Danbi

Celebrated my 5 year anniversary here with my bf and it was such a great experience!The kimchi mule & Luv u so matcha were really tastyI think they use white kimchi juice for the mule so it wasn't too spicy but had a nice zing to itOur favorite was the Luv u so matcha.. the matcha was perfectly green and the flavor was so deep & the soju they used was peeeerfection.. Literally my favorite matcha cocktail I've tried by far!For food we ordered the Zabuton, Uni Bibimbap, Beef Tartar, perilla noodles and pork jowlI'd pass on the perilla noodles, the flavor was kinda bland even though we mixed the crap out of it. Still a cool & unique twist on perilla noodles tho!All the other dishes were 10/10 !!Zabuton was cooked to perfect medium rare and was so juicy and tender.The beef tartar was super yummy. Absolute gamer changer to mode bone marrow into tartar. Our server recommended us to eat the tartar w the chips but it tasted so funky and weird. I think the chips were too sweet for the richness of the tartar so we pushed all the chips to the side and ate the tartar by itself and it was wonderful.The uni bibimbap was so freaking dank omg. My bf doesn't normally like uni or raw shrimp but he ate it UPPPP. Each bite was so creamy and delicious, I wish I had more.The pork jowl was definitely the star of the show. Thinly sliced pork jowl topped with all the tasty sides were honestly to die for.I would come back here again! It's a cute spot for date night or gno. I really liked the dim lighting and the service was greatDefinitely wanna try the scallop pancake, hobakjuk & mushroom bibimbap next time

*cue the Flower Duet by Katherine Jenkins* I'm so mad at us for pushing off coming here for the longest time. We've been talking about coming here since.. it used to be Tokki (lmao). I mean, we knew the food was good. We've heard about it.. watched videos about it.. but you know, when you're in LA and can get great affordable food almost anywhere, most times you opt to save money.But oh man, every bite of every dish was so amazing. We definitely ordered the more popular dishes based on the review videos we've watched and ppl know what they're talking about!What we ordered:- Perilla Cold Noodles: amazing, the noodles were perfectly cooked, the sauce went really well with the dish, not too citrusy or salty. I think this would have been more tasty eaten with the pork jowl (make sure you mix your noodles! My fiancé didn't get any of the sauce the first few bites and he was like "this is kinda flavorless" lol) - Kale Salad: if I could eat this salad every day for the rest of my life, I would. I actually really like salads but always struggled finding the perfect dressing, but the dressing that came with the salad was sooo good. It's not as heavy as Caesar dressing but not too light like sesame.. it was right in the middle, and the fried anchovies were *chefs kiss*- Scallop Pancake: perfect bite every. single. time! Like baby scallops in each bite. Perfectly paired with their mentaiko sauce. Definitely on the heavier side so we saved the rest as a snack for later- Uni Bibimbap: I would die for this bowl. I love uni, and amaebi, and bibimbap so everything I love in one bowl. Also perfect bite every single time. The kimchi slush it was paired with was a nice touch- Sliced Pork Jowl: also very tasty, didn't feel as heavy as eating regular grilled pork jowl. The toppings and side dishes complimented the dish. Would have went really well with a side of white or purple rice, but perfect as is too- Mocha Banana Cake & Goguma Pie: they were both good but winner was goguma pie for sure. You can't go wrong with any puff pastry & sweet potato dessert- Strawberry Rain: definitely a sweeter/fruitier cocktail. Would get it again but maybe towards the end of the meal. I love my sweet drinks but not exactly a drink that compliments the mealLove the vibe & decor of the restaurant. Love that they place short clips from anime/movies on the empty wall. Parking is available in the plaza for $10 which isn't too bad considering how expensive parking is in LA and how impossible it is to find street parking in that area.Will most definitely be coming back soon!

Noticed this cute place in Chapman plaza when out with friends. Didn't even cross our minds to make reservations because let's be honest it's ktown and anything is possible. Unfortunately we were turned away as they were fully booked. Made jt a mission to come back and so we did. This time with reservations which is about one week out. Was NOT disappointed. They're a must try. Wasn't expecting the food to be tasty as let's face it, we were expecting a Korean dish with American twist to make it more palatable. But much to our surprise it was delicious.Tried the following dishes and drinks:1. Scallop pancake: very good and good portion. Not too greasy and very chewy. Good amount of scallops baked into the pancake. Side of creamy dipping sauce to give it a slightly spicy kick. Highly recommend.2. Bone marrow and beef tartare (육회): traditional Korean beef tartare served fresh and rare. Beef seasoned with sesame oil giving it a delicious aroma with every chew. The dish here was unique in sense they added bone marrow to mix it right in and it was phenomenal. Would go back to have just this again. 3. Pork Jowl: Korean bacon with spicy radish/green toppings to flavor it. Pretty much a staple of Korean bar food4. Ordered a few cocktails. Can't remember what they were. However very tastyWouldn't mind trying their Uni Bibimbop next time.

We came to Danbi for our anniversary/Valentine's day dinner and it was a great experience! The ambiance was dark and moody with a canopy of hanging plants in the center. We had some trouble finding parking and ultimately had to pay $20 for the lot across the plaza. Would definitely plan ahead next time since your reservation is only 90 minutes and every minute late cuts into the time.Onto the food! We ordered the scallop pancake, the spicy japchae, and the zabuton to share. We also ordered the sweet rain and luv u so matcha cocktails. This was a lot more food than we were expecting and we had enough leftovers for the next day!Scallop pancake (10/10): we loved how chock-full of scallops each slice was! It's a great modern take on the traditional seafood pancake and paired well with the sauce.Spicy japchae (6/10): this was honestly pretty forgettable and not spicy at all. The only redeeming quality is that they gave a lot of shrimp and scallops. The noodles were also oddly sticky for me the first day, but they tasted better the second day after being microwaved!Zabuton (9/10): pretty much every table got this and we were not disappointed. The meat was super tender and perfectly cooked. It tastes like the best parts of galbi without the bone! My only complaint is that it was a bit too salty for me. Overall, danbi is a great addition to ktown's food scene. I would love to come back and try their other dishes!

So good!! Heard so much hype about this new spot and it lived up to every single good word I heard. My new fav restaurant in Ktown for sure. Booked an 8pm reservation and we were seated a little later than expected, but service was super friendly. Our drinks came out fast and water got refilled often, but otherwise everything else was a little on the slower side. It's definitely a more rowdy environment inside (at least on a Saturday night) rather than quiet and intimate like I was expecting, so be prepared to shout a little. Vibes inside are very cute and aesthetic and they were projecting black and white film clips on the wall.Highly recommend the matcha cocktail (luv u so matcha) and the nightcap (basically an espresso martini) -- both were very sweet and delicious!We got the scallop pancake, zabuton, and the spicy japchae. The scallop pancake and zabuton were my favorite. The pancake was supremely crispy and the dipping mentaiko sauce was amazing -- slightly sweet and pairs perfectly with the pancake. The spicy japchae was also delicious and packed with seafood but I probably wouldn't order it again. Our zabuton dish came out much later than everything else so we were pretty full by the time it did -- it was still amazing though. The meat was melt in your mouth, super flavorful with a classic marinade flavor, and paired so well with the garlic rice. A huge serving too. Definitely enough to serve 3-4 people. Overall, the servings here are pleasantly large!Love how danbi takes classic Korean dishes and puts a modern twist on it. Bill came out to just under $100 for 2 of us (we also had so much leftover) so it's definitely something I'd save for a special occasion meal if I came back (which I already can't wait for). Would highly recommend!!

3/5 for me. I booked this spot as a bday dinner for my special someone and it didn't meet expectations. Firstly, I made a reservation right at opening. We were the second table sat and the hostess mentioned the bday and that something special would come. I didn't know it was dineLA week so the restaurant was fully booked but I had reserved 2 weeks ahead just to plan. We went with the dineLA menu and added a crudo and beef tartare a la carte.Of everything ordered - my favs were the crudo and zabuton. Red snapper was fresh and melted in my mouth. Sauce was excellent. Zabuton was super tender and the kimchi fried rice was great! The others were good/made well but not something I'd go out of my way for again - such as the honey butter chips, scallop pancake, and beef tartare. Beef tartare in particular was very fresh and could've made the mark but the burdock chips were so tiny so it madeIt difficult to eat. Maybe the bibimbap add on would've enhanced it. And then the very meh was definitely the kale salad and this strawberry yakult cake. Kale salad had so many weird flavors imo with the fried anchovy, sweet nuts, apple, and a creamy sauce that wasn't enjoyable to me. The cake was so sour..a regular Yakult would've been better - but that's just me.While ambiance is cute - can't help but feel like the experience was lackluster because the salad was forgotten for our table despite being the 2nd table seated and being noted for a birthday. We asked 3 different staff and no one would circle back with an update until it finally came out and the food settled to where we weren't hungry to eat it anymore Lastly, the table we got sat at ALWAYS had a waiter get between the gap for the table he was helping to our right and his BUTT was just in our face everytime he came by. Nothing wrong with him but seemed like common decency to find ways to insert himself maybe to the other table too so there's some balance? never had that happen before but all we saw was his butt next to our food each time. And it wasnt just because he was bringing out their food. It's while he's chatting with his table and walking them through questions but it was literally every single time he came by. He was nice and chill but please be mindful of other table experiences. hopefully you get a wall seat because anything in between = a chance for booty in your face. What I honestly disliked was there was a table of 2 in a 4 top next to the glass wall but they were enjoying wine and looked much older and never equally got butt in their face *shrug*After that, the bday boy I treated out got this jujube popsicle but it was straight herbal ice and not that enjoyable.I wouldn't revisit but hey, maybe you'll get a better seat and still enjoy some of their standout dishes if you go.

Came here for the final day of DineLA with some friends on a Friday night. Fair warning, parking around the area is terrible, especially in the weekend, and the lot process can be high. Had a reservation but still had to wait to get seated as the piece was full, but we were seated fast enough. We had a party of six and were looking forward to this meal. But be warned, for a table of six, they bring out one course per three people, at three people are sharing each plate. No where did it stipulate this on the menu, especially given the price per person. A handful of places will stipulate that a plate is per two people at most, but more often then not, each person gets a plate to themselves. So huge turn off regarding eating here for DineLA. The first dish that came out was honey butter chips. And while the idea was fun, it literally looks, and tastes, like lays potato cups drizzled with honey. Very disappointing. Next was the kale salad which was actually very tasty and had a lot going on. The third item out was the scallop pancake. This was an interesting concept and came with a cream sauce to dip in which was flavorful and added to the pancake itself. Plus there was ample amount of scallop available, which was nice. However, without the dipping sauce, the pancake felt like something was missing. The main entree was the zabuton and kimchi fried rice. The American wagyu near was cooked very well and had good flavor, while the rice was also different but tasty. However, it really didn't tell like there was enough meat for the six people at the table. And, for dessert, it was a... Berry something made specifically for DineLA. It was ok but didn't really stand out. Overall, there were some good things that went along with the food, and some misses, and not being forthcoming regarding a table of six splits two meal orders was unexpected and disappointing. That being said, there was enough good in the food to recommend visiting if you're in the area

Came here with a small group of friends for dinner. Made a reservation in advance, though we had to wait about 15-20 mins to be seated. I've never been to Chapman Plaza before and it's really cute! And this restaurant has a really nice vibe. Date night ambiance, dimly lit but not too dim. Feels like a cool local hot spot with great food. Smells good. Tartare: This was the highlight of the night. Beautiful presentation with the beef tartare topped with an egg yolk, and bone marrow to the side. It's fun to mix everything in together. I've never had bone marrow with tartare, it's a nice idea and had a beautiful flavor! The chips are kind of an afterthought because they were so tiny, I would serve larger chips. But I still loved it, I essentially just ate the tartate with a spoon and topped every bite with a chip. Maybe that's what you're supposed to do.Zabuton: Sliced wagyu beef over onions and a side of garlic rice. The rice by itself is honestly delicious. Tender slices of meat. Great for sharing and delicious.Scallop Pancake: Looks like just fried dough but it's actually delicious. Definitely recommend squeezing the lime over the whole thing. Beautiful flavor, it's creamy, crunchy, hint of citrus from the lime. The side dipping sauce goes great with it.Perilla Cold Noodles: None of us loved the idea of cold noodles but the waitress talked us into getting these, saying you can get bibimbap at any Korean restaurant. I'm still not sure how I feel about cold noodles, but they were decent and had good flavor from the sauce. I think I'd try something else next time though.These 4 dishes were plenty for the 4 of us. We all enjoyed the meal. Nothing took too long to come out, things came out at a perfect pace. Everything had a beautiful presentation. Great restaurant, slightly pricey, but vibey! I'd want to come here for date night. They have beautiful looking (soju) cocktails too. I'd come back!

I sincerely believe that Danbi is the best restaurant in Ktown LA. The service was solid, though they weren't very confident about dish and drink recommendations. Every dish we got was fantastic: pork jowl, uni bibimbap (we ordered another round), scallop pancake, beef tartare, and honey chips. We've all had other versions of these dishes before, but Danbi executed them to perfection. The sesame street drink was great as well. We will be coming back soon!

Came here on a Friday night with a party of eight. Parking in Ktown is a nightmare so plan ahead for that. Food: 5/5The food tasted amazing. Everything was flavorful. We ordered the scallop pancakes, Zabuton, cold noodles, uni bibimbap, and honey butter chips. My favorite was the scallop pancakes. The Zabuton was also unique and the meat was tender. Price: 3/5 This place is a little pricey. The honey butter chips felt like plain kettle chips drizzled with honey. I would not recommend coming here if you're really hungry because we spent about $50 a person and we're still not full. Service: 4/5The service was great. Our server was patient and gave us recommendations which were all really good. The food came out relatively quick, except the Zabuton. We finished everything else before those came out. Ambiance: 4/5This place has a cool romantic and upscale aesthetic. It's lively inside. However, parking sucks here. The lot is always full. And we saw two accidents while tryna find parking. I would come back on a date or with a small party, but definitely not while super hungry.