Arirang House

It looks unprepossessing from the outside, but on weekday afternoons Arirang House -- not far from the Berklee School of Music -- bustles with the budget-minded, the hungry, and the just plain curious. They come for the all-you-can-eat lunch special, which costs $5.99 Monday through Thursday ($6.50 Friday through Sunday) and offers more than 25 Korean- and Japanese-inspired buffet selections, both hot and cold. Selections change daily but could include vegetables and rice, stir-fried noodles, fried sweet potatoes, or barbecued pork and broccoli, all freshly made and replenished continuously throughout the afternoon. The buffet also includes two soups (usually miso and seaweed), and chunks of fresh fruit -- usually various melons -- for dessert.

Arirang House, located at 162 Mass Ave, in Boston, is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Call 536-1277.

-- Nancy Kalajian