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    Restaurant Ki

    4.8 (32 reviews)
    Closed • 6:30 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Restaurant Ki Photos

    RESTAURANT KI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Restaurant Ki

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    Reviews With Photos

    Sablefish
    Ann L.

    First ever, Contemporary Korean Fine Dining in the heart of Los Angeles. Chef Ki Kim creatively infuses traditional Korean spices into beloved classic dishes that have been cherished and sought out by Americans across state lines-kimbop 김밥, seafood pancake 해물 파전, cold noodles 비빔냉면, KBBQ 떡갈비 just to name a few. As a Korean-American, I will be the first to admit that some traditional Korean favorites exude flavors that may take a seasoned palate to appreciate. Chef Ki, however, has found a remarkably creative way to preserve the soul of these dishes while making them approachable and inclusive to a more broader range of palates. One perfect example is 된장 (soy bean paste) which is a deeply savory fermented soy bean paste beloved across generations of Koreans. It's unmistakable aroma and flavor can be distinctive, but Chef Ki uses it was restraint and fitness that it becomes an elegant accent rather than an overpowering note. The lobster and mushroom custard course was phenomenal dish, finished with the 된장 & saffron sauce that introduced just a subtle hint of that unmistakeable traditional Korean flavor. Such a memorable experience at Restaurant Ki. So curious to see what other new creations Chef Ki will serve with the change of seasons.

    Our meal was simply amazing
    Michael P.

    It's an intimate space & attention to detail is on point. Our meal was just perfection. Highly recommend.

    menu to take home
    Stewart L.

    Restaurant Ki is located in the basement of an unassuming office building in Little Tokyo. There are actually FOUR small omakase restaurants in this basement warren, all run by the same group (Kaneyoshi). Ki is Korean, Sushi Kaneyoshi is Japanese, Bar Sawa is a Japanese sushi/cocktail experience, and Maison Kanatha is a fusion of Japanese, French and Thai. To further "complicate" matters, Sushi Kaneyoshi has 2 different experiences, a regular omakase and a smaller Premium one, located in a separate area. The main Kaneyoshi room becomes Maison Kanatha when Kaneyoshi is in the Premium room. Both Ki and Kaneyoshi have Michelin stars. Thanks to the Ki staffer/sommelier who took me on a quick tour of each area. Even accessing the basement requires special instructions which are texted/emailed to you. You basically enter the building's 2nd floor lobby from the attached parking garage or via stairs, then take a dedicated elevator to the basement, where there is a communal seating area where you check in and are escorted to your dining experience. Restrooms are shared by all restaurants. Ki is helmed by chef Ki Kim and has a single seating nightly at 6:30 pm Wed-Sun. There are 11 seats. There is a wine pairing available, plus a la carte beverage options, including spirit-free, visible with a QR code. Chef Ki greets each guest and explains the philosophy behind his deeply personal menu, which changes slightly every 2 weeks. Both Chef Ki and his team engage with the guests during the experience; each dish and how to eat it is explained to each "segment" of diners. It is repeated about 3-4 times, so you can better soak in the info provided. I think there were 6 staffers total: chef Ki, 3 sous-chefs/platers, the sommelier and the hostess who checked us in who did back-of-house duties as well. They were a seamless, well-choreographed team. There were 12 courses plus a tea service: 4 "snacks", 6 "mains" and 2 desserts. Snacks: 1) Kimbap--crispy shell with mushroom rice, kimchi and shrimp 2) lettuce wrap with soybean, barley 3) octopus braised and seared, with a sauce made from octopus head, parsley and tarragon 4) mandu dumpling with andouille and a marrow bone broth with butter Mains: 5) clam flame-broiled with caviar and a citrus butter sauce 6) blue crab soy-marinated, rice with crag meat and fat, quinoa, sugar snap peas 7) cold noodles by friend Keizo with charcoal-grilled eel, chili-ramp sauce, perilla oil 8) lobster from Maine, grilled and glazed, smoked in rice straw with morel mushroom, fermented soybean sauce and a dusting of raspberry powder 9) sablefish, dry-aged 3 days with chayote, a green ramp/herb oil sauce and a red chili sauce. 10) duck breast dry-aged 2 weeks with duck jus and apple puree. Served with 3 banchan placed on rocks: masa corn dumpling with chive cream, seared duck liver with habanada powder, pickled chayote After a tea service with dried vegetable tea, the desserts were: 11) porcini mushroom ice cream sandwich with a rice powder/cacao cracker 12) potato pate a choux with lettuce ice cream Both desserts were on the edge of savory. My fave plates were: 1,4,6,7,8,10, but all were great. At the end you are presented a copy of the menu printed on sheets of transparent paper, meant to evoke memories and how they can overlap and intertwine with each other. A beautiful, heartfelt and delicious experience.

    Jenny L.

    Ki is going to get another Michelin with the way that he cooks and presents, so you better get in before it does!! Chef Ki cooks with intention, elegance, and a true fusion vision. The Korean elements were not lost as it often does at fusion restaurants. He even makes his own seaweed for his dish, which ended up being my favorite bite of the night. Simply stunning and masterful!

    Brandon S.

    I finally found a fine dining restaurant that I had nothing to nitpick about. I took my wife here for a Valentine's dinner as this spot has been on my go to list ever before opening. I've enjoyed the experience at Chef Ki's previous restaurant Kinn and came here with very high expectations. The course included 4 appetizers, 6 mains, and 3 desserts. I enjoyed every single dish and each one was both standout memorable and visually pleasing, a very rare occurrence as there's usually one or two dishes that I'm not too particularly fond of when fine dining. My favorite appetizer was a grilled octopus with a sauce made from octopus head. Texture of the grilled octopus was perfect, springy yet very clean break on every bite. The octopus head sauce was very unique and gave a nice bold flavor to the light octopus meat taste. We also got one more piece after finishing the 3 on the plate. All the mains were just as incredible and I can't pick my favorite tasting one out of all of them. The most memorable was the final duck dish. That was by far the best duck I've eaten anywhere. Ridiculously tender, flavorful, and easy to chew. The apple sauce and duck jus made the taste even better. The banchan that came with the duck was a nice break in between each bite of duck. For dessert, the mushroom ice cream sandwich was my favorite. I love mushrooms and ice cream. This looked like a mushroom in a forage, was essentially an ice cream, and tasted like a mushroom. Service was great and as expected from fine dining restaurants. The one thing Restaurant Ki did better than any other fine dining restaurant I've been to was pacing. Hayato, Somni, Providence, Kato (just to name a few for comparison) had pacing issues between dishes where it felt like I was waiting forever. I didn't feel it at all during the entire meal. By the time I finish the dish given to me, the next one was either beginning to plate or in its final touches stage. Overall, Restaurant Ki not only lived up to my expectations but also exceeded it. I only regret not taking time out to come here sooner. Can't wait to dine here again, which will probably be a month or two from me writing this. The Kajima Building Basement is truly a dining powerhouse.

    second visit, shaved ice dessert
    Yingbo W.

    After I initially posted my 3-star review, Chef Kim personally reached out and invited me back to give his restaurant another try. I'm glad he reached out, because our first visit in April was so disappointing for both my partner and me that we definitely wouldn't have gone back and would've told friends to avoid the spot. I went again in November. I'm happy to report the second visit was much much better. There were clear improvements compared to April, and I can now see why Restaurant Ki has a Michelin star. I don't know if this level of execution is now the standard or if we just caught a particularly good night, but the portion sizes were about 20% bigger, and there may have even been an extra bite or course this time. For example, Chef Kim passed out extra pieces of octopus in case anyone wanted another bite. The plating and presentation were noticeably better, more refined, and didn't look as haphazardly thrown together as before--perhaps you can tell from my updated photos. There were several heavy hitters this time around, whereas during our first visit I really only enjoyed the octopus. My favorite was the crab soup with caviar, eel, and noodles. There was a lot going on in there, but everything blended together so perfectly. That dish was just wow. I don't think it was on the menu the first time, and I hope it becomes a regular signature course moving forward. I also loved the tomato salad with the sorbet dressing. It was super refreshing. The lobster was also much better this time, with a more refined sauce and the addition of a morel mushroom. Service felt smoother and more in sync overall, instead of the much longer waits from our first visit. I will say that where you sit at the bar matters. The first time, we were seated at the far left end, which felt like a dead zone and made the meal feel removed from the action. The second time, we sat closer to the middle, and the meal felt noticeably more engaging and entertaining. Chef Kim also poured us complimentary wine pairings, which was very kind and generous. I'm not a big wine drinker, so take this for what it's worth, but I thought the wines were very good and easy to drink. I've rarely enjoyed wine pairings at Asian Michelin-star restaurants since wine often clashes with Asian flavors. While I still don't think the wines particularly accentuated the dishes here, they tasted great on their own. My partner didn't want to drink much, so two of the pairings were swapped out for NA drinks, and I actually liked those more than the wine. The NA drinks were on the same level as the ones I've had at Somni and Séline. They just need nicer glassware and some extra garnish to elevate the presentation. I told Chef Kim they should seriously consider adding an NA or hybrid pairing to the menu. Despite the upgraded presentation--I can see that they tried--the desserts were relatively unchanged and still missed the mark on flavor, texture, and creativity. While other dishes matured, the desserts kept the same awkward fine-dining cosplay feel from my first visit. For example, there was no real reason for the shaved ice to have purple edible flowers stuck into the sauce (I did appreciate the hidden pine nuts). They were clearly put there to make the dish look fancy, but flavor and texture-wise served no purpose. Same with the mushroom ice cream sandwich. Just because you served it on top of some tree bark instead of a plain plate, doesn't mean it tastes any better. Overall, I'm really happy with the improvements I saw on the second visit. I also really appreciate how kind and humble Chef Kim is and that he took my feedback seriously. He told me they are continuing to improve. My partner and I will definitely go back for a third visit as paying customers. I just hope the consistency stays the same and that there aren't any more drastic off nights like my first visit. Looking forward to coming back next year!

    Interior
    John W.

    Restaurant Ki is a solid and whimsical New Korean tasting menu experience which is great to see continuing to balloon up in Los Angeles. I think one thing that may trip up some folks is getting to Restaurant Ki. The instructions are there when you call their number but not included in the email or website. The easiest way for us was to go into the parking structure (we walked since we parked nearby at the Aiso Parking Garage - took us about 5 minutes to get to the restaurant) - go to the second floor lobby - hit the elevator door labeled for Bar Sawa (and make sure to take the middle elevator // a security guard was there for us) and then wait in the lobby where the front of house takes parties one group at a time to the restaurant. Inside, the restaurant is tucked away in its own area adjacent to Bar Sawa. The interior is modern and sleek and seemed to seat up to 12 people. Chef Ki and his team greeted us with service being all-around strong. I liked how the Chef himself would do some of the beverage service as well and really created a light atmosphere, encouraging people to ask him and his staff questions and chat with him. The tasting menu itself was all-around solid and fun with a few great standouts. (I was also super grateful they were able to make slight adjustments due to my current health status.) *Octopus: The octopus was super and fantastic. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. And the sauce made out of octopus head was fantastic - had a little bit of heat and so creamy. The presentation was so lovely as well. *Duck liver mousse: Was a surprising appetizer. The presentation was bold coming in a chicken shaped dish that the chef popped open. The dish itself was so surprising because even though it had the strong and salty duck liver; there was the strong contrast of the white peach jelly and complemented by the hardened milk bread and apple. Loved how we had to literally use a spoon shovel to dig into the creative garden. *Keizo's noodle, pine mushroom, dungeness crab: Full of flavor and rich. To me, the mushroom that topped the dish really sold and brought everything together - wish there was more of it! It was also my partner's birthday and loved how they treated us to a couple nice items such as a complimentary drink (their non-alcoholic tomato juice was surprisingly amazing) and a play on seaweed soup. All-in-all, the menu reflected the chef and the atmosphere - playful and creative + full of potential. Would love to come back in the future and see how Chef Ki and his menu/staff continue to evolve and grow. Appreciative of the wonderful time and and experience!

    Fancy
    Francine L.

    Trying this place for the first time recently and dare I say I believe this is the best spot I have tried in Los Angeles for this entire year. It had been rough but Restaurant Ki made his story feel under the many dishes that we had for this dinner. This was a really memorable dinner for me as it was a friend's birthday and also the theme was about memories. It felt like we were stepping into Chef Ki's life and understanding where he grew up and came from for each dish that played a part in his role. His staff was diligent and also super professional at making everything run so smoothly! Loved it and would totally come back here again!

    Highlight of the evening
    Jim D.

    Food was pretty good. Far from great. After reading that this was on the list for best new L.A restaurants & his resume includes atomix my expectations were high & unfortunately they didn't meet my expectations. Very overpriced! Weird entrance. Weird soundtrack. Great hospitality. Confusing billing? Your deposit was allegedly supposed to be deducted from your bill however I was told to pay my bill in full then get my deposit back later.

    9) Golden eye snapper, chayote, red pepper
    Helz M.

    Huge huge congratulations to Chef Ki Kim for getting the Michelin Guide Young Chef Award Winner this year! This Michelin restaurant might be my newest fave in LA (reminds me a bit of the OG Kato). Every dish thoughtfully took traditional Korean ingredients and creatively elevated it. Chef himself is super friendly and takes the time to not only explain the dish but also share the inspiration behind each one. Even the art he chose to put up adds an additional layer of depth to your experience, challenging you to try to understand various "perspectives". 1) Tuna, bugak, mustard 2) Horse mackerel, aged kimchi, perilla 3) Octopus, estrogen, octopus head 4) Spot prawn, uni, prawn's head 5) Perilla leaf, lemon fern, smoked tomato 6) Caviar, potato, spare head squid 7) Keizo's noodle, freshwater eel, Dungeness crab 8) Lobster, doenjang, raspberry 9) Golden eye snapper, chayote, red pepper 10) Dry aged duck, maple, taro stem 11) Porcini, indigenous cacao, tea leaf 12) Omija, cranberry, strawberry lemonade

    Ada Y.

    Delicious delicious food and such a fun menu. Loved tasting the creative fusiony parts of each dish. It's definitely a must experience for yourself for all the thoughtfully cooked and prepped dishes. The only one my partner and I were kinda meh about was the fish course towards the end. Don't get me wrong, it was still delicious just didn't feel like all the parts of the dish fit as well together as some of the other courses had. We got a la carte nonalcoholic drinks, although the alcoholic pairing was highly recommended. The nonalcoholic options were both delicious and not too sweet. Parking is in the same bldg as for Kaneyoshi and co. You have to go down the specified elevator indicated and the hostess will guide you to the correct restaurant.

    Jay R.

    I noticed other reviewers mentioned this but it's quite tricky getting to the restaurant for the first time. Access is through the elevator down to the basement level from the attached parking garage. They seem to know it's hard to navigate to because they text and provide directions and photos. Aside from that, the experience was amazing. We did not have issues with pacing between courses. The dishes were delicious. The only one I was not a fan of was the crabby congee but my friends loved it. It was too fishy for me. They gave us some things on the house because they overheard it was a birthday. We also loved their take on the meeyukgook. Overall, we loved this experience and would definitely return.

    keizo's noodle, freshwater eel, Dungeness crab (this was good too.
    Rue K.

    Nestled in the heart of Little Tokyo, Restaurant Ki is a ten-seat dining destination offering an intimate exploration of New Korean Cuisine Dinner was $300 per person and wine pairing $190 when I attended. 10 seats total at 6:30pm. Building entrance was quite confusing. The host will text you a picture of the unmarked entrance. We were greeted by Chef Ki and Chef Ryan. Even though dinner is inspired by Korean food, ingredients are sourced from all over the world Food Similar to other Michelin star restaurants. Ingredients included lobster caviar morel mushrooms Ki's Menu Yours receive a small booklet at the END of your dinner service and it looks like it looks like a fuzzy memory. The chef explained to you what it means when you finish your next course, you can't hardly remember your previous one What's included - Tuna, bugak, mustard - wild fluke, aged kimchi, penila - Octopus , estragon, octopus head (this was so good. I wanted more) - Spot prawn, sea urchin, prawns head next (meh for me) - perilla leaf, lemon fern, smoked tomato (so so good. Citrus and contrast so vibrant ) - Caviar, potato, spearhead squid - keizo's noodle, freshwater eel, Dungeness crab (this was good too. Warm and earthy. Reminds me of a Chinese dish) - Lobster, doenjang, raspberry - Saber, fish, chayote, red pepper (crispy crispy skin! And velvet soft fish) - Wild boar, gondre, sea squirt - Porcini, indigenous cacao, tea leaf - omija, cranberry, strawberry lemonade (i was this the shave ice?) - mango with lime peel shaving (yum) Service -0.5 A bit below Kato We arrived 1st and on time, but had the worst seats. My friend was seated right in front of the entrance door instead of farther inside. We ended up waiting for the other guests to arrive (prob all lost cuz the entrance unmarked) and the door kept opening/closing right behind my friends back while we were drinking and waiting for others to arrive. That was an unpleasant experience for him and he was paying the dinner for us. During dinner and drinks it was fine But when I was leaving, no one got my coat. At Kato, my server was waiting at the door with my coat before I even noticed. Kato was a lot more detailed in this area. They also gave us a tea tin to go as a personal present present Atmosphere Clean quiet and only 10 seats per serving. Very personal, but also you have to wait for the other guest to arrive. If they're late you have to wait for them. Now if you're hungry while arriving you're gonna be grouchy Location -0.5 stars Building entrance was quite unmarked with no signage. The host will text you a picture of the unmarked entrance. Then you enter passcode but have to look around for 2 different elevators. 2nd elevator has a small signage next to elevator button. But then realized maybe rent cost is easier manageable here ? Restaurant Ki just received their "Michelin star 2025". Chef Ki also received "California Young Chef Award Winner Michelin Guide, 2025"

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    Ask the Community - Restaurant Ki

    What can I expect to pay for a party of two?

    At least $400 per person, more if you get the wine pairing.

    What's the parking situation, Valet or they have their own parking lot?

    It's a secure, attached parking structure. You enter the building from it and take the elevator to the basement.

    View All 5 Questions

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    Photos
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    Popular place. Had to wait 30 minutes for a table for 6 on a weekday at 6:15pm which is not bad!

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    •$$$

    The establishment is very clean and the service is friendly. The price is quite reasonable,…read moreespecially considering the overwhelming amount of food you get. As a party of 3, we all ordered the set menu with barley rice, and I could not even begin to tell you how shocked I was when the waitress brought out the food. It was dish after dish after dish, and by the end of it, the entire table was completely filled with food. All the dishes were well flavored and complemented each other nicely. I really enjoyed that you can mix everything together and create your own combination of flavors depending on what you're in the mood for. There's a nice variety of textures and flavors, so the meal never felt repetitive. To get some protein (and fat lol), we also ordered the bossam. The pork belly was cooked perfectly... tender, juicy, and flavorful. It paired really well with the crispy cabbage and pickled vegetables, which helped cut through the richness of the pork. Overall, this was a really satisfying meal. You get a ton of food for the price, the flavors are solid, and the experience was really unique. Definitely a great spot to come with a group so you can enjoy the variety of dishes together.

    What an experience!! Hehhe…read more We got the Set. We also ordered the galbi short ribs. It was about $50 for the ribs alone!! At first glance, everything looked amazing. Down the line, I realized that the set was basically a bunch of ban chan. Some were interesting because other Korean restaurants don't serve it. We were advised to use it to create our own bibimbap. The perilla porridge stood out most. I never had perilla porridge. The taste was unique. It had chicken inside. The small cup of pumpkin soup was yummy. The soybean soup (fermented soy bean stew) had a very pungent smell. I wanted to enjoy it, but it wasn't for me. I couldn't stand the smell and not comfortable with the taste. Wish they gave an option to choose from different stews. The desserts were good. I also like their plum tea/juice. The galbi was well marinated. Not as tender as I was hoping for, but it was still delicious. With the price, I do feel like the set should include a dish of meats. Especially since the restaurant requires 2 people at $34 each for the set. If you go 3 people, prob more worth it. Overall, it was a fun experience. Service was great.

    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)
    3.3 mi•Wilshire Center, Koreatown
    •$$$

    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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    Jinsol Gukbap - 3rd St - Cold Noodle (Naengmyeon)

    Jinsol Gukbap - 3rd St

    4.5(892 reviews)
    3.7 mi•Koreatown
    •$$

    Of the 15 different naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) I've tried in Koreatown, Jinsol stands…read morealone at the top. Firstly, the restaurant staff is so warm and inviting. The space is clean and tidy. The environment really had me missing Seoul. And what better way to comfort a heart yearning for home, than authentic Korean food. The homemade buckwheat noodles have the perfect chewiness to breakage ratio that you'll go absolutely crazy for. I prefer the spicy naengmyeon because they've hit that delicate balance of heat and flavor that perfectly compliment the natural sweetness of the noodles. For anyone looking for a hearty meal, I'd recommend the combo, you get the cold noodles and an order of beef short ribs pork or chicken for about $30. My brother is a bodybuilder, so he goes for the Bibimbop (hot stone bowl with rice veggies and protein) and I'm guilty of stealing a few bites from his plate. The banchan has a freshness you can taste in every dish. If you're like me and in need of quality homemade kimchee, look no further. Everything at Jinsol Gukbap reminds me of my grandmother's cooking. The amount of care that goes into preparing these meals really shines through. The balance of flavors is so deliberate, I can't call this a humble comfort food restaurant. The folks at Jinsol are true masters of their craft and I can say with confidence I'll be coming back again and again and again

    If you're craving Korean food late night, there's no wait here and the food's great. Good service…read moreand there's valet parking, so you don't have to stress about finding parking. I recommend coming here for their kimchi stew and side dishes!

    Photos
    Jinsol Gukbap - 3rd St - Counter area

    Counter area

    Jinsol Gukbap - 3rd St - Never disappointed!!

    Never disappointed!!

    Jinsol Gukbap - 3rd St - Kimchi Jjigae with Pork Belly

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    Kimchi Jjigae with Pork Belly

    Restaurant Ki - korean - Updated October 2026

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