Danbi — Restaurant in Los Angeles

It was not great. Decided to come here as an anniversary casual dinner with my husband. Made a reservation a week before. When we were seated, it took Jack - our server - 10ish minutes to even come to our table to introduce himself. Little did I know, this foreshadowing would portray how the rest of the night would go. Food was ok, but not nearly ok enough for everything (I mean EVERYTHING), to be stalled an extra 10+ minutes because our service was horrible to be honest. If you like snail paced service, and getting blatantly treated differently compared to other parties in front of your face - this establishment might be for you. Let's get into it.

Scallop Pancake $25 | 5/10 - good size but the middle was raw, and gooey. By the time I realized this, it took Jack too long to even check on our table, then I didn't care anymore. Mentaiko cream made the dish heavier, and lime did nothing for the 'pancake'.

Mushroom Bimbimbap $18 | 6/10 - standard-good, because I love mushrooms. The sauce was what made it from standard, to better.

Zabuton $65 | 7/10 - huge portion, made me glad we only ordered three items. Garlic rice it came with, was a no though - super dry and stale, gross! The banchan it came with - complimented the beef, so that was good.

Sparkling Water $8

Bill: ~$127 w/o tip.

The only highlight to my night was the presence of my husband, ok food, and the genuinely kind tall slender busboy/server with the buzzcut + host. I quickly noticed that other tables, specifically the table directly sat behind us, with different servers were getting their leftovers packed for them. Jack just handed our boxes over, and forgot to even give us side containers (for sauces and banchan) until I asked... weird? But, the tall slender buzzcut busboy/server noticed this, and walked over to our table to offer to pack it up for us. My husband was already in the middle of packing, so I politely declined. He even did a double take, and asked if we were sure. Genuinely very kind, thanks man.

Then it came the wait for the bill, Jack didn't even come back to ask us after seeing us ask for boxes, for the bill. We had to flag him down to do so, and once I was ready to pay - it was another 10-15 minute wait. I had decided to go to the restroom while my husband was holding onto the bill, and prior we were waiting for quite some time together, on Jack to swing back around to pick it up. I finished the restroom, came back out, and still saw my husband still holding onto the bill. I asked my husband to hand it to me and physically walked over to Jack, so he could run it quickly since we were already over it.

Oh I forgot to mention, at the beginning the host asked us if we were celebrating anything - and I stated our anniversary dinner. The host greeted us with a, "Happy Anniversary", prior to sitting. But, I quickly noticed the same table I mentioned earlier that sat behind us, that got their leftover items packed for them - get free dessert for their occasion from their waitress. I overheard all of this, and saw it happening as they sat literally - directly behind us (and it was a weekday dinner service, not too bustling/loud). And Jack just strolls over to hand us a second menu, after all this time of trying to flag him down for the bill, and asks us if we want to order dessert. No greeting from the beginning and end of the meal - and now this? What is this blatant different treatment from different waiters between different parties? It's extremely offensive when this is how drastically different we were treated, while seeing that another party was treated VERY opposite of what we experienced.

It's not even about the packing of the food, or free dessert at this point. It evolved into the principle of the treatment we received, at the end of this experience.

Extremely weird night, extremely odd behavior. This restaurant is on the decently higher end in terms of price range, we expected some level of decorum with the service - and literally got the worst...

I already want to go back!

Underdog best dish award - the kale salad! You would never think much of a kale salad but we ordered it to have some greens with our dinner. So glad we did! It was refreshing and flavorful. I’d seriously order one for myself only next time. Every ingredient in the salad made sense to why it was there and added to the delightfulness of this dish. My auntie said it was actually her favorite dish of the night!

All the other dishes were fantastic. Glad we tried the perilla cold noodles. Expected more perilla flavor but it was still a good well balanced dish. Scallop pancake is a must. Every table had one. Perfectly cooked with crispy edges and chewy center. Scallops were plentiful! And the mentaiko sauce is delicious and necessary. Imagine a mayo based sauce with bright hint of lemon and the roe eggs umami. If you have leftover pancake to take home, they charge for extra sauce to-go fyi. Spicy japchae was a flavor bomb. So rich and full of that stir-fry chili noodles you want. The spice level was great. Spicy where you feel it but not burn off taste bud levels. And let the server cut your noodles for you! Trust me. Pork Jowl was the only thing I would skip next time. By no means does that mean it wasn’t good, because it was good. Soft moist perfectly cooked pork jowl. But the Zabuton stole the show so the pork was pushed aside. Chefs kiss on the Zabuton. If you want that sweet char Kbbq flavor, order this wagyu. Perfectly cooked, so tender. The onions are a great addition on this plate. And the pickled garlic & chili peppers were a must! Loved that they had these. Helped cut the richness of the beef. Had leftovers of the Zabuton and it still tasted amazing 2 days later warmed through in the microwave!

Service - fantastic. Everyone was so attentive and helped explain the menu when asked. Food comes out quick too! Make a reservation. They fill up!

Parking - as everyone would tell you, parking in Ktown sucks. The inside of this plaza has a very tiny lot, pay to park, I’ve never been able to get a spot. So your other options are street parking or paid garage parking around the area. Luckily there was a parking structure directly across from Danbi. It was $20 for...

My son treated my wife and me to Danbi in Koreatown, LA, for my birthday, and it was an unforgettable dining experience. He had been keeping an eye on this Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant for a while, and I’m glad we finally got to try it. According to our waitress, Danbi replaced a previous establishment and opened with a fresh vibe to showcase Korean cuisine in a unique and refined way. The name “Danbi,” which translates to “sweet rain” or “long-awaited rain after a drought,” perfectly captures the essence of the restaurant – a refreshing and revitalizing take on Korean food.

We started with the honey potato chips as an appetizer. The homemade chips were light, crispy, and drizzled with just the right amount of honey for a delightful balance of sweet and savory. Next, we enjoyed a cold noodle dish with noodles reminiscent of soba. The sauce was perfectly balanced, making the dish both refreshing and satisfying.

For our second course, we had the spicy shrimp and scallop japchae noodles. The flavors were bold and rich, though the noodles were slightly softer than expected. Our third course was pork cheek with scallions, which was incredibly tender and flavorful – unlike any pork dish we’ve had before.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the final course: wagyu beef with garlic rice. The wagyu was expertly grilled, melting in our mouths with every bite, and the garlic rice paired beautifully with it. It was a perfect way to end the meal.

Service was top-notch. Our waitress was attentive, efficient, and ensured we were well taken care of throughout the evening. The restaurant is located in a retro-style plaza, which adds charm, though the valet parking fee of $20 was a bit steep.

As a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, Danbi truly delivers an exceptional dining experience, blending innovative takes on Korean cuisine with excellent service. If you’re seeking a memorable meal in Koreatown, this is a place...