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    LA Hwaluh

    4.1 (52 reviews)
    Closed 3:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

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    a plate of salmon and vegetables
    Ann M.

    We came on a Wednesday night. First off, for those that seldom frequent ktown for food, the plaza is tiny. The parking is triple parked. When I got there I was so confused but there wasn't any street parking so I stuck my car in a spot. What happens if the two cars parked in front of me needs to leave I wondered. Well the restaurant had scrap paper at the counter for you to write your cell # to place on your windshield. If someone u blocked in wants to leave, they will call u to move your car which totally happened to me mid dinner. So my friend and I went outside to do musical car shuffle. If you aren't used to reversing in tight spots in your car, you may have issues. Now for the food. The menu on the wall is in Korean but they gave us an English menu once they realized we weren't korean. Everything was super fresh. We got the $200 combo that feeds 3-4 and ordered an extra salmon roll. There was so much food we couldn't finish it all. We saw the owner come and net up a big halibut for our sashimi. The meat was so good with the diff dipping sauces. All the raw seafood we had were fantastic. At the end of the meal, we got some very very spicy noodle with fish, kimchi soup and burnt rice porridge. Overall it was a delicious experience.

    Menu 10/3/22
    Fang Of H.

    One of the best places in ktown for korean style fresh sashimi. A very, very much of a hole in the wall place that has been around for 10+ years. Smallest size fresh sashimi (only) is $115 and smallest size sashimi combo (including abalone, other seafood, uni rice, spicy soup etc) is $129. Plenty of food for a male + female, maybe a little bit small portions for two males. A Korean couple running the business. There are about 5 tables even though this place specializes in take outs. Service is not the fastest but it's not slow either. Overall, a pleasant and comfortable dinner experience. General table setup is concise but all dishes are extremely delicious and fresh, everything from appetizers to the main dish (fresh halibut sashimi) and spicy seafood soup to top it all off. **They do NOT sell alcohol but have glasses ready for you if you bring your own. Make sure to buy some from the local Korean markets or the liquor store next door in the same plaza. I honestly really like this as your bill comes out significantly lower if you are a drinker (if you don't drink when eating Korean style sashmi, there would be something wrong with you anyway). Only con is that the menu is only written in Korean, so it would be a naturally difficult experience for non-Koreans.

    J P.

    This is the best/freshest Hwae aka Sashimi you will get in Koreatown! This is a place where it's best for to-go orders. It could be hard to find parking if you are dining in but I always am satisfied with the quality of the fish they use. Everyone complains about the price but you will get the freshest fish for the money you are paying for.

    A combo $99
    Bokyoung Y.

    Sashimi is super fresh! The sashimi price is crazy after pandemic, i was looking for some reasonable price sashimi. The small combo is all over $99 in koreatown including this place, i gave it a try. I never satisfied with the smallest combo in any sashimi place but this place. The side dishes are not many but they serve mauntang(spicy fish soup) in A combo. The fish was so fresh, i love they serve sashimi on top of ice tray for to-go order! The sashimi amount was big enough to feed two people. Next time, i want to try bigger combo with more seafood combinations! I will def go back.

    Uni rice
    Sunny M.

    Had take out: la hwaluh combo 1. Came with so many side dishes. Sashimi was fresh. Abalone and oysters tasted fresh as well. Uni rice was delicious! Didn't get any fried fish but that's okay. Parking. During dinner time it gets pretty hectic in that plaza. Small parking lot. I normally go there to do take out so not an issue. Food is always packaged very well. Will keep going back for more!

    Cali roll part of the combo
    Young Kyung K.

    Don't get me wrong the price and the portion was AMAZING! But this is the one place I wouldn't come too often even with their affordable prices. I saw that they used to have an English menu but that's gone and the only "menu" they had was on the wall. My mom an I ordered the "LA hwal uh combo" which translates to LA live fish combo. It was $74 it comes with a small plate of halibut, sea squirt, abalone, fresh oysters, California roll, uni rice bowl, and spicy fish stew at the end. Usually these combos at other restaurants are $80 or more. The price in my opinion was absolutely amazing! The cuts of the halibut was thick and it was very fresh. Abalone and seasquirt was prepared as soon as we ordered!! :D yumm The uni rice bowl was a bit small.. I did see that the customer base was filled with regulars and they were getting different dishes as us but... that's just something you can't really complain about hahha our uni bowls put together was ONE of the uni bowls on the table next to us :( haha It seemed like the whole family was working that night. The dad on the sashimi, mom with the side dishes and the son with the serving, but I couldn't help but sense that they weren't happy with what they were doing. They didn't smile one bit and none of them cared to ask if their food was any good. I'm very supportive of small, especially family owned, businesses but ...they really made me sad to be eating there. The place isn't great to be honest, it's very run down and ... if you don't walk in to eat there you might actually think they are out of business. BUT they still have A.. so it's okay I'm sure everything's clean haha!! BYOB!! WHAT RESTAURANT HAS BYOB for free no corkage and they are more than willing to bring you shot glasses and beer glasses when you do bring your own alcohol! Would I come back? not too sure but ...it's definitely worth the money here!

    Nicky N.

    What can I say? You get MORE bang for your buck! This place is a hole in the wall with the BEST QUALITY seafood. FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! For only $8 you can get the most fresh buttery uni in a bowl. Uni bowl has perfect amount of sesame flavored rice with 3 different types of caviars, seaweed and sesame seeds. Don't forget they offer FREE condiments consisting of quail eggs, kimchi, pickled dikon, egg soup and soybean. It costs me between $10-12 for live uni (sea urchin) at Redondo Beach but here I'm paying less and it tastes DELISH! Serves was kind of poor. They didn't even ask us what we wanted to drink nor offered us water. Live sea creatures in their tanks:) I must come back to try the live shrimps and oysters.

    Oysters and sea squirt on one plate. Octopus Salad and the Abalone with side dishes shown
    Susan N.

    Update: They had UNI for me!!! And it was AMAZINGGGG so I've decided, I will only come here for UNI! Had the combo again and I'm whatevers on them. I just want UNI UNI UNI! --------- I was just here a few days ago. I believe the yelp hours are wrong. The menu says they open from 3:30pm to 11pm but yelp says 11am to 11pm. I arrived on a Sunday around 6ish pm. Didn't understand much of the menu..ended up ordering the combo for 2 and sadly disappointed to find out that they didn't have any UNI left! I was so incredibly disappointed. I was set on cleaning out their UNI inventory! It's odd that they ran out so quick if they opened at 3:30pm. How can they run out in just a few hours? Anyhow, the lady said they would substitute it for fresh sweet shrimp so I guess that was okay. You know I'd rather eat an ocean of UNI instead! Food wasn't bad for the price. Best combo prices compared to other similar Korean seafood spots around. Combo for 2 included a bunch of side dishes, small plate of Halibut sashimi, sea squirt, abalone, 2 oysters, boiled quail eggs, octopus salad, lettuce and other greens to wrap the sashimi with, 2 sweet shrimps and their heads fried and served later, and 4 pc California roll. Thought the meal was over but the lady came out with another tray of food which I thought was for another party. Turns out it was for us! The finisher was fish stew that had the Halibut fish bones and extra fish meat along with veggies and tofu in it. Stew came with a fried mackerel fish and hot plain rice soup for each of us to slurp on. It was nice to finish with something warm. I'd say food is quite decent. The restaurant itself was run down but oh well. I don't judge by the place. It only fits 5-6 small tables. Tiny place!. There are worse places. If food is good then all else doesn't matter! I'm coming back tonight for my UNI. They better not be out again! Will update rating if UNI is AMAZING....dun dun dun

    Connie T.

    I have been back a few times and have been able to order without calling my Korean friend. Win! They have A, B or C orders of halibut sashimi, for 2, 3 or 4 people, respectively. I believe A starts at $55 and goes up. I am told these come with just a few side dishes. You can also get combos. $65 for 2 people, $100 for three. You get a lot of side dishes with this - edamame, corn, quail eggs, abalone, oysters, spicy tuna roll topped with halibut, sea squirt, rice porridge, baked eel (sometimes), variety of kimchee type items, UNI BOWL, grilled mackerel and I'm sure I'm still forgetting things. You get the halibut sashimi with the lettuce leaves, sesame leaves (gyen-nip), miso, garlic and jalapeno. You finish with the spicy seafood soup. The seafood soup is a winner. It has big, substantial chunks of fish, and usually a sac of fish eggs. Nice flavor. While my friends debate whether they like the halibut better here or Hwal A Kwang Jang, the soup is clearly better here (much more fish and substantial ingredients in general). The $65 combo comes with one uni bowl. They are so good we always order extra so everyone has their own ($6-7 each, I don't remember which). And we always add on a pound of amaebi (sweet shrimp) - $35, and ranges from 5-8 shrimp, we've found. The shrimp is so fresh (fished out of the tanks when you order) and the heads are delicious. BTW - the liquor store that shares the parking lot does have beer, wine and soju, but no sake. So you'll have to get that elsewhere if that's what you want with your sashimi.

    Clara L.

    small spot BYOB the food is fair but not as great as some other spots in ktown service was also very spotty many times, the waitress sat down to drink/eat with regulars which is cool but not when we're sitting there waiting for our food also ran out of a lot of items

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    4 months ago

    I have been here last 5 years. It is fresh always!! And nice service too. If you like live fish, you must visit here

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    7 months ago

    Sashimi is fresh but the others was so so.... not worth the drive all the way to los angeles from san jose...

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    Cool place. Really enjoyed the food.

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    Hangari Kalguksu

    Hangari Kalguksu

    4.4
    (3.3k reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$
    Women-owned & operated
    10 years in business

    Like the restaurant's name, Hangari Kalguksu makes amazing and comforting Kalguksu, in particular…read moretheir Spicy Seafood Kalguksu, which is the option we ordered. We got the large which was more than enough for our party of 6. It is made up of anchovy broth with shrimp, half of a crab, mussels, clams, zucchini, kabocha squash, & potato. The shining star of the show for me, however, is Hangari's Bossam that is made up of boiled pork belly served with crunchy bite-sized cabbage, pickles, and sweet and spicy radish. I think Hangari Kalguksu should change their name to Hangari Bossam... Hahaha!!! I'm just kidding, but yes, I think it is that good and so satisfying to make your own personalized Bossam bites (wrapping the meat in cabbage and adding toppings to it) that I like to eat along with the banchan they provide which includes Kimchi. If you drink alcohol, it pairs well with sips of Makgeolli and Korean beer. Not mixed together, but sipped separately and taking turns between bites. I feel it really enhances the flavors of the food. Eating all of this simple yet decadent food and throwing back the Makgeolli and beer in between bites kind of transported me to how I imagine the royalty feasted during the Joseon Dynasty! At the end, I was so happy, satisfied, and luxuriating in my fullness!!! I didn't want to get up and end this feeling of bliss. We never felt rushed, but I'm so glad we got there before the dinner rush because as we walked out of the restaurant, the line outside the door was getting very long. Make sure you get there before 5pm to have a better chance of getting seated right away and to avoid having to wait in such a long line. This is in fact a popular dining destination for good reason.

    We went on a Sunday afternoon, and there was a decent line outside the restaurant. However, the…read moreline moved quickly. They handed out menus and took your order when you were close to the front. Once seated inside, they welcomed you with their signature banchan dishes: the nutty boribap (보리밥), which tastes great on its own but even better with their yeolmu kimchi (radish water kimchi). There's also their tasty radish kimchi and napa kimchi. Throughout the meal, they replenished our banchan multiple times without us asking. We tried two of the new items: Galbi Kalguksu: A delicious, deep-flavored bone broth with knife-cut noodles, shredded fried egg, sliced radish, and scallions. The meat fell off the bone, and I loved the broth, though my husband thought it was a little on the saltier side. Perilla Oil Makguksu: Cold buckwheat noodles in perilla oil. Mixed with sliced shiitake mushrooms, shredded perilla leaf, gim (seaweed), sesame seeds, and scallions. It's a deliciously light refreshing dish if you don't want the heavy knife-cut noodle dishes. Last, I ordered the Non-spicy Seafood Kalguksu. It comes with a anchovy broth with a lot of seafood flavors. It's a lighter broth than the galbi but still rich in flavor. It came with clams, mussels, shrimps and 1/2 crab. There was also sliced pumpkin and zucchini. Everything tasted great. Their servers were very attentive and generous with replenishing the side dishes, and overall it was a wonderful experience. If you see a line and don't mind waiting 15-30 minutes, it moves pretty quickly, so don't be deterred by it.

    Photos
    Belly and Jowl & Chicken-KALGUKSU
    Belly and Jowl & Chicken-KALGUKSU
    Bossam jowl combo
    Bossam jowl combo
    (MEDIUM) Hangari Bossam (Serves 2)

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    (MEDIUM) Hangari Bossam (Serves 2)
    Danbi

    Danbi

    4.5
    (405 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$$

    Danbi has been on my list to try for over a year! I was super excited when my friend wanted to go…read moretry this place with me. They had parking for $10 in their shared lot. We got to try a couple of things. The first thing we ate was their corn cheese roll. The waiter said this is new to the menu and I hope it stays. If you are a fan of Korean cheese corn, you are going to love this. It's corn and cheese wrapped up in an egg roll like wrapper. It was a great starter. Next, we got the endive salad! This salad was beautiful and fresh! Everything you want in a salad and more. I love the sweet corn in this salad too. Every ingredient balance each other so well. We also got the scallop pancake. This was the dish I always wanted to try here but after eating it, it felt a bit heavy compare to the other dishes. It was okay but the other dishes shined more. Lastly, we got the pork jowl, my favorite of the night. It came with a side of garlic rice! You dip the pork with the chili crisp and eat it with a scoop of rice, delicious!! I wish I had that dish right now. Overall, a great dinner spot in ktown!!!

    Korean food with a twist…read more Chips: definitely in the sweeter side. Saltiness of the chips helped balance it out Scallop pancake: wish they were the larger scallops instead of the small ones but they were fried really well. The breading pancake part def was a bit doughy and a little undercooked Jowl: great. Loved the ssamjang and traditional peppers they gave with it. Should've asked for extra samjang Steak: most of my groups favorite. Cooked incredibly well and the perilla leaf chimchurri was very unique. Might have to incorporate that myself when making chimichurri. They had Korean inspired drinks which were yummy. The injeolmi flavor in mine came through really strongly (good thing). The gim-let tasted like a standard gimlet asides from the piece of fried seaweed ggim on top. Hwachae cocktail was also tasty but didn't taste unique

    Photos
    Inside bar
    Inside bar
    Scallop Pancakes
    Scallop Pancakes
    Perilla Cild Noodle

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    Perilla Cild Noodle
    Ham Ji Park

    Ham Ji Park

    4.2
    (1.8k reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$$

    Great service and Very delicious! Loved it here. Will definitely come back!And will recommend to my…read morefriends n family!

    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.

    Photos
    Ham Ji Park
    Ham Ji Park
    Ham Ji Park

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    LA Hwaluh - korean - Updated August 2026

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