Gong Gan — Restaurant in Los Angeles

tldr; 10000/10 experience at Gong Gan. Highly recommend. Drinks, food, vibes- all on point!

DRINKS: as a non-coffee drink-girlie, all the drinks were so good. I got the strawberry latte and the mang lon (mix of mango and Korean melon). My friend got the corn latte and podo which I also tried. Can't pick a favorite but you truly can't go wrong with any of them!! -Strawberry latte: you can't go wrong with. Milky, strawberry flavor with fresh strawberries, not your typical dried strawberries, old frozen strawberries, or just jam. (No coffee in this drink) -Mang Lon: a mix of mango and Korean melon with soda. The mango flavor hits first and then the melon flavor kicks in. Such a unique flavor, very refreshing, and not too sweet. -Podo: classic Asian grape flavor- sweet and delicious. -Corn latte: surprisingly savory and sweet. If you want to try a unique coffee drink, this one is it!! As a non-coffee drinker (aka only tolerates Starbucks caramel macchiato), the coffee was not too bitter and the corn flavor mixed in SO well with the coffee. It was sweet enough for me to drink with a hint of coffee. Strongly encourage everyone to try it!

FOOD: we got the injermi croffle. The croffle itself was crisp on the outside and chewy and warm on the inside. The injermi powder/cream (a more traditional Korean flavor) made sure that was dessert wasn't too sweet by offsetting the sweetness of the ice cream with the nutty/toasty flavor of the injermi. The dessert was well thought out, balancing the warm croffle with the cold ice cream, making it the perfect snack. Definitely recommend!

AMBIANCE: honestly, super cute. The place really embodies a true Korean cafe. The blue theme makes the cafe aesthetic and the perfect place to take pictures. Walking in, the blue exterior of the cafe stood out- another good photo-op. The decor was not too minimalist, but not too maximalist. Lots of sunlight came in through the window giving the place a calm, cutesy vibe. Even the bathroom decor was on point. There were enough tables both inside and outside for people to sit and enjoy their desserts/drinks. No one was standing around waiting for a table to my memory. Definitely worth a visit for a date or for a meet up with your girlies!

SERVICE: the line was out the door when we arrived, but it went by quickly and the drinks/food came out in a timely manner. All the employees there were so friendly and...

I try to avoid LA traffic like the plague but wanted to see what the commotion was about for this new cafe in silverlake. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to find street parking quickly. Already a great start. I loved it so much my first time around that I came back again after a few days and then a few weeks after. I was mind blown by the taste of the drinks and food each time I came! In their earlier soft opening days, the only downside was that the place went too viral and I waited in line for about 30 ish minutes. It was hot that day as well so I was kind of contemplating if I should continue to wait but the line went by pretty fast. The staff was also handing out cups of water for those waiting outside in line which was such a simple and kind gesture that just goes to show how much they care about their service. There were even treats and water bowls outside for our pets. Now that they open weekdays too the line during the weekends seem to have improved! I would def come early at opening to grab a seat on the weekends. This has got to be one of the cutest places I’ve been so far in LA. Not only is it super cute but drinks/food were A plus. For drinks so far Ive tried the meringue affogato, honey bee, and jeju island.

Meringue affogato 10/10 Honey bee 11/10 Jeju island 8/10

For food I’ve tried the kimchi fried rice, black sesame croffle, brown cheese croffle, and the croissant burger.

Kimchi fried rice 10/10 Black sesame croffle 10/10 brown cheese croffle 10/10 Croissant burger 10/10

I inhaled everything up so quickly I didn’t even have time to take pictures each time lol. There’s a range of drinks that go from not to sweet to sweet so there are plenty of options for those with different preferences! Food wise there were also a range of options from sweet to savory.

All in all, I think this could be my new spot to meet up with friends to eat, drink, and yap.

I also saw on their ig that they’re planning to open it up in the evening as a...

Honestly, I’ve heard some mixed reviews on Gonggan so I had to go try!

I came here with a friend and was honestly impressed with every single thing we tried. If you’re a matcha lover, this place is heaven.

We started with the Corn Cream drink: super creamy but not overly sweet. It had that rich, nutty flavor (고소해 lovers, you know what I mean!). Then came the Strawberry Matcha: which converted my friend who only drinks americanos. The bitterness of the matcha (ceremonial grade too!) balanced so well with the tangy, sweet strawberry layer. SO good.

My personal favorite was “The Matcha Croffle.”It was decadent, but again, not cloyingly sweet. I literally used a spoon to scoop up the leftover cream and ice cream. No shame. 😂

We also tried the Brioche French Toast with Burrata, which somehow manages to be sweet and savory in the best way. The burrata was fluffy and the syrup brought it all together like a fancy brunch dish you’d expect at a high-end restaurant.

The Gonggan Latte is a must-try if you like cream-topped espresso drinks. Their cream is different! lighter, smoother, and super well-paired with the bold espresso.

And here’s the kicker: they serve alcohol! Their housemade soju highballs are a game changer. We tried the Korean Melon and Plum!! both super refreshing and not too strong, perfect if you’re not into straight soju.

The space is clean, and aesthetically pleasing with great natural lighting. Perfect for your instagram update 🤣🤣 for a Saturday lunch, I really didn’t wait for so long to order or to get my food!

Street parking is available, but it’s metered, so keep that in mind.

Gonggan is definitely going into my regular rotation. Whether you’re here for matcha, brunch, or just a vibey place to sip and chat♥️ they’ve got...