50 Best Korean Restaurants near Monrovia

“Stopped by after the farmers market, had their honey something wings and a beer. Wings were crispy and tasteful, however I prefer american style wings over this Korean version. Ambience is balance with good lighting and some k-pop music. Overall its a good spot to hangout after after the farmers market.“

“I was craving Korean bbq but bowl style and this spot was nearby.

I ordered their marinated short rib bowl and I added extra proteins of spam, an egg and chicken with no rice, all salad. It was a phenomenal lunch overall. The flavor was definitely there. It was definitely pricey after I added all the extras, but still worth it.

I’d definitely come back here again to try their other menu items.“

“Great experience and reasonable price“

“The first time we came here was about 20+ years ago. We love their food, especially their authentic Korean tofu. I also love their condiments as an appetizer. We moved out of state and came back to visit. This restaurant is on our to-go list. The service was excellent; the waitress always checked in to make sure we had everything we needed. The food and service are still outstanding after 20+ years. Yes, I would recommend this restaurant for authentic Korean tofu soup!“

“Came from San Fernando Valley, was in the area with family looking for a place to have lunch. Stopped by and the service was amazing, as well as the food. Really recommend coming to eat here. I will definitely bring my family again, and I won't mind driving an hour.“

“Well, love at first sight on their packaging!!! They do the business seriously here 👏

The chicken katsu was juicy, tofu katsu was good. Chicken sando was delish. If anything to improve, they could offer hot sauce/some chili powder(togarashi). Sit outside get the view“

“Didn't know they had more than one restaurant in the L.A. area. This is the second one we tried and it didn't disappoint, it was just as good as the first time and second times we visited the Koreatown location. The service, the food, everything is great.“

“There wasn't a lot of Korean options I could find in SGV for a weekend lunch that included the regular tofu house kind of fare and that wasn't a place that BF and I were not returning to anymore. What caught my eye at Omma Tofu House was their cold buckwheat noodles, a perfect item to order on a hot summer day.

I knew I didn't have enough appetite to finish their combo of galbi and cold buckwheat noodles, so I opted for the cold buckwheat noodles only ($14.99). BF ordered the bulgogi and beef tofu soup combo ($22.99). Everything really hit the spot.

We've been back multiple times to try other things on their menu like their dolsot bibimbap, jajangmyeon, galbi, spicy pork, spicy grilled chicken, and seafood pancake. All were pretty solid. Our usual go-to now would be a solo order of tofu soup and a tofu soup combo with whatever protein we are in the mood for that meal. They refill banchan, so just bring back the empty plate to the counter for some more. The counter also has a self-serving water/tea machine so you can refill your cup too.

Plenty of parking in the plaza. They close at 8 pm for all 7 days of business, so don't stop by too late, as the food court also tends to shut down around that time.“

“Got seated around 16:50, wanted to get the Lunch special but I was worried since it was getting close to 5pm. However, the lady was really nice and let me get the lunch special so I was quite pleased. Great service! The food also tasted great and was of great quality. I would definitely recommend others to come dine here, especially during the weekday lunch special (11am-5pm).“

“Great food priced right! One of our favorites places to eat at’“

“They were not joking when they called this comfort food. I was sick, and it was raining, so I wanted something warm and hearty. This place seemed like the obvious choice, and far exceeded my expectations. Food came out fast and blistering hot, but still perfect temperature to eat right away. It was somehow nostalgic, even though it was my first time trying this dish. The tofu was extremely soft, but held its shape well, and very flavorful from absorbing the liquid. It really felt like it cured by illness.

Portion size was also very generous, which is always important. The menu was also pretty varied, I could imagine coming back multiple times and trying something new each time.“

“I ordered chicken teriyaki bowl . It was flavorful and tasty .Side Salad was spicy and tasted good. Receptionist was very welcoming and helpful. Food quality was also good . If you like teriyaki flavor with reasonable price in Pasadena, you can try this .“

“The staff was so incredibly kind! We had such a lovely time dining here. The bossam was fresh, the samgyeopsal was perfectly crisp, and the lettuce was crispy!!

I would definitely recommend for a nice week night dinner because it's super affordable!“

“Came here recently and really enjoyed the hearty, flavorful soup—it had the perfect amount of spice and richness, with fresh ingredients like tofu, green onions, and tender shredded meat. It felt like true comfort food and was definitely the highlight of the meal for me.

I also tried the bossam (steamed pork with tofu and veggies). While it was presented beautifully and came with generous portions, the pork itself was on the dry side for my taste, so it didn’t quite hit the same level as the soup.

Service was friendly and attentive, and the overall atmosphere was warm and inviting. I’d definitely come back for the soup again!“

“Absolutely phenomenal ! And the food is absolutely delicious I couldn't believe I spent under $20 for such a wonderful design of takeout box it was beyond expectation like seriously, the only problem is probably the portion is not as much as I want . But overall it is worth it ! I would definitely coming back soon“

“My partner and I enjoyed this place a lot!! It’s a great Korean restaurant to enjoy without going to LA K-town. We were very much satisfied with all of our recent visits, with a kind service from the server named Billy. They were so friendly to us even during the rush hours. We sat on a seat nearby the door, it was very windy and cold due to the half-opened door, and they kept it closed every time people go in and out. Not only that, Billy checked regularly to make sure everything is good and asked if we needed anything else. We enjoyed the food, but it wouldn’t have been such satisfaction without their great service. Thank you.“

“Popped in because its always time for meat. Loved tge atmosphere, and the language lessons in the bathroom. The food was great. The only downside was lack of my favorite banchan and the high prices of solutions. I'll be back.

With my own bottles. ;)“

“All you can eat for $40👏🏽👏🏽“

“I had stopped by when they had their grand opening in 2021, but didn't get to order since they were out of what I wanted. They were set up as a pick up and to-go spot, and given the very small parking lot to jostle for a spot, I didn't return until my friend suggested catching up at Soonheene for dinner.

They now have several tables for dine in and I was super happy to see that they used bowls and plates for your order if you dine in (though they use disposable utensils when bringing you your order). They also have a self-service area for iced water and iced barley tea and they use metal cups! Yay!

I came on a weekday at 6 pm and there was a lull as there was no wait. As it got closer to 6:30 pm - 7 pm, all the tables filled up! Lots of orders coming in for pick-up though, so if you don't want to wait for a table, order to go.

Since it's my first time here, I got almost everything, haha! The order included:

* shrimp mung bean pancake ($14.99)
* #15 combo of rose tteokbokki and mayak gimbap ($23.99)
* oden fish cake soup ($9.99)
* 5 pc wings soy garlic ($8.99)
* diet coke with Yelp check-in

If not for the Yelp check-in offer, I would've placed the order on their self-service kiosk.

Luckily, since we beat the rush, the food came out at a consistent pace. I had really wanted the mayak gimbap and the fish cake soup but since there was no combo for both, price-wise it made sense to do the combo with the rose tteokbokki. And it is heavenly to get all three! The mayak gimbap comes with a dipping sauce, but it's just as good if not better to dip it in the tteokbokki. If you don't want the usual spice of regular tteokbokki, the rose tteokbokki has been my go-to instead as it has the hint of spice without the usual burn. Soonheene's tteokbokki had very generous amounts of fish cake and sausage suporting the rice cakes, so it's my favorite iteration of this dish thus far. The oden fish cake soup came with three skewers of fish cake and fish cake tofu in a bowl of hot yummy soup and that was pretty solid.

I've never had anything like the mung bean pancake and it was good to have a protein in it for additional texture and flavor. It's best eaten when hot and crisp, otherwise, it's a bit dense the next day. The soy garlic wings were crisp and hot and full of flavor.

Obviously, the order was enough for two people to get a variety of options, but that did leave no room for some sides nor dessert. Maybe some gimmari and taiyaki next time!“

“Good kbbq spot. Inside is simple and clean with tables and booths for seating. The classic ayce menu is good.

Service was ok. Kinda slow but staff is friendly. There's a small parking lot in back or street parking but you might have to walk a block or two.“

“This restaurant stands out from the rest of the plaza. It feels as if you are transported to an entirely different space when you walk in. Its warm atmosphere is very inviting and the staff make you feel very comfortable and welcomed. Everyone is so nice and the food is amazing. The portions are filling and the drinks are amazing.. I recommend coming during a weekday or for early breakfast/brunch on the weekends before eleven because parking is really hard to find.“

“Our family loves to eat Korean foods. This place is a good one because you have many choices to choose from. The portion is pretty big so you can share it. Good service, very clean and most of all the foods are delicious. I highly recommend it.“

“Another Korean rice dog place in Arcadia, this time at the mall's food court!

While also picking up food at the other spots, I got a squid ink mozza and hot dog. Not all Korean rice dog spots have squid ink so I was excited to try this one. I asked what sauce is recommended with it and was told sweet chili sauce. I got that and also had it sprinkled with sugar (never say no to sugar on a Korean rice dog, it makes a difference!). Took it home to eat with the other things I ordered in the food court and enjoyed my quick and easy dinner at home. Good amount of melty mozzarella cheese with the hot dog.

Would come back for another!“

“Came here to celebrate my brother’s birthday with the family and we had a great experience overall.

We ordered the royal galbijim, mix seolleongtang with added octopus, spicy cold noodle, and the seafood pancake. The food was honestly amazing. The flavors were rich and comforting, and the meat quality really stood out. I would even say the meat and seasoning were better than Sun Nong Dan.

The royal galbijim was tender and packed with flavor. The only issue was that they forgot to include the octopus in the dish at first. When we let them know, they brought the octopus out separately, but it was just boiled. We had expected it to come back simmered together with the galbijim. It was still good, just not what we thought it would be.

The mix seolleongtang had a nice, clean broth, but the meat portion was a bit sparse. We also had to ask for spring onions instead of them being provided from the start. Not a huge deal, but something to note.

The spicy cold noodle was refreshing with a good kick, and the seafood pancake was crispy on the outside and soft inside, loaded with seafood.

Service was amazing. The staff was attentive, friendly, and generous with the banchan refills. The ambiance is modern with nice decor, and it is quiet enough to have an easy conversation without feeling rushed or crowded.

Parking is easy with a large free lot, which is always a plus in this area.

Overall, despite a couple small hiccups, we had a great time and really enjoyed the food. We will definitely be back to try more dishes.“

“My plant friends shared a birthday lunch here at Young Dong Tofu. The food was delicious. The staff was friendly and helpful. The location was great lots of parking. We will come back again. We highly recommend this place.“

“Great Korean restaurant that serves authentic food. The bossam are their specialty and they also have lots of different soups. The side dishes are kimchi, radish, and fishcake. They could be benefit with more staff since there was just one lady running around helping everyone so it took a while to put in our order, but the food was great.“

“I just want to say that not only the food is good here, but also their customer service. There was only one gentleman working today. He was the cashier and the cook. He had so many customers, yet as busy as he was, he was efficient, friendly, and acknowledged each person as they walked in. This guy needs a raise for all his hard work. Thank you“

“I went here for the first time on a Monday evening. The service was really good and on point on this day. Staff was always checking on us, always making sure our stove was clean or removing finished dishes. I got us the Deluxe meal. The spicy baby octopus was good. The gyōza dumplings and egg rolls were really good. They have sushi as well. Their menu can be accessed by QR code or you can ask for a physical menu.“

“This Taiyaki + Ice Cream place is at the level of other giants such as SomiSomi. The soft serve has a perfect texture (I tried the Pure Milk flavor with a Taiyaki on top, the Taiyaki being filled with Nutella), the service is quick and efficient, and the store was crowded when my two friends and I went on a Saturday evening. The ambiance is great too, there are so many pictures showing what the options are like, and there are clearly-illustrated menus spread throughout the restaurant. The toppings are available for the customers to grab and add to their ice cream as they wish, and everything, from the Oreo crumbs to the Banana chips are great. You can truly feel that every single item in this store is, indeed, made With Love.“

“Tasty food. I ordered the angus beef bowl. Not fatty or chewy. Goin back soon“

“I had an amazing experience at Flame Broiler thanks to Eaton and Brayen! From the moment I walked in, their customer service was outstanding. I asked for family meal recommendations, and they were quick to provide helpful suggestions. They went above and beyond by bringing the food directly to my table, instead of calling out my name or number. Their attentiveness and effort made the visit so much more enjoyable.“

“todo muy rico y fresco y muy atentos los meseros 💯“

“Under new ownership and already such a difference. I stopped by last night and had a FANTASTIC meal. I ordered the snapper and catfish meal with two sides. The fish was tender and perfectly seasoned and the colored greens and string beans were amazing. Perfectly seasoned and nice and hot. They give you two sauces and two slices of bread as well if you want to make a sandwich. It’s inexpensive and the customer service was excellent. I can tell lots of love has already gone into this place and will as the new owners settle in. Looking forward to stopping here regularly!“

“I was craving for Korean fried chicken, and happened to be in Alhambra. This was my go to Korean fried chicken place. I ordered via scanning a QR code, which was convenient. I got wings with Secret sauce and Honey Garlic sauce. Service was fast, and servers were friendly. I like the honey garlic the most, and I could not stop eating until I finished all the wings.“

“The best Chinese vegan restaurant around here!“

“First time here we celebrated my daughter's 18th birthday. The food was delicious. They have big portions to share. Our server was so sweet we had little ones with us so she asked if we wanted the food to be cooked in the kitchen. My son (7) and granddaughter (3) picky eaters really liked the food. Thank you so much“

“A cafeteria-style restaurant located right inside the market in food court. All the food is battered, so if you’re not a fan of batter, you won’t find much else here. However, I have to note that the dishes are good and the batter is high-quality, not overcooked or hard like it often is at places that use it. The staff was friendly. The big downside is the dirty tables, since no restaurant is responsible for the food court area and nobody cleans it.“

“Don't really get the bad reviews. I have yet to find a hot stone bibimbap that tastes better than this! I have tried several places at KBBQ spots, KTown restaurants, malls, etc. Always prepared quickly, super hot, plenty of gochujang, and the veggies crisp and fresh, and not too salty. Their tofu soups are also good, especially for a place literally in a grocery store I'm not sure what could be better.“

“This family-owned business usually never disappoints. We love the veggie pho because the broth is vegetable based, not chicken stock. The vegetables are always cooked to perfection and the portions are decent. On our last dining experience, we ordered the vegetable dumplings which came out very quickly. At first bite, I realized they were not vegetable but some kind of meat. While the place was busy, we couldn't find anyone to flag down fast enough before they delivered the correct order because the first one was chicken dumplings. Other than that, it's a good place for yummy food at good prices.“

“Place is awesome!! Our waiter Peter gave us some great recommendations, made us feel really welcomed and remembered us on our second visit a month later. Great neighborhood “goto” place a good meal and drinks!!“

“Nice mom and pop restaurant. Came to pick up my order but there was a mix up and they had to remake my order. While I was waiting they were very kind and apologetic. I really appreciated that. Also to food is delicious. The kimchi and cucumber sides arent overly sour or sweet. Perfectly balanced.“

“Came here for Father & Daughter Valentine’s Day Lunch. First thing that stood out was how beautiful the interior was, my daughter and I loved being able to sit in the booths. The food was great, a little pricey but that’s expected with Sushi. I recommend getting the mushrooms as an appetizer! I also want to give a shoutout to Megan who was our server that day. She was really sweet and attentive, really enjoyed her positive spirit while we were there. I managed to get a Polaroid with her that they were doing for Valentines Day. Overall great lunch. Will be back again.“

“🙂👍 Jin does a great job!“

“The food here is pretty good! My friends and I got the Bulgolgi Poutine, Rose Ddeok-Bokki, and the Honey Garlic Wings. I definitely recommend the honey garlic wings, it's super good! The service was great as well-- our server was so sweet and kind, she made sure we were okay. The place is somewhat spacious, there's lots of tables there!“

“Love the food and love the employees!!! Must try and we will surely come back to this place. ☺️“

“This place is so good I had to leave a great review . I love the fact I can I can modify my broth with as much or little with things like garlic or green onion. Both was on point. Meat was great, but the choices in veggy and add-ons were the best. Wife and daughter were happy too.“

“It was our first time here today. Great service and very friendly atmosphere. I had the spider hand roll (huge and delicous) and the cut spicy scallop cut roll. I really loved the spicy scallop roll. I don't know how they flavor it. But it wasn't just spicy mayo which made it so good! I also got the yellow submarine. Not my favorite but still pretty good. Overall great g
Food and great service.“

“Located inside food court H Mart of Arcadia . Plenty of seating. Good Jiajong noodles. Big portion and delicious. Reasonably priced for food court type of dishes. The wait time is only a few minutes. Self service. Very convenient for a quick bite.“

“The Freshwater Pavilion is a wonderful addition to the Huntington Chinese Garden. The small tea house sells an assortment of Asian snacks, drinks, teas, boba, and grab-and-go food. Its location offers plenty of outdoor seating next to the garden's beautiful lake, with a view of the Suzhou-style pavilions on either side. It's the perfect place to enjoy the gardens while having a quick sip of Milk Tea.“

“Came here this past Wednesday with my parents after hearing great things from a friend about Soonheene and Twozone Chicken. Soonheene actually started in Seoul’s famous Gwangjang Market where they were known for their pancakes, so I was excited to check it out.

From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by Esther (the owner) and her daughter. They both went out of their way to explain the menu and answer all my questions with genuine smiles. That kind of hospitality really sets the tone for a meal.

We ordered the Pork Mungbean Pancake, Rose Tteokbokki (creamy rice cakes with fish cake and sausage), Bibim-Naengmyeon (spicy cold buckwheat noodles), and a whole fried chicken split into two flavors. Everything we ordered was delicious and tasty. For half the chicken, I went with the original but added green onion and their special oriental sauce drizzle. The other half was spicy soy garlic. I’ll admit, I liked the original better. I second-guessed myself when the owner’s daughter mentioned soy garlic was their number one most popular flavor followed by honey butter, but I thought I would be different and try the spicy version. The spice kind of drowned out that garlicky soy flavor, so lesson learned. Next time I am going straight for the soy garlic and honey butter combo.

For drinks, we tried the Korean coffee and cold yuzu drink, both refreshing and a nice complement to the food. By the end of the meal, everything was so good that I even found myself asking about catering their chicken for future events.

The vibe inside is really comfortable with soft K-pop playing in the background. It is just enough for atmosphere but not too loud, so you can talk easily. The only tricky part is parking since it is in a busy plaza with a lot of other restaurants, but at least it is free.

Overall, this was one of the most unique dining experiences we have had recently, made extra special by Esther and her daughter’s hospitality. I love supporting family-owned spots like this, and I will definitely be back to try that famous soy garlic and honey butter chicken next time.“