This restaurant reminded me of Seattle's "The Pike Place Fish Market," where fresh fish has been sold for decades as employees playfully throw fish around. Though this place has been open for 10 years, we were unaware of its existence. Situated in a humble shopping center with a modest square footage, you would never imagine the quality of service and Korean food it offers. When we checked in, the restaurant was nearly full, and the busyness and energy of the staff expressed their confidence and pride in their reputation.
We were first served water, and the waitstaff's recommendations already impressed us with the promise of quality and taste. We ordered Braised Black Cod, and SsamJjang Vegetables wrap combination with Spicy Marinated Pork, and Bean Casserole for the three of us to share. The fresh lettuce and vegetables, including green pepper, cucumber, carrots, wild sesame leaves, and steamed cabbage, arrived first. We also had a choice between white rice and mixed grain rice, opting for the healthier option.
The presentation and quantity of the food and side dishes were attractive and impressive. When the Spicy Pork arrived, we could already tell it would taste great. The Bean Casserole was also delicious. The awaited Braised Black Cod, which they were very proud of, came last. We didn’t have to wait long to encounter one of the restaurant's most popular dishes. The combination of quantity, quality, and taste was outstanding, although it was a little too sweet for one of us. The Black Cod melted in our mouths, and the tofu and radish were incredibly flavorful. We called this kind of food 밥도둑 (Thief of Rice) because it kept making us eat more rice. We were very full and ended up taking the leftovers home. The service was excellent.
There might be many people who have never visited this restaurant, but there are likely few who have only been here once. We plan to come back to try other menu items next time. Strongly recommended.
Keanan Block
-
January 15, 2024
Delicious food and good service in this small restaurant. There is definitely attention to detail here. Even still, the price is a little expensive for what you get. We were also charged for refill on the banchan even though it wasn’t mentioned to us when the server offered to refill them.
Abbie N
-
May 18, 2024
Mom and pop shop vibes. We ordered the ginseng chicken, the chicken was tender. It’s a very light tasting soup, might not be salty enough for some but it was perfect for me. We ordered the boiled pork, veggie wrap and soybean soup. The veggie wrapped boiled pork was a highlight, soybean soup was ok. I like that they offered mixed rice. Banchan was a good variety. All for $57
Grace Kim
-
February 27, 2024
The best place to eat if you are craving ssam! It’s a bit pricey but so worth it. If you have a large party coming in def reserve because we waited like 30 mins. (worth it)
The shop is a bit run down and small but it’s not hard to find parking.
Sarah K
-
November 12, 2017
I love this small Korean restaurant! It’s tiny so you can usually get the attention of the servers. So service isn’t that bad compared to most Korean places. Their food is always delicious! The downside about this place is that there aren’t many seats so you might have to wait. So come early!
Our Address
8192 Commonwealth Ave ste a, Buena Park, CA 90621, USA
This restaurant reminded me of Seattle's "The Pike Place Fish Market," where fresh fish has been sold for decades as employees playfully throw fish around. Though this place has been open for 10 years, we were unaware of its existence. Situated in a humble shopping center with a modest square footage, you would never imagine the quality of service and Korean food it offers. When we checked in, the restaurant was nearly full, and the busyness and energy of the staff expressed their confidence and pride in their reputation. We were first served water, and the waitstaff's recommendations already impressed us with the promise of quality and taste. We ordered Braised Black Cod, and SsamJjang Vegetables wrap combination with Spicy Marinated Pork, and Bean Casserole for the three of us to share. The fresh lettuce and vegetables, including green pepper, cucumber, carrots, wild sesame leaves, and steamed cabbage, arrived first. We also had a choice between white rice and mixed grain rice, opting for the healthier option. The presentation and quantity of the food and side dishes were attractive and impressive. When the Spicy Pork arrived, we could already tell it would taste great. The Bean Casserole was also delicious. The awaited Braised Black Cod, which they were very proud of, came last. We didn’t have to wait long to encounter one of the restaurant's most popular dishes. The combination of quantity, quality, and taste was outstanding, although it was a little too sweet for one of us. The Black Cod melted in our mouths, and the tofu and radish were incredibly flavorful. We called this kind of food 밥도둑 (Thief of Rice) because it kept making us eat more rice. We were very full and ended up taking the leftovers home. The service was excellent. There might be many people who have never visited this restaurant, but there are likely few who have only been here once. We plan to come back to try other menu items next time. Strongly recommended.
Delicious food and good service in this small restaurant. There is definitely attention to detail here. Even still, the price is a little expensive for what you get. We were also charged for refill on the banchan even though it wasn’t mentioned to us when the server offered to refill them.
Mom and pop shop vibes. We ordered the ginseng chicken, the chicken was tender. It’s a very light tasting soup, might not be salty enough for some but it was perfect for me. We ordered the boiled pork, veggie wrap and soybean soup. The veggie wrapped boiled pork was a highlight, soybean soup was ok. I like that they offered mixed rice. Banchan was a good variety. All for $57
The best place to eat if you are craving ssam! It’s a bit pricey but so worth it. If you have a large party coming in def reserve because we waited like 30 mins. (worth it) The shop is a bit run down and small but it’s not hard to find parking.
I love this small Korean restaurant! It’s tiny so you can usually get the attention of the servers. So service isn’t that bad compared to most Korean places. Their food is always delicious! The downside about this place is that there aren’t many seats so you might have to wait. So come early!