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    Gam Ja Gol

    4.2 (570 reviews)
    ModerateKorean, Soup
    Closed Closed
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Gam Ja Gol Photos

    Business Info

    GAM JA GOL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Gam Ja Gol

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    Reviews With Photos

    Timothy L.

    A solid place to get authentic Korean food! Their Gamjatang was delicious, broth tasted great, and can feed up to 4 people + leftovers! Their Bo-Ssam was also delicious.

    Gamja Tang
    Justin C.

    Solid meal and experience! Hole in the wall Korean restaurant specializing in gamja tang. Delicious savory soup with giant pork bones and potatoes. I came in a group of four and got the large gamja tang as well as an order of bossam. It was really good but honestly too much food for a group of four haha. We wish we got the medium size because we had a ton of leftovers. After you finish the gamja tang, they turn it into a delicious fried rice in the same pot, which is really good because it just soaks up the flavors of the leftover soup. The service is on point. Solid 10/10 experience this morning.

    Gamja Tang
    Jenny T.

    I was staying in KTown for a bit so I decided that while I'm here I might as well try out some Korean food. I pass by this place all the time and it was still pretty early on a Saturday, before the lunch rush, so I decided to come in before it gets crowded. I was seated at a table immediately. I ordered the Gamja Tang ($15.99 lunch special), which also came with a bowl of rice and some banchan. The meat was so tender and slid off the bone. The broth was really flavorful and rich. Just one individual size is enough for two people, so I packed the second half of the meal to go. Service was pretty quick. They took my order really quickly and gave me my check as soon as I asked. The dining area is really simple just with chairs and tables and not so much decor, but it's straight forward and to the point. This would be a great meal on a cold winter day so I'll have to come back to warm up. Really glad I tried this place out on a whim!

    Banchans and Gamja-jungol
    Priscilla K.

    My favorite gamjatang spot in K-town! This is one of the oldest of its kind! Gamjatang is Korean style pork bone broth and potato soup. I always order the large here that's enough for 3-4 people because I want to take the leftovers home. The stew really hits the spot every single time and the price is very reasonable for the amount they give you. Service is typical for a Korean restaurant- the waitresses are very straightforward and friendly with you. They'll refill side dishes for you for free at any time, but they charge extra for the soup toppings, but it's worth just getting everything - perilla leaves, perilla seeds, radish leaves, and everything there is to add. Ambiance can seem a bit hole-in-the-wall because it's K-town but there is a parking lot shared with other establishments and the restaurant isn't small, but it fills up pretty quickly. I would come here any day when I'm craving for some comfort food or something meaty and heart

    Gamjatang (Chongol)
    Winn H.

    On the list? Yup! Stopped by with a friend to get the Gamjatang // (chongol) and it was delicious! There was a sufficient parking in the lot, and there's also spots on the street. This was my first time, and I wasn't sure what to expect... so we got our table for two and were seated fairly quickly. First thing's first, this restaurant really brought me back to Korea from the simple wooden color palette and neutral, earth-toned walls... something about it just screamed traditional - ethnic. We went with the top item: Gamja Chongol, and after devouring our sides, it was out within minutes. Oh no! Looks like pork.. actually I'm not a big fan of pork. But it's the signature, so it's a must try. Delicious it definitely was, though a bit tough. Midway through the meal the soup had evaporated too much, and the staff member stopped by and shocked me by asking in Chinese! Impressed, I responded in both Chinese and Korean... what an experience! Towards the end of the meal, our server packed up the leftovers and fried rice with the leftover sauce in the pot. If you're into nurungi (burnt rice), this was simply a delicious, savory treat. Of course, once you get the crust, make sure to add some cold tea to help loosen it up - crunch crunch!

    Delicious banchan (sides).
    Cindy S.

    Gam Ja Gol is a classic in Koreatown LA! I believe a second location opened up in Buena Park, CA in Orange County. This restaurant serves traditional Korean food and are known for or specializes in Gamjatang (Spicy Pork Neck Stew) and Bossam (Boiled Pork Belly Wrap). Pretty much every table orders it. Their Bossam is out of this world DELICIOUS! Tender pork belly served with sides: like Napa cabbage, spicy radish, raw garlic and jalapeno slices, bossam sauce, salted shrimp sauce or kimchi. The pork belly, Napa cabbage and side dishes are wrapped together for the perfect bite! 5/5 The Gamjatang (Pork neck stew) here is light tasting and clean. Very good but I must say my favorite spot makes a better version for my personal taste. I like a stronger red pepper paste garlicky finish; again the Gamjatang here is great, just a lighter broth profile from what am used to. 4/5. Green chives pancake with faux krab. Soggy -skip. 2/5. Overall, I like it here. It's an absolute hole-in-wall with zero ambience. The dining area is bare-bones;however, that's most places I go to, lol. Good food, good service. Parking: small mini-mall with tight parking. Good luck with parking. No valet.

    Gamjatang
    Millena P.

    Gamjatang was sooo flavorful and mouthwatering that I also had to try their sister restaurant in LA. Parking: They're located in a very small plaza, so finding a spot can be difficult. We visited around 15:30, and got lucky with a spot. Ambiance/Environment: This spot is truly Korean. They have a small indoor space with a decent amount of seating. They weren't as busy when we visited, but it started getting busier closer to dinner time. Service: I didn't catch any of their names, but all the servers were attentive, quick, & efficient! They speak limited English, but they understand enough. Foods: 1) Gamja Tang - The portion size was LARGE! The soup was as flavorful as the gamja tang at their sister location. There were a generous amounts of meat and vegetable. 2) Vegetable Pancake - This tasted as expected. Its thinness and non-crunchiness made it stand out from other pancakes I've had. It was really soft, yet delicious. 3) Fried Rice - One of the servers offered fried rice. She packed the remaining gamja tang in a to-go bowl and took the pan away. When she came back with the pan, there was a thin layer of fried rice mixed in with the flavors of the soup! Yummm! 4) Banchan - I appreciate the amount of banchan they provide. If you want more of a specific side, simply ask. They didn't provide purple rice, so I asked for some hehe. Pricing: Definitely worth it! Dishes can be shared between 2-3 people!

    Isaac C.

    This place has my parents' stamp of approval. Every time I come home, they ask if I want to eat here, and I never say no. I always be spamming the braised potatoes side dish since it's my favorite banchan. The gamjatang is our go-to order and I highly recommend it. The broth is rich from the pork bones, and the perilla leaves add an aromatic balance. They even make kimchi fried rice for you at the end, and the portions are so big that we always leave with leftovers. The only downside is that parking can be tough to find sometimes, but it's definitely worth it.

    Banchan
    Arthur E.

    Casual, homey Korean spot for gamjatang. Street and lot parking is available - there's some double parking available if absolutely needed. Had the small sized shared gamjatang (was plenty for 2 people). Came very quickly, along with some banchan. The broth was amazingly rich, and the pork neck bones were practically fall-off-the-bone. Would def come back again!

    Gam ja gol
    Meiling F.

    Found this place recommended while visiting LA. It was the best meal of the whole trip!! Got the gamja gol and pajeon split amongst 4 people and it was the perfect amount of food. So warm and hearty, definitely healed us after a long day of traveling. Only giving it 4 stars because of the service. It was a busy night but we noticed they were not as friendly to non-koreans. Spoke English instead of Korean and the staff was not as receptive and did not come by unless asked a couple times. Still the food was great and it might have just been a busy night!

    Such an AMAZING meal for all the people from my work. Definitely coming back again and again. Very affordable price and huge portion of meal.

    De la mejor comda en Los Angeles
    여림

    Cada vez que visitamos en Los Angeles venimos en este lugar. Es el lugar mas buscado por nuestra familia. Las comidas del local todas son muy buenas y sabrosas y el servicio ni que hablar.. son muy amables y muy atentos a la mesa.

    inside
    Mary D.

    Came for the lunch special which was a complete bang for your buck. Gamja tang $15.99 FOR ALL THIS FOOD: soup with 10 FALL OFF THE BONE RIBS, whole sweet potato a flavor profile similar to a korean ver of vietnamese bun bo hue (without the lemon grass). So comforting. I cleared this meal with no crumps 10/10 super homey. The restaurant had a worn look. Many people rave about the new location at Bueno Park, which I also hear is bigger. Been seeing all the major influencers calling this place OG since the 90s. So happy I got to try this place out. Luckily was already in this plaza for another store -- FYI parking here is super tight.

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    Very good Korean Gam Ja Tang. Must try it. I have been eating here since 1990 and it been always good.

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    Best gamja tang in Cali no doubt. KTown location is the original. Do not compare with the OC one.

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    Page 1 of 15

    Gam Ja Gol Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Gam Ja Gol

    What is u-geo ji?

    In Korean cuisine, ugeoji is outer leaves or stems of cabbage, radish, and other greens, which are removed while trimming the vegetables. Ugeoji is often used in soups and stews, including haejang-guk.

    Whats the parking situation?

    They have a free parking lot outside the restaurant. Was just there tonight! Love that place!

    View All 3 Questions

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    Soupchu is apart of a multi concept kitchen and I've had items from a few of their different menus…read more Everything I've had has always been phenomenal. I literally couldn't wait until I was done eating to write this review this time. Today I tried their beef stew and good lord it's perfect. Even the white rice is so flavorful. Everything always tastes fresh and is simple and comforting. Not to mention themyhave some of my favorite hummus anywhere. I can't recommend these guys and gastrobot eats enough Ps i'm glad they started including side sizes online to try more of their stews and soups. I'm not a huge person so there's no way I would have been able to finish the full size and even with the side size I still have leftovers!

    Was in the mood for stew. Googles "best stew in Los Angeles." This place came up…read more Is this the best stew in Los Angeles? No idea. It's the only place I've had stew in Los Angeles. But as beef stew goes...it wasn't stew-ish enough. Mostly because it has some strong seasonings, and the pieces of beef were cut really small, so it was more like a beef stir fry. That said, it was really tasty. Very flavorful, and the quality of the beef was good. I can see myself going there again. As for he place itself, the staff were nice, though going at lunch meant they were a little (and understandably) distracted. The website makes it seem like it's just for pick-up or delivery, but they have a couple small tables, both inside and outside. And I do mean small. Two people max. There's also a decent sized parking lot (the place is in a mini mall), and there's usually street parking, but at the moment Wilshire is under construction, so plan accordingly.

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    Hangari Kalguksu - (LARGE) Hangari Bossam

    Hangari Kalguksu

    4.4(3.2k reviews)
    0.7 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
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    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!

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    Joy - Dan Dan Noodles

    Joy

    4.5(2.1k reviews)
    7.2 miHighland Park
    $$

    Met up with my sister and her brother here for lunch. The wife found this place from a tiktok video…read moreand we decided to try it since we didn't get to try a lot of Taiwanese food on our trip to Taipei. When you come in, there is a sign that tells you to order before being seated. My sister and her bf had yet to arrive so I placed a sizeable order for the 4 of us. Luckily, they were there (waiting in the car) so I told them to walk over so we can be seated. I ordered 2 orders of chiayi chicken (1with white rice and 1 with brown rice), 2 orders of thousand layer pancake (1 with egg and 1 with egg and cheese), shrimp wonton, dance dan noodles, wonton noodle soup, hakka mochi and forbidden rice pudding. For drinks we had a few of the shaken iced green teas and 1 taro milk tea (my sister said it didnt taste like taro) Everything was great. I was surprised my sister's bf liked the food. The chiayi chicken was good with a bit of the chili sauce (sambal). The thousand layer pancake was good if you dip it in the black vinegar (mixed with chili oil and a little soy sauce). The shrimp wonton were surprisingly light and tasty. The dan dan noodles was balanced my medium thin sliced cucumber. Everything was portioned very small so you can try everything.we didnt get additional sides because were getting full. The desserts was what I was looking forward to and it did not disappoint. The hakka mochi reminded me of the soy pudding stalls in singapore that had mochi balls filled with a black sesame paste and peanut paste inside. This is what the hakka mochi was but in dry soft chewy form with black sesame and peanut grains to top it off. For my sister, it reminded her of the filipino dessert pichi pichi. The forbidden rice pudding reminded me of a soupy version of the filipino dessert biko. It had chunks of sweet potatoes and tapioca. Also very good but my bias is the hakka mochi. The ambiance was bright, bustling and inviting. Very small tables perfect for a quick bite. Highly recommend if you want a tapas style lunch that doesn't break the bank.

    Came here with my friend on a Sunday about 15 mins before opening and there was already a line of…read morearound 20 people outside, so we knew expectations were going to be high. This Taiwanese spot in Highland Park is the sister restaurant to Pine & Crane and definitely has that same modern-casual energy with comforting dishes and efficient service. After looking over the menu, we ordered the minced pork rice with braised eggs & pickles, shrimp wontons, Dan Dan noodles, and two clamshell buns -- one with pork belly and one with five spice beef. The Dan Dan noodles were pretty classic and straightforward. I've definitely had better versions elsewhere, but it still hit the spot if you're craving something familiar. The minced pork rice, however, reminded me so much of my mom's braised pork and egg dish. It had that comforting home-cooked feel to it, though I did think it was missing a little something at first. Once I added soy sauce, black vinegar, and chili paste, it completely transformed the dish and gave it the perfect oomph. Same situation with the shrimp wontons -- the custom sauce combo really elevated the flavors. Now onto the clamshell buns: this was the star of the meal. We each picked different proteins so we could try both. I got the pork belly while my friend got the five spice beef, and we both agreed the pork belly was by far the more flavorful option. Super tender, savory, and balanced perfectly with the soft bun. For dessert, I got the forbidden rice pudding with coconut milk and sweet potato/taro balls. I appreciated that it wasn't overly sweet, and I loved the chewiness from the taro balls paired with the purple rice. Service was smooth and efficient from ordering at the front to food arriving at our table. I also liked how attentive the staff was with dessert timing -- they give you a card to attach to your table sign when you're ready for dessert instead of bringing everything out at once. Small detail, but thoughtful. The restaurant itself also had a charming aesthetic with traditional Chinese accents and cute up-cycled Asian jelly cans being used as utensil and napkin holders. Overall, portions were generous enough that we had leftovers, and the pricing felt fair for the amount and quality of food. I already want to come back to try more items like the thousand layer pancake and the Chiayi chicken rice next time.

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    Marugame Monzo - Red Dragon Rice -with ground pork

    Marugame Monzo

    4.4(5.1k reviews)
    3.5 miLittle Tokyo, Downtown
    $$

    Aight, I eat pretty plain food most of the time and occasionally get Instagram baited into trying…read moreviral stuff, including Menchirashi's carbonara udon in Tokyo, which I enjoyed despite the sauce being fairly light. Marugame Monzo's sauce, however, is the opposite of Menchirashi's. The sauce is SUPER flavorful with a rich, creamy mouthfeel and a strong umami flavor from the bacon and miso. I added mentaiko since I did the same at Menchirashi and honestly, everything was fantastic. The udon itself is pretty much exactly like fresh udon in Japan. Perfectly bouncy, chewy, and satisfying. Staff were also wonderful and service was insanely fast. We probably waited less than 10 minutes for both our udon and tempura, and they consistently checked in to make sure everything was good. I can't wait to come back and try more of their menu, especially the uni cream udon. The only thing I didn't like was the shrimp tempura since it had a lot of batter and not a ton of shrimp, so it was on the greasy side. I did enjoy the soft boiled egg tempura though. The yolk exploded into the udon and somehow made the whole bowl even better hehe. There are plenty of tables inside with limited bar seating. If you're a 2 top you might be sharing a table real close with some neighbors (they put a divider). If there's a wait, write your name down on the clipboard outside!

    I can't believe I have never written a Yelp review for Marugame Monzo before! This is literally…read morewhat I get everytime I visited LA. My friend and I always said we need to try new restaurants but fail every time because we always ended up craving Marugame Monzo. They literally have the best cream udon in my opinion! They got the ratio RIGHHTTTT!! It's creamy but not crazy creamy that all you taste is heavy cream. I can taste the flavor from the protein!! The hand crafted udon noodles always cooked to perfection with the perfect texture. The noodles soaked up the sauce up so well!! I have tried different cream udon dishes here - the famous sea urchin cream udon, the carbonara udon, the mentai cream udon, the butter squid udon, etc... My fav would definitely be the mentai cream udon, as you get lots of yummy seafood (shrimps and scallops) in the sauce. The butter squid cream udon is also really good as well!! I like to pair my cream udon with a side of chicken karage!! I really like the batter that they use for the chicken! It's crunchy and airy and very well seasoned!! Service has always been amazing! You get seated fairly quickly and the staff are super attentive! They always check up on you to see how you are doing. The restaurant is small and they make the best of the space they have. I like the glass window/bar area where you can see the chef make the udon noodles!!

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    Pine & Crane DTLA - Minced Pork on Rice

    Pine & Crane DTLA

    4.5(1k reviews)
    2.3 miDowntown
    $$

    Had a long layover in LA after my flight to San Francisco got canceled, so instead of sitting at…read morethe airport for 6+ hours, I decided to finally check out Pine & Crane in DTLA. It's been sitting on my saved list for a while, and honestly, this turned out to be the perfect opportunity. The space itself is bright, clean, and welcoming with warm woody tones throughout. Casual setup where you order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. I had already looked through the menu beforehand, so the real challenge was narrowing down what to order for one person. I failed at that... and I'm very happy I did. Started with the Pig Ear Salad 滷豬耳朵. Braised thin sliced pig ears dressed with soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, scallion, and cilantro. OMG. So good. Tender, flavorful, perfectly braised, with that satisfying chewy texture done right. Also got the Fried Peanut Salad 五味花生 with garlic, cilantro, scallions, vinegar, and Thai chili. Super crunchy, bright, refreshing, and honestly addicting. I added a cup of the Hot & Sour Soup 酸辣湯 too. Organic tofu, beech mushroom, carrot, bamboo, woodear mushroom, and egg. Super comforting with a really balanced tang and peppery heat. Not overly thick or heavy like a lot of Americanized versions can be. Exactly the kind of soup you want during a long travel day. For noodles, I ordered the Dan Dan Noodles 擔擔麵. Sesame-peanut sauce, cucumber, cilantro, crushed peanuts. Delicious on its own already, but I ended up adding some of the fried peanuts from the salad into the noodles and it became even better. Then the Three Cup Chicken 三杯雞 with sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine, and Thai basil. I do wish it had a little more wok hei, but overall the flavor was still really comforting and savory. Extremely good with rice. Had a glass of Gewürztraminer alongside everything, which paired surprisingly well with the spice and aromatics. Their wine list leans more organic / natural wine focused, which felt very LA in a good way. Ended up sitting at a high top next to one of the managers and had a great conversation throughout the meal. She ended up hooking me up with the Traditional Shaved Ice 傳統刨冰 with grass jelly, red bean, boba, sweet potato balls, taro balls, brown sugar syrup, and condensed milk. I was already planning to order it anyway, and wow... I finished the entire thing. The brown sugar syrup was incredibly fragrant. Packed the leftovers to-go, and that ended up becoming my dinner after landing in San Francisco later that evening. Flight cancellation somehow turned into a really great food day.

    I understand that it's a busy Sunday evening, but there is no one at the counter to take the order…read morefrom a long line of customers, but there's sufficient time to redirect traffic because the line was getting so long that was blocking the entrance.. It's very poor workflow, not to mention negligent customer service. The management should really take notice before business goes under.

    Photos
    Pine & Crane DTLA - Interior of Pine and Crane

    Interior of Pine and Crane

    Pine & Crane DTLA - Popcorn chicken!

    Popcorn chicken!

    Pine & Crane DTLA - Pan fried buns.  Fried brown bottoms

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    Pan fried buns. Fried brown bottoms

    Sulga House of Beef Bone Soup - Brisket Soup

    Sulga House of Beef Bone Soup

    4.7(477 reviews)
    1.6 miEast Hollywood
    $$

    Had a great experience at Sulga House of Beef Bone Soup…read more Their beef bone soup is simple, clean, and really solid, the kind of comfort food that just hits right for the soul. They currently have a great deal at $12, which makes it even better value for what you're getting. The sullungtang comes with rice, soup, and two types of kimchi. Service was friendly and efficient, and the whole experience felt easy and satisfying. Place was chill, not too overly crowded. I've noticed a lot of people ordering other dishes every time I go, so I'm definitely looking forward to trying more of the menu, but I keep coming back for the basics because it's just that good.

    Sulga was definitely THE place to be for a warm bowl of bone broth on a rainy night. My friend and…read moreI stopped by for doganitang (for two), and the portions were indeed large - for four. We also added beef brisket since my friend wasn't a big fan of cartilage - more for me! The pot itself wasn't too deep, though there was a good portion of protein cartilage. Also important to note that rice was NOT included! The brisket add on came as a pre-cooked brisket that was added in after, as it didn't initially fit in the pot. The staff member told us at the time that broth refills were free. However, when it came time for refills, they said it was only one time - poor communication. Paying was fairly straightforward, but for future visits, I'd likely just come for their lunch special sullongtang after this experience.

    Photos
    Sulga House of Beef Bone Soup - Inside look

    Inside look

    Sulga House of Beef Bone Soup - Galbitang Rib Soup

    Galbitang Rib Soup

    Sulga House of Beef Bone Soup - Kimchi

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    Kimchi

    Gam Ja Gol - korean - Updated May 2026

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