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MDK Noodles

4.1 (2k reviews)
ModerateKorean, Noodles, Soup
Open • 10:00 am - 9:30 pm

Order MDK Noodles Takeout or Delivery

MDK Noodles Photos

Business Info

MDK NOODLES ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - MDK Noodles

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Reviews With Photos

#1kalguksu
Selene S.

Was in the area so decided to try out this spot for kalguksu! Everyone knows Hangari so I wanted to try out another spot. This definitely felt more hole-in-the-wall. There were banners and signs for validated parking in the structure across the street but for some reason, it was closed on Sunday. We found street parking nearby instead. Coming around 11am, we were seated right away. It wasn't too busy inside yet. Staff have us menus and waters right away. They served us the banchans quickly too. I tried the #1 kalguksu which comes with three dumplings plus the noodles for $17.99. Broth was very savory and slightly thick. The dumpling didn't have much meat filling but was decent. I was stuffed after finishing this whole bowl!

Dumpling Soup 만두국
Jessica G.

Not feeling 100% well brought me to crave for something soupy and there MDK came up. Huge parking lot at $2 with validation, totally not bad knowing how tough finding parking in Ktown was. Huge well-lit space with relatively quick guest turnaround so it worked well even when you came in big group. We got their Dumpling Soup and Kimchi Pancake, both of which came in huge size that my appetite could def afford sharing! The soup was such comfort food with just enough seasoning, and the pancake carried pretty good toppings! Wish they had a seafood one.

Banchan
Cindy Z.

Went to MDK for the first time and overall had a really good experience! The noodles were fresh and had a great chewy texture. I tried the dongchimi with chlorella noodles -- it was very light and refreshing compared to naengmyeon, although personally I prefer a little more flavor. Still glad I tried something different. Service was quick, portions were generous, and everything came out fresh!

Spicy Knife Cut Noodles in Chicken Broth (Spicy Kalguksu)
Stephanie P.

Had a pleasant first time experience here for lunch! Parking - there is a parking structure on the same street where they validate for $2 if you eat there by scanning a QR code by the front cashier. Place was spacious with lots of seating. Portions are HUGE - definitely can share with people. We ordered the spicy kalguksu & the beef bulgogi & had decent leftover sizes to take home. Loved the flavor of the spicy kalguksu & how chewy the noodles were. Beef bulgogi was solid & came with a bowl of rice. Banchan was good - kimchi was super tangy which I preferred!!!

Ann L.

Summer days require a bowl of icy cold Korean noodle dish. This place is famous for their Korean noodle dishes and was here few years ago to try the others so had very high expectations. Unfortunately the 동치미국수 was far underwhelming. Honestly most places I've tried this dish did not meet the expectations. As a young girl there was a place in town that made The Best 동치미국수 (this place closed down in Cerritos), and have since been unable to find a place that came close. Nevertheless, I enjoy MDK. The 콩국수 soy bean noodle dishes is pretty darn good. May swing by to enjoy it before summers end.

Pork dumplings
Emeline L.

Food 5/5 The pork dumplings, seafood pancake, bibim naengmyeon, and spicy kalguksu were all delicious! This left a good first impression on us. Service 4/5 Standard, nothing special. Wish they were a little bit more attentive. Moreso have to call for their attention. Ambiance 5/5 Lots of seating, open air restaurant.

Elizabeth L.

The place to go for cold noodles or kalguksu knife cut noodle soup. There are some dumpling options as well. We got the raw skate cold noodles which were flavorful and good, they provide you with scissors to cut the noodles as you eat them. Not sure I would order this again due to texture preferences of the skate and noodles but it had great flavor. It was served with a bowl of amazing, very clean chicken broth. The kalguksu came with 3 dumplings and a ton of noodles. Very tasty but wish there was more meat or dumpling in it. This place is always quite busy but service is very quick. You get up to pay when you're done.

Fresh but garlicky!
Ben C.

Standard lunch spot for Korean soups & dumplings. Loud, crowded, busy. The hyped cold arrowroot soup was just ok and did not live up to the reviews. Famous for its garlic kimchi ~ the most garlic ever tasted in kimchi, almost too much whileeating over powering the soups. Regretful eating so much of it with garlic burps all day long! LOL Dumpling hot & fresh to taste. Overall decent spot for lunch but a couple $$ too much for what you get. Parking garage validation across the street was a headache. Instructions do download the garage app in the restaurant was in Korean so needed a translation. When trying to exit the gate, the app would not detect the rental and we had call the support number and wait for a live person to assist over the phone :/

Lisa N.

oo the noodles and dumplings here are very good big portions juicy juices yum yum!! but i think my friends got a little sad because the workers there seemed to be a bit too nonchalant towards us. kinda felt like they wanted to interact with us as little as possible. did i smell bad that day? no... i dont think so... the food is great though and tbh maybe i would be nonchalant like that too everybody has a social battery.

Menu

Was excited to try because I really liked the location in Korea, but this location wasn't as good. We ordered the original kalguksu, pork dumplings, and the bulgogi. They give you two types of kimchi as a banchan/starter and they were both good. The portion sizes was pretty good, enough to share. Surprisingly, my favorite thing that we ordered was the bulgogi. The kalguksu was just okay. The noodles could've been chewier/had more of a bounce and the broth didn't really have any depth, just tasted like plain chicken broth. The dumplings were full of leek and were juicy. Vibes: Pretty chill/quiet and there were mostly solo dinners (did go on a Thursday night) Service: Was nice, immediately seated. You do have to ask for water and cups since they just give you hot tea when you sit down. Parking: street parking and a parking garage right across the street that the restaurant validates

Steamed Pork Dumplings
Amy C.

They're known for their knife-cut noodles, but every item on the menu is authentic and delicious. The real star of the show, though, is the kimchi. It has an intensely bold garlic flavor, easily the strongest garlic-forward kimchi I've ever had. As soon as you sit down, they bring out a generous dish to the table. Throughout your meal, servers come around with trays piled high with more and ask if you'd like a refill. The answer should always be yes. Honestly, it almost doesn't matter what you order, just pick something and enjoy the endless kimchi. You can't take any to go, so savor it while you're there. Pace the rest of your meal and take your time, making each bite of kimchi last.

Spicy Kalguksu
Kate L.

Been coming here since the early 2010's and the consistency of this establishment has not changed. Maintaining the level of quality and flavor after so many years is why I will continue to support this restaurant. Service is mixed. My go-to is their house Spicy Kalguksu. Highly recommend!

Cold Spicy Kimchi Noodle Soup (Spicy Dongchimi), Beef Bulgogi, kalguksu
Ethan Z.

These noods are legit! My girlfriend dad and I came for an early dinner and were throughly impressed. My cold spicy kimchi soup was built like a tank, it had a large serving of noodles, pleasant amount of cut veggies, and perfect for a refreshing/savory bite on a hot day. Our beef bulgogi was also amazing in my opinion. The meat was exceptionally savory, slightly sweet and was my highlight of the dinner. I'd easily return to try more dishes :-)

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26 days ago

Food is good! The mandu is fresh and flavorful. Parking is awful, but it's worth it! Service was fast and everyone was attentive.

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Ask the Community - MDK Noodles

Why isn't the kongguksu vegan? Can it be made vegan?

The dish itself is vegan! They must've just forgotten to label that on the menu. Unless MDK makes it differently, it is made from soybean so there is no meat in it.

Do they sell dumplings frozen to take home?

we make the dumplings fresh daily so we do not sell any frozen dumplings. Sorry !

Is it easy to find parking?

yes around the corner

A recent review mentioned no outdoor seating anymore? Is this true?

none when I went a few weeks ago.

Hi, Are you open on New Year's Day?

Yes, we have extended hours from 8am-10pm

Are you open on 24th-26th of December?

Yes but we will be closing early on Christmas Eve at 4pm

Do they have outdoor seating and do they take reservations? I called and was told no outdoor seating, but the internet seems to suggest otherwise.

Not sure about reservations but I was there less than 2 weeks ago and it was indoor dining only. Their outdoor patio was closed.

Is the kimchi vegan-friendly or does it contain shrimp/anchovies? Also, are there any vegan-friendly dishes?

(8; is good

The brick walls, did they used to be glass? I went to a noodle/mandu shop a few years ago that looked similar but the front of the restaurant was all glass. Have been trying to find this place ever since.

We have a combination of brick and glass. Before the exterior walls were like a yellow, faded and outdated. Also, the windows did not have the logo on it like we did currently. We also had a repaint of the interior as well, and the back area was not… 

What is their specialty?

Kal Guk Su (knife-cut noodles) & pork dumplings. They are the first items at the top of the menu for noodles & dumplings.… 

Are they closed? They haven't been open everyday this past week when I passed by.

Yes. They are closed from 11/4-11/7. Open again on 11/8. I posted a picture of the sign in Tips.

Are they open thanksgiving?

Usually yes. They have been historically. I would say about half (if not more) of the restaurants in Ktown are open on Thanksgiving.

Has anyone ever gotten the Kal gu suk as takeout? I'm wondering if they package the noodles/dumplings separate from the broth to keep it from getting soggy. I want to bring it to my friend but it's a bit of a drive... thanks in advance!

you can ask for them to pack the noodles uncooked and you cook it yourself when you get home.

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Hangari Kalguksu - (LARGE) Hangari Bossam

Hangari Kalguksu

4.4(3.3k reviews)
0.4 mi•Wilshire Center, Koreatown
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Women-owned & operated
10 years in business

In Los Angeles for surgery and decided to eat my last delicious meal before going under the knife…read more This place is excellent and yes I'd drive back here from Irvine for the rib ramen. The soup was simply delicious with a smooth velvety texture and flavor. The ramen was so good (freshly made every day) in its finest al dente texture with a nice large diameter. Rare in The OC. The rib meat can be removed with chopsticks ! And the most tenderness of protein. The kimchi cabbage and radishes are so delicious. Spicy but not kickass (ok for me) biting into sweetness I've never tasted anywhere in the world that serves K-ramen. Service is most excellent as they immediately greet you, seat you, menu, then, the table top appetizers are served. I believe the owner or chef brought the entrees. That's different! He came out later to see how everything was! As I tried to visit him in the kitchen to compliment, he's gone! Inside has plenty of seating with booths on one side and bench seats on the other with chair seated tables in the middle. Highly recommend this place. Competitively priced. Nothing took away from the experience.

I visited this restaurant and ordered two bowls of Kalguksu and two servings of pork jowl. The food…read morewas definitely delicious, and the staff members were friendly. However, I was disappointed by their policy. The radish salad (Muchae) served with the pork jowl was very small compared to the portion of the meat. When we asked for a little more, we were told it would cost an extra $5. We spent around $150 including tip, so charging $5 for a basic radish side dish felt unreasonable, especially since most other places provide this as a complimentary refill. It's not about the $5 itself, but it left a bad impression. Also, regarding the service, the server was polite and even asked us first if we needed more radish water kimchi (Yeolmu), but they completely forgot to bring it, probably because they were too busy. Overall, the food is good and the staff is kind, but the stingy side dish policy and the forgotten order made the experience less satisfying. 3 stars.

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Afuri - Noodle pull

Afuri

4.4(958 reviews)
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This is our spot…read more Yuzu Tsuyu Tsukemen is for true ramen lovers. Their warm noodle soups are also cozy and tasty. Don't sleep on the apps, they keep it pretty fresh and new so get the good ones while they're there! Afuri roll, gyoza, any carpaccio or sashimi, tofu, it's all amazing!

We had a mixed experience during our visit. Although the restaurant offers easy, free parking and…read moreplenty of seating, the service fell short of expectations. We initially provided our order to an Asian server, but were later assisted by a different Hispanic/Latina waitress. A male staff member also checked in with a thumbs‑up/thumbs‑down gesture, which felt unclear and added to the overall inconsistency. I generally prefer when servers take orders with a notepad. While many can remember everything perfectly without one, in this case it would have helped -- we never received our water, and the waitress had to reconfirm our meat selection. Small details like that affected the flow of the meal. The food was decent. I would reorder the Yuzu Ratan ($19) and the Basque Cheesecake ($11), as those were the highlights. However, the Mango Margarita ($15) didn't taste like mango at all, and my boyfriend chose not to correct it. Overall, the dishes and drinks were just average. We've been trying to explore neighborhoods outside of our usual Koreatown and Silver Lake spots, so it was disappointing that this experience didn't stand out more. The restaurant does offer reservations, which is convenient, but the service and attention to detail could use improvement.

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Pine & Crane DTLA - Minced Pork on Rice

Pine & Crane DTLA

4.4(1.1k reviews)
2.8 mi•Downtown
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I have to laud this place for it's natural authenticity and impeccable service standards. Staff are…read morefriendly and go above and beyond - thank you Gabriel! And I especially appreciate them for offering an ASIAN BREAKFAST beginning at 8am. I LOVE rice porridge and the presentation of this dish is like a warm hug. Beautiful condiments including a delicious savory egg omelet, cucumbers, pickled radish, mushrooms, tofu - a very healthy start to the day for just $16! Truly a great establishment and love their family friendly vibe.

I came to this place kind of blind, I was just looking for a decent breakfast place around the area…read moreand happen to find pine and crane. I was very very pleasantly surprised at how good all the food was! I absolutely love a good Taiwanese breakfast and this place hit it out of the park. The interior is so lovely, it's such a nice place to chill in. They also have a mini market attached to it where you can buy some snacks or some random groceries. Fan tuan: I got the purple rice version, and I thought this dish was so satisfying! It was exactly what I was craving and was better than I hoped it would be :) I grew up eating this from small local restaurants in San Gabriel Valley, I was so happy to find that this reminded me of all of those, but in a more elevated way Traditional porridge set: honestly, a staple in such a good way to start the morning! A simple breakfast done right, I feel like I could always order this and it will never go wrong I also ordered the hot soy milk, which was the cherry on top. I am pretty sure it is from the half gallon. You can buy at the store, but it was still good! This place is in downtown LA so you have to fight for street parking lol I think if you go for breakfast time in the morning like I did, you shouldn't have too much trouble

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PASTA e PASTA by Allegro - Mentai pasta

PASTA e PASTA by Allegro

4.4(1.8k reviews)
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Pasta e Pasta is at my top 2 favorite places to eat at Little Tokyo for a while now. I had…read morediscovered it with some friends walking around and I cannot stop raving about it. They focus on Japanese Italian fusion pastas and are a good option if you want to try Japanese foods in the area besides sushi or ramen. My absolute favorite dish of theirs is the Mentai Cream Pasta, so much so that I can't fully enjoy any other Mentai Cream Pasta anywhere else because I would just wish I'm having the one from here! It's so creamy and rich without being too heavy. The mentai savory without tasting too fishy either. The cream is perfect and not too watery at all. Rarely, wheb I want to change it up, I'll order the Uni Pasta. Their uni has a really "melts in your mouth" kind of quality and has a really distinct flavor without it being overpowering. I have yet to try any other dish since I already have my two favorites, but each dish comes with fresh bread and a side salad to start. Maybe one day I'll venture to other things on their menu but for now, I'll stick to my faves. Their service is quite quick and they are very friendly. The vibe is laid back yet perfect for a date night, I'd argue even for a first date. Relax yet intimate. Also, I love how theres bag hooks under the tables at the counter seating! Parking is ample in the plaza but since it is walking distance from the Little Tokyo Village if you were to park anywhere there it would be fine to walk to. Their hours aren't like a regular restaurant. They are closed on Mondays, open first at 11:30am-2pm and usually open again at 5pm for dinner time so plan accordingly. Everyone I've introduced to Pasta e Pasta absolutely loves it and if you ever were thinking of trying it out, this is your sign to go!

DELICIOUS! food came with salad and bread. fav was mentai - bacon/mozz and salmon spinach tasted…read morehomey. service was great, and food came out p fast. clean interior. come earlier or else u might have to way. very positive i got food poisoning from this, but others didn't...

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Northern Cafe - Won ton soup. Try fishing for the won tons. Skimpy. Mostly folded won ton wrapper.

Northern Cafe

4.2(111 reviews)
2.8 mi•Downtown
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Northern Cafe is such a hidden gem in DTLA! Every time I visit, I'm surprised there isn't a line…read moreout the door during lunchtime. This is my fourth time here this year, and it never disappoints. The ambience is cute and inviting, making it the perfect spot for a nice but casual work lunch. The service is always friendly and attentive, but the food is definitely the highlight. My absolute favorite is the scallion beef roll. The scallion pancake is perfectly crispy, filled with thinly sliced beef, and paired with a delicious sauce that ties everything together. The garlic cucumbers and Dan Dan noodles are also fantastic. And I have to mention the chili oil because it's seriously so good. I find myself adding it to just about everything! Honestly, I don't think I've tried a single dish here that I haven't enjoyed. They also have a fully stocked bar that looks perfect for happy hour, which I'll have to check out next time. Such a great spot for consistently delicious food, attentive service, and a relaxed atmosphere. Highly recommend, and I'll definitely be back!

Surprisingly Good (With One Notable Exception)…read more On a little staycation, we were looking for a quick lunch near our hotel and landed here. Ordered the pork soup dumplings, cucumber, string beans, and beef fried noodles. The cucumber and string beans were pretty much what you'd expect, in a good way. Nicely seasoned, refreshing, and delivering that satisfying crunch. Nothing groundbreaking, but solid supporting acts. The beef fried noodles, however, were the star of the show. Perfectly chewy with just the right amount of bite -- not overly doughy or mushy. These noodles understood the assignment with plenty of beef to accommodate. The beef seasoned nicely with a nice soft texture. I'd happily order them again and again. The pork soup dumplings were a different story. The wrappers were disappointingly thick and doughy, the complete opposite of the noodle craftsmanship. Several burst before I could enjoy the precious soup inside, leaving me with dumplings that were more dough than dumpling. To their credit, the filling was tasty, but soup dumplings that lose their soup are missing a rather important part of the experience. Service was attentive. Nicely decorated, but the booth was uncomfortable and would suggest sitting at a table. Overall, a surprisingly good lunch, carried by some excellent beef fried noodles. Just skip the soup dumplings unless they can tighten up their craftsmanship. One dish had me planning a return visit; the other had me questioning my order.

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MDK Noodles - korean - Updated October 2026

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