Nolbu Sushi Korean Restaurant

Really solid kimbap joint. Our whole family prefers this over Songs and Rolly.
Their wangjanim kimbap and crab meat kimbap is delicious.
The service is decent and the food is prepared quickly. Also bought the pumpkin porridge and it tastes good. We don’t go anywhere else for kimbap. Highly recommend

Their $ 20 Set menu with 5 piece crispy chicken, spicy rice cake, fish cake soup and ham Kim bap is awesome and the best value!

From the moment me and my other two friends walked in, the cashier kept giving us attitude. My friend left her phone charging here when we rushed out to meet another one of our friends. When she called the establishment to ask whether someone could check to see if her phone was still there, she was hung up on after a flat-​out «NO» in 3 seconds. Tf! They didn’t even check to see if it were still there! When we rushed back to the place, the phone was CLEARLY still there, right by the window (??? smh). As we left the place, the lady looked at us suspiciously (we’re just trying to get back what we left okay??? gosh).
Anyways…
We ordered a Combination Kimbab and the $ ⁵⁄₅ Crispy Fried Chicken that looked really enticing in the photos posted by fellow Unilocalers. The Combination Kimbab was just OK. The rice in the kimbab tasted dry and cold. The filling was hard to chew. It also came with a complimentary soup that was bitter. Two sips, and off to the receptacle it went!
Crispy Fried Chicken was just OK as well. It’s a strip of chicken breaded in Rice Krispie cereal and then fried. Not only was the chicken dry, but it was also tasteless. The only positive thing was the fried part.
TL; DR:
Food was just OK and customer service doesn’t seem to be a top priority here. –rolls eyes– O Btw, this place mainly specializes in Korean Food, so forget about the «Sushi.»

First time here with my friend satisfying her Nolbu crave. And first impressions. Pretty damn good!
I like Nolbu’s Kimbap better than Rolly. Their rice is cooked better, never crunchy, and everything tastes really fresh. But the big surprise, and yes, I am a fan, is their amazing crispy chicken tenders! So good!
Inside…the place is small though. Limited seating available. But at least the seats are comfortable. lol I will definitely be back to try other stuff on their menu!

Im changing my rating because the older woman behind the register treated me and another loyal customer like complete shit! I would change it to NO STARS.
My family came in there and placed an order. A family friend who was already sitting there with his family saw us and said that our dinner is on him. He is Korean and told the women IN KOREAN to add our order to his tab. She said OK.
He got up to pay and he told the women AGAIN. He looked at his receipt and made sure we were taken care of. The older woman took their money. Our friend friend told us to enjoy our dinner in front of the workers. Then left.
Our food was ready. I took the bag, and the older woman was like, «no, no, you did not pay… he did not pay, no, no.» I was telling her that it was paid for. I was making a scene. My mom just wanted to leave so she paid. It was $ 40.
So, she charged my family friend $ 40 and then charged us another $ 40. This bitch is greedy! If you are the owner of this place… you need to keep an eye out on her because I’m pretty sure what she did was EMBEZZLEMENT. If she can do that IN MY FACE, imagine what she’s doing as your worker.
It’s MESSED up that anyone would treat their loyal customers like that! We are both loyal… PAYING customers!!! I was in there 2 days ago!!! Then she pretended like she didnt speak english!!! You kidding me right now?!
It’s also the lunar new year, and you do that?! Karma’s going to be a bitch. She will be there rolling kimbaps for the rest of her greedy days. She isn’t going to get rich by STEALING $ 40!!! Good luck.
I’m never going back. If it wasn’t for my mother being there, I would have thrown my order at her and just walked out.
Do not go here. Food is good, but service blows. If they do this to a Loyal customer… what more if you weren’t. This was dispicable. I’m truly disappointed and angry they did that. This is unnacceptable and wrong!
Their food can be replaced by other Korean spots down the block. What a greedy bitch. I was having a good Friday and she literally just shit all over it.
DO NOT!

For KimBap this is my go to spot. Better ingredients, and good meat to rice ratio.
Try the bulgogi, squid or tuna KimBap.

This place is one of my go to Korean Kimbap spots.
Spicy tuna or bulgogi kimbap are my usual favorites.
Prices are extremely reasonable and everything is super fresh.

Best Korean kimbap place on Northern Blvd! Compared to Rolly, Nolbu’s décor looks way better and is more spacious. The ladies taking your order are also nicer and actually understand English. Prices of the kimbap are about the same but what really got me was the price of the crispy chicken! They’re $ 1 for one strip but the strips are humongous! Despite this, I did not find them to be particularly tasty. The breading was really bland and greasy so it definitely fills you up but doesn’t really leave an enjoyable taste. The chicken inside the breading was pretty alright though. I got the Spicy tuna kimbap ($ 6.50) and it was pretty tasty! They give you the standard 12 pieces in a roll but they were not skimpy with the ingredients. I would say the tuna is a bit on the spicier side compared to kimbap at other places but nothing unbearable. If I’m around the area and am craving kimbap, this would definitely be my go-​to!

Really awesome rolls. Honestly the best in flushing.
Rice is cooked and seasoned well. This place makes delicious rolls without over filling it with rice. Lots of veggies. Love it.
Their side dishes to go are also delicious.

Nolbu Sushi — So Much More Than It’s Name
Nolbu Sushi isn’t really a sushi spot, it is a Korean comfort haven. They have the best Kim Bap. I recommend you go for Bulgogi, or the Squid.
They also have awesome blood sausage that they make to order.
Their rice krispie breaded chicken tenders blow away Popeye’s by a long shot. One bite and you’ll be hooked. They have a variety of portion sizes too. A large tray of these will run you forty bucks and you’ll be the hero of any Football party guaranteed. These chicken tenders will be life changing, I promise.

I only tried one thing here which was the crispy fried chicken. And man, oh man, WAS IT THE BOMB. I love fried chicken so my friends told me I HAD to come here.
The chicken is wonderfully well priced at $ 10 for a large portion which has like 10+ pieces. The chicken is made in that deliciously crispy batter of rice krispies and it’s piping hot when it comes to your table, so juicy, boneless, with a delicious dipping sauce. I AM SO HUNGRY THINKING ABOUT IT.
The place is a little like a food court /​cafeteria feel to it. You order at the counter and then they bring the food to you once it’s ready.

My new spot for kimbabs, this place gives you more filling than other local spots which have recently been skimpy. I usually get the spicy tuna and combination roll which are solid choices. My husband has ordered BBQ beef kimbab and it’s been overly dry a couple times so skip that. You can order rice dishes as well. I’ve generally stuck to spicy pork over rice or spicy squid over rice which are good portion sizes. Unilocalers recommended the crispy chicken so I finally ordered it after coming here several times and I gotta say it’s soooo good! It’s crispy without being the least bit dry and I’m glad they give you honey mustard since it’s usually my condiment of choice for chicken fingers. I would recommend ordering over the phone and picking up bc it’s not unusual for your order to take 15 – 20 mins to prepare.

One of the many gems in Flushing if you’re in the mood for Asian food. Prices are excellent for the food that you’re getting. $ 6 or so for each Nolbu and the quantity you get is ginormous. One will definitely fill you up. I always stick to the classic Spicy Tuna (it’s actually spicy by the way). If you’re still hungry, get the crispy chicken. It’s chicken tenders coated with a sort of rice krispies and fried — comes with honey mustard. Delicious!
Yummy and Cheap — easily 5 stars.

They have great kimbab here! Basically kimbab is like sushi, but better because it’s bigger, the only con being that it takes a bit of effort to fit the whole piece in your mouth (they’re quite large). Other than that I’ve had their crispy noodle, which are rice noodles rolled in nori and deep-​fried. It’s good but very heavy. They don’t speak much English at Nolbu, but the English menu lists all of the ingredients in each kimbab so finding vegetarian and vegan ones is easy. If you really want to ask questions about any ingredients have a korean-​speaking friend with you or know some korean yourself.

Crispy chicken = HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. They fry it in a rice krispies batter and it is the crunchiest, yummiest fried chicken finger I’ve ever had in my life. :) It comes with this honey mustard sauce which complements it well. $ 5 for 5 pieces, and $ 10 for 10. It sounds pricey, but the chicken strips are pretty long, and they don’t skimp on the chicken.
I also had some kimbaps which were good. Spicy pork was my favorite.
Katsu was pretty small for $ 10. I could have done without it.
They have tables, but it’s not really a sit down dinner kind of environment if you’re looking for that.
Definitely one of my go to places for some quick food.

This place is a cafeteria style place with limited seating. You come in order your food and bring it to the tables there.
Their menu carries a variety of choices the Song’s doesn’t have. Their rolls are approximately $ 4-​$ 8. To me it’s good nothing amazing that would make me drive hours for. Their crispy chicken is tasty and I would definitely eat it again.

I’ve been here 3 times now. As an avid supporter of Song’s for years, I was reluctant to take my palate elsewhere. But I am ecstatic with the decision to philander.
The menu is a smörgåsbord of Eastern delights! Perhaps Song’s is more ‘authentic’ or ‘legendary’, the choices here are certainly enticing and different. Each time has been consistently delicious.
Kimbap:
The spicy squid is essential and by far my favourite. The flavours are incredible. Spicy squid was always my favourite from the Mongolian BBQ carts in downtown flushing, and it carries over perfectly here. Tender and crunchy squid. Never chewy.
The beef was surprisingly pleasing to my palate. I expected steak and was treated to a well marinated and cooked beef! It reminded me of a cooked jerky, without the extra chewing.
Burdock was unique and highly delicious. Not overpowering, but certainly full of umame.
Kimchi is also excellent. Not the variety which is highly spicy, this is more of the white kimchi style without being overpowered by onions.
Fried pork was very good. Another highly seasoned and flavourful meat. The pork had a nice crunch to it as well.
Crispy Chicken:
All of the reviews and tips recommend this. Imagine the best fried chicken fingers… you’re not even close. The honey mustard dipping sauce is great, but altogether unnecessary. Crispy. Tender. Delicious.
Some of the goodies at the counter are quite appealing as well:
Cinnamon Nectar:
I did a little research and this is a cold traditional tea/​steeped Korean beverage called Sujeonggwa. This a tea made from Ginger and Cinnamon. Brown sugar and pine nuts are then added. Insanely refreshing and the smell instantly fills up a room. Recommended!
Stuffed Cucumber: kimchi-​esque cucumbers stuffed with powers peppers, onions and Leek. I’m not a fan of onions, thus I scraped them aside. The flavour a which the cucumber absorbs is amazing! Very fresh tasting.

3.5 stars (rounded up)
One day someone brought over these crispy fried chicken fingers, these chicken fingers were not just any chicken finger dipped in batter or panko batter but these things were dipped in rice krispies, YES RICE KRISPIES and I can’t stop thinking about it, these people are geniuses, IT BLEW MY MIND just like when people first discovered cronuts.
Nolbu Sushi Korean Restaurant is located on Northern Blvd between 164^th street and 165^th street. It’s very easy to spot.
Parking: Not difficult at all, there are plenty of street metered parking around the area also it’s right behind the Broadway LIRR station.
Décor and ambiance: It’s a bit like a food court in there, nothing out of the extraordinary, you have a few Korean celebrity poster here and there and a TV hanging from the ceiling. The place can probably accommodate around 20 or so.
It’s cafeteria style so you order from the front and they’ll deliver to your table.
When I set foot in the restaurant, I remember I was here before but I never remember them having those crispy chicken fingers before so it must be somewhat new.
The restaurant offer kimbap, sushi and a wide range of Korean food. I only had their kimbaps (that BBQ one is great) and I have to say they are good. They are not stingy with the filling and the portion is gigantic. BUT with that said, my main reason of coming here is for their CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN FINGERS!
TWO CHOICE– SMALL and LARGE (be careful cause the large is really LARGE, I believe you get at least 10 – 12 pieces)
Here’s a breakdown of why I think their rice krispies chicken fingers are so legit.
I mean flour battered chicken fingers are crunchy at best, panko battered chicken fingers are crunchier but when you talk rice krispies battered chicken, it’s a game changer and it brings chicken fingers to a whole new level, YES folks, it’s that LEGIT! These things are crispy and SUPER CRUNCHY on the outside and the chicken are soft and moist on the inside, how can you not love it???
Down side of all fried food are you have to eat it immediately or else they turn soggy and nasty and the same goes with these chicken fingers, you gotta eat it while it’s HOT!
Price: Inexpensive– kimbabs range from $ 4– $ 8 and you get about 10 pieces per roll. Crispy chicken fingers are $ 5 for small and $ 10 for large, large comes with about 10 – 12 pieces!
Overall: Nolbu sushi korean restaurant is a great budgeted restaurant with lots of delicious options to choose from. Their kimbabs are tasty and comparable to other kimbab restaurants around the area but their CRISPY CHICKEN FINGER is something unique that you won’t find in the surrounding area and I promise, it’s a game changer and will blow your mind! Now just don’t blame me when regular chicken fingers don’t excites you anymore!

«It’s not fried chicken.
It’s CRISPY chicken.»
No question about it — this is not fried chicken by any means, but an amped up sort of chicken finger coated with a light and crispy layer of fried rice crisps (rice krispies?).
Tender, delicious, and perfectly complemented by a 5lb bag of kim chi for six hungry folks.
I have no idea how any of the other food tastes, but that combination alone had us 30 chicken strips deep and relishing one of the most satisfying meals we’ve had in a long time.

Tips and Noteworthy thoughts:
I’ve been having a crazy craving for kimbab ever since trying it at Rolly Kimbab (in Bayside). Therefore, I was trying to search for something closer to my house and Nolbu seemed to be the popular one around my area.
The good:
1) Pay with cash and they will exclude the tax on the bill for you. Prices are very reasonable here and portion sizes are huge.
2) Convenient location with ample parking nearby.
3) Barbecue Beef Kimbab and Crab was delicious and very filing. (I would skip the spicy tuna and pork cutlet.)
The bad:
1) It looks like I had the same experience as another Unilocaler did (Refer to Cherry C’s tip). The lady who answered the phone (also the cashier lady) does not seem to like non-​Korean speaking customers. When I called to order pickup, she kept hanging up on me (about 3x). Looks like the same thing happened to Cherry.
2) Although annoyed, I gave the lady the benefit of the doubt and drove out to Nolbu anyways (considering that the Unilocal reviews rated this place a 4.5 stars). I ordered 4 kimbab (Crab, BBQ Beef, Spicy Tuna, and Pork Cutlet) and the same lady gave me the nastiest attitude as if she was mad at the world.