit bland. To be fair, I much prefer a pan fried dumpling over the deep fried variety. I would give the dumplings 2/5 stars. The octopus and vegetables was spot on. I asked for spicy when I ordered and they delivered. More often than not, whether it be Indian, Korean, Thai, or Vietnamese, the restaurants tend to censor my request for spicy. Kaya did not ignore my request. The dish was served sizzling on a cast iron skillet. The flavor was excellent and had a hearty portion of octopus and accompanying vegetables. The octopus was nice and tender, still some chew, but not like eating a rubber sneaker sole. The "heat" of the dish was perfect.... Enough to make my nose run but not too hot to fear the repercussions. I would rate the octopus and veggies a solid 4/5stars. The bowl of steamed rice was cooked well and had a nice stickiness to it. The banchan was great and included spicy pickled cucumbers (yum), kimche (spicy/crispy, not all wilted cabbage leaves), bean sprouts, sweetened potatoes (perfect balance to spice), and a wilted garden salad (very good flavor, wilted texture might might not appeal to everyone). The banchan portions were nice and generous. Banchan 4/5 stars. Service was on point. The woman that was waiting on me checked on me frequently, asked if everything tasted ok, offered to bring me more rice if I would like, and even made some small talk. Aside from the brief wait to ultimately sit wherever I'd like, the service was great. 4/5 stars.
(4)Kate H.
We love this place and come here often for their dinner or their weekend lunch buffet. The buffet is smaller than your standard buffet, but the selection is full is amazingly delicious Korean food! For their dinner or weekday lunches we typically get the veggie pancake and bibimbap. Both are always prepared to perfection. We've also done their grill your own BBQ as well. I highly recommend checking this out if you are interested in trying Korean food in the Knoxville area.
(4)Canny F.
I came here for dinner around 6 and it didn't get busy until 7. I ordered the veggie Bibimbop and the portion seemed small. It's probably a normal rice bowl portion but I still felt hungry. Two Korean ladies were serving and they were very attentive. They asked if we wanted refills on our side dishes, filled our water and asked how the food was. The bibimbop was not mushy and the vegetables did not soak the rice. They also gave the perfect amount of red bean paste for the bibimbop.
(4)Jenny W.
Ate here one night on the weekend. There were two other couples in the restaurant, besides us, but service was a bit slow. We ordered bulgogi, some yaki mandu, and kimchi. The yaki mandu was obviously from a frozen bag and looked to be the very last out of the bag. They tasted off and looked worse. The bulgogi, however, was very good and hot! Love it. The kim chi buffet bar was a little weird to me, but it was fun. We never got refills on our drinks and waited for a very long time for our checks, but at least the food was pretty good. Pricey for my taste, so not an every month excursion, but still good enough to recommend to friends.
(4)Ala d.
Me and my husband come here twice a month. I've been to korea before and they truly stay authentic. The staff is very friendly and if you come in a few times they even remember your name and whatever silly story you might mention. Food was fast and hot, servings plentiful and delicious. And on the weekend they have a buffet which should run the whole week! I heard Korea house was shut down because they couldn't compete with kaya's business. I've eaten there once and I know why. I think everyone should try Kaya, it's definitely worth the experience.
(5)Wayne Z.
We go to Kaya's lunch buffet about once a month. After living in Seoul for more than a year, Kaya is like being back there, sitting down in a nice restaurant on Ulchi Ro. The buffet is fairly extensive with many vegetable dishes and at least a dozen meat/seafood choices, replenished as often as necessary. The service is casual and friendly. Speak a few words of Korean? Use them and see the staff smile. VERY nice people. Very good food, and compared to other Asian cuisines, better for you because it's not oily or high fat. Don't let someone scare you away saying Korean food is too spicy. Try it.
(5)Jay C.
I had the Japchae and it was great! I was with a group of 8 and everyone enjoyed their dishes. The service was fantastic. If we finished the small side dishes that are included with the meal, the server replenished. I plan to take my family there this weekend.
(4)Q L.
When traveling for business I always looking for Korean, Thai and Vietnamese. I found a great Thai restaurant yesterday and today tried Kaya Korean. Arrived at the restaurant around 6 pm. I was the only person in the restaurant. I was greeted and sat where I wanted. I ordered the Dol Sot Bi Bam Bap which was good. I also wanted the Kalbi and was able to order the lunch portion. The Kalbi was a bit sweeter than I'm use to but the meat very tender. The meal incuded a bowl of miso and several dishes of banchan. (kimchi, little fishes, korean vegetable pancake, bean sprouts, pickled cucumbers and some type of potato. Next time I'm in Knoxville I would definitely return. Tomorrow it's Vietnamese for dinner.
(4)