Somewhere between 4 and 5 stars, rounded up. Solid spot. LA Karlbi was good. Love the sides... kimchee, cucumber kimchee, macaroni salad and rice. Small, hole in the wall type feel. Prices on par with other korean bbq places. Easy to get in and out of - ample parking. read more

This place holds a special place in my heart as one of the first local Korean restaurants I've eaten at since I moved to the area. It's in a small, almost empty-ish plaza, but it's a little mom-and-pop gem. Ambiance (5/5): Walk right in and you'll see that it's on the small side, but a cute and simple restaurant with family vibes. Depending on the time of day, it can feel somewhat empty while at other times somewhat busy. Service (3/5): It's nothing too special, but the workers are always friendly. It's somewhat self serve. You order at the front and then you wait for them to call your order. Then you pick up your tray of food, eat, and place the trays towards the front when done. Food (5/5): Everything we have eaten here over the years is so yummy. Their hot stone bibimbap is chock-full of ingredients with just the right amount of sesame oil and flavor; we often have to pack some of it to go. Their army stew (budaejigae) is my absolute favorite, and I've compared it to a lot of other Korean stew places, some way pricier and this one still takes the cake. It has a wonderful roasted flavor from all the meats they put in and I love going for the ramen first. I always take extra to go since it's small but filling. The best part? Let's not forget that they have self serve all-you-can-eat banchan (side dishes) and they do not skimp on variety. There's your usuals like the napa kimchi, radish kimchi and fish cakes, but they also have mac salad, potato salad, japchae and other goodies which works well for your picky toddlers. Overall, this is a wonderful little restaurant that deserves a visit over and over when you're just craving some comfort korean food at decent prices. read more

This is a hole in a wall, mom and pop kind of restaurant but serving one of the most authentic Korean food. It is self served, in which you go up to order, they'll give you a plate for self served banchan, and you grab your own utensils. Once you're done, you have to return the trays and plates back. The food is made to order and very tasty. We ordered all their "must try" and it was really good. The side dishes were definitely home made. I highly recommend the seafood pork bone soup noodle because it was super tasty, but be aware that mild is still kind of spicy. The lady in the front was strict but reasonable, just like any real place should be. Customers were mostly family they knew the place and chatted with the boss. The atmosphere is very simple with tables that you can sit anywhere. read more

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From my last review here which says over 1 year ago, I have been here two or three other times, so my count is about 4 or 5. I figured it's time to update my review. Fortunately there aren't a lot of differences between then and now because this place is really good. I can say for sure, one definite change are the prices. Still reasonable and for how much you get and for how good it is, still worth while. The food here is so authentic. Really delicious and great options that I think I need to try something different at every visit. I had seen some social media videos mentioning daily specials, but I did not see anything posted talking about any special. They still offer the add on of 6 pieces of LA Galbi for $16.99 or a ground pork patty called Tteok Galbi for $9.50 to any entree order to make it a combo. This is a great deal to get a variety of flavors and to get the best of both worlds. read more

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So sad. It seems this restaurant has gone through an ownership change, and unfortunately the food just isn't what it used to be. The chilk naengmyeon broth was still flavorful, but the noodles came out half frozen--so much so that it actually hurt to eat. What really sealed the disappointment for us were the LA galbi and the jjajangmyeon. The LA galbi was thin and dry, and for a $16.99 combo add-on, it felt like a complete waste of money. We ordered the jjajangmyeon for our kids, but it turned out to be unexpectedly spicy, to the point where they couldn't eat it at all. There was no warning about the spice level. Overall, this visit was a letdown, especially compared to how good this place used to be. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Jja Jang Myeon (warning: spicy) - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

Went here last night with my family for a quick, lowkey weekday dinner. It's literally right down the street, and we'd been here once before and remembered how hospitable the worker was, so we wanted to come back. The vibe is very casual and homey -- nothing fancy, just a relaxed neighborhood spot where you can come in, eat well, and feel comfortable. It was a calm weekday night, perfect for an easy family dinner. The portions here are huge, and they offer all-you-can-eat banchan. After you order at the front, you're given a plate to load up on all the fresh sides, which is such a nice touch. I ordered the bibimbap and it was absolutely delicious. My mom and sister got the soondubu (not pictured, but the portions were massive), and my dad ordered a full order of galbi -- you can also order it as a side for a cheaper price. We probably should've ordered family-style, but everything on the menu looked too tempting. The worker at the front was super nice and funny, which really added to the experience. Overall, such a great neighborhood gem -- definitely a spot we'll keep coming back to. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Galbi (12 Pcs) - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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Somunnan Korean Restaurant is tucked away in a small plaza in Cerritos & serves some seriously authentic, comforting Korean food. We ordered the Galbi Tang ($19.99) & Tteok Galbi ($18.99), both are "must-tries". The Galbi Tang came out piping hot with super tender beef back ribs in a rich, braised beef broth with green onions, glass noodles, & jujube. It tasted so homey & comforting. The Tteok Galbi was a grilled ground pork patty seasoned with a savory soy-based sauce.. simple but packed with flavor. Both dishes come with rice & miso soup, which really completes the meal! This is the kind of place you come to when you're sick, hungover, or just craving something warm and homemade. Total comfort food. Ordering is self-serve style, you order at the front & they bring the food to your table. Side dishes are self-serve & unlimited! Such a solid spot for authentic Korean food. I'm definitely coming back to try their other dishes! read more

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If you're looking for the best Korean food in Cerritos, Somunnan is the spot It's a cozy, hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's always packed with locals -- a good sign the food is authentic and delicious. I loved the self-serve banchan station -- so many side dishes to choose from, all fresh and flavorful, it made the meal feel even more homey. The galbitang was incredibly tender and comforting, perfect if you're craving something hearty. The gamjatang tasted just like the ones I've had in Korea -- rich, spicy, and full of flavor. And to finish the meal, the naengmyun (cold noodles) was refreshing and gave the perfect balance after all the comforting soups. Service was fast and friendly, and the prices were very reasonable for the amount of food. Definitely a gem in Cerritos -- I'll be back for sure! read more

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This was a bit of a different experience, as you order at the front and pay first. Then once you've ordered, you just sit wherever there is an empty table. They do have unlimited self-serve banchan, but there are limited options to choose from. I'll also note that if the ban chans do run out, they aren't refilled right away, so if it is busy, you might be able to get some or a 2nd serving. If you do go when it is a bit busy, you might have to wait a bit for a table as the place is a bit small. I ordered the Soondae, along with a Ugeoji Galbi Tang Soup. The soup itself was super filling, so I only ended up eating a few pieces of the soondae. The soondae was alright, it has a nice snap to it, and a nice chewy inside, other than that, there wasn't any other type of noticeable flavor. They do provide additional seasoning with the soondae, so that was nice. The soup was also pretty standard. The brother was seasoned enough, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it was decent enough. I wanted to note that the beef slices in the soup were a bit dry, but the meat on the beef ribs was tender. I did like that there was purple rice served with the meal. Once you finish your meal, you take the trays to the rack in the front. Overall, I thought the food was just alright, and the service was also not too great, but I won't go into it too much. There isn't much that convinced me that I need to come again anytime soon. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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I ordered the black bean noodles and bulgogi. Both came in large portions and were good. The bulgolgi also came with a side of purple rice. You order at the counter, then grab your food and return your tray there too. There's a self-serve banchan station, which is a nice touch. Some of the sides (fish cake) were just okay, but the mac salad was good. Plenty of seating Parking: parking available in plaza. read more

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Jonesing for Korean but short on time in an unfamiliar area, and as usual Yelp came through with this rec! Somunnan is a fast casual version of your typical K restaurant. Order at the counter and help yourself to the self-serve banchan bar while you wait the quick few minutes it takes for your food to be ready. It's unlimited, but there isn't much selection, just FYI. We ordered the Gom Tang (beef based clear broth with soft-juicy beef slices, green onion, dry jujube, glass noodle and served with rice) and Dol Sot Bibimpap (various cooked vegetables, egg and beef, and served with rice and miso soup), as well as a side order of Galbi (BBQ short beef ribs) to share. The food was just as expected - nothing particularly standout to either rave or complain about. read more

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Second time here the food has gone down in flavor. I'm from out of town and found this place based on reviews. My first visit was a completely different experience. There is no service really provided. You order at the counter, pick up your food, and CLEAN THE TABLE! After eating I walked to the counter to leave a tip and ask for a to-go container, the older woman at the front that was on the phone the whole time chased my friends and I to return to clean the table. We were arranging stuff in our truck and she waited at the door for us to return. There are no signs in the restaurant saying that it has to be done. Lady pointed at a sign zip tied to the top of a rack facing away from the tables that said Return. With that being said flavor has gone down and customer service is worse. One step away from having to cook my meal or warm it up. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Army stew - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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This was so so good. Might be my new favorite Korean restaurant!! First off, help yourself to unlimited banchan. And the banchan is soo good. The kimchi is super fermented and the fish cake is well seasoned. Got the spicy cold noodle and pork neck bone soup. Pretty generous portions for both. The place is an order and seat yourself restaurant and the restaurant isn't too busy so it was easy to find a seat right after peak time (1:30 on a Saturday). I enjoyed the signage and feeling of the restaurant - felt like a true mom and pop shop. Overall highly recommend. I will be coming back to try other items in the future. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

Came here with BB, mom and pops for a late weekend lunch. In a business plaza with plenty of parking, only about 20% capacity when we arrived. You order up front at the cashier and they bring you your food. I love how they have the all you can eat banchan (side dish) self serve bar. The most important side for me is kimchi and their kimchi was good. For entrees, I got the gamjatang (pork neck and potato spicy soup), BB got bulgogi (marinated beef), and the parents split a soojaebi jjampong (spicy seafood soup with pieces of dough instead of the traditional noodles. The soups were great, but the bulgogi was average at best. Still would highly recommend this place. I will try the mul naeng myun (cold buckwheat noodle soup) next. Overall a solid 4, maybe even a 4.5. read more

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Somunnan had all the classic korean dishes you can think of: what i ordered: * pork neck bone soup: very flavorful and had huge pieces of meat * galbi tang: loved the broth and meat was easy to eat * army stew: noodles were cooked just right and def had a kick to it * jjambbong : had lots of seafood and large portion size the only thing i didn't like too much were their side dishes but they were self serve so you can pick which ones you want. overall their dishes were pretty good and food came out pretty fast read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

Wooooowwww I'm dying at how gorgeous and fragrant this bowl of pork bone spicy seafood soup (jjambbong) is. Half a crab, a huge shrimp, sooo many mussels, and then underneath all thar, a huuuge soft braised pork bone. Paired with a self serve banchan bar; baby I am so here for it. So soothing for this rainy day. No wonder the whole restaurant is packed! Service was also so polite and helpful. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - All my snackies - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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Came across this spot randomly in Cerritos and I'm so glad we ate here! They must have just opened when we walked in because we were the first ones inside. You pay at the cash register and they give you a plate for your banchan (the banchan is on the side of the register). Take what you can eat - They offer kimchi, tofu skin, bean sprout, danmuji, pickled cucumbers, mac and potato salad. Their potato salad is really creamy and delicious. My other favorite was their tofu skin - chewy and flavorful! Everything is self-serve - You can find cold and hot water and utensils near the register. When your food is ready they'll call you. When you're done, there's an area to drop off your tray. I got their Mul Nengmyeon ($15.50) which is a cold, buckwheat noodles served with cucumbers, radish and egg. It is very vinegary, which I loved and was looking forward to! My husband got their Ugeoji Galbi Tang ($19.99) which includes beef ribs, some noodles, bean sprout, napa cabbage, and served with rice. His beef based broth was clear and flavorful! There's a limited number of seats, but I don't think this is a spot where you sit and talk for two hours - More of a get food and then leave to get coffee two doors down type of place. Lol. I really want to go back and try their Tteok Galbi! That looked and smelled delicious! read more

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Came here for lunch a little after they opened, which is the best time to get here on the weekend. It was packed thirty minutes after we sat down. But there are a variety of sized tables for small and large parties. Everything is self serve. You order at the register, get your own water, utensils, and banchan. The banchan bar was nice and there were a good amount of options to choose from, which I enjoyed. I got their The portion size was huge and it was pretty good. I wish they had purple rice though. Parking is pretty easy since there aren't many shops in the area. read more

I typically love everything that I order here and have come here over 10 times now. This time we trie to venture out and ordered the black bean noodles and seafood noodle soup. The seafood food noodle soup was delicious, but the black bean noodle was difficult to eat and we ended up leaving 3/4 of it. I would still return here, but not order that again. This is more of a food court vibe where you order at the front and go pick up your order when your number is called. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Bul Jjambbong - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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The appetizer bar is so convenient. Their jjampon noodle soup is very rich and good. I didn't truly enjoy the house cut noodle as much as I had expected. I assume the typical noodle is better. Service is as expected for a walk up to counter restaurant. Typical Korean dining environment. read more

Warm atmosphere and great service. Order at the counter, grab your own banchan, and find a seat. Banchan was wonderfully flavorful and fresh. Kimche wasn't too fermented, still crunchy and complimented the hot soup well. Most flavorful fish cake banchan I've ever had! Gamjatang was a warm hug in a bowl. Served boiling hot with ample meat. I was surprised by the potatoes, bean sprouts, and greens a the bottom. Delicious and not overcooked. I ordered spicy which was hot with well balanced flavors, not overpowering heat. Anything notated on the menu with "must try" is phenomenal. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Banchan: self-serve and delicious - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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I kept seeing this place show on social media so I decided to come check it out. Plenty of parking in the lot around the building. Inside, the ambiance is nice and clean. For this restaurant, you order up front and pick up your order, so no need to tip. They also give you a plate for you to grab banchan from their self serve bar and you can get as much as you want. I grabbed their kimchi, fish cakes, potato salad, and macaroni salad. They all tasted average to me, also doesn't that fresh probably because it's from the night before. For my main meal, I ordered the cold noodles cause I heard that's what they're known for. It was really good and the portion size was big. I added mustard and vinegar and it tastes more flavorful. After you're done eating, you just put your tray and dirty plates in the return rack. Overall, I would come back again and try other items off the menu. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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I loved the food and all you can eat panchan, but the add-on prices for the hamburger patty that was like a lot of filler was $8.99? They definitely need to work on the price and reduce the price down to maybe say $5.99. These add-ons should never rival the main entree items price. Other than that the flavor was excellent. I also like the daily specials which allows more customers to come. read more

My first time trying somunnan after having it booked marked for so long. They have daily special prices for one dish each weekday( forgot if it's a lunch special pricing or not) so i ordered the bibimbap(not hotstone) for 11$. They give purple rice and I love that the rice was hot. They have a good Banchan option,looove the potato salad. Overall it was a good meal! read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Bibimbap special on tuesday - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

This is the one of my favorite Korean restaurant when I passing Cerritos. Everything, and I mean everything, is great here. I would highly recommend to dine-in and enjoy their AYCE Korean banchan. I usually order galbi-tang + gom-tang without any disappointment. Loved their prompt service and enjoyed ambiance w/ K pop music. A++++ read more

Plenty of parking and the restaurant itself isn't that large, it's kind of dark inside as well but cold. You first order at the desk then they will call out your number and you pick up your food at the counter. They will give you a plate so you can grab unlimited banchans which were phenomenal from the Kimchi to the fish cakes and cucumbers. It was a highlight for me. We ordered the galbi tang and spicy pork belly and both dishes came with purple rice. Tang was delish and gave four good size rib bones and the spicy pork belly was packed with a lot of flavor. Service was ok but overall a good experience. read more

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We got the cold noodles and it was really good! There was a blob of spiciness but surprisingly, it was not that spicy, very doable. The side dishes were also very good! Lots of variety, especially different pickles! Also, they had mash potatoes (not pictured, the worker refilled sides later haha) that was so good, so good that a kid had like at least 10 scoops on his side dish plate! Overall, would come again!! read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Cold noodles - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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Overall the food is very good and self service banchan bar is awesome. Items not always being available and some not being as incredible as I remember is te only thing keeping me from returning to 5 stars. Kalbi was a bit of a let down again as well, but other dishes were all very good, line the tofu soup and jajiangmien. read more

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I love Korean food but I never heard of all you can eat self serve banchan/side dishes before so I had to come try it. It's definitely not like your typical restaurant where you get your order taken and have dishes brought out to you. This is more fast casual where you take a seat wherever you'd like and order and pay up front. While you wait for them to call out your number to pick up your food, you can go up and get yourself a small plate to choose whichever side dishes you want from the selection and grab a cup of water and utensils. The signs are very clearly written for you so that you know where things are. They have a good variety of mainstay side dishes from spicy fish cakes, kimchi, macaroni salad to potato salad and more. I had to load up since it was ayce. Their main menu also had a lot of good options to choose from so it was hard to choose because everything sounded good. I ended up getting a spicy pork dish that came with rice and miso soup and it came out pretty quickly. The spicy pork was delicious and drenched in sauce. They don't skimp on the portions either. I love that it comes with purple rice too rather than your average white rice. The miso was just okay in my opinion as I've had better before but I still appreciate having it as part of the set. Overall the main and side dishes were phenomenal tasting but I actually did not find myself going back for more side dishes simply because it was a lot of food. It might be better to come on an empty stomach to really be able to take advantage of the ayce side dishes. Once you're done though, you can ask for a takeout bag and box and then return your dishes and tray to the rack for them to take. The person at the counter was super nice and asked if we enjoyed our food which showed they cared about how their food was received. I would come back again to try their soups next time. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Spicy pork with miso soup and rice - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

Order at counter, pick up your own banchan (sp), your nunber is called and you pick it up. Utensils and water is self serve also. While mine and my friends orders were wrong, they were still delicious. Prices are reasonable, guess just double check your order is taken correctly. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

I love that they use long silverware and self serve side dishes because it feels like the no frills Korean restaurants we know serve good food. The sides are traditional, the flavors are clean and complex and the food comes piping hot. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Gom Tang Soup, Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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Somunnan is a convenient quick serve counter service authentic Korean restaurant with an all you can eat panchan (side dish) bar. The format is great if you are pressed for time but still want a full authentic Korean meal. The variety of side dishes wasn't the greatest on the night I went but The ones they had were good. Particular shout out to the kimchi and mashed potatoes. The food came out relatively quickly and was made super fresh. It was high quality and very good. Would recommend the Dolsot bibimbap and you can add on an order of galbi for a discount from the regular menu price. read more

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Mediocre at best, not sure why it's rated so high. Restaurant was empty on Saturday night at 7pm, that should've been the sign. Had gamjatang and galbi, both were mid. Self-serve banchan and water stations are prob there to cut costs down. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant is a casual spot for Korean food with All-You-Can-Eat (AYCE) banchan. Came here on a Sunday evening for dinner with some friends. It was pretty busy when we walked in, but there was no line. We ordered at the front and we're given plates for the banchan. My fiance and I shared the Sujebi Jjambbong and our friends got the White Jjambbong. While waiting for our food to come out, we went to the banchan bar. There was a good variety of banchan including kimchi, fish cake, cucumbers, pickled radish, potato salad, and macaroni salad. All of the banchan seemed fresh and were tasty. Our favorites were the fish cake and macaroni salad. Our entrees came out quickly and the portions were huge. Definitely enough for two people to share an entree and be satisfied. The Jjambbong broth was hot and had a kick to it. It is great for a cold day. There was a lot of seafood in the Jjambbong, which we appreciated. The noodles were interesting. It was difficult to eat them with chopsticks so we ate them with a soup spoon. I think we would have preferred to have regular noodles in this dish but we wanted to try something different. We did like that they were handmade. Overall, giving Somunnan Korean Restaurant a 5/5. Service is quick and food is good (a little pricey, but worth it since the portions are large and there is AYCE banchan). It's a small and cozy restaurant, so would try to avoid rush hour. Would recommend to anyone looking for good Korean food, and especially to people who enjoy banchan. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Banchan - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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12/27/2024 14:50pm Food is great BUT!!! Cashier is extremely rude, checked in on five star machine and wanted to use my $5 reward discount after they swiped my card. Cashier told me I'll have to wait 3 days for my money to kick back into my account, told her I don't mind, she replied me with an attitude of "I MIND". What kind of cashier says that? Extremely disappointed and rude service read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Cashier 12/27/2024 14:50pm - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

I'm so annoyed and disappointed in my to go order. I think I just got racial profiled. I have been craving spicy cold noodle and I'm right down the street so this place is very convenient for me. When I got to the counter, they had to double check this was my order if I ordered this and I asked if I could please get some extra hot mustard and vinegar that comes w it because I like it really spicy. There isn't much in one little container to go so that is why I asked for one more. The young guy and tall older lady looked at each other and they didn't even bother getting it for me until I asked again but the lady only got me the vinegar lol. I had to ask twice which normally doesn't happen and they didn't even give me the extra mustard. Lol I was very disappointed in the service I just experienced. The cold noodles were not even cut either and no kimchi either ugh. They should have separated the sauce and noodles just in case on this hot day. Anyways, I lost my appetite 1/3rd of the meal and I had to cut and separate the noodles and the sauce in glass containers so they won't get soggy later. Maybe I should just come with my Korean friends to order food to get better service.... read more

a very solid casual korean place in cerritos! the ambiance is super laidback, you order at the front and seat yourself. after you order, you are given a plate for the all you can banchan station. when they call your number, you pick up your order from the front. the banchan is super delicious - the spicy fish cakes were my favorite! the bean sprouts, cucumbers, and pickled radish are also some classic banchan dishes. the soondubu / tofu soup was massive. i got the seafood with mild spice and thought it was a bit spicier than mild. however, it was a really great portion size. my friend got the jjambbong. overall, the food was quite good and i think the portion size, along with the the all you can banchan, makes this place well worth the price and drive. i might not come out of my way to eat here again, but if i were to live a bit closer, i would definitely be a regular. i'd highly recommend! read more

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This was a hidden gem! If you're looking for a fast Korean food restaurant this is definitely the place since it's self serve with unlimited sides! It was my first time trying the famous cold soup mulnaengmyeon and it was amazing! The service was great and the ambiance is cozy. read more

Was craving some Korean food in the area and ended up here! Wanted to try their bibim naengmyun and it was solid! Also had their bibimbap which was good too! This place was interesting because you pick up your own banchan/side dishes (which were pretty good by the way - I really liked their odeng/spicy fish cakes as a side!), and you also pick up your food! I think it would be a great go-to place especially if you live nearby! Decent amount of parking up front! read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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Went yesterday, the food is great ( big serving ). Friendly, fast service, nice ambiance. read more

Somunnan Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Cerritos, California

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