Good pork soup, Good bbq beef and good fishcake! Good service! Good soups really warm and tasty!read more

Jinso is my favorite Togo in LA. I love the soup and pancake so much! Highly recommendedread more

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

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

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!

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

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

Eating at Sun Nong Dan was such a pleasant experience. I wish I could order everything on the menu…read morebecause I know that, no matter the choice, it'll taste amazing. The service is always wonderful but today our wonderful server Luna made sure we were well taken care of. I'm counting down the days until I'm back here.

The food and service was awesome, and it was recommended by many local friends. It's a must visitread more

Came here for a late dinner and loved everything. The Kimchi Braised Pork Ribs were so tender and…read moreflavorful--definitely the highlight! The staff even helps you cut them at the table. We also ordered the Spicy Pork Hansang and the Chive Pancake, which were both super crispy and tasty. Great service and cozy vibes. Highly recommend if you're in K-Town! Rednote: Lolo.la.socal

i did so much research to find this best cold noodles and chose them bc their buckwheat noodles are…read morehandcrafted so it's incredibly chewy and bouncy. huge portion so i will be enjoying for more meals yay! the ribs side is a perfect palette cleanser since it's not marinated and much lighter also they were so nice and explained all the food and were really enthusiastic with refills and didn't charge for the takeout box lol

We passed this place during a food excursion and decided to try their hand rolled udon. One of the…read morebest decisions we made during our trip! We only tried the carbonara udon, but it was truly memorable. The sauce was creamy although a little split, but not overly salty which allowed the subtle umami and miso flavors to shine. The noodles were cooked well and had a gentle chew. The bacon was juicy with lots of fatty bits. Next time I would add an ontama to it to make it even better. The service was great and quick. We sat at the counter so could watch the noodles being made. This is definitely among the top 3 places I ate in JTown during this visit!

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

It is really amazing. I wish to visit here more often to…read moretaste Korean cuisine. Compared to other restaurants, it is the most delicious. Strongly recommend to visit.

They have the best soups in Los Angeles and cuts of meat. Our recommended!! my Brother.read more

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

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

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

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