Danawa

Been going here for the past 6 years and the experience has only gotten more and more better. the food and service has been surpurb since day 1.Sayeon was an excellent host too.

Came here with a party of 3 and was seated immediately! I've been meaning to explore more pocha places in the Bay, and this is definitely it for me. The location is inconspicuous and hidden away in one of the many strip malls off El Camino Real, but when you step through the door, you're transported to a different dimension.We ordered the spicy garlic edamame, army stew (budae jjigae), pork belly kimchi fried rice, and chicken with cheese. The edamame was a classic and was well seasoned without being too overbearing or sodium-packed.The budae jjigae was heavy! Definitely hard to get through, but my personal policy is that I will try to finish whichever dish is most difficult to get as take-out first. The portion is massive though, so don't balk at the price. The chicken with cheese was excellent. Just the right amount of spicy without being too overbearing, and the mozzarella cheese portion was also not too heavy and not too light. The pork belly kimchi fried rice stole the show for me personally, it was a favorite. I always love how savory the flavors of it are, kimchi by itself is too overwhelming for me so I love that the rice helps soak up the flavor naturally.

I've been to Danawa several times, and it never disappoints! The service and food are consistently great, making it a solid choice for a night out. The atmosphere is chill, with K-pop music videos playing on the screens, which adds a fun touch--especially for K-pop fans.The drinks can be hit or miss, but overall, it's still a great spot to hang out and enjoy the vibe. Keep in mind that it's 21+ only, so no kids allowed. If you're looking for a laid-back place to grab good food, drinks, and enjoy some K-pop, this is definitely worth checking out!

Randomly found this hidden gem tucked away in the corner of a plaza next to an event center. Decided to give it a try and to my surprise it was such a good experience.The place was pretty empty on a Sunday night with only another couple dining. They play popular Korean pop that many people know so it's a fun song along. Their decor was so mesmerizing with the clouds on the ceiling. The service was quick and easy. All our food came out super quick and was really tasty. My favorite was the steamed egg, it was so fluffy and flavorful. I also order a bottle of beer not realizing it was HUGE and for the price?! An absolute deal!This place is a great food spot with friends who want to have good Korean food, some drinks and a good time!

Overall, a tasty experience! We were the only ones in the restaurant on a Tuesday night and I really enjoyed the food. The service was quick and attentive and the restaurant was clean. I only tried two dishes, but the rice cakes were delicious and they let me substitute the fish cakes for spam instead. The gizzards were delicious, served on a sizzling platter.

Came here around 6pm on a Friday and we were the first ones here. The Christmas decoration was cute but very dark ambiance. Got a bottle of soup, beer, seafood pancake, and fish cake soup. My favorite was probably the seafood pancakes, which was lite and crispy. For the price, though, it'll most likely be my first and last time. Thank you!

A nice spot for casual Korean food!Came here on a Friday night and was surprised by how empty it is. We came for dinner and all of the tables were pretty much empty. It's also located in a less popular area so it is very accessible and parking is super easy. For drinks, we got the cocktail soju in peach! I like how strong they make the drink. Most places would dilute the cocktail in ice but they don't use any ice (I Lowkey wish they did though, because it would taste even better cold). One cocktail was more than enough for 2 people. For food, we got the chicken soy garlic wings, the pork belly kimchi fried rice, and the corn cheese. The chicken was amazing (10/10). The portion size is huge and the flavor is rly good. This was the highlight of the meal! The corn cheese is also big, but almost to a fault, because it is too much for 2 people to eat without it getting cold / too cheesy. We added it to the kimchi fried rice and it was a great combo together. The rice on its own was a little bland.For ambiance, the decor feels like a party spot but it's so empty. They also play kid movies in the background. The service was decent, we got our order taken quickly and the food was also fast to come out. This is a great place to try at least once!!

Solid food! My favorites were the soy garlic fried chicken ($25), tofu soup ($17), and steamed egg. All of which were some of the best I've had. The chicken is super crispy and the wings are sizeable. The tofu soup was delicious, savory, and came piping hot. I don't eat a lot of Korean steamed eggs, but my friend said that it was the smoothest and jiggliest he's had. Prices are rather steep, but I'd say it's definitely worth it for the chicken. The only dish I'd avoid entirely is the bulgogi. the beef was paper thin and mostly veggies. It was also oddly very wet and extremely disappointing.

Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024Time: around 6:30pmParty of: 2Meal: Drinks and Snacks*Truffle Fries ($12)*Fish Cake Soup ($18)*Soju ($12) x2A friend and I were getting takeout elsewhere in the plaza. Since there was a wait, we decided to stop by Danawa for a drink. I didn't realize until I walked in, but this used to be VIP Oriental. I have some found memories of that old place.There no other patrons when we got here, so we just sat at the bar and ordered a bottle of soju. For some reason, I always feel bad ordering one thing, so we got the fries as an app. A pretty big portion with a fair amount of truffle aroma. When my friend came back with our takeaway, the server was super sweet. She said we could eat it there. We didn't end up doing that (tho I did taste a few things), but we were here for a good two-ish hours. Ended up with the fish cake soup as well. They made it slightly spicy which made me happy. (I can't recall if I asked for it spicy? Probably since I do like my heat.) There was a good amount and variety of fish cakes. I really enjoyed this dish.Glad I ended up at this spot. End up being a fun chill dinner of sorts.REVIEW #3565

This place had been our go-to spot for the last few years and it's been amazing since. Sayeon was the most attentive host too. Cheers to the years to come.