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    Boolieya

    4.3 (90 reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

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    BOOLIEYA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Boolieya

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    Misikga F.

    The food at BUL IE YA was overall too spicy and very overly salty. The flavors were a bit too strong for my taste. However, the egg omelette was good and well made. The service was excellent--very attentive and friendly.

    bossam (served with a side of ssamjang, no other sides besides what's depicted)
    Patrick W.

    Oh man, I hate to leave a not-great review on a small local business, but our experience in terms of both food and speed of the service was pretty poor. To preface, our party was probably not the target demographic for this restaurant - most of us really could really only do a mild spice and we were just here for a late night dinner, not drinks. When we first arrived, I had been eyeing the spicy jokbal due to how often it was recommended by other Yelpers - but when we asked about how spicy it was, we were told it was "about as spicy as Shin Ramyun"... which is a pretty broad spectrum. Shin Ramyun Original or Black? Full packet of spice or half? Upon discussing with the table, nobody felt confident enough to order it, so we erred on the side of caution and went with items that were either not spicy or could be adjusted to be just mild. We placed our initial order (spicy stir fry pork (mild), garlic butter shrimp, and bossam) and the spicy stir fry pork and the garlic butter shrimp came out pretty quickly. The garlic butter shrimp had a nice tasting sauce - but oh my god, the shrimp were incredibly overcooked - every single one was dry and rubbery, and no amount of sauce could save it, which is a really bad look for the primary component of the dish - it gets 2 stars for the sauce. The mild spicy stir fry pork was - well,I hate to admit it, quite spicy. We understand that this restaurant's concept revolves around spicy, so I can't necessarily fault the kitchen for it being slightly spicier than we liked, but we all figured having some rice would help cut the spice and help with the sauciness of the dish. We asked the waiter to order some rice, thinking it would come out pretty quickly... but we waited, and waited, and waited. It ends up taking about 10-15 minutes for our rice to come out, to the extent we flagged the waiter twice just to check on our rice. The poor guy was working by himself and was apologetic and nice, but... it's rice, unless they're making it from scratch (which probably should've been communicated to us), it really shouldn't have taken that long. The rice was also 3.50 a bowl, which - I get it, inflation and all - but the fact that none of our entrées came with a bowl of rice was quite disheartening to see. After we finally got our rice, we started working on our spicy pork - which wasn't bad, but incredibly saucy with not very much pork to the extent where the taste of the pork really is completely masked and the flavor was just sauce. I would give this 3 stars. At this point, we had completely finished eating both the butter garlic shrimp and the spicy pork... which made me wonder, did they completely forget the bossam? I walked over to the front to check in with our waiter, and thankfully, it wasn't forgotten - it was very behind, which was strange considering the restaurant only had like 2 other tables seated, one of which was already closing out on their birthday celebration. Our bossam came out shortly after and I was pretty... whelmed. We had seen pictures of the bossam on Yelp with a variety of banchan and thought it would come with them, but we only got the plate of bossam with one single condiment dipping cup of ssamjang to share in a party of 4 people. In addition, the bossam was probably the most minimalistic bossam I've ever had - aside from the typical lettuce/cabbage/pickled radish wraps, the only other topping for the bossam was garlic cloves (since nobody dared to touch the jalapeño). I've eaten a lot of bossam and was disappointed to not see any other of the typical sides and sauces you'd expect to come with bossam. That being said, the pork belly was cooked well and the bossam didn't taste bad overall, it was just quite plain. A 3.5 star for me. We also ended up ordering a kimchi pancake since we were concerned that there wouldn't be enough food in our initial order. Not going to complain about the wait on this one since it was a late add, but our entire table was thoroughly disappointed by the taste of this. The pancake was super salty (even without the dipping sauce), the kimchi was sour, the pancake wasn't crispy (aside from on some parts of the edge) and the inner part of the pancake just kind of fell apart as you ate it like mush. As I was eating it, the flavor of the kimchi permeating throughout the pancake reminded me of why I disliked eating kimchi as a kid. This was a unanimous 1 star for the table, and we all normally eat kimchi. We debated whether it was worth bothering to take home the half of it that was leftover because no one wanted more than a slice. Unfortunately, I don't think any of us would particularly want to come again - but again, we probably didn't order the restaurants best sellers due to our intolerance to spicier foods. To end the review with some positives, there's free parking in the lot and the little walkway into the bathroom (which is kind of hidden) is cute!

    Jin is mine
    Christine K.

    Dont know why the gate is down... so it felt a little cramped inside. I used to come here when it was Heu (Hue?) haha anyways it was cute and the fresh fruit sojus were cool and tasty. Came back and now its called booieya. similar fruit sojus with fresh fruit but id skip the pineapple and do the watermelon. size wise it seemed double the size for same price service was whatever...they all seemed kinda young and nobody really managing we didnt try any if the flamed dishes but i do want to try next time! we just came to drink... had the pineapple soju and somek and just kkang soju cuz it was tasting sweet that night

    Menu

    Foods are great. Service is nice. Ambiance is great and pretty chill. This place is pretty authentic korean gastropub in ktown. You guys must visit!

    Fanny S.

    The owner was awesome and the food was even better. If you love Korean food, the same as me then this restaurant you must try. Highly recommend

    Derek L.

    Trusty spot for drinks! Not as popular so there aren't long wait times. Love coming here for their complimentary chips and salsa! They have good bites as well. Love that they have hot cheeto fries. Cheese corn was exceptional as always. Boolieya fries: $17.99 Cheese corn: $15.99 Soju: $15.99

    Maggie Y.

    It's very good late night eats. The food is tasty and saucy. Not too many people on a Wednesday night and pretty good service . I like it when places open late and more chill vibe.

    Servers were so nice and attentive. Nice atmosphere and food was super delicious. There was valet parking which made things easier. Not too loud either. Would totally recommend.

    Casper L.

    Love the food! Very nice food with reasonable price. Raw shrimp and pigs trotter are gold. The only dish I (and 3 other friends )don't like is fried whole chicken. Way too dry and flavorless. The sause and veggie comes with it doesn't cover that. That everything else I will give 5/5. Pineapple cocktail is very good too. Not too sweet but fruity. The place is spacious and surprisingly empty at Friday night. Will come again.

    Jeenee Y.

    Had a GNO on a Thursday night and we were all pleased with our food and awesome service! We had to try out the Spicy chicken cheese fondue and it was delicious! Kind of creative but the only thing that can be better is the hamburger buns. Cheese was perfect! We also ordered the Combo B and was for all 4 hungry girls we were pleased with our selection! And then Ofcourse for dessert we ordered the sweet potato fries and their fried squid dish (maybe taking out the hot Cheetos might be better) Perfect for a get together and or even a date is nice here! BTW don't forget to check out the decked out (total IG worthy picture spot) in the restroom area!

    Bagishpekova T.

    One star only for food. It was while ago , but service was terrible , because the lady(cashier) didn't even say hello, when I asked for a menu she just pointed to something and left, I was at loss until I realized that its a QR code. I ordered tokpokki and decided to pay the bill right away, and she pointed at the tips, as if I had to leave them, despite the fact that she did not even talk to me. I tip only because I understand how difficult it is to work. then she pointed to a chair, as if to say that I should sit there. but I asked if I could sit at another table, to which she loudly answered me "WHEREVER" and left. it was rude. I don't know if it was racism or not , but for Korean customers she was super polite, even I'm Asian too. Please we live in America! the food was good and big, but not the service!

    Kimchi Fried Rice
    Sam L.

    Carb-heavy food for your alc-heavy nights. My friend and I stumbled across this gem of a restaurant after working in a nearby cafe. We had slight language barriers when ordering, but our server was still extremely kind while being patient with us. If you plan on drinking - definitely recommend going during their happy hour. Honestly the best experience I've had in Ktown in a long while because there wasn't too much crowding and the food was decently large for the price. ..... KIMCHI FRIED RICE: 5/5 cheesy, eggy, kimchi goodness in a hot skillet (: be sure to get to the cheese fast before it crisps up on the skillet

    Bossam, nengmyun

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    4 years ago

    Amazing food and great service! Owners are friendly too. Great pre-game spot in ktown!

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    Hangari Kalguksu - (LARGE) Hangari Bossam

    Hangari Kalguksu

    4.4(3.2k reviews)
    0.9 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$
    Women-owned & operated
    10 years in business

    Visited Hangari on Saturday evening to try their renown Kalguksu with some friends. I've known that…read morespecific parking lot/strip mall to be a nightmare parking wise, so I bit the bullet and used the on-site valet. There is sometimes street parking but the availability is rough, it's tough to park, and even one of the meters we ended up at just didn't work. They only charge a $5 cash service charge though, which isn't bad. We were lucky to be seated right away, even in a packed restaurant. The restaurant has a surprisingly modern design, and is comfortable for as small as it is. We were quickly served their signature kimchis and barley rice. The kimchi, particularly the yeolmu (young summer radish) kimchi, has a unique flavor profile well suited to their food. We ordered 2 bowls of their plain kalgooksu, 1 bibim milmyun, and 1 tteokbokki. The food came out fairly quickly. The kalgooksu was as expected the star of the show. The anchovy broth brings a savory complexity that seems impossible for a soup made from just dried fish and a few other ingredients. It even has a rich, almost thick, quality to it that is surprising for a fish broth. Their noodles, the titular kalgooksu, have the signature irregularity and chew of knife cut noodles. I appreciate the vegetables that always come in kalgooksu, like potato, pumpkin, and zucchini, which offer an earthy heartiness to the light soup. My only complaint is that the potato is in huge irregular chunks, and is barely cooked, though I feel like I have had this issue with many of the kalgooksu bowls I've had over the years. The bibim milmyun was solid. I think that I prefer the texture and flavor of naengmyeon buckwheat noodles, but the milmyun, which are made with mostly wheat flour, still provide a satisfying chew. The sauce tasted bright and fresh, especially with a splash of added vinegar. It also came with a small side portion of spicy pork and some rice paper to wrap. The tteokbokki was the one let down of the meal. To be fair, I wasn't expecting much out of tteokbokki at all restaurant like this whose specialty is essentially the opposite. I ordered the tteokbokki as a "safe pick" for a picky eater in the group. It turned out to be a bit mediocre in our opinion, and that friend ended up enjoying their kalgooksu anyways. If you're looking to try this dish, it's definitely one of if not the best I've had in Southern California, so I'd totally recommend it. I'll also warn to steer clear of the Garden Grove restaurant of the same name and specialty. I think it's a disappointing mimicry of this place.

    Heard great things about this restaurant so I was very excited to try it while I was in town. Came…read moreon Sunday night at 7pm, and was very pleasantly surprised they had plenty of open tables to seat our party of 3 immediately. What we ordered: - Clam Kalguksu (5/5): this was sooo good! The noodle texture and broth favor was amazing. I would definitely order this again if I come back! - Large Bossam (4.5/5): I absolutely love bossam and this was exactly what I expect when I order bossam. Only reason it's not 5/5 is it's not really any different from bossam elsewhere. Overall, this place is definitely worth the hype and I will be come back when I'm in the ktown area again!

    Photos
    Hangari Kalguksu - Belly and Jowl & Chicken-KALGUKSU

    Belly and Jowl & Chicken-KALGUKSU

    Hangari Kalguksu - Bossam jowl combo

    Bossam jowl combo

    Hangari Kalguksu - (MEDIUM) Hangari Bossam (Serves 2)

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    (MEDIUM) Hangari Bossam (Serves 2)

    Anju House - covered patio seating

    Anju House

    4.4(693 reviews)
    0.6 miKoreatown
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

    It was my first time here. The place is very nice and love the decor…read more The parking is valet or street parking. The service was very good. The chicken was a little in the dry side but overall all the food was good. We will be back!

    I'll start with the positives. The location is very nice. Designed with an elegant, but…read moreminimalistic vibe. I love that, traditional mixed modern social dining feel. I had placed a phone order, for pick up; upon arrival, I found the service was prompt. I saw my food ready to go, just past the main walk-in area. Almost immediately after that, I was taken care of by the host and on my way. I've been waiting to try this place for ages so on the drive back to work I was excited to steal a piece of meat from the bag. Initial bite flavor was good, meat was tender just a bit on the chewy side.. I wasn't bothered by it too much as I'd have to leave it in an oven warmer at work. Trying to keep food warm, in doing so, I knew there'd be only two possible outcomes, melting tender or either tough & dry. So, the dish of meat and rice sat in the warmer for almost an hour hour and a half. The downhill slope.... Set the "meat " on the veggies and began to eat. Meat after meat, I kept experiencing the same exact texture. It was the same exact rubbery chew, I initially tasted. Each and every piece was the same exact flavor. There was no peak, there was no pitfall. If you cook or grill, you know this is a red flag. Normally, consistency would be a good thing, a Master craftsman type experience, but this was NOT it. As go on, I get the sinking feeling, this can't be real meat. I lock in, the deeper I dig, each piece looks the same, broken apart the same, tastes the same, just various shapes. They can call me crazy for this one - I'll stand by it. Something is not right here. I'm not even going to throw it away. I'm going to study it for the next few days and post an updated review. I hope I'm wrong but as of right now, I'll never revisit this place. Too freaky of an experience. We

    Photos
    Anju House
    Anju House - Inside

    Inside

    Anju House

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    Danbi - Wagyu zabuton

    Danbi

    4.5(383 reviews)
    0.9 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$$

    We went shortly after they opened and it got busier as the night went on. The Honey butter chips…read moreare dripping with the honey butter sauce & I wished I had a whole bowl of that. The Grilled jowl was thinly sliced & one of my favorite dishes of the night! The Zabuton came out still sizzling on a bed of onions- I absolutely loved this & it is definitely shareable between 2 or more people. The Scallop pancake had baby scallops cooked in to it- very fluffy & filling, another shareable dish between 2 or more people. The Mushroom bibimbap mixed with the sauce is a great vegetarian dish! Parking- $10 self park in the plaza

    Food Seaweed salad…read more Elevated and the best I've had, easily. The only issue is I can't really eat too much of it. The cherry tomatoes bursted with acidity and umami. 4.7/5 Honey butter chips. I've eaten an alarming amount of chips in my life and I will say these are solid but nothing noteworthy. The chips had no warmth to them and were slathered with decently flavorful honey butter that pooled to the bottom. 4.2/5 Mushroom bimibap - A very balanced dish with cohesive elements. Wish there were more mushrooms as they of course were the best part. The chili sauce was solid but the dish benefitted when we added another half portion of it and mixed it in. 4.4/5 Waygu - A decent flavor (definitely needed the flakey salt), portion and a nice medium rare cook, wall to wall. The steak was not as tender as I hoped it would be and some extra chewing was required. The banchan was all solid. It reminded me of Cote's but actually edible. 4.5/5 Yuzu popsicle - Definitely the best popsicle I've ever had. Refreshing and light. Balanced sweet to sour flavor. 4.7/5 Service A decent job. Good hostess. The steak took longer than expected to come out? Perhaps the kitchen messed it up and had to start over. Either that or maybe the waiters were busy. Or maybe it just takes a while to make it. Not sure. The waitress did the job competently but nothing above that. Overall, definitely not Michelin level service. 4.4/5 Ambiance A little too loud and it affected the entire vibe because I had to raise my voice to speak with the waitress. It became easier to just use nods and thumbs up. Like Cobis, a very modern and upscale restaurant that is hampered by lighting that is too dark. Pictures turned out good because I used another phone's flash. Just a little more light would be so much of an improvement without losing the romantic intent. Bathroom was average. 4.5/5 Overall, I had a solid meal that left my mood elevated. The service or food weren't as good as Cobis, Barsha, Ammatoli, or even Sonoratown - all top LA restaurants, but still worthy of a experience and I may return. 4.5/5 I would highly recommend Chois in San Diego as an extremely similar modern Korean fusion restaurant that also had better food, service, and ambiance. That place was 5/5 in every way.

    Photos
    Danbi - Inside bar

    Inside bar

    Danbi - Perilla Cild Noodle

    Perilla Cild Noodle

    Danbi - Pork cheek

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    Pork cheek

    Kobawoo House - Kimchi Jjigae

    Kobawoo House

    4.3(1.6k reviews)
    1.3 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$

    What more can I say? This K-town staple consistently delivers when you're craving Korean cuisine…read more We started our meal with a generous portion of Haemool Pajeon (Seafood Pancake), which arrived sizzling on a hot plate reminiscent of a Chili's Fajita Plate. Next came the main attraction: the Bossam Plate, featuring simmered and cooled pork belly sliced to perfection. When you wrap all the other ingredients together, they create the perfect bite. Just after the Bossam Plate hits the table, a bubbling cauldron of Kimchi JJigae (Kimchi Stew) follows behind just in time to help wash down the delectable bites of bossam. Don't forget to order some rice because you'll need something to soak up the stew which turns the rice into a whole meal by itself. The service was jovial and welcoming, and like other Korean establishments, they have a handy-dandy button that jolts the attention of every server working whenever you're in need of service. The small space is very cozy, just the way I like it when I'm visiting with my loved ones. They don't have an extensive menu, just the OG staple items, but I feel the taste has improved over the years. I wish Kobawoo were closer to where I live, or I would be here this weekend, but perhaps it's a good thing we're so far apart.

    This place has been here for so long, I haven't been here in yrs! I was in the area so I decide to…read moredo a take out for lunch to take home for me and my family, such a disappointment! $76.80 for 3 dishes and what a puny portions these are, like a kid's portion. Very small kimchi maybe one or two bites. Three orders that I'm surprised that they give such a small amount of banchan. How can establishment justify this high priced meal for such small portions? God and I drove all the way from South Bay, stuck in traffic for almost 1 1/2 hrs of this. Maybe this is the type of place you should dine in only?? Do not ever do take out here! The food in general was just ok. Nothing special and Kimchi soup was very salty. Threw all 3. Wow, what a waste of money. Very disappointing... I guess I won't be coming here ever again.

    Photos
    Kobawoo House - Popular place. Had to wait 30 minutes for a table for 6 on a weekday at 6:15pm which is not bad!

    Popular place. Had to wait 30 minutes for a table for 6 on a weekday at 6:15pm which is not bad!

    Kobawoo House - Lunch Jangban Guksoo

    Lunch Jangban Guksoo

    Kobawoo House - Jangban Guksoo Vegan

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    Jangban Guksoo Vegan

    Borit Gogae - Dwenjang

    Borit Gogae

    4.4(510 reviews)
    0.5 miKoreatown
    $$$

    Be prepared to walk away feeling very full. We got the set meal here, which came served with…read moreappetizers, barley rice, a lot of banchan (and by that I meant a LOT), soup, congee, dessert, etc. It was definitely more than enough food. We also got an additional order of LA kalbi for some protein. The meat quality was good but I felt like the meat was not marinated long enough and so the flavor was a little bit lacking. If only it just sat in the marinade for a couple more hours, I think this would have been perfect. The tofu soup was not my favorite, to be very honest. There was some flavor in there that made it smell like a stinky towel. Very different from other soondubu soup places and unfortunately not for me. Everything else we had was excellent and I would definitely come back again just for the barley rice and banchan. Service was quick and servers were nice. We also came at 3pm on Saturday so there was no wait. Recommended!

    Across the street from the new Zion market is this wonderful and unique Korean eatery. Unlike most…read moreof the run-of-the-mill Korean restaurants in Koreatown this restaurant serves unique appetizers and a multi-course set menu that gives you a taste of a variety of authentic Korean village food - like pumpkin porridge and acorn jelly salad. It's a lot of food for the price ($35 pp at this writing). While the minimum order is for 2 people, we've tried sharing the 2-people order among 3 and it worked for us, with addition of a couple of other items from the menu. The Korean BBQ beef is at par with most other nice restaurants in K town; their marinated crab was delicious! Service is okay - given how busy they are! Most servers are not very conversant in English so a little patience would help you get the right things you need. Nice and unique vibe with Korean handicraft items and art work on display (and for sale, I believe).

    Photos
    Borit Gogae - Restaurant decor- art work and Korean figurines

    Restaurant decor- art work and Korean figurines

    Borit Gogae - Barley rice mixed with side dishes

    Barley rice mixed with side dishes

    Borit Gogae - Grilled spareribs

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    Grilled spareribs

    Ham Ji Park

    Ham Ji Park

    4.2(1.8k reviews)
    1.0 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$$

    Really sad that Ham Ji Park is closing down permanently. For years, this place has been our…read morefamily's go-to place for pork spare ribs - the best in town. In fact, we regularly brought visitors here. They raved about how good the spare ribs were and even insisted that their last meal before LA should be at Ham Ji Park.  Here's my belated review of what I consider the best spare ribs in LA. From the moment the Korean-style spare ribs arrived at the table, it was clear this was a dish worth savoring. Each rib bore a beautifully charred exterior--deeply caramelized without a hint of bitterness--offering that irresistible smoky aroma the moment it was placed before us. The glaze was nothing short of spectacular. A perfect balance of sweet and spicy, it clung to the meat with a glossy sheen that promised flavor in every bite. There was just enough heat to make your taste buds sit up and pay attention, but it never overwhelmed the deeper, richer notes of the sweet components. But what truly set these ribs apart was the texture. Beneath the charred surface lay meat so tender it practically fell off the bone with the gentlest tug of a fork. Each bite was juicy and succulent, the result of careful cooking and a respect for quality ingredients. Ham Ji Park, you will be missed. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for the food.

    tl;dr the delectable pork ribs overshadow the otherwise authentic but standard lineup at this…read morenow-shuttered Korean stalwart Los Angeles Koreatown is home to restaurants that specialize in every facet of Korean cuisine. If you're searching for some of the city's best pork, then those in the know will bring up Ham Ji Park. For 2 decades, generous platters of pork ribs and pork neck stew decked every table. Now, our Korean friends lament the loss of their favorite pork joint in the city. The Koreatown proper location is located in the Royal Plaza mini-mall, just a few blocks off bustling Wilshire. Discounted parking is available in a lot across the street from the Chevron gas station. From the street, the entrance is flanked by potted plants and an enclosed street-ery. Inside, stainless steel chairs are pressed up against wooden tables, each outfitted with a metal grill. Oppressive fluorescent lighting shines down on the stone grey walls, which are left undecorated apart from a few flatscreens. Multi-lingual chatter blends with the sizzle of platters. I visited with some friends for a weeknight dinner, and about half of the tables were occupied. We shared a spread of grilled platters and sizzling soups. The meal began with a carafe of barley tea and a mostly standard spread of banchan. Across our food, the best dish was the signature Charbroiled Pork Spare Rib. The ribs were flavorful without feeling gamey, and the meat was complemented by sweet caramelized onions. The pork ribs handily outdid the good-not-great Charbroiled Beef Short Rib. Lastly, the Milt and Cod Rose with Vegetables stew was fishy and briny, appropriately flavored for the Korean palate. The service was appropriately attentive, although I would've appreciated more intentional refills of our banchan ramikens. The rib plates cost upward of $35 each, while the soup was just under $30. The portions were hearty; a single entree platter could reasonably feed 2 moderately hungry bellies. It's a shame to hear that Ham Ji Park has closed; I'm kicking myself for not trying their pork neck stew earlier.

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    Boolieya - korean - Updated May 2026

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