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    Danawa

    3.9 (356 reviews)
    Closed 6:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    DANAWA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise

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    Recommended Reviews - Danawa

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    Reviews With Photos

    Soy garlic fried chicken and clam soup
    Adela C.

    Our go-to Korean pocha place! Delicious clam soup and delicious soy garlic fried chicken, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, served piping hot and fast to boot! We've also had other dishes such as the kimchi fried rice in the past and the food has always been on point. They've redone the interior on several occasions and you can tell they put quite a bit of effort into mimicking the late night outdoor street stall vibe with string lights, noren banners, and a "night sky" wall mural across their walls, except without the discomforts of teeny tiny seats/tables and super cramped seating of a real stall. Which we personally love as that's not an aspect we enjoy of real food stalls lol. There is always Kpop playing on the screen near the entrance, usually of various music videos, and the music in the store matches what is on screen. Caveat: we always come earlier in the evening to avoid the loud drinking crowds, so my review is reflective of that and can't speak to how it gets late at night. Would advise doing the same if you don't like noise like us!

    Budae jjigae Spicy Army Soup Meal
    Maggie W.

    Came here with a party of 3 and was seated immediately! I've been meaning to explore more pocha places in the Bay, and this is definitely it for me. The location is inconspicuous and hidden away in one of the many strip malls off El Camino Real, but when you step through the door, you're transported to a different dimension. We ordered the spicy garlic edamame, army stew (budae jjigae), pork belly kimchi fried rice, and chicken with cheese. The edamame was a classic and was well seasoned without being too overbearing or sodium-packed. The budae jjigae was heavy! Definitely hard to get through, but my personal policy is that I will try to finish whichever dish is most difficult to get as take-out first. The portion is massive though, so don't balk at the price. The chicken with cheese was excellent. Just the right amount of spicy without being too overbearing, and the mozzarella cheese portion was also not too heavy and not too light. The pork belly kimchi fried rice stole the show for me personally, it was a favorite. I always love how savory the flavors of it are, kimchi by itself is too overwhelming for me so I love that the rice helps soak up the flavor naturally.

    Army Stew
    Cecilia Y.

    Danawa has downgraded a lot in quality and taste. My friends and I used to love coming here but our recent trip made us firm that we probably won't come back. We got one of the combos for a group of 4 and it is pretty misleading because you can choose one item from each category but the cost wouldn't total the price of the combo. The portions are also smaller. Yes it was human error on our part but at the same time, we shouldn't have to think about these things if allegedly the combo is supposed to be a better deal than ordering everything individually. The food was very mid as well. Portions were small. It was not worth it. The fries were giving potato corner but double the cost. The rose tteokbokkie sauce was not as thick and flavor wise, it was just ok. The army stew was alright. Portion was pretty small.

    Soju ($12)
    Elena N.

    Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024 Time: around 6:30pm Party of: 2 Meal: Drinks and Snacks *Truffle Fries ($12) *Fish Cake Soup ($18) *Soju ($12) x2 A friend and I were getting takeout elsewhere in the plaza. Since there was a wait, we decided to stop by Danawa for a drink. I didn't realize until I walked in, but this used to be VIP Oriental. I have some found memories of that old place. There no other patrons when we got here, so we just sat at the bar and ordered a bottle of soju. For some reason, I always feel bad ordering one thing, so we got the fries as an app. A pretty big portion with a fair amount of truffle aroma. When my friend came back with our takeaway, the server was super sweet. She said we could eat it there. We didn't end up doing that (tho I did taste a few things), but we were here for a good two-ish hours. Ended up with the fish cake soup as well. They made it slightly spicy which made me happy. (I can't recall if I asked for it spicy? Probably since I do like my heat.) There was a good amount and variety of fish cakes. I really enjoyed this dish. Glad I ended up at this spot. End up being a fun chill dinner of sorts. REVIEW #3565

    Soft Tofu Soup Meal
    Emily C.

    Solid food! My favorites were the soy garlic fried chicken ($25), tofu soup ($17), and steamed egg. All of which were some of the best I've had. The chicken is super crispy and the wings are sizeable. The tofu soup was delicious, savory, and came piping hot. I don't eat a lot of Korean steamed eggs, but my friend said that it was the smoothest and jiggliest he's had. Prices are rather steep, but I'd say it's definitely worth it for the chicken. The only dish I'd avoid entirely is the bulgogi. the beef was paper thin and mostly veggies. It was also oddly very wet and extremely disappointing.

    Soy garlic chicken  10/10
    Lindsey T.

    A nice spot for casual Korean food! Came here on a Friday night and was surprised by how empty it is. We came for dinner and all of the tables were pretty much empty. It's also located in a less popular area so it is very accessible and parking is super easy. For drinks, we got the cocktail soju in peach! I like how strong they make the drink. Most places would dilute the cocktail in ice but they don't use any ice (I Lowkey wish they did though, because it would taste even better cold). One cocktail was more than enough for 2 people. For food, we got the chicken soy garlic wings, the pork belly kimchi fried rice, and the corn cheese. The chicken was amazing (10/10). The portion size is huge and the flavor is rly good. This was the highlight of the meal! The corn cheese is also big, but almost to a fault, because it is too much for 2 people to eat without it getting cold / too cheesy. We added it to the kimchi fried rice and it was a great combo together. The rice on its own was a little bland. For ambiance, the decor feels like a party spot but it's so empty. They also play kid movies in the background. The service was decent, we got our order taken quickly and the food was also fast to come out. This is a great place to try at least once!!

    Pork soondubu and cheesy spicy chicken
    Hye Kyung K.

    It's a nice place for friends to hangout for food/drinks or even a date night. The interiors was like a mix of traditional Korean and casual. There were privacy shades by my table on the side so it felt like a personal space but we came early for dinner and were the only customers at the time. The pork soondubu was good -- I personally wish there was more soup, but the amount of tofu/meat was satisfying. The cheesy spicy chicken was good too, I recommend it! The portions were slightly small compared to the price. The taste was as expected. We had a makgeolli too and it was decent. Next time I'll come back for a light night meal to try the kimchi fried rice and army stew.

    Clam Soup
    Han H.

    Food is warm and freshly prepared; maybe less authentic Korean ( missing certain spices and pickled ingredients) but tastes not that bad.

    Spicy Rice Cake
    Lindsey C.

    Overall, a tasty experience! We were the only ones in the restaurant on a Tuesday night and I really enjoyed the food. The service was quick and attentive and the restaurant was clean. I only tried two dishes, but the rice cakes were delicious and they let me substitute the fish cakes for spam instead. The gizzards were delicious, served on a sizzling platter.

    Seafood pancake, extra crispy, always
    Jasmine C.

    Came here around 6pm on a Friday and we were the first ones here. The Christmas decoration was cute but very dark ambiance. Got a bottle of soup, beer, seafood pancake, and fish cake soup. My favorite was probably the seafood pancakes, which was lite and crispy. For the price, though, it'll most likely be my first and last time. Thank you!

    Soft Tofu Soup, Kimchi Pancake
    Celina L.

    if i were on death row, i would choose danawa to be my final meal. if i could choose only one restaurant to eat at for the rest of my life - it would be danawa. at 1:30 am after prom, i came to danawa with my date. i have been coming to danawa every month or so for the past 9 months, and i have had zero complaints. the service is impeccable and the food comes out SO quick! we've only ever had great experiences with the staff, and if i could give this place 6 stars i would. i personally do enjoy the ambiance inside and i love that they change it up every now and then! here are our favorites that we get every single time (or as my boyfriend likes to call it, the big 3): soft tofu soup: 10/10 incredibly good. we've tried it with pork, mushroom, and seafood. it's delicious every single time! kimchi pancake (my personal favorite): 10/10 we rarely have leftovers, that's how good the kimchi pancake is. it pairs very nicely with the sauce and is always perfectly crispy. kimchi fried rice (spam/pork belly): 9.8/10 sooo good! it's very creamy with the egg and the flavors are very bold - salty, spicy, kimchi-y. we've tried more than our typical order, though! spicy rice cake: 9/10 the rice cakes are cooked to perfection - very chewy. it will definitely have you coming back for more. sausage and rice cake: 9/10 a great appetizer! yupdduk: 8.5/10 we loved it and it was honestly really fun to eat. it doesn't feel greasy despite all the fried foods. highly recommend trying this place out!! i've tried my fair share of korean places across the bay, and i will always continue to come back. i am actively eating at danawa while i write this review and i couldn't be happier.

    Bulgogi, steamed egg, corn cheese, tteokbokki

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    Page 1 of 9

    Ask the Community - Danawa

    Do they have a bar stool section like the prior place?

    Do you mean bar seating? Yes, but it doesn't seem utilized. Customers were seated in tables.

    Do we have to make reservations in advance if we have party of 10?

    There was a party of around 10 that walked in when I was dining there, however I would recommend making a reservation to shorten any possible wait!

    Is the chicken feet boneless?

    Nope

    What's the Yupdduk on the menu? Are those the Yupdduk spicy rice cakes they have in LA?

    Are you sure you aren't referencing a specific business? Kind of like going to a random Burger place and asking what's the McDonald's on the menu?

    Do you serve dakbal?

    Yes we do. Chicken feet. We serve with handball rice

    View All 8 Questions

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    Hotel Valencia Santana Row, Valencia Hotel Collection - Elevator hallway

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    Fun cars in front of the Valencia.

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    Fitoor - Lavendar Lush

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    The food was amazing!!…read more We went on a dinner date for a birthday, and were greeted with food items that were new to us, as well as well known dishes in a reimagined way. The paneer and avocado galouti was melt-in-mouth, the techa chicken lolypop was amazing (just the perfect amount of spice), and the paneer lababdaar was one of the best I've ever had. Then came dessert and oh man... The cheesecake rabdi was insanely delicious. Not to mention their cocktail and mocktail selection (we had the mango bite and cordelia). The entire place was pleasant, service was good, and the food wasn't just tasty, but also beautiful... we felt guilty as we tore into it. Planning our next visit soon.

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    Danawa - asianfusion - Updated May 2026

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