our first time at danbi was in december 2025 and the zabuton was honestly really good! it was so tender and the onions complimented the dish well. we were excited to return back to danbi after hearing they were open after renovations but we were very disappointed in the zabuton. comparing the two experiences it felt like we were given half the amount of meat for $10 dollars more than last time! they ask if medium rare is okay, and when it came out it was barely medium rare too! definitely not worth the $75 dollar price and would not be getting it again *_* read more

Danbi - zabuton (june 2026) - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

I was introduced to this place by a friend. I went in completely blind not knowing anything about this restaurant prior to my experience. Moment you walk in its a super vibey designed restaurant w bar. Open kitchen counter seating available too which was cool. Salad 4/5 beef Tartare 10/10 Galbi (not what i was expecting but for what it was) 10/10 Scallop pancake 11/10 Corn latte 3/5 Service was fine nothing too much to rave about. I would come back for sure read more

See all

I loved this restaurant! It caught my attention as soon as I saw its 2025 Michelin Star displayed at the entrance. My Kimchi Mule cocktail was refreshing, well-balanced, and one of my favorite parts of the meal. The scallion pancake was absolutely delicious: perfectly crispy on the outside and full of flavor. I highly recommend trying it. The only reason I hesitated was the meat portion. The menu says it's meant for 2-3 people, but the serving looked much smaller than expected and wasn't as visually impressive as it used to be. I remember the portions here being much more generous in the past. That said, I'm still giving this restaurant five stars. The service was friendly, everything was clean and well organized, the food was delicious, and it was served very quickly. I'll definitely be back to try more dishes! read more

Danbi - Scallop pancake - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

The food here is SO good! i am a personal fan of the scallop pancake :,) we also got the honey butter chips, perilla cold noodles, and the grilled jowl which i really liked! Service was great! Our server was very attentive and described each dish perfectly. The place was so cute! I really loved the ambiance :) 10/10 would come back again. read more

Danbi - scallop pancake, perilla cold noodles, honey butter chips, and grilled jowl - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Danbi is a ktown staple, great for a night out or a cute date. The ambiance is dimly lit, decorated with candles and sometimes a film projector playing movies. I've had the scallop pancake, zabuton, spicy japchae, and honey butter chips. I'd recommend the zabuton and the spicy japchae. Zabuton is great, but be sure to eat it while it's fresh and still hot because it isn't good cold! Love that the spicy japchae includes so many little clams and scallops and is seasoned well without being overwhelming. I'm not a huge fan of the scallop pancake like everyone seems to be, it's quite heavy feeling even with the sauces, but it's an interesting side. For drinks here I'd go with a makgeolli or wine recommendation from the server over the cocktails. EDIT: THEY DONT SERVE THE SPICY JAPCHAE ANYMORE AND THE ZABUTON IS DIFFERENT. RIP DANBI. read more

Danbi - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We went shortly after they opened and it got busier as the night went on. The Honey butter chips are 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 read more

See all

Everything about Danbi is great, except for the parking (but it is koreatown)! I came during dine LA week, but my friend and I decided to go with the regular menu and split what we get. It was the best decision we could have made. It is located in the Chapman plaza where they offer valet parking in the back; depending on the day, it is either $10 or $20 for valet. You can also try to find metered parking. I got so lucky to find a metered spot on a Friday night. We tried: Scallop pancake - Big portion with a generous amount or scallops. It was crispy and came with a delicious side of sauce that complimented it. I am not the biggest fan of seafood, but this did not taste fishy at all. Zabuton - the meat was cooked very rare, but every bite melted in your mouth. It came with a side of garlic rice and grilled onions. Whatever the meat was seasoned with was sooooo good. As for drinks, I tried the luv u so matcha and my friend got the hwache milk. Although they are pricey, they are deliciously dangerous. The service was great. Our server was so kind, he helped us decide on our food and drinks. The ambiance is a bit with dimmed lighting, but still an enjoyable time to hear what the people you came with have to say. Go check this restaurant out :) read more

See all

Romantic ambiance with black and white film clips playing in the background - very cute vibes :) Very attentive service! Scallop pancake: 1000/5. How do they manage to make this pancake so soft and chewy, yet crispy on the outside with scallop that's perfectly cooked, tender, and juicy?? The mentaiko cream that comes with it is divine. All of that topped with freshly squeezed lime juice, oh wow. Perfection. Zabuton: 4.5/5. Another must order. Perfectly cooked and so tender! I often have a hard time chewing through meat, but not for this dish. Yum, yum, yum. The pickled garlic and shishito peppers were so good as well. Points taken off cuz the garlic rice so moist that it was basically congee... The kimchi was not bad, but nothing special! Mushroom bibimbap: 4/5. It's a good dish, but honestly it's nothing special. I didn't like how garlicky it was, and it didn't have the charred rice that hot stone bibimbap has :( Charred rice is my favorite part of bibimbap. Wouldn't reorder this. Honey butter chips: 4/5. Also a good dish, but nothing special! I would save my money and order a different dish next time. Drinks: 1000/5. So well thought out and complex, yet the flavors work so so well together!! Our favorite was the Kimchi Mule for sure - slightly gingery, very light and refreshing. My second favorite was the Luv U So Matcha. The Hwachae Milk was pretty good but a bit too sweet for my personal taste. The Barley Soju was good, you can taste the barley tea infused into the soju but wow it was very very strong! TLDR: Scallop pancake, zabuton, and drinks (Kimchi Mule and Luv U So Matcha) are a must. Mushroom bibimbap and honey butter chips are a pass! read more

See all

Make sure to book a reservation in advance. We booked it few days before and found the table times were already pretty limited. The Wagyu Zuboton is a must-order. It's perfect for two people, especially with a bowl of rice and the accompanying condiments. The Perilla cold noodles were super refreshing and a great complement to the meal. We were excited to try the scallop pancake since it had great reviews, but it ended up being a bit too doughy and not as crispy as we'd hoped (might try reheating it in the air fryer at home). The tartare was average. Nothing particularly memorable. For drinks, we had the "Luv You So Matcha" mocktail and Kimchi Mule. Both were unique, but we definitely preferred the matcha one. The interior is quite dark and the menu font is very small, which made it a bit hard to read--my only real critique would be to increase the font size. The music is also pretty loud, so it's not the best spot for a first date or if you're trying to catch up and have a conversation over food. Service was great: staff were friendly and efficient, and the food came out quickly. Parking: There's a plaza lot available, but it can be pricey. I'd recommend checking for street parking or nearby lots across the street first. read more

See all

So I learned I really just do not care for meat but the marinade for the zabuton was deliciously sticky and sweet. Scallop pancake was a little heavy but hit all of the marks of a great Korean seafood pancake The service is fantastic and sitting at the bar is way more fun since you get to watch the bartenders make all of the drinks read more

See all

wow the scallop pajeon was really good. also got the uni bibimbap and the steak. steak was juicy. uni bibimbamp had plenty of uni + shrimp (makes sense they own gebang sikdang as well). service was so friendly. a lot of the workers were knicks fan and I was playing game 5 of the playoffs where the knicks won the 2026 finals and they appreciated it (lots of ex-new yorkers) read more

This spot is such a vibe, right when you walk in. The dimmed lights, people dressed, and aroma is great. The food looked amazing and everything tasted so fresh! Evelated korean food, fit for impressing folks from out of town or a nice date night. My favorite dish of the night was the pork jowl. Tasty chili oil on a hot skillet was smacking! Parking is kind of hard, but expected in koreatown. Look for it in the street or you can pay for valet, but even then, it might not be available! Our server was attentive and friendly, would absolutely come back. read more

See all

Modern Korean dining that's great for dates and special occasions! I visited this spot with some friends for a Saturday dinner and our experience here was great! For food, we shared: - Honey Butter Chips: These were tasty and I liked how it was a good blend of sweet and savory. - Grilled Jowl: Tender pieces and as someone who doesn't like fat too much, I enjoyed eating the fat from these. The jowl paired well with the crisp and fresh veggies. - Tartare: Delicious and a good amount of meat. It was unique combining bone marrow with the raw meat. The lotus chips to eat with the meat were crispy and good. - Zabuton: Loved the steak! Super tender and the cook on this was beautiful. Flavorful too. Comes with garlic rice. - Scallop Pancake: Seafoody and fishy in a good way. Loved that there was so much scallop. Paired well with the creamy dipping sauce. - Perilla cold noodles: Standard cold noodles and refreshing. A good pairing with the heavier dishes, but not mind-blowing. All the dishes we had were pricey, but the quality was pretty good. Great for sharing. They also do a small dessert for birthday's which is nice. My friend got a small yuzu popsicle which was cute. The interior is nice and I liked the mood lighting. The service was great and attentive. For parking, there's $20 valet parking at the Chapman Plaza. I would recommend making a reservation a week+ in advance especially if you're planning to dine on a weekend. Overall, I enjoyed my experience here. I would come back to dine here for a special occasion. read more

See all

I took my girlfriend here on a date, since my buddy treated me out to this spot a couple weeks back. Had to run it back. The ambiance of this spot immediately caught my attention. The lighting is intimate, the place is decorated nicely with greenery, and I thought the projector playing Ponyo on the wall was a tasteful touch. The drinks were unique. They had a wide selection ranging from a matcha cocktail to a barley soju, which I had (not pictured). It was the perfect pairing of tea and alcohol, in which I never had before. The food, though, was executed well. Scallop Pancake, 9.5/10: First time having a scallop pancake like this one. Honestly, I don't see how it could get any better than the one I had here. It was perfectly crispy and the mini scallops were cooked well. The lime on top combined with the creamy mentaiko sauce paired absolutely amazing with the savory pancake. Uni Bimbimbap, 8/10: Solid dish. I didn't taste the uni too prominently in this dish, since there were a multitude of other ingredients in this one. Though, I did like the creamy salty undernotes it brought to this dish. You can also tell the uni was fresh from the color. Honey Butter Chips, 8/10: These were cool. Can't go wrong. Tastes like the ones you get at Hmart, but a little less artifical than those. Bone marrow tartar, 8.5/10: The tartar was a good temperature. The lotus chips were a nice addition to offset the other textures in this dish. Also they look cool lol. I appreciated how much bone marrow they gave. The tartar was seasoned appropriately. Zabuton steak, 9/10: Wow, definitely my favorite dish here. Cooked perfectly medium rare-medium. Was skeptical of the sauce it came in since the steak was presented on a sizzling plate. This kind of blew my mind a little. How the subtle sweet sauce complimented the steak well, highlighting the meat, but not overcompensating. Steak quality itself was great. The grilled onions were a nice touch. Modern take on a classic steak. Love it. read more

Danbi - scallop pancake, uni bimbimbap, honey butter chips - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Danbi was one of the best dining experiences I've had in Koreatown recently. The atmosphere was cozy, stylish, and perfect for a special night out. We ordered the Zabuton steak and the scallop pancake, and both were outstanding. The steak was tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. The scallop pancake was crispy on the outside, packed with scallops, and paired beautifully with the sauce. The presentation was beautiful, the service was attentive, and every dish felt thoughtfully prepared. I can see why reservations are hard to get. We will definitely be back to try more of the menu. Highly recommend if you're looking for a modern Korean dining experience in LA! read more

See all

We had a reservation for 6:30, and they kindly allowed us to check in and get seated earlier. Their EVERYTHING is amazing! My favorite is the uni bibimbap, which came with an icy, kind of sour palette cleanser (that I honestly gobbled down on its own). The raw shrimp was sweet, well textured, and the uni was absolutely amazing. It had good body and that subtle sweetness that just melts. The tartare was good, and I preferred not mixing in the bone marrow and eating them side by side on a cracker. The pork jowl was also good; well seasoned, well cooked, and no complaints. At night, the restaurant had a vibey and darker feel, making it perfect for romantic or girls' nights. Our server was incredibly attentive and charismatic, making our night all the better. Very much recommend!!! read more

See all

Made a reservation for Danbi before going to a show at the Wiltern. We were greeted and seated right away. The restaurant has some mood lighting at night, making it nice for a date, girls night, or group dinner. We started off with drinks and ordered from their soju-based cocktail list. I tried the martini, which was a solid take on a dirty martini. I just wish the drinks were a little bigger for the price. There were 3 of us at dinner and we ordered 3 dishes, this was more than enough! We sadly had some leftovers that we couldn't take since we were going straight to a show and had Ubered there. We ordered the scallop pancake - lots of scallops and delicious, but a little heavy. The pancake was thicker than I'm use to but tasted great! We also got the mushroom bibimbap, which had great flavor with the sauces it came with. I would say our favorite was the zabuton. They give a generous amount of meat plus it comes with some pickled sides and garlic rice. There's also a side of salt to sprinkle on your wagyu, so good!! I was definitely impressed by the food and want to come back to try their other dishes. read more

See all

My experience at Danbi was nothing but perfect. I made a reservation on a weekend--saturday night to be more specific. This place is located inside the Chapman Plaza. There is valet parking available, which can sometimes get full during busy dinner hours, but we got very lucky and had no problem. We were greeted by a welcoming host and waited about two minutes before being seated at our table. The vibe of this place is dim, romantic, and intimate. They also have a bar area where people can wait before getting seated or just enjoy drinks. Honey Butter Chips: 5/5 I love the Korean bagged chip version of this, so I already knew I'd immediately love it. Tartare: 5/5 I love bone marrow and beef tartare, and the chips they served with it added a nice texture and paired really well. Uni Bibimbap: 5/5 Another easy high rating for me because I love uni, but the uni they served was so fresh and buttery. Sabuton: Perfection Honestly the star of the show. It was so tender and soft and paired so well with the garlic rice it came with. I also ordered a matcha cocktail, and as much as I wanted to love it, I just didn't. However, the food is truly what matters to me, and overall it was the perfect experience. I would absolutely come back and recommend this place to anyone. read more

See all

This might be my new favorite restaurant in ktown... I've been meaning to find a nice date night spot with a cool vibe, fine dining, and delicious drinks. Danbi offers exactly that! The food and drink menu is excellent, and the service is very attentive. I got to try the scallop pancake with mentaiko sauce and the Zabutan wagyu steak. Both were absolutely amazing! 10/10 The scallop pancake was perfectly crispy and the scallops managed to stay soft and tender. The Zabutan came out on a sizzling hot plate with onions, pickled sides, and rice. The medium rare steak was really the star and perfectly cooked. There was a slightly sweet marinade that paired well with the pickled garlic slices. At the end, the waiter gave our table yuzu popsicles for dessert, since it was my boyfriend's birthday. 100% recommend this place! I need to come back here to try the creative cocktails and honey butter chips read more

See all

Came here for a friends birthday dinner on a Saturday evening. It's in the Quarters plaza so space is very limited. Parking was $20 in the lot or you can try to park around the area. We had a pre fixed menu so we got to try everything. Upon arrival we were seated immediately. I would rate the food solid 9/10. Certain dishes were a little too sweet for my liking for the flavors were on point. Some highlights were the seaweed salad, scallop pancake, honey butter chips, and the pork jowl. The tartare didn't have much flavor and the sesame oil taste was way too strong. The chips it came with didn't pair well with the beef. We needed up putting the tartare on the honey butter chips and drizzling the seaweed salad sauce on top, and it tasted amazing. The scallop pancake was definitely a hit amongst the table. Galbi was tender and perfectly cooked but a little too sweet. Service was on point, the severs continuously served waters around and cleaned up the table once we were done with a dish. read more

Danbi - Galbi & pork jowl - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I really like this place! Food was a hit, and I think it was worth it for the DineLA set menu at $45. - Honey Butter Chips: fresh cut potato w/ a final texture resembling that of kettle chips. Sweet, yummy honey butter drizzle on top! - Kale Salad: refreshing - surprised that there's egg yolk in it - Tartare: SO was saying how the lotus chips were harder than what he hoped, but I thought this was also similar to kettle chips, which I quite liked. less memorable than other dishes, but still good. - Perilla Cold Noodles: sooo yummy and fresh tasting! one of our faves. - Grilled Pork Jowl: suuper tender, melt in your mouth goodness. - birthday yuzu popsicle: refreshing frozen bits and pieces of yuzu! It's cute with the little candle it came with. I really liked the matcha drink; it has veggie undertones. The alcoholic drinks were not my fave, tho the sour plum, barley, and hwachae (best-tasting) were unique. The vibes are almost exactly the same as Tokki (prior establishment) and it's great for occasions. read more

See all

My bf and I had an 8:30pm reservation for his birthday and we were seated immediately upon arrival. Our server started us off with water and everything got off to a great start. The ambiance was lovely and perfect for a date night. The dining room felt dark, intimate, and cozy, and I especially loved the little candle on the table. It was a small touch, but it made the experience feel warm and special. We ordered the perilla oil noodle, scallop pancake, pork jowl, and hwaechae milk to share. The perilla oil noodle had a strong perilla aroma which I loved, but beyond that it didn't really taste like much. It wasn't bad but it's probably the one dish I'd skip next time. The scallop pancake was great. It was crispy, packed with scallops, and the dipping sauce complemented it really well. The pork jowl was easily our favorite dish of the night. It was tender, flavorful, and paired perfectly with all of the accompanying condiments. Every bite felt balanced and well thought out. The hwaechae milk was also delicious and refreshing. It was a fun drink to share and a nice contrast to the richer dishes. While the food was good overall, the portions felt pretty small for the price point. Everything tasted good but it was hard not to notice how quickly the dishes disappeared given what we paid. Maybe it was just the specific dishes we ordered but considering Danbi is on the Michelin Guide, I was expecting bolder and more memorable flavors. Korean cuisine is known for being vibrant and packed with flavor so I left feeling a little underwhelmed. Nothing we had was bad but aside from the pork jowl there wasn't a dish that really wowed me. To end the meal, the staff brought us a yuzu popsicle topped with a birthday candle, which ended up being my favorite part of the entire night. The popsicle was perfectly tangy, refreshing, and honestly more memorable than any of the dishes we ordered. It made the celebration feel thoughtful without being over the top. Overall, we had a great experience. The atmosphere was beautiful, the service was attentive, and it was a lovely place to celebrate a special occasion even though it was a bit overhyped given the small portions, high prices, and flavors that didn't quite live up to my expectations. I'd still come back to try the steak tartare, uni bibimbap, and the zabuton! read more

See all

Recently came back here to try some of their staples and upgrading my review to a 5 for stellar service and great food. This time around got the pork jowl, crudo, scallop pancake and honey butter chips for two people and it was definitely enough for at least 3! We took leftovers for sure. Everything was done really nicely - think elevated Korean gastropub style food with great flavors and presentation. Such a beautiful and fun atmosphere, they take pride in giving a great experience to their customers and it shows! read more

Danbi - Scallop pancake - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Danbi is a cool, modern Korean spot. The space is sleek with a lively buzz, making it a great place for a fun dinner out. Service was attentive and helpful, especially with walking through the menu and recommendations. I ordered the honey butter chips, zabuton, and japchae, and everything was delicious. The zabuton was incredibly tender and flavorful, and the japchae had a great texture with a rich, well-balanced sauce. I tried two cocktails, hwachae milk and luv u so matcha, and they were delicious. Everything felt thoughtfully plated but still comforting and satisfying. Portions were solid and perfect for sharing a few dishes. read more

See all

Danbi is a Korean spot in Ktown that's perfect for date night or drinking with friends while eating some delicious, upscale food and is located in the same plaza as Quarters. There's very limited valet parking in the lot, but you can park in the garage across the street where HMart is. The atmosphere is dim, chic, and very lively. We ordered: - honey butter chips: I loved these, they're slightly sweet, butter, and crispy, exactly as described - beef & bone marrow tartare: surprisingly pretty good, the chips are clumsy for actually eating with the tartare but the addition of the bone marrow was great - scallop pancake: delicious and covered in bay scallops, would absolutely get this again - uni bibimbap: it's cool to try but at like $60 for a tiny bowl of 4 shrimp and maybe 4 pieces of uni... pass, since it wasn't extraordinary in any way - zabuton: juicy and perfectly cooked, everyone loved it - mushroom bibimbap: pretty good but better to pair with a protein than by itself This was plenty of food for 3 and we took most of the mushroom bibimbap home. I liked the red makgeolli a lot, which was super thick. Luv U So Matcha was an interesting cocktail without strong matcha flavors. This isn't a 5 star review because of service. Service was okay, not great not terrible. However, the thing that left a bad taste in my mouth was towards the end of our meal (we'd been there for under an hour and a half), the hostess came and basically asked us to leave lol. We weren't done with our drinks, like mine was 75% full, and had to chug it. This would be fine IF it was their policy that was enforced across all tables at the 90 minute mark, but the table right next to us was there before we were, only had drinks at that point and were sitting there chatting. They were not asked to leave. So be prepared to eat and drink fast or be kicked out if you don't know people there I guess? read more

See all

Danbi has a sleek moody ambiance that makes it great for a date or special occasion. I tried it for LA Dine Week which had a preset course for $45. It included the honey butter chips, tartare, perilla cold noodles, grilled pork jowl. This was a decent deal compared to other ones being offered. It is in Chapman plaza where there isn't much parking so street parking is recommended unless you want to pay $20 for valet. I'm not sure I would have liked it if it wasn't a Dine LA special because the portions are small but it was fun to try. Danbi has an interesting take on some modern and Korean dishes but it didn't stand out to me as a Michelin guide restaurant. The service was ok. I sat at the bar but they didn't take my plates when I was finished. They also brought the new dish out when I was finishing my previous one. It wasn't too crowded when I first came in but they seemed to be at capacity by 8pm. Would have to try again without Dine LA but not sure if I would come back unless it's for a special occasion or if there is some promotion. read more

See all

It was girls night out and we found this place trending on TikTok. We ordered a few dishes to share family style. 1) wagyu zabaton steak: 8/10 the meat was cooked perfectly, however the taste was just normal steak meat cut thinly. I liked that it came with garlic rice and I thought the 2 paired well together. 2. Scallop pancake: 9/10 Super crispy with a good amount of bay scallops. I thought it could use some other element like green onion in the pancake. The sauce was interesting. It was creamy and slightly spicy. However, I thought it needed a tangy soy sauce to cut the oiliness. 3) honey butter chips: 6/10 very interesting.. super sweet caramel like drizzle on top of kettle chips. I can see how it can be a pub snack or drink food, but as an app very weird because it is sweet like a dessert. 4) uni bibimbap: 7/10 MKTP: $60 really expensive for small bowl of bibimbap. It did come with marinated shrimp and ikura. The flavors were pretty good though, the rice can be quite mushy from all the wet seafood. Service was pretty good, they gave us menu recs and the food came out quickly on a busy Friday night. read more

Danbi - Wagyu zabotan - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

I came for restaurant week and while the portion size was pretty good, I felt like the food itself was kind of lackluster. I'd been looking forward to trying this place, but I wasn't impressed. The honey butter chips were literally just chips with some warm butter drizzled on. The kale salad was literally a handful of kale with some citrusy drizzle. The beef tartare didn't really taste like anything, the perilla noodles lacked anything standout, and the pork jowl was so fatty. Overall, I just felt a little disappointed. read more

Danbi - Restaurant week menu - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

A solid korean fusion. Scallop Pancakes were pretty on point. Steak was well cooked but did lack a bit of a wow factor. Perillia noodles were a good twist with very subtle notes and a bit refreshing and went well with the steak. A bit too dark to really appreciate the food. And also a bit loud. Kinda club vibes. Could transition to something a little more elegant considering the food and price point. Service was decent but could be a bit more insightful and helpful. read more

See all

I visited and enjoyed Danbi in 2024. Its inclusion on the Michelin guide in 2025 interested me and prompted my recent return. Reservations are recommended. I was met with a 40 minute wait on a Thursday night with my walk-in attempt, but eventually was given a table.  Parking can be a nightmare even on a weekday night (as is the case with Los Angeles's K-town), but a couple of parking garages nearby are ready to scalp you $10 when you eventually give up on finding street parking. The Chapman plaza itself will also have a parking lot with valet service that is embarrassingly small considering all the restaurants it hosts and will quickly fill up. Compared to the other storefronts in the plaza, the outside of Danbi is unassuming. On my first visit, I walked right past the quiet "danbi" written softly in lowercase cursive on the glass door which blended into the window pane walls. Inside is a small dining area that is sleek and modern yet cozy. I really liked the scallop pancake on my first visit. The uni bibimbap was very good too. I don't typically like uni, but I remember the uni was very fresh and creamy. I know everyone's crazy about the honey butter chips, but I kinda thought... that they were just chips hahaha I mean they were good, but... mmm... hahaha This time, I started with a drink from the bar. I had the Love U So Matcha. On the nose, this drink was citrusy and refreshing. On the palate, the passionfruit gives a bright and sour punch, and along with the orgeat and falernum, gives a tropical vibe akin to a Mai Tai. The matcha flavor adds a bitterness and a rich, velvety texture. The soju is present but not harsh. I really did love this drink so matcha.  We shared the grilled pork jowl as an appetizer, which was delicious. The meat was soft and tender. The crust had me in disbelief - I almost thought I was eating beef. The chili oil paired well with the dish. My friend had the perilla cold noodles, which were delicious and refreshing. They reminded me of cold soba. A great option for vegetarians and health conscious diners. I, on the other hand, had been eyeing the zabuton for a year, and I finally got it. The wagyu zabuton comes sliced and served on a hot sizzling platter. It's also definitely shareable between two people, but I demolished that thing myself. The steak itself is insanely good - tender and juicy. The real fun of this dish is pairing it with its accompaniments. You thought it was good on its own? Try it with some sliced garlic. Try it with their house kimchi. Try it with their garlic rice. Each side further enhances your experience of the zabuton without overshadowing the main dish. But the kimchi and garlic rice are also amazing on their own.  For dessert, we shared a slice of the dalgona basque cheesecake. It was ok. I would've liked a creamier texture. But I liked the shards of dalgona paired with the cheesecake. Sweet, with a slight burnt bitterness.  I really enjoyed my meal at Danbi. The menu felt well thought out, and each dish was interesting as well as delicious. I also thoroughly enjoyed my cocktail. My favorite item would definitely be the zabuton. I can't wait to come back to try more things. read more

See all

Once again, what a fantastic experience at Danbi! Welcome done! TIPS - Parking is $20.00 if you valet or find street parking within the perimeter. - I would recommend reservations in advance Food 4.5/5 - Honey butter chips - fresh cut potato, honey butter, chives = VERY ADDICTING - Wagyu soup - beef cheek, jangajji pickles = LOVE THE SOUP! - Zabuton* - charcoal-cooked, wagyu (usa) = A SOLID AMOUNT OF MEAT FOR SHARING CONSIDERING THE PRICE TAG - Scallop pancake* - baby scallops, mentaiko sauce = PRETTY GOOD, MAYBE PASS FOR THE NEXT TIME - Salgona cheesecake- creamy basque cheesecake, crushed dalgona, honey, maldon salt = OKAY TASTING BY WILL PASS NEXT TIME Service + Ambience 4/5 Stellar service as before from everyone at Danbi! The ambience is a bit loud but you still can hear within a conversation read more

See all

My partner had been telling me about this spot, so we finally went. Everyone--from the host to the bartender and waitstaff--was super friendly. The food was really good, with perfect portion sizes. The cocktails were amazing, and the staff's recommendations were on point. The inside is cute and small--nothing over the top, just simple and nice. read more

See all

Service and Ambiance- Friendly and helpful staff. Please tip well! ;) Clean and modern aesthetic interior. Great for social, solo dining, family and friends gatherings, or dates. Dim romantic lighting and mood. Nice bar near front entrance. Food- We as a party of 6, ordered few of their popular dishes to share. The wagyu kalbi was pretty large portion and we ordered 2 plates of it. More than enough for us since we were sharing different dishes. The grilled and thinly sliced wagyu beef with a kalbi marinade was laid on a bed of grilled onions. Cooked medium rare. Easy and quick to chew. Delicious! (Photo not available) Cold perilla noodles was a good health option for us to balance out the other meaty and fried dishes. My non-Korean friends enjoyed it. The yukihoe or beef tartare with bone marrow and lotus root chips was another hit. There was a raw egg yolk on the tartare before taking a picture. We were too excited and popped it too soon before the shot lol. Basically, you mix the raw egg, the garnish, and bone marrow into the beef tartare and stack it on the lotus chip before taking the perfect bite. Great appetizer! My favorite dishes were the Uni Bibimbap and the Scallop Pancake. Fresh and beautifully prepared. Honestly, I wanted to finish the whole uni bibimbap bowl (small-medium ish size), but we were sharing everything. I would have ordered one for myself if it wasn't so pricey, haha. The Scallop Pancake was savory, crispy, and flavorful with generous amounts of small dynamite scallops fried together. Comes with a creamy mentaiko sauce to dip into it. Loved! Definitely coming back here! read more

See all

Love Danbi! Live nearby and come here often. Was really excited to come back after the renovations were done. So sad to see the zabuton change and the spicy japchae gone! Really miss those two dishes. Just not the same read more

I love love LOVE Danbi! My friends and I made a reservation for our first time here and it's a good thing we did. Although the setting and vibe was intimate, Danbi got packed with guests quickly. The host and servers were very attentive and made sure my party and I were well taken care of. The dishes were so carefully made and beautiful to look at. But that didn't stop us from devouring it all! Our favorite was the uni bowl-- it was a showstopper all around. We will definitely be back and can't wait to get our favorites again! read more

See all

As a new addition to the Chapman plaza, this restaurant brings a cuisine and ambiance that other restaurants don't have. Inside is very moody, very dimly lit with warm lamps and a projector with scenes of iconic movies on the wall. It's great for groups size 4 and under. The menu is slim, but the items are definitely specialized. The cocktails and mocktails had great flavors. The zabuton was the star of the show for our group. It's a Sous vide steak that's been grilled, which brings out the beef flavor. Everything else was ordered had great flavors and we shared it family style and left the meal very full. Our server was awesome and attentive and even made sure to add in an extra sweet treat for the two birthdays we were celebrating. read more

See all

Overall, my wife and I had a great experience at Danbi. Here's what we would get again and what we would skip out on. Scallop pancake: GET AGAIN This thing is so LOADED with scallops it feels like I'm stealing from the restaurant. The pancake is also very crispy and even eats well the next day. Uni bibimbap: GET AGAIN My wife doesn't like uni, but she really enjoyed this. People might say that the portion is small, but I think it's the perfect amount for two people. I love that it came with a dongchimi slush as a palette cleanser since the bibimbap is a pretty fatty dish. Zabuton: glad I tried once, but pass next time It's a good dish, but it wasn't anything spectacular. The portion is pretty large so you might want to order if you're in a party of at least 4. Popsicle: complimentary but very good We mentioned that we were celebrating our anniversary and they brought out popsicles after our meal. Thank you Danbi! Service was marvelous. The check in process was a bit slow but all the servers were attentive and checked in often. Parking is valet and very expensive. Look for street parking if you can. You're going to want to walk off all the food you ate anyways and you can save your money to spend it on dessert. We're actually coming back with friends to celebrate my wife's birthday in a few weeks so we're very excited to try the rest of the menu. read more

See all

SO yummy and vibey. My friends recommended this restaurant, and I love Korean food. It's definitely pricey and they have a more limited menu, but I thoroughly enjoyed everything that we got. I can tell the ingredient quality is high, and the meat entrees were super tender. I don't really think you can go wrong with anything that you order here. I love that the entrees come with a lot of side ingredients and sauces, and my friend and I had a blast trying out everything! read more

Danbi - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

I come to ktown often and stay pretty loyal to the restaurants I love. Danbi was a beautiful space with delicious modern ish takes on Korean food. Service is great, but be sure to make a reservation and the wait can be long. Valet parking is available or you can find street parking. read more

See all

Food Seaweed salad. 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. read more

See all