This place has great service, the parking isn't crowded, the atmosphere is pleasant and enjoyable to have dinner.The portions are huge as well. I was very surprised. A small would feed 2 people easy, cost is $59. Comes with pork rib soup, steamed egg, and dessert.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gamjatang, Steamed Egg
Lee D.
Yelp check-in = 1 free soda.Cut and pasted from their website:"While most people usually think that Gamjatang is named after potatoes since the Korean name for potatoes is Gamja. In this case, Gamja refers to the pork neck bones used to create the stew. The pork bones are the star of this spicy stew."Quality/Quantity - Okay, I feel for sure we ordered the WRONG items...I should have listened to my wife and gotten their Gamjatang Combo. Literally everyone else in the restaurant did!Limited menu, but their specialty pork backbone soup is done well!Cool, clean, limited decor, even for a bathroom.We got the Bbuguk - The broth was really good! But that was pretty much it... A small piece of potato, some sprinkle of egg and green onions. Two HUGE pork bones, but almost NO meat. One of my pictures implies that there was generous meat on one bone, but when trying to eat it, it had minimal meat.Seafood Pancake - Sorry, I can not recommend it. It was not bad, but I think we are just used to it so much better. And for $28... We were in Koreatown yesterday as well.Lastly, this pancake did not come out until we were almost finished with our Bbuguk. I'm used to it being an appetizer.Limited side dishes, 4. See picture. All were good.Also limited drink selection.Atmosphere - Small local restaurant. I think it is a fairly original concept. Semi open kitchen.Indoor/outdoor seating.Small parking lot, I believe there is more parking in the back or underground...?We got here early today, so parking was not a problem for us.Open 6 days a week from 11:30am to 9:30pm, closed Mondays. Yelp hours differ slightly.Service - Started out with 5 stars, then as it got busy, the one server was capacitied out.I suggested that he just give us double the side dishes, so he would not have to go back and forth; unfortunately for all of us, he did not listen. Oh, and check out the plastic fork, lol. Looks out of place with all the other utensils.Price - $55 + tip; expensive for what we got.We expect to pay more for Korean food, but this was not worth it in my opinion.For the value, I give it 3 stars. Overall, 4 stars for the quality of the soup and service.Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2022, wishing you the best. Next time, we will try the Gamjatang Combo.
Antonio W.
The service at the restaurant was commendable, yet the culinary experience was lacking. The pricing seemed disproportionate to the portion sizes offered. For example, the soup was primarily composed of bones, a product that is typically inexpensive at supermarkets. Additionally, the seafood pancake, which carried a price tag of $28.99, was disappointing in its inclusion of only a single shrimp or octopus leg.Our experience did not align with the expectations set by previous reviews, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction. Therefore, I would suggest potential patrons consider alternative dining establishments that might offer a more satisfying experience in terms of both quality and value. While understanding the need for a business to be profitable, it is important to maintain a balance that does not compromise customer trust and satisfaction
Andrew P.
We came here for a dinner rush with a party of 4 and the hostess was able to seat us within the hour! The restaurant was unknown to us at the time since our regular pick was permanently closed.We ordered the Gamjatang combo and that was seriously good enough for all of us (with the exception of one extra order of rice). The whole thing was super rich and spicy and hit just right in the cold weather :). Fair warning though! Be ready to use your hands! The bone's HUGE!
Fanny S.
The kimchi pancakes are so crispy and delicious. The rice bibimbap is not crispy enough, and the rice should be dryer. The pork bones look spicy, but they don't taste very spicy because there is too much black pepper. The perilla noodles are a bit too sweet, but the noodles taste very good. Overall, I think it's pretty good. I'll try something else next time.
Michael Chiang
Imagine eating a bowl of shin ramen with pork and pork bones piled high. That's gamjatop. Some people may be interested in that, but in LA, it does not stand out.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Es C.
This restaurant may not be owned by a korean.This restaurant is a disgrace to Korean food. Welcome to worst of the worst bookmark. Their gamjatang is NOT GAMJATANG. FYI for all non Koreans no pork neck soup is supposed to primarily taste like mushrooms and bean sprouts. In fact, those items are avoided because those flavors are strong. Only vegetables u should see are perilla leaves at best. The only taste you should is an umami filled spiciness, pork, and potatoes- sometimes perilla seeds to taste. There is absolutely no pork meat or pork bone umami built in the soup at this restaurant. For $22 getting some crappy I don't know what kind of soup is a waste of money. Thanks for my HALF a potato in my soup. To taste what authentic real and probably the best pork neck soup or gamjatang will be at hamjipark. Other small mom and pops will be similar. You can actually probably cook it yourself as it's very easy and it'll probably taste very good. This place? Absolutely trash. Most disgusting soup I've ever had. Again NOT GAMJATANG. More like here's some pork in some mushroom bean sprout broth.
Caes F.
Gamjatang! [Spicy Pork Backbone Soup]Gamjatop is a Korean restaurant specializing in Gamjatang and other Korean cuisine.Courtesy of the Yelp Check In - Complimentary Soda We ordered the following:1. Gamjatang Single Serving - Super Hearty Vegetable and Pork Back Bone Soup with a Bowl of Rice. They put some bell sprouts, green onions, and a potato. Spicy Pork Backbone was super tender and dipped in the wasabi sauce was so delicious. The Broth was extremely hot. For two people, the food was more than enough. 2. Kimchi Pancake - Cheese, Corn Sprinkled on top of the Kimchi Pancake. The sauce they offered was so good. It had green onions and sesame seed. Tasted like the Bulgogi sauce. The service was fine and they have multiple rounds of complimentary side dishes. You can ask for more kimchi! The parking was easy and the place was super clean. Overall, really enjoyed my meal there.
T C.
I liked the fact that this restaurant has a decent amount of parking and is in a new facility. The restaurant is clean. We ordered a large gamjatang combo, cucumber salad, kkomak bimbimbap, kimchi fried rice, perilla oil noodles. The banchan was decent, but too sweet for my tastes. Everything was pretty decent. We did enjoy the sujebi that came with our gamjatang.The service was good and the ambiance was casual. I felt the dishes could be refined a little more, but they weren't bad by any means. I prefer to go to YukDaeJang further down the road, even though they serve different items. Gamjatang - the meat was pretty tender, but it never really absorbed the broth it was in even if we cooked it for a bit. We also felt that the soup was lacking in veggies besides the potatoes. It was pretty though and we did like it, but not love it. The soup was flavorful, but didn't harmonize with the pork bones. Cucumber salad - I think it stayed in the dressing for too long so it wasn't as crisp as I would like it but it was tasty.Bimbimbap and fried rice - the portions were on the smaller side which is fine, but something about the cheese sauces were on the sweeter side, which isn't my thing. Perilla Oil Noodles - I enjoyed this. It was refreshing and cold, which was perfect for a hot day. Overall, it's not a bad place by any means and I would return for casual dining if I'm in the hood, but I won't be craving their food like I do YukDaeJang.
Alice (Young)
The server was very friendly. However, the food was average. Since there are no Korean restaurants nearby, you shouldn't expect the same level of taste as in Koreatown. I think vegetarians would enjoy the sesame oil noodles. I'm not a vegan, but I enjoyed it. The gamjatang felt a bit bland.
We were greeted by Matthew. He was knowledgeable and provided excellent customer service. Food was excellent and we’ll definitely return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Small Gamjatop, Gyoza
Daniel Jung
Great spot in the sgv for Korean food especially if you like pork neck potato stew!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gamjatang, Steamed Egg
Kristen B.
We ordered the medium gamjatang combo with sujebi, which they recommended for 3 people but it easily fed the 4 of us in the group. The combo comes with a steamed egg, the main gamjatang dish, and then ice cream sandwiches, paired with banchan of course. Really enjoyed the banchan and steamed egg, and the ice cream was pretty standard.For the gamjatang itself, I just wasn't super impressed. The meat was tender, but the broth and surrounding items are what brought it down for me. The soup had 2 potatoes in it which were kinda just...thrown in there? It didn't really carry a lot of the flavor, and didn't taste all that great either since it was just straight potato. The sujebi noodles we opted for were doughy and also did not have a great flavor. The noodles were so thick that I think it prevented them from absorbing the flavor of the broth well. The broth lacked veggies such as onions, leafy cabbage, etc that would have not only enhanced the flavor of the broth, but also would have served as a great way to add variety to the dish and lighten the meat-heavy entree. The broth was also a little too spicy for me to drink on its own, but I also have a lower tolerance than some.Our server was very kind and answered all our questions about how to best cook the gamjatang and what each of the banchan items were. They also somehow played all my favorite kpop songs while I was dining there!Overall, the main star of the meal was a major let down, but the sides and service make up for it a bit.
Assunta L.
Service is excellent. Banchan was refilled without us making the request. We got seated right next to the counter/speaker, and the server ask whether it is too loud and we need the volume down. It shows hospitality. food was ok. salty for me especially the salad and bbuguk. I was also expecting the seafood pancake to have more seafood and green onion. I can taste flour with occasional squid. It was panfried well - crispy but not burnt. Parking is convenient inside the strip mall.
Jenny L.
Soooo good. A little too spicy for me, but I still enjoyed it. Last time we got the ramen noodles. This time, I brought my family and we got udon. Will probably try the homemade noodle next time.Kimchee Fried Rice, Seafood Pancake and the Steamed Egg was good but the Bibimbap and the cucumber salad was lacking. Ice cream and the potstickers were a hit. Too bad not more selection of ice cream flavors tho.
This place has great service, the parking isn't crowded, the atmosphere is pleasant and enjoyable to have dinner.The portions are huge as well. I was very surprised. A small would feed 2 people easy, cost is $59. Comes with pork rib soup, steamed egg, and dessert.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gamjatang, Steamed Egg
Yelp check-in = 1 free soda.Cut and pasted from their website:"While most people usually think that Gamjatang is named after potatoes since the Korean name for potatoes is Gamja. In this case, Gamja refers to the pork neck bones used to create the stew. The pork bones are the star of this spicy stew."Quality/Quantity - Okay, I feel for sure we ordered the WRONG items...I should have listened to my wife and gotten their Gamjatang Combo. Literally everyone else in the restaurant did!Limited menu, but their specialty pork backbone soup is done well!Cool, clean, limited decor, even for a bathroom.We got the Bbuguk - The broth was really good! But that was pretty much it... A small piece of potato, some sprinkle of egg and green onions. Two HUGE pork bones, but almost NO meat. One of my pictures implies that there was generous meat on one bone, but when trying to eat it, it had minimal meat.Seafood Pancake - Sorry, I can not recommend it. It was not bad, but I think we are just used to it so much better. And for $28... We were in Koreatown yesterday as well.Lastly, this pancake did not come out until we were almost finished with our Bbuguk. I'm used to it being an appetizer.Limited side dishes, 4. See picture. All were good.Also limited drink selection.Atmosphere - Small local restaurant. I think it is a fairly original concept. Semi open kitchen.Indoor/outdoor seating.Small parking lot, I believe there is more parking in the back or underground...?We got here early today, so parking was not a problem for us.Open 6 days a week from 11:30am to 9:30pm, closed Mondays. Yelp hours differ slightly.Service - Started out with 5 stars, then as it got busy, the one server was capacitied out.I suggested that he just give us double the side dishes, so he would not have to go back and forth; unfortunately for all of us, he did not listen. Oh, and check out the plastic fork, lol. Looks out of place with all the other utensils.Price - $55 + tip; expensive for what we got.We expect to pay more for Korean food, but this was not worth it in my opinion.For the value, I give it 3 stars. Overall, 4 stars for the quality of the soup and service.Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2022, wishing you the best. Next time, we will try the Gamjatang Combo.
The service at the restaurant was commendable, yet the culinary experience was lacking. The pricing seemed disproportionate to the portion sizes offered. For example, the soup was primarily composed of bones, a product that is typically inexpensive at supermarkets. Additionally, the seafood pancake, which carried a price tag of $28.99, was disappointing in its inclusion of only a single shrimp or octopus leg.Our experience did not align with the expectations set by previous reviews, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction. Therefore, I would suggest potential patrons consider alternative dining establishments that might offer a more satisfying experience in terms of both quality and value. While understanding the need for a business to be profitable, it is important to maintain a balance that does not compromise customer trust and satisfaction
We came here for a dinner rush with a party of 4 and the hostess was able to seat us within the hour! The restaurant was unknown to us at the time since our regular pick was permanently closed.We ordered the Gamjatang combo and that was seriously good enough for all of us (with the exception of one extra order of rice). The whole thing was super rich and spicy and hit just right in the cold weather :). Fair warning though! Be ready to use your hands! The bone's HUGE!
The kimchi pancakes are so crispy and delicious. The rice bibimbap is not crispy enough, and the rice should be dryer. The pork bones look spicy, but they don't taste very spicy because there is too much black pepper. The perilla noodles are a bit too sweet, but the noodles taste very good. Overall, I think it's pretty good. I'll try something else next time.
Imagine eating a bowl of shin ramen with pork and pork bones piled high. That's gamjatop. Some people may be interested in that, but in LA, it does not stand out.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
This restaurant may not be owned by a korean.This restaurant is a disgrace to Korean food. Welcome to worst of the worst bookmark. Their gamjatang is NOT GAMJATANG. FYI for all non Koreans no pork neck soup is supposed to primarily taste like mushrooms and bean sprouts. In fact, those items are avoided because those flavors are strong. Only vegetables u should see are perilla leaves at best. The only taste you should is an umami filled spiciness, pork, and potatoes- sometimes perilla seeds to taste. There is absolutely no pork meat or pork bone umami built in the soup at this restaurant. For $22 getting some crappy I don't know what kind of soup is a waste of money. Thanks for my HALF a potato in my soup. To taste what authentic real and probably the best pork neck soup or gamjatang will be at hamjipark. Other small mom and pops will be similar. You can actually probably cook it yourself as it's very easy and it'll probably taste very good. This place? Absolutely trash. Most disgusting soup I've ever had. Again NOT GAMJATANG. More like here's some pork in some mushroom bean sprout broth.
Gamjatang! [Spicy Pork Backbone Soup]Gamjatop is a Korean restaurant specializing in Gamjatang and other Korean cuisine.Courtesy of the Yelp Check In - Complimentary Soda We ordered the following:1. Gamjatang Single Serving - Super Hearty Vegetable and Pork Back Bone Soup with a Bowl of Rice. They put some bell sprouts, green onions, and a potato. Spicy Pork Backbone was super tender and dipped in the wasabi sauce was so delicious. The Broth was extremely hot. For two people, the food was more than enough. 2. Kimchi Pancake - Cheese, Corn Sprinkled on top of the Kimchi Pancake. The sauce they offered was so good. It had green onions and sesame seed. Tasted like the Bulgogi sauce. The service was fine and they have multiple rounds of complimentary side dishes. You can ask for more kimchi! The parking was easy and the place was super clean. Overall, really enjoyed my meal there.
I liked the fact that this restaurant has a decent amount of parking and is in a new facility. The restaurant is clean. We ordered a large gamjatang combo, cucumber salad, kkomak bimbimbap, kimchi fried rice, perilla oil noodles. The banchan was decent, but too sweet for my tastes. Everything was pretty decent. We did enjoy the sujebi that came with our gamjatang.The service was good and the ambiance was casual. I felt the dishes could be refined a little more, but they weren't bad by any means. I prefer to go to YukDaeJang further down the road, even though they serve different items. Gamjatang - the meat was pretty tender, but it never really absorbed the broth it was in even if we cooked it for a bit. We also felt that the soup was lacking in veggies besides the potatoes. It was pretty though and we did like it, but not love it. The soup was flavorful, but didn't harmonize with the pork bones. Cucumber salad - I think it stayed in the dressing for too long so it wasn't as crisp as I would like it but it was tasty.Bimbimbap and fried rice - the portions were on the smaller side which is fine, but something about the cheese sauces were on the sweeter side, which isn't my thing. Perilla Oil Noodles - I enjoyed this. It was refreshing and cold, which was perfect for a hot day. Overall, it's not a bad place by any means and I would return for casual dining if I'm in the hood, but I won't be craving their food like I do YukDaeJang.
The server was very friendly. However, the food was average. Since there are no Korean restaurants nearby, you shouldn't expect the same level of taste as in Koreatown. I think vegetarians would enjoy the sesame oil noodles. I'm not a vegan, but I enjoyed it. The gamjatang felt a bit bland.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We were greeted by Matthew. He was knowledgeable and provided excellent customer service. Food was excellent and we’ll definitely return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Small Gamjatop, Gyoza
Great spot in the sgv for Korean food especially if you like pork neck potato stew!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gamjatang, Steamed Egg
We ordered the medium gamjatang combo with sujebi, which they recommended for 3 people but it easily fed the 4 of us in the group. The combo comes with a steamed egg, the main gamjatang dish, and then ice cream sandwiches, paired with banchan of course. Really enjoyed the banchan and steamed egg, and the ice cream was pretty standard.For the gamjatang itself, I just wasn't super impressed. The meat was tender, but the broth and surrounding items are what brought it down for me. The soup had 2 potatoes in it which were kinda just...thrown in there? It didn't really carry a lot of the flavor, and didn't taste all that great either since it was just straight potato. The sujebi noodles we opted for were doughy and also did not have a great flavor. The noodles were so thick that I think it prevented them from absorbing the flavor of the broth well. The broth lacked veggies such as onions, leafy cabbage, etc that would have not only enhanced the flavor of the broth, but also would have served as a great way to add variety to the dish and lighten the meat-heavy entree. The broth was also a little too spicy for me to drink on its own, but I also have a lower tolerance than some.Our server was very kind and answered all our questions about how to best cook the gamjatang and what each of the banchan items were. They also somehow played all my favorite kpop songs while I was dining there!Overall, the main star of the meal was a major let down, but the sides and service make up for it a bit.
Service is excellent. Banchan was refilled without us making the request. We got seated right next to the counter/speaker, and the server ask whether it is too loud and we need the volume down. It shows hospitality. food was ok. salty for me especially the salad and bbuguk. I was also expecting the seafood pancake to have more seafood and green onion. I can taste flour with occasional squid. It was panfried well - crispy but not burnt. Parking is convenient inside the strip mall.
Soooo good. A little too spicy for me, but I still enjoyed it. Last time we got the ramen noodles. This time, I brought my family and we got udon. Will probably try the homemade noodle next time.Kimchee Fried Rice, Seafood Pancake and the Steamed Egg was good but the Bibimbap and the cucumber salad was lacking. Ice cream and the potstickers were a hit. Too bad not more selection of ice cream flavors tho.