I've been coming to Baek Am enough times now that I suppose it's time to stop being selfish and tell people about it. Although part of me would very much prefer to keep this place to myself. Tucked away on Crenshaw Boulevard in Gardena, Baek Am is one of those Korean restaurants that reminds me why I love eating in the South Bay. Nothing particularly extravagant about the surroundings. There's a convenient parking lot, a comfortable dining room, K-pop playing on the screens and little messages left by customers on the walls. It feels lived in, personal and refreshingly unconcerned with trying to impress anyone. But before I get to the food, I have to mention the wonderful woman who takes care of us whenever we visit. I wish I knew her name. She's genuinely one of the warmest people I've encountered at a restaurant in a long time. Sweet, attentive and welcoming in a way that never feels rehearsed. You can have an extraordinary meal somewhere and forget about it a week later. But when someone makes you feel that welcome, you remember. She's a big part of why we keep coming back. Now, the food. I'm a fairly obsessive consumer of Korean soups. Seolleongtang, gomtang, galbitang, sundae gukbap. I've eaten my way through enough bowls around LA to have developed some probably unreasonable opinions about broth, seasoning and what constitutes a properly cooked piece of offal. Baek Am makes some of the best sundae I've had in the South Bay. Full stop. The sundae itself is beautifully prepared. Tender, flavorful, with none of that overwhelming porkiness or funky aftertaste that can make an otherwise promising bowl difficult to finish. There's a delicacy to it that I rarely encounter. The texture is excellent and the accompanying soup has a wonderful depth without being unnecessarily aggressive. I generally prefer my Korean soups served relatively plain, allowing me to season them myself. Some restaurants practically hand you a blank canvas, while others seem determined to empty the entire salt container into your bowl before it reaches the table. Baek Am finds a lovely middle ground. The broth is savory and comforting, with enough seasoning to stand on its own while still allowing the ingredients to taste like themselves. And the banchan deserves its own applause. The napa kimchi has a wonderful bite, the kkakdugi is crisp and satisfying and the other little dishes have that freshness and attention to detail that make you suspect somebody in the kitchen ares about what goes into those stainless steel bowls. Nothing tastes like an afterthought. Even the rice, something I complain about far more often than I probably should, arrives fluffy, moist and properly cooked. It's a small thing until you eat somewhere that gets it wrong. There's a kind of generosity to this restaurant that goes beyond portion sizes. It's in the way the food is prepared, the way the table comes together and especially the way you're treated when you walk through the door. I've eaten at more polished Korean restaurants, more expensive ones and certainly places with much better marketing. I'd happily choose Baek Am over plenty of them. If you're looking for genuinely good Korean comfort food in Gardena, particularly sundae and a beautiful bowl of soup, this is a place worth knowing about. Five stars. And to the lovely woman who always makes us feel at home, thank you. You're a big reason this place is special. Now please don't all show up at once. I'd still like to get a table. read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

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Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Baek Em! The banchan was really good, especially their kimchi. I loved the flavor and the nice spicy kick it had. The seafood pancake was another standout. It was perfectly crispy on the outside while still being light and airy. The soup was also really flavorful and reasonably priced, which made it even better. The steamed brisket was probably the most mid dish out of everything we ordered. For the price and taste, I honestly don't think it was worth it. It tasted like something I could easily make at home, so nothing really stood out about it. Everything else we tried was delicious though! I'd definitely come back to try more dishes on their menu, but I'll be skipping the steamed meat next time. Service was superb! read more

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Baek Am is a great spot in gardena if you're craving comforting and authentic Korean food. We've been here a few times and have tried the bossam, smoked duck, and a few other dishes. Everything was flavorful and the meats were high quality. The portions were also generous enough to make this a great place to share with a group or to take home for your next meal. The banchan were also a highlight. I really liked the kimchi. The staff was friendly and attentive throughout the meal and kept checking in to make sure we had everything we needed including water refills. It's a casual place and an awesome spot to spend time with friends and family. Definitely worth checking out if you're in gardena and want something beyond the usual kbbq! definitely coming back read more

This is a small/medium, casual place that has a good variety of dishes. We went there to try their bossam and jokbal, and they give massive portions--pricey but worth it. We tried marinated chicken which my picky eater mom enjoyed because it was delicious and wasn't charred. They gave only four kinds of banchan, but they were so good. I particularly like the kimchi flavor--I think it's the best tasting one I've had in a restaurant. I still am not used to the beef soups being bland though. Maybe it's supposed to be that way. The staff was friendly and let gave the kids a pen to write on their wall. They remind me of the Korean moms/aunts who work tirelessly in the kitchen to make sure their guests have the best quality food. Will go back there for more when we are in the area again. read more

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Delicious Korean food. I love the spicy cold noodles. The spicy chicken is delicious. Banchan are good and comes with free refills read more

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This place is a solid spot for Korean food in Gardena! Service was wonderful and checked up on us as needed (wasn't too busy at the time we went -- 5:00pm). The food is delicious, portions are good, and the overall experience is great. The place has personal writings on the wall from customers which was a great touch involving everyone. So cute. We will definitely be back if we're ever craving. read more

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It was my first time trying sundae (Korean blood sausage) and jokbal (braised pig's feet), and I loved both! This restaurant specializes in dishes steamed in a hinoki wood tray, which gives everything a fresh, delicate flavor. The cold noodles and banchan were also delicious, and the service was excellent. I'll definitely be back to try the hinoki-steamed pork bossam! read more

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Food Family and I went here on a sunday cloudy and gloomy afternoon. Ordered ourselves a beef rib soup, pork bossam, scallion pancake, and a chicken bulgogi. The showstopper was definitely the bossam as it was served in a giant bamboo steamer and came with some dipping sauce. The pork itself was really good paired with the sauce and just really tender overall. The beef rib soup was hearty and had good flavor and the ribs itself were fall off the bone tender. My favorite though is definitely the scallion pancakes as they were really flavorful, crunchy but still soft on the inside, but I'm also just a sucker for scallion pancakes Service/Ambiance The restaurant itself is found in a pretty small plaza so it's definitely an unassuming low-key restaurant. The staff were really nice and accomodating when we had questions about the menu and service was pretty quick as well read more

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Parking: shared, easy. Looks like the plaza is new and that they might be the first business to open. Ambience: well lit, average noise. Good for groups Service: good, everyone is very polite Food: barley tea instead of water, and they also have hot tea. The pig trotter and smoked duck were tender and flavorful. #1 pancake was tasty and crispy on the edges and the banchan is very good. read more

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We tried Korean bossam for the first time and it was fantastic. We ordered the pork which was pork belly, I believe it was already slow boiled before it came to us in the steamer. The pork melted in our mouth, and it was very tender. The dipping sauce was just right with savoriness, sweetness, and I think there's a bit of vinegar too. The banchan has always been my favorite part of any Korean meal, no exception here. Highly recommend. The service was friendly and fast. read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - Pork bossam - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

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We didnt like our Bossam. It had a bad smell and taste :( I wanted to love it but the bad smell was overpowering. The banchan they gave was only enough, but when we asked for more (to help with the bad smell and taste for the bossam), they charged us $2.5 just for the kimchi. I thought they are usually unlimited. I gave 2 stars because the Galbi and banchans were really good! I would go back for that but not the sought out Bossam read more

Tasty, comforting Korean food. We got their bossam (duck and pork), as well as seafood pancake and chicken bulgogi. Came with plenty of banchan and salad. Food was well-prepared and flavorful, with high-quality meats. Service was super nice, and the waitress checked in with us frequently to make sure that our banchans were refilled and that everything was okay. I approve of Baek Am! read more

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Our second visit and we brought friends. Some places are better when you're in a group because you can experience more of the menu! We ordered: Seafood and green onion pancake. So good! This is one of the best ones I've tried. Crispy edges! Steamed duck. Mmm! It's smoked so it doesn't quite taste like duck. Steamed brisket. Simple and comforting. We discovered a new soju - Hallasan 17 - named after a volcano on Jeju island. I do t know if it's the volcanic water, but this soju is really smooth and easy drinking. Try it! Bring your friends! Enjoy! read more

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We live closeby so decided to try this new spot at a new plaza next to Superior off of Crenshaw blvd. There's a few parking spots inside the plaza and some street parking outside. We were greeted with a 1 page menu and decided to get: Banchan (5/5): fresh with some spice. We've had enough Korean food to know when Banchan isn't fresh and this one was so good Seafood pancake (5/5): fluffy, crispy on the outside and had egg in the flour. A lot of seafood and tastes fresh Beef rib soup (5/5): soothing and homey. Didn't have to add salt and pepper. Rib meat was falling off the bone Bossam (5/5): it comes in a steam container and came with so much. The cabbage and side dishes with the ssamjung complimented perfectly Service was so friendly and always came around to ask if we wanted banchan. We'll be back! read more

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Came in on a saturday around one o'clock, and there was only one other group of ladies eating. We were seated right away and given our barley cold drinks. They have a pretty good menu, but they're most popular dishes were the brisket, bossam, duck and pigs feet. We went with their bossam ($59.99) which came in a big wooden box with lots of shredded green onions inside. We were instructed to wait a few mins for steam to come out then start eating. The banchan included kimchi daikon, seaweed, kimchi, thinly sliced daikon, steamed cabbage, sauces and shredded green onions. I would say everything was good but I wasn't too impressed with their seaweed. The bossam was pretty good when eaten wrapped in a daikon wrap or with cabbage. I think by itself its a little on the plain side (which is fine!). No rice was served with this and I think this is enough food for two adults and a child. Parking lot is pretty big and its right next door to the superior groceries store. You need to enter the parking lot via Crenshaw, you can't get in going the backway. read more

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Food: Excellent Tried both the half duck half bossam and the bibimnaengmyun (spicy cold noodles). The duck and bossam were perfectly tender each with their own dipping sauces. The cold noodle was so refreshing and well seasoned. Banchan were also solid. Service: feels very mom and pop, the 2 ladies working were very friendly. Vibe: in a very unassuming lot next to a car service center? Was easy to find parking and not busy. The only thing I will ding on is there were a LOT of fruit flies flying around. Constantly had to swat them away which really degraded the overall experience. Hoping it was just an unusual / one off day. read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

Came here to try the food for my boyfriend's birthday. We ordered the pork bossam. Upon getting the order my bf mentioned it's going to be a lot of food but I was game. Pork was tender and yummy. I tried the cold noodles, which was my first time, and was impressed. The broth had good flavor, was refreshing, and not too salty (side note: I'm not a big fan of salt but I also like some salt in my food for seasoning). My bf and I however had different opinions on the broth so it comes down to personal preference. I'm Hispanic, he's Korean, take your pick lol. The place was a little empty to my surprise because food was pretty good so hopefully they get more business. Lots of parking in the area. Service was great, the lady that attended to us was very sweet and happy when I said "thank you" in korean (shout out duolingo). I would come back again if we are in the area. We drove from East LA to here and it was worth it. read more

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Baek Am Korean Restaurant may be located in Gardena, but it stands shoulder to shoulder with the very best restaurants in Los Angeles Koreatown. It has done an exceptional job of preserving the authentic flavors and traditions of Korean cuisine. Their traditional sundae (Korean blood sausage), bossam (boiled pork wraps), and smoked duck are especially outstanding--refined, flavorful, and prepared with remarkable quality. If you're looking for an authentic Korean dining experience, I highly recommend Baek Am Korean Restaurant. read more

Ambiance: it's a new Korean comfort food restaurant in South Bay area, spacious and clean inside Service: very friendly but so slow, only one lady serves the entire restaurant, and it took quite a while to place the order and get the bill in the end Food: simple menu items, and they specialize in steamed meat dishes Banchan - *** limited kinds, napa cabbage kimchi was good, cucumber was crunchy, daikon was bold in taste, and seaweed was okay BaekAm Hinoki Braised Pig's Feet - ***** one of their signature steamed specialties, a must try here, the pork was precooked for two hours, you can either eat cold and or after reheated quickly with steam, highly recommend Salad and other side dishes - **** lettuce salad, green onion slices, garlic and green pepper slices, paste, and dry fish dipping sauce, those are served with the steamed dishes, salad tasted great with the spicy dressing, recommend Price: generous portions and reasonable prices, expect $40 per person read more

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the side dishes here are SO good and when the side dishes are good, you know the food will be good ! the spring onion salad and radish kimchi were amazing got the beef soondae soup, and you could taste the perilla seed in the deep, hearty soup, and the meat and soondae were delicious too. i think i actually liked the soup more than the steamed meats wanted to try both the duck and the bossam so we got the half set, and both were great and came with dipping sauces. the meat is cut a bit more thin than some other places but i kind of like that, it was more convenient and balanced to eat that way. plus the steamed green onions were my favorite, i could eat just the green onions i will definitely be back to try more of the menu, gardena korean food is so underrated read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - beef soondae soup - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

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Delicious Korean comfort food in a strip mall with plenty of parking. Got the bossam, which is my favorite 'healthier' alternative to kbbq. The meat (I got beef) is steamed over veggies in a wooden box at the table. Rice is extra. Banchan is included and delicious, providing some flavor to complement the bossam. Service is kind and attentive, with a comforting/homey ambiance to enjoy the comfort food. read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

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What a delightful experience. Authentic Korean food served by the nicest people! This restaurant is no frills, authentic food and amazing service. We tried about 9 dishes, as we were a large party. Everything from cold noodles to bossum was great. read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - Bossom! - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

The Galbitang at Baek Am was outstanding. The broth was deeply flavorful, and the beef short ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender with generous portions. The fresh banchan, especially the kimchi, complemented the soup perfectly. Comforting, authentic, and well worth it during my business trip stop in LA. One of the best Galbitang I've had. Definitely worth coming back for. read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

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Looks like they've only been open for two weeks. We have been seeing the sign on the side of the building, excited to try a new food location. Came in on Saturday morning, only 1 party seated. Was seated immediately. We ordered number 8 and number 5 spicy. Will be back for their lunch special!! read more

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While looking for Korean food around Gardena, I wanted something different from KBBQ and found this place on Yelp. We ordered the half pork and half duck -- both were very tender and flavorful. The matching sauces were great, and the side dishes were good too. The ambiance is very simple and comfortable for dine-in. Service was excellent, and the servers were very attentive. Do I recommend this place? Yes. Will I come back? Yes. read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - Half pork and half duck - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

They recently opened within 6 month in a new plaza that just only them there. Parking is plenty and big. Just abit odd on turning onto the plaza, small, sharp & narrow...we missed it and did a U-turn. It's clean and basic decor, but bright. The menu is straight forward and good plenty choices but we're for the Hinoki. We got the BaekAm Hinoki Steamed Pork Bossam for $60 (wooden steam box of sliced meats over shredded green onions) and cold beef spicy noodle. It's a big portion and very tasty when you mixed all the ingredients together. Great, lovely, friendly and attentive service by the staff. We got compliments taste of dates drinks. Quite good. Overall, fantastic lunch and very filling with fantastic services for sure. read more

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Service was amazing but i found a huge piece of plastic in the salad bowl, server did apologize and rushing gave us another one but the fact that came from the same batch it make me feel off and lost an appetite . A lot of Parking spaces and restaurant is big enough to accommodate a large party. read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

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Good banchan. My wife said it was the best kimchi for her. This was my first time having jokbal and it was tasty. Bossam and duck were also good. Bone broth soup cleansed the pallet and the beef was tender. The servers were all smiles and engaging. read more

Real delicious food and great service. Definitely coming back again. The spicy pork was my favorite. read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

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Food was ok but the lady that was serving us kept using her fingers to eat out of the communal banchan containers (even licking them) and sticking her hand back in to serve them on the plates. She did this multiple times without hesitation. Also the water containers were really dirty and when she brought a new one, that one was just as dirty so she took that one back as well. I wouldn't go back unless I knew for sure they are taking new measures on hygiene. read more

One of my coworkers highly recommended the place, so I've been anxiously waiting for an opportunity to try it. Well, we left the place hungry and with lukewarm enthusiasm, unfortunately. I later found out that my coworker only tried the place at lunchtime and ordered à la carte, so the experience may have been different. We ordered the Back Am Hinoki Steamed Smoked Duck & Pork Bossam, which, to our surprise, didn't come with any rice or ssam (veggies to wrap the meat with) of any sort. And the amount of meat you get for the price point was almost laughable. As soon as we got the hinoki steamer to our table, we understood why the wait staff suggested we order something in addition (I wish I'd taken some pictures of the amount of food we got, but I was so taken aback that my brain completely froze). We ended up ordering naengmyeon (cold noodles), and we still left the place hungry after eating. The food tasted okay overall, and the service was somewhat friendly, but I won't be back. read more

Food is legit and inside is clean. Banchan is not sweet like most other Korean restaurants. The seafood pancake actually has chunks of seafood! Got the galbi, pork bulgogi, naengmyun, and bossom too - all about as close to home cooking as you get. First time visiting but won't be the last. read more

The hinoki steam smoked duck was sooooo good and we all love it. The beef rib soup have really big beef ribs and is also tender. The service was fast and we love dinning in here. The restaurant was clean and we would definitely come back again. read more

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Food & Service was Exceptional! Thank You Baek Am, for making my Grandmother's 95th Birthday Lunch one of the tastiest! Seafood pancake was delicious, with generous portions of fresh seafood. The crust was so perfectly browned and balanced! Hinoki Pork Belly was tender, with the Hinoki flavor infused into the meat! Just Yum! The Smoked Duck was decadent with the dipping sauce and steamed green onions. The Hinoki Dishes are much better priced than B'nB! Their Kim chi is fermented perfectly! And other banchans was also just as tasty! The location is a bit hidden on Crenshaw, blink and you'll drive right past it. Right next door to Superior Supermarket. Private lot. I hope everyone in the Southbay and Beyond can experience the same Delicious Delicacy! Open everyday 10a-10p. read more

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This place is a hidden gem. I usually gatekeep all my hidden gems but always end up writing a review especially for mom and pop shops like this one. To start off the soondae was realllyyy good. I'm talking better than Korea. They actually make their own soondae which almost no restaurant in LA does. The texture, flavor and consistency was chefs kiss. Next is the nengmyun. It's refreshing and the sauce is not syrupy sweet. You can taste that they get their sweetness from the fruit instead. Highly recommend! Next is their Hinoki wood steamed duck. It comes out hot and stays hot so it's perfect to share. Their price was cheaper than LA prices so I'll def be back for that. Their side dishes are so good. It's not a large variety but they really focus on making them perfect from the cucumber to the kimchi. On top of the great food the staff is very welcoming and sweet. I'm always greeted by warm smile every time I go. I've become a regular here and plan on taking my friends and parents when they're in town! read more

The quality and the amount for their lunch box was sooo good. A lil expensive but I'll come back once in a while. Think it was like $24 per box read more

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Everything was amazing, the food, customer service. Everyone was so kind and really good at explaining what were the plates. I will definitely come back again. read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

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If you're looking for nengmyun in South Bay this is the spot! The broth is so good and noodles a perf chew. I always get their jokbal (pig trotter) combo that also comes with a nengmyun (cold or bibim) and a soju or beer that's enough for 3 if not big eaters. Perfect with the sides and the servers are so friendly. Since the meats are steamed it's so tender and goes perf with their dipping sauces! Highly recommend read more

Baek Am Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

Presentation: Clean, fresh, beautiful, and delicious! Steamed meats: Tender and juicy, not greasy or salty! Very delicious! Sauces: Homemade sauces, dipping sauces, and seasonings, all with excellent flavor. Service: Warm, polite, and attentive! Parking: Large, free parking lot. Price: With such good quality ingredients, coupled with excellent chefs and staff, the price is very reasonable! If you enjoy home-style Korean food and happen to be nearby, I highly recommend you try this restaurant with friends and family! read more

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Easy parking, clean and hip interior, quick, attentive service, makes you feel like they actively care about what you think of their food. Definitely best korean gukbap in south bay/310 area. Steamed jokbal is just roasted pork belly and warmed in the steamer but super tender and rich. I'd still recommend but the star of tonight's meal is the soondae gukbap. So good we ordered 2 more to take home with us. read more