Jonathan Su We came to have late lunch on a Saturday afternoon. We were in the area and were hungry, so I did a quick search for restaurants nearby on Yelp and Mary Korean Bistro popped up. They are one of the newer restaurants in Fairfield. The restaurant was not busy, so we were seated right away. There was a nice ambiance, kind of a trendy contemporary feel. They give you a physical menu or you can scroll through the tablet at each table where you can order your food or the server can physically take your order. Like most Korean restaurants, once you order, they bring out a number of banchan (side dishes) to get you eating right away.
Food (5/5 stars): big portion, great plating/presentation.
- BBQ Special Spicy Pork: came out on a sizzling plate. Great flavor and not too spicy.
- Bulgogi Bibimbap: good flavors, not too sweet or salty. Nice presentation. You can opt to have it in a sizzling hot stone bowl for $2, but we opt for just the regular bowl.
- Spicy Seafood Bibimbap: great flavors, not too spicy. Can opt for the sizzling hot stone bowl as well.
-Korean Fried Chicken - Honey Butter flavor: the chicken is boneless which is not my favorite as I like bone-in chicken so it is less dry and more flavorful/juicy. The honey butter flavor was not too strong to me, but tasted good overall. They did a good job with the crispiness of the batter.
- Banchan: typical Banchan dishes at most Korean restaurants. The initial portion is pretty small in case you don’t like them. Once you ask for refills of your favorite ones or all the dishes, they increase the portions.
Service (5/5 stars): server was very attentive and helpful.
The prices are little high for lunch (not sure if they have a cheaper lunch menu on the weekdays), but portion size is big, so most people will have something to take home, especially if you fill up on the banchan. If you have leftovers to take home, they package them for you in the kitchen in a microwaveable plastic box with the top sealed in plastic wrap which is very nice to prevent spillage and no smells in your car. We had a great experience here and look forward to coming back again soon.
Update (11/14/2025):
Another great meal at Maru! I came in on a Friday to meet a friend for lunch. Service was quick, food was excellent. The 2 servers that helped us were very attentive. They came by to check on us and asked about banchan refills frequently. The decor is modern and clean which makes for a pleasant dinning experience. Currently, this is my go to place for Korean Food.
