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    Gamja Bawi

    3.4 (114 reviews)
    InexpensiveKorean
    Open 9:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Gamja Bawi Photos

    Business Info

    GAMJA BAWI ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Cecilia H.

    This is located in the food court with so many options for your 3 star basic Korean food. The bibimbap looked good so I got the kimchi, bean sprouts, and bulgogi one. It comes in a stone bowl so it's really hot and if you're a fan of crispy rice, the rice really crisps up. There wasn't too much meat and the flavor was decent. The portions are huge and for sure shareable amongst two people. The reason I definitely won't be back is because of the service. They obviously cater and are more welcoming if you are of Korean descent. Another issue is that they charge .25 c for to go containers. Since the portions were so big for one person, I needed a container. I wasn't going to throw away at least another meal of my leftovers so I went up to the cashier to purchase a container. They told me it was cash only but I didn't have any cash. Who really has any cash in this day and age. The lady just looked at me like "well too bad, it's cash only". Ummm I wasn't going to throw away my food. I asked her can I just have a container? She looked unsure and thought about for a good 10 seconds whether or not she was giving me a container and finally gave in. She then proceeded to say ok this time only. Yeah right, I'm never coming back. If your policy is going to charge for containers then they should also accept card payments. It's not like they took cash only for my food. They accepted card! They just didn't want to pay for the transaction fee for .25.

    Clean
    Junaidi A.

    Come on Monday 10 March I get the vegetable and beef rice on hot bowl. I really like the food. The flavors is almost perfect, if little bit more salt that it would be excellent for the rice. I feel like the beef suppose to be put on top with spreading on the vegetables in stead on the eggs, My brothers like the kimchi and beef rice. They were more flavor and sour (kimchi). He really like the food. Price is affordable 17.5$(with tax) Would come back to try another menu :)

    Left over gamja tang and receipt.
    Kenneth L.

    Worst 감자탕 experience ever I ordered 감자탕 at 감자바위 inside Korea Town Plaza food court, and it was a huge disappointment. The broth tasted more like thick gochujang soup than real 감자탕(Gamja Tang) no depth, no savoriness, just salty and pasty. The pork was extremely dry, almost like it had been reheated multiple times. 감자탕(Gamja Tang) is one of my all-time favorite Korean comfort foods, and I always finish it. This was the first time I couldn't. I will never be ordering it here again. Easily the worst 감자탕 I've ever(Gamja Tang) had.

    This is the stall in the food court.
    Christine L.

    Had the bibimbap in the stone pot. The banchan was good that came with it. Everything in the dish was great but the crispy rice in the bottom makes the dish spectacular. Priced well and will come back with the larger family clan since the food court has many great options competitively priced and taste great.

    Hot stone bibimbap
    Carlo G.

    Solid authentic Korean food from a mall food court! I got the hot stone bibimbap set from this stand and I enjoyed my meal. The best part for me was the crispy rice on the bottom. The veggies were also nice and crunchy. I wish there was more meat though. The seaweed soup and the banchan were good compliments to the bibimbap. After you order, they give you a buzzer and will buzz it when your food is ready to pickup. After you're done eating, you can just leave your tray on the table and a staff member will buss it for you. There's also complimentary self-serve water cups from a filtered dispenser.

    #1
    Alex W.

    One choice among many others in the food court here and we weren't too disappointed with our choice here. To start, there is 2/3 hours of free parking with validation so plan to come for food/groceries for free parking. For seating, it's grab whatever table or seating you'd like. There are custodial staff that clears the tables frequently so you can leave your finished dishes on the table afterwards. Food-wise, we ordered their #1 and a their 26 (Korean seafood pancake). Quite delectable and pricing wasn't too bad in our opinion for what was offered. The #1 comes with 3 banchans, a seaweed and anchovy base soup, and a stone bowl bibimbap. The amount of food was very adequate for us. The best part of the BBB I think for us both was the scorched rice bottom. It was very well done and it wasn't burnt at all. The food stayed hot for a long time so it was very welcoming for the cold weather we had that day. The vegetables were crisp and didn't taste like they were old. We wished there was more BBB sauce provided but I think they would give more if asked. The egg is sunny side up, which I don't mind but I can see some people think it's a little too raw for their taste. The Korean seafood pancake had visible portions of seafood but also a lot of leeks and vegetables inside it. I wouldn't say it was the best we have had as the pancake was a lot soggier than we thought. Portion is adequate and the dipping sauce is nicely mixed. But the pancake did leave us thinking maybe not next time again. All in all, the food is decent for the pricing and it wasn't bad at all. Just some minor stuff here and there we thought could be better. Worth a try for your own opinions! Note: to-go box is 25 cents from here.

    Hot stone Bibimbap
    Ellie R.

    Solid big portions for an average price point. The service was very quick while the food took a bit of time to come out. The food court is almost always packed so finding a table can be difficult, but they have bussers which is nice. Food itself was good, a bit on the bland side despite me adding all the kimchis. They didn't offer any extra sauces or gochujang to help season. Not a lot of bulgogi, mostly rice, but definitely gets perfectly crispy from the stone pot.

    Eun Daegu Jorim (Braised Cod)
    Grace J.

    Gamja Bawi is located on the first floor in Koreatown Plaza food court and has been around as long as I can remember. They primarily serve bibimbap, soups, and other classic Korean dishes. My personal favorites are the jeyuk bokkeum (spicy pork stir fry) and their eun daegu jorim (braised cod). The spicy pork stir fry is a beautiful combination of thinly sliced pork cooked with perfectly fermented kimchi, tofu and vegetables. It pairs so well with a hot bowl of fresh rice. The braised cod is so tender and flavorful that it crumbles under the slightest pressure of chopsticks. It literally melts in your mouth. The braised radish that is cooked with the cod is so flavorful as it soaks up all the delicious juices. Garage parking is validated on the weekdays and free on the weekends. The food court does get packed during lunch and dinner hours on the weekends so I usually take out my orders.

    Dolsot bibimbap, miyukguk (seaweed soup), and banchan.
    Skylar K.

    The dolsot bibimbap is very delicious and very reasonably priced for the ktown area. Disregard the 3 stars and order the food, iykyk. Food: ordered the dolsot bibimbap. I've tried many dolsot bibimbap in my lifetime and in ktown, and this is definitely up in the top as my favorite. Good amount of vegetables, meat, and rice. I personally would ask for more gochujang next time but I like to make my bibimbap spicy. Miyukguk (seaweed soup) came with the order, as well as banchan. A very filling meal for ~$15. Good to share for 2 people. Service: you order at the front, and you get a beeper (?). The beeper will beep when your food is ready and you just pick it up. Very simple! Ambiance: you eat in a large cafeteria in the koreatown plaza. It's a good place to eat casually with friends or family.

    Does this look like ddukboki?
    Grace K.

    This place is inside Koreatown Plaza Food Court. I ordered ddukboki and this is what I got. It does not look or taste anything like it. It tastes like a spicy jorim sauce with added a thick rice cake with potatoes. Potatoes in ddukboki and not a fish cake? I'm Korean and never had this type of ddukboki in my life. I took the tray to the owner and asked and she said yeah that's how we do it with an ugly attitude. The people in line saw and heard me and looking at it like what the heck is that?! I don't know other foods but don't recommend this. I will not ever go back to this place with today's experience.

    the interior of a restaurant
    Martina T.

    Located inside a food court. Free plaza parking. Prices are not inexpensive for food court dining style, where there is no service. Pancake and bulgogi with side dishes came out to be over $30. The ladies at the counter were helpful. The food is good, the kimchi and banchans were good. Good pick out of the other food court selections. They had a constant influx of customers which is positive, but not overly busy.

    Seafood Bibimbap
    Van V.

    This bibimbap was one of the best i've ever had. The seafood one was packed with flavor and so much seafood. It also comes with potato's and zucchini mixed inside. Every meal comes with kimchi, radish kimchi, and some kind of greens. The total was $19 which is a little pricey, but considering the amount of squid, shrimp, and mussels they gave us, I would say it's worth it.

    Middle of food court
    Jules P.

    It is located in Koreatown Plaza 1st floor on the opposite end of the supermarket. This food court offers a lot of choices. Parking is free with validation-technically 3 hours but they don't strictly enforce it. I love which is braised cod fish in spicy sauce. They made it perfectly here, but there was not enough fish for a meal. It was all vegetables, so I was still hungry. I don't remember the exact price, but it was over $20. All the dishes cost around $20. It is expensive for the small amount of food from a food court. The owner or employees do not know customer service. They are not nice, but I understand they are probably tired and busy.

    Dolsot Bibimbap

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    The servers were rude towards non-Korean speakers. Go with people who can speak Korean and maybe they'll treat you better.

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    2 years ago

    very good food, i love coming here, service is great and i like the food court ! bibimbap and soup is always safe choice to get here.

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    Hangari Kalguksu - (LARGE) Hangari Bossam

    Hangari Kalguksu

    4.4(3.2k reviews)
    0.8 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(695 reviews)
    1.0 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)
    1.1 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(511 reviews)
    0.2 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)
    0.9 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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    Gamja Bawi - korean - Updated May 2026

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