Olympic Kalguksu is a restaurant I've been going to regularly for many years--it's truly one of my longtime favorites. This time, I visited again after a long while, and as always, the two longtime servers and the owner warmly welcomed us with big smiles. They are all incredibly kind and friendly. Last Friday evening, January 16, we had a family dinner there, and just like always, everything we ordered--dumplings, red bean kalguksu, red bean porridge, and soybean sprout stone pot bibimbap--was absolutely delicious. Personally, every time I go there, I always order only the soybean sprout stone pot bibimbap. The servers know this well because I've been a regular customer for so long. This place is truly my soul food restaurant. read more

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First off, their kimchi was the best I've had, besides in Korea. We came here for lunch to try their chicken Kalguksu. This was a piping piping hot bowl of chicken noodle soup! The noodles were cooked perfectly with a chewy texture. The broth was thick and milky. The chicken surprisingly was tender. I definitely expected it to be dry from the intense heat of the soup. The fresh kimchi was sweet with good umami, not too spicy. So good! We had an early lunch - midweek. While the small restaurant was pretty packed, we didn't have to wait. No frills or thrills service. But that's ok. read more

Olympic Noodle - Fav! - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I've been to countless Korean restaurants, but I've never encountered a woman as rude as the owner here. When we walked in, she doesn't greet us at all--even when she's standing right next to us. The only time she responds is if the customer greets her first. What a comedy. I ordered pat kalguksu, and when she set the dish down on the table, she simply said "pat" and walked away. That kind of attitude would be unacceptable in any American restaurant, but in Korean culture, it is even more inappropriate and disrespectful. It's hard to find a restaurant owner who is this consistently rude. As for the food, the noodles were dull and dry, with no discernible flavor. The interior looks like it hasn't been updated in 30 to 40 years, the place is dirty, and there is poor ventilation, leaving the restaurant filled with unpleasant odors. The ceiling looks like it's falling apart, with filthy grime caked all over it, and the floor is just as dirty. The menus looked like they hadn't been cleaned or replaced in decades--so sticky and filthy that I couldn't bring myself to hold them in my hands. On top of that, it's overpriced--$17.50 for kalguksu. At that price, I'd much rather make ramen at home, which I'm confident would taste better than this. I will never return, and if anyone ever mentions this place to me, I will strongly advise them not to go. read more

Cute little mom and pop shop hole in the wall. Relatively busy on a weekday during lunch time. I ordered the chicken noodle soup. The portions are huge I ate until I was bursting and it looked like I didn't even touch it !! The noodles are hand pulled and qq! Soup was very rich and "clean" great for when you kind of feel like some sickness is coming on. read more

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I've been coming here for years...since I was in elementary school! And one thing is that they've never changed. Even their interior. Ultimate home style traditional knife cut noodle place. You'll get a massive bowl of noodles and leave feeling comforted. I love their Sujebi (hand pulled dough soup) A highlight is their kimchi. Extra garlicky and delicious with each slurp of noodles. Never change Olympic Noodle! read more

Olympic Noodle - Sujebi - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Ambiance: it's an old fashioned Korean comfort food restaurant, they have private parking lot in the rear, old facilities and decorations inside Service: the servers wouldn't speak much English and majority diners speak Korean here, but you still can point the pictures and place the order Food: simple menu items for noodles, dumplings, and rice dishes Banchan - *** limited two kinds of daikon and kimchi, but their homemade kimchi is so good Steamed Dumplings - **** freshly made mandu with pork and chives fillings, recommend Korean Chicken and Kimchi Noodle Soup - **** light broth, house made flat noodles, tasty with kimchi and chicken, recommend Price: humongous portions and affordable prices, expect $20 per person for a fulfilling meal, and keep in mind they charge for leftover containers read more

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Where can I begin... Olympic Noodle may be an older restaurant, but that's exactly where its charm and authenticity come from. The noodles are all handmade, and you can truly taste the care in every bite. The soup is rich, deep, and comforting -- the kind of flavor that feels like it could only come from a grandmother's kitchen. This place is a hidden gem for anyone who loves truly authentic noodles. I am so happy to have found this gem. read more

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Olympic Noodle has great chicken kalguksu, the broth is very flavorful and rich. Hearty and warm for a cold winter day. Noodles are handmade and chewy with just the right amount of bite. The kimchi is great too. The steamed dumplings had a lot of chives and were super juicy. They were presented in a steamer on top of some cabbage. We visited during peak hours and there was barely any wait since there were so many tables. There is a free parking lot in the back. Prices were great for portion size. You should definitely come here if you want some great noodles and vibes :) You will for sure leave Olympic Noodle with a food coma. read more

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We went here with some friends on a Friday evening for dinner around 7pm. No reservations and it was not crowded at all, just a few families. We ordered the seafood pancake and the steamed dumplings for the table and my partner and I shared the beef noodle soup. All the portions are huge and shareable. I was a big fan of both the steamed dumplings and the pancake, though I think the pancake was my favorite dish. One of the servers (maybe owner? Think Korean auntie) showed us how to make the dipping sauce for the dumplings which was so tasty! They also had a generous portion of barchan (kimchi and turnip) and gave additional when we finished them. The beef noodle soup was also a large shareable portion for 2 and came with both store bought and handmade noodles. I'm not a huge noodle fan but it was nice on a cold day. Would definitely recommend this place for a homestyle meal! Our total was ~$50 per couple after tax and tip. There is a parking lot in the back with limited spots and also has the spots available to double park. We parked behind our friends car since we were dining together. read more

Olympic Noodle - Seafood pancake - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The food is amazing. One of the best kalgooksu places in LA. It feels like you're tasting mom's cooking and the portion is Korean mom portion. Huge. service is like any Asian restaurant. Ambiance is like when you go back to grandma's place. Very homey. I'd suggest get 1 kalgooksu, share, get dumplings and maybe jjolmyeon to share so you can taste both hot and cold noodles. There's a small parking lot, but you have to double park so you might have to move your car and stuff. A bit busy during lunch time on a weekday. read more

Olympic Noodle - Kalgooksu (seafood) - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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An authentic, light and hearty meal just west of koreatown. The chicken kalguksu and steamed mandu were a great combo together. Do not underestimate the kalguksu portion size as there are actually a lottt of noodles. We still finished everything! There's no music in the background so it feels like you're eating at grandma's home. Only downside is the limited banchan. Small parking lot in the back and there was no valet person when we went. read more

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Frozen in time, and the food tastes it. Interior is cozy, decorated like a traditional Korean home/hanok. Wheelchair accessible entrance & bathrooms. Noodle shop, but we got stews and dumplings. The dumplings had no noodles (aka fillers), all meat and veggies. The dumpling skin was so thin you could see the filling clearly, it was filled to the brim. You can see the ladies in the kitchen as you walk past fold heaping dollop of filling into hand stretched dumpling skin. Soup broth was meaty, yukegajang not as spicy as my mom makes it, but you can add more with their provided spices. So much meat and veggies in the stews. We had to take some home ($0.5 for non plastic to go container) Purple rice, kimchi and pickled radish for Banchan. Minimal spread, but the main dish will leave you full and happy. read more

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This place is so legit, everything I've had is really authentic and homey. You only get two banchan, a fresh kimchi and pickled radish, but it's really all you need because they work really well with all their dishes. The kimchi is really punchy! I've gotten the mandu, chicken kalguksu, and beef rib cabbage soup. Their mandu is the some of best I've ever had, the skin is super thin, with lots of filling. The kalguksu noodles are homemade and super chewy. Also, the portion sizes here are very big, so we usually go home with leftovers. I always struggle deciding on what to get here because everything looks so good. They have an attached lot with valet for $3 (cash), so it's easy to park as well. I love this place and would highly recommend it! read more

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I had a really bad experience here Will not go back and not recommend anyone. They make me feel like I begged them for food not to pay for it. Felt so bad all day read more

Food mediocre, racism incredible. First of all, let me mention that I am Korean, married to a non-Korean Asian. This shouldn't matter at all but it does for the purposes of this review. I came here with my wife, my non-Korean Asian in-laws, and our 1/2 Korean 1/2 non-Korean Asian small child. I dropped them off at the restaurant door as I wanted to put some gas into the car before parking. Big mistake. My wife told the server we had 5 people, and then for the next 15 minutes my family members were treated as if they didn't exist. Korean customers who arrived after my family were seated first, and my wife had to call me to tell me that if I didn't come in and speak some Korean, the poor treatment of my family would probably continue. We should have left right then and there, but we were hungry and wanted to give the staff the benefit of the doubt. After finally placing our orders and receiving our food, we noticed that we were the only table that didn't have water or rice provided to us. I had find the servers to ask for these items specifically, even though rice was included in the items we ordered and water is, well, it's water. It's standard to provide water to human customers. As far as the food goes, it was pretty standard. The yukkaejang and beef rib noodle soup were good, but the chicken kalguksu was overly peppered to the point where it was overwhelming and gross. Flies and other bugs were definitely present, I killed one on my napkin. If it weren't for the overt racism we encountered here, I'd probably give this place 3 stars just based on the nostalgia of my Korean taste buds, but average that with a -3 for some old school segregation era prejudice and questionable hygiene, and that brings us to an overall zero star rating. The lowest Yelp allows is one star, so I'm rounding up from 0 to 1. If you have any Koreans or Caucasians in your family, you'll probably get better service if you send them in to this restaurant first. read more

After living in LA for nearly 45 years, I regret only trying this place for the first time today. Thanks to an Instagram post @koreatownguide, I chose to skip MDK and go to Olympic Noodle. Park in the back and prepare to walk into a no frills, great service, amazing food experience. We ordered the chicken kalguksoo and mandoo. The server recommended a soybean base vegetable stew to my mother-in-law. There is a reason this place has been a staple for decades in k-town. The kalguksoo portion is huge, with healthy serving of noodles and chicken. Compared to MDK, the broth is not as salty, but flavor is very rich and savory. The mandoo is plump, a bit bigger than MDK and quite tasty. The big winner is the kimchee. So fresh, crunchy and old-world umami tasting. Unlike MDK, where you are overwhelmed with salty, garlic flavor, the kimchee here is sooo goood! I'll be back to try other menu items for sure! read more

I selfishly wanted to keep this spot to myself but decided that the world deserved to experience this gem. Olympic Noodle is THE spot for the best healing chicken noodle soup in ktown. And you know it's good-good when the primary customer base is cute ol' grandmas and grandpas. My go-to order is the chicken noodle soup and steamed dumplings. Whenever I'm feeling a bit under the weather (or suffering from an unbearable hangover oops), I always immediately place an order here. The steamed dumplings also feel so warm and cozy, like the feeling of eating at home with family. Parking seems like it can be a bit tough as there are minimal parking spots in the lot and the streets always look crowded (as anywhere in ktown). I usually go right as they open and always manage to get a spot so I'm uncertain what it's like during peak hours. read more

I've been wanting to try kalguksu in LA for the longest time and I was so happy with my experience at Olympic Noodle. We went around 3 pm on a Saturday and it was pretty empty and quiet but the Korean ummas were attentive and friendly. I ordered the Beef Noodle Soup and my boyfriend ordered the Chicken Noodle Soup and oh my goodness the portions are HUGE. A bowl is about $20, and I feel like the price is fair considering it could feed 2 people easily. We ended up having to take my bowl to go and just be aware they do charge about 50 cents for togo containers. Overall, I would definitely come back if I was craving a comforting noodle soup because it really felt like a home cooked meal. The beef was a little bit chewy but still had good flavor. The chicken soup felt light and the meat was more tender, but I still preferred the richness of the beef noodle. read more

Olympic Noodle - Beef Noodle Soup - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Olympic Noodle is cozy a mom n pop Korean noodle house. Since I love all kinds of noodles, so I decided to travel here and try one of their specialty noodles: Knife-cut Noodles Soup (Kalguksu); along with some dumplings. I ordered the Spicy Chicken Kalguksu and it was unbelievably delicious! Very rich in a healthy way (not fatty or oily) and so flavorful! It has a kick of heat, but not too spicy. Safe for non-spicy palates. The house made wheat noodles were also fantastic! Smooth and chewy. The bowl of noodles portion is huge! I also got some steamed dumplings which had pork and chives filling. Not salty and juicy. Very good! The dipping sauce for the dumplings are a "do-it-yourself" condiments placed at each table. Just ask your server if your not sure which sauces/condiments to use and mix. If you love kimchi, their house made kimchi is GREAT! Service was very friendly and helpful. She was very motherly, so nice. Am coming back and trying their cold noodles soon! Parking can be found behind the restaurant also where one would enters the restaurant; the front entrance facing the street (Olympic Blvd) looks closed-up. Payment: I did cash, but I think they take credit cards as well. read more

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My new favorite Korean food restaurant!!! Sooo delicious and everything tastes home-made (even the kimchi)! My husband found this place and it proved to be SO delicious!! We ordered the buckwheat spicy cold noodle and pork&leek mandu (dumplings) and both were SO GOOD!!!!! Service was good because we beat the lunch rush! Pricing is average. Parking available in the back so no need to scramble to find parking here! read more

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The place is in need of renovation; the ceiling has mold and some has cracks on them, talk about safety hazard. The place is not the cleanest, I went to look for my waiter and she was no where to be found, so I take a peek in the kitchen and OMG, it was so dirty, food everywhere the floor.The ladies used the same gloves to manage the cashier, move things around and then without changing their gloves starts making the dumplings in-front of us. The food was alright, nothing different. But some places are actually cleaner. The lady who charged us sneezed on an open counter of Kimchi. I am sorry but I wouldn't come back here and not to mention the amount of flies this restaurant have. Also I seen the lady grabbed a pitcher of water that was left to served a previous customer and instead of washing it, just refills it with water. How in the world would they know if someone didn't spit on it?! Just someone else touching it should be enough to wash the pitcher, it's just sanitary purposes. How are they still open. SMH. read more

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If you are a noodle fanatic like me, you have to go here. This place is a staple in LA's Koreatown and the vibes could not be more authentic. I would highly recommend the juicy dumplings. I don't know how they make them so soft and flavorful. Very fast service! read more

I have been many times to enjoy the Korean noodles here at Olympic Noodle. However, today, I had an unpleasant experience by finding an insect on my chicken kimchi soup. I reported it to the server but she took the dish to the kitchen and came back to say it was not a bug. I was somehow disappointed by the dishonesty. It could be better if they frankly admitted it since it can happen. I also have difficult time with a flyer around my table. read more

Olympic Noodle - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Homey Korean restaurant serving delicious noodle dishes. We got the Korean chicken noodle soup and spicy seafood noodle soup. Both 5/5 in taste. Huge portions so we were able to stretch one soup into two meals. Parking in the back makes it easy to get to. Super fast service. read more

The best mom and dad family Korean noodle place it's the best best best Korean soups you'll ever have !! Their dumplings are heavenly and to die for. I call them my EEMOS means aunt in Korean I took all my family members here they all loved them as if we were eating in Korea Thank you EEMOS read more

There are several good Korean noodle places in Koreatown, so it's hard to tell this the best. Pro- Huge portion, hand made and cut noodle, lots of seafood, chicken, whatever you order. Clean broth, friendly service, and honestly, all menus are good here. Con- they often double park, so there is a chance you might need to move your car while eating read more

Olympic Noodle - Korean seafood noodle - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came back after many years, and although still pretty legit and authentic, the service was so bad that even I couldn't give it a pass. First of all, there is some kind of fly problem. I know it is summer and there are flies everywhere, but even inside the restaurant, near tables, there were so many that we were constantly swatting flies away. That really takes away from the experience, I gotta say. Then the service was so rushed that I barely sat down before the waitress was asking me what we wanted. I asked her for the menu and literally as she was giving me the menu, she asked me again what we would like to order. I know Korean restaurants are known for speedy service, but it was kinda over the top. Food came out super fast but given the fly situation, I was hesitant to use any of the condiments that were on the table. My Mom's kongooksu was not to her liking either. Overall, just ok. The kimchi is pretty tasty here, and I prefer it over the MDK noodles kimchi. I still like the mom and pop store feel, and I'm glad it has survived among all the new, trendy establishments in Ktown. Not sure if I'd go out of my way to come back here. It has plenty of regulars though, so they're doing something right. Small parking lot in the back of the restaurant. read more

Olympic Noodle - Kongooksoo - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I've been cutting back on carbs lately, but I wanted to treat myself to some Korean food. Unfortunately, the experience turned out to be quite traumatizing. The service was extremely unfriendly. When I walked in and said hello, there was no response. When I placed my order, the staff didn't say a word. I asked for a plate, and the server just stared directly at me before silently dropping it off at the table. I was the only customer at the time, but I felt completely ignored and unwelcome. I went in feeling good, but I left feeling stressed. I ordered the sujebi kalguksu. The noodles and dough were soft and broke apart easily, but the broth was overly salty. The food was disappointing, and combined with the poor service, it made for a very unpleasant experience. I'm never going back. read more

Food was great. It tasted like the grandma made with her own hands. The seafood pancake was very fluffy. read more

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Love their pumpkin porridge and galbi soup.. famous for their chicken noodle Korean style.. good also

Traditional homemade dumplings like my grandma used to make. Located in old school decor with lots of older Korean mothers and grand mothers, you know the food is good like it was when you visited your grandparents home for the holidays if you wanted the Korean traditional cuisine. So, be patient, like your holiday dinners service is little slow, but worth the wait. read more

The food is amazingg and the service is great too! I got the 수제비 (knife cut noodles) and my boyfriend got the 냉면 (cold noodles). the broth was super yummy and we also got the mandu to share!! will definitely be back again read more

Olympic Noodle - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

got the beef noodle soup. lots of noodles but only one bite of beef. would not recommen

If you want to take your special rat love to a lowkey dinner on Valentine's Day because you know it's going to be crowded and crazy everywhere, this is the place. What can I say - chicken kalguksu and trash scraps are the way to my heart. This place is very authentic from the service to the food. There's no bullshit here - you come here for the kalguksu and the homely atmosphere. I always get the chicken kalguksu here as it hits every time with the chewiness of the thicc knife-cut noodles and the comforting, deep, refreshing broth. Plus, the portions are huge. Even after 15 minutes of eating, it feels like you haven't left a dent. This time, I got the kimchi kalguksu which cleared my sinuses left and right. Stubborn mucus can't win here. The dumplings are so good and pair well with the soup. You can tell that shit was handmade. And the kimchi here is tasty. You will be burping second dinners for hours after which is legit. You know it's good kimchi if it still stinks up your ride to the next day. Even if it's not Valentine's Day, come for some comforting Korean soup that will soothe your esophagus (or burn it, if you're not careful like me) and bring you back to being fed and nourished at halmuni's house. Then, go back to your rat den with a full belly and in your deep sleep, dream about the future comforting meal to come that will hug you next. I can't wait. read more

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Love their streamed dumplings and chicken noodles.. the portions are large so i share it with my husband .... When we started to go, the waitresses were weary and didn't seem friendly but they really are the sweetest people.. The place isn't decorated nicely as such but clean and you can't beat the the taste! read more

Olympic Noodle is in my top 3 kalgooksoo places in LA. It's a very simple, no nonsense place run by older aunties and uncles. As a Korean, the vibes of the restaurant definitely feels like you're at your grandparents house. You can't go wrong with any of the kalgooksoo's but my go to is the chicken kalgooksoo. The portion is so big I always split one bowl and one serving of steamed dumplings with my girlfriend. Speaking of steamed dumplings... they are so hot and delicious and pairs perfectly with any kalgooksoo. If you're into the taste of fresh kimchi like me, you're really going to like their kimchi. Olympic Noodle's kimchi is definitely in my top 2 list of restaurants in LA. read more

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This is my go to place for kalguksu! Do you want I know a to-go secret? If you like to take you're food to-go but don't like how the noodles get mushy by the time you get home, then this is for you. I live about 30 minutes away from ktown so I'm so glad they do this. You can order the knife cut noodle soup with uncooked noodles!!! When it order the kalguksu you ask for "sseng" chicken kalguksu. They give you two big containers of soup, uncooked noodles, veggies and chicken in separate containers or bags. Once you get home, boil the soup, then put in the other ingredients. It's freaking delicious and easy. The food is enough for two adults so if you're eating alone, just use half. read more

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Really enjoyed my meal here! They have a small, free parking lot in the back. The spots are tandem. The dishes we got: 1. Pan fried dumplings: These were crispy and juicy with a thin skin. Pretty perfect! Excellent with the vinegar and their green onion/soy sauce condiment. 2. Kimchi chicken noodle soup (#4): Very good and hearty! The soup had a nice mouthfeel - not super thin. It was just a bit spicy. I thought the noodles got too soft for my taste but they were by no means overcooked. As mentioned in other reviews, the bowl is HUGE and could be two meals. The chicken just kinda tasted like a rotiserrie chicken. 3. Kimchi noodle soup (#5): You might think this is the same soup as above, just without chicken, but the broth is different. We thought it was made with a seafood/anchovy base. Also really good. 4. Jjolmyeon - Loved it. The noodles were chewy and refreshing. The sauce is a little bit on the sweet side compared to other restaurants I've been at, but it was not overpowering at all. Would get this again. Their kimchi was also delicious! I would go back here just for this and to try other dishes on the menu. read more

I'll be a bit generous with a 4 star, although I think it's more of a 3 or 3.5 stars. The reality is that these OG korean places need our support, but it's just hard times on them, and hard times for customers. A few observations by me. 1. Some of the reviews said that the kalguksu dishes were large enough to share between 2 people, but theyre a bit too small for that. I initially asked if a kalguksu could be split into 2 small dishes, before changing my mind, and I would have felt silly if I went ahead with splitting it. 2. Nothing too memorable about kalguksu dishes. Seafood had one shrimp, a couple of small mussels, and a bunch of tiny claims. Broth was nice, but not amazingly memorable. I feel for the mom and pops like this, but for cheapskates like me, this experience would lead me to dine out even less, not more. 3. The kimchee (actually, its 겉절이, which is not long fermented kimchee, but just a quickly prepared side dish. Still it is fresh and tasty) and sweet radish side dish were a nice touch. 4. Kind of a quiet a​tmosphere around 4pm on a Saturday. A group of 6, and 2 other couples cleared out and it was just us for most of our meal. A few ​take out orders along the way. I hit the period between lunch and dinner, but I hope the sparse crowd is atypical. 5. We wanted to try the barley yoolmu rice dish for a change of pace to share, but they were out. I imagine they didn't have the barley on the spot. I would have loved to comment on a different dish, but we only tried kalguksu. read more

Olympic Noodle continued to fill my need for a home cooked meal; even though I am not Korean! To start with, Sara, and her other serving partner receive us in a friendly kind manner, starting the home feeling right as we walk in. Sara's smile and welcoming demeanor is just the start of an ever sweet experience at this establishment. We have been trying various items on the menu, and my friends and I really like the Seafood Pancake, the Cabbage Beef Soup, as well as the various noodle soups, especially when served with both noodles and cut dough. The Seafood Pancake is the best pancake I had in any Korean restaurant. Well cooked to a flavorful crisp, and with a good mix of veggies and seafood. We add one of the green condiments offered on the table, and the taste is fantastic. THe Cabbage Beef soup includes some tender very well cooked short rib beef, some of it on the bone. Working around the bone provides a real good beef flavor. And the cabbage in this item is plentiful for those of us who care about "eating our veggies". I just had a wonderful meal yesterday at this favorite Korean restaurant, and I felt compelled to update my previous review. Especially because the owner sister, Candy, was there, and gave us wonderful friendly service. Almost all the customers there are Korean. I feel good being with them all !! read more