Seong Buk Dong — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Yea... call me biased but having a mom that makes the best damn galbijjim ever, this place falls waaaaay short when you incorporate price and quantity. How the F@#$! does this place have a 4.3 star rating???

A few friends were craving some good Korean food that wasn't Korean BBQ or soondubu, so I suggested trying this place due to the glowing reviews. Boy was I seriously mistaken and I feel awful for bringing them to this rathole.

$35.99 for a tiny bowl of galbijjim is downright F@#$!ing criminal. I asked the waitress if two orders of galbijjim, along with one bibimbap, and two braised mackerel were enough for six guys was enough and she said no. So I thought to myself, "wow, exactly how abysmal are the portions here?" Soon enough, they brought out our meal and the first thought that ran through my head was "wait, these are SINGLE SIZE portions and they're charging $35.99?? This better some of the best damn galbijjim that I've ever tasted." NOPE. Not even close. About a third of the meat is that unpleasant chewy gristle. It also lacks flavor; not enough of the soy and sweet flavor. We were PROFOUNDLY DISAPPOINTED, to say the least.

I won't really comment on the braised mackerel since I don't like the fish in general; way too damn oily and heavy of a fish (mmmm... mercury...). My friends said it was mediocre. Not surprised.

Dolsot bibimbap was the worst that I've ever had the displeasure of eating. Most places would give you bulgogi as a meat choice but this places gives you the most bland ground beef ever, essential hamburger meat, and meager portions of it too. I had to add so much damn gochujang just to eat it. People that rave about the bibimbap here have no idea what good bibimbap is. Go to Jeon Ju Restaurant instead.

SERIOUSLY, don't come here. They're banking on the fact that people will seek out that "comfy, mom's cooking" style food and laughing it all the way to the bank. Don't fall for it. And if you have to go to the bathroom while here.. HAHA. Don't get grossed out by the stuff you might see in the kitchen. Some serious health code...

This is my second time visiting here. During my first visit I tried the hot stone bibimbap and it wasn’t anything noteworthy. The parking during the day is a hit and miss. I would say expect to have some change to use a parking meter down the street. The inside of the restaurant is bit cozy with an estimated 20-30 seats so expect a wait if you come during peak times. We had their Seongbukdon Gukbap, Galbi Jjim and Sogogi Sundubu today. We tried to order the Haemul Pajeon, but the waiter advised against ordering it since there was a good number of others that had ordered it ahead of us and it would take more than 30 minutes to be made. We liked the Seongbukdon Gukbap as it reminded us of some home cooking, but with a little bit of spicy kick to it. For me, it reminded me of my mother’s cabbage and Cornish beef soup that she would serve during cold winter days. We mistakenly requested the Sogogi Sundubu to be spicy and had to eventually use the soup of the Gukbap to even out the spicyness of the dish. Both were good. I saw some mixed reviews on the Galbi Jjim and we decided to try it for ourselves to set our own verdict. The meat was tender and sweet while being a slight bit on the salty side. It was fine with rice, but nothing I would eat by itself. For a price tag of $35.99 I would prefer a nice cut of grilled steak simply with salt and pepper. The service was friendly, but inconsistent. The staff didn’t have a logical methodology to serving people. There were two others that ordered before us and they didn’t receive their side dishes till they received their main meals while there were people that ordered and sat down after us that received their appetizers before us. Overall, I’d give the place a 3.5 star. It’s not a place I crave but has decent Korean...

We first went to Seong Buk Dong because it was close to our hotel and Eater had recommended it. We loved it so much, we went back twice more during the four days that we were in LA. Over the course of three separate meals, we had GoDeungBo-Jorim or braised mackarel, SunDubu Jigae, grilled dry yellow croaker with soybean soup, Pork Galbi-Jim, Hwaemul or seafood Pachang and Hwaemul Kalguksu or hand-cut noodles. Everything was delicious. We had tried Kalguksu at two other places and this version was the best. A deep, rich broth with very fresh, bouncy noodles. The food is served in a clean and cozy dining area. I looked at many of the one star reviews and they mostly either complain about the service or the prices. In our experience, the service was good all three times. And, as for the prices, yes, it is a more expensive restaurant, but you are paying for the quality of the food. Even among those who can afford it, there is a reluctance to pay for good food. This especially seems to be the case for non-western food. The people working in this kitchen are using good ingredients and cooking them with patience and skill. They deserve to make a decent profit for their efforts. So, please do give this place a try. I don't think you'll be...