YUP DDUK LA — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Yeah, I was so excited to try this place. I’d been hearing about it for months, when we finally arrived, we parked paid for valet walked inside. We were sat super casual. Nothing out of the ordinary then all of a sudden, the people next to us got up and moved to the next table. for context I am a brown woman and both my partner and I are larger individuals so we’re kind of used to people acting shitty towards us because we’re fat. whatever that’s just society I guess, but then another couple came in and they were forced to sit next to us and the entire time have their body shifted away from us with their backs to us at this point we had received our starters we had received our beverages. We obviously placed our order and there was no issue whatsoever. Until finally one of the servers walked over to us and told us that we had two options. Either we get our order refunded or taken to go because and I quote “ you guys smell really bad, you reek of weed. Maybe next time air it out before you come in.” I was in shock. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to cry. I’ve never been discriminated against like that.. after I politely told the server that this was really disrespectful and that marijuana smoke is super common especially in LA of all places. I love Korean food if I’m ever coming into a restaurant you best believe I’m gonna smoke before. If I’m ever going out to a restaurant I’m always smoking before it’s a ritual. No one has EVER turned us away. It was really disheartening to be kicked out, while people are literally shifting their bodies to us and talking about us in a different language. Terrible service. I spoke to that guy at least twice before the incident happened and nobody mentioned anything. It wasn’t until the two women walked in and spoke to him, spoke amongst each other, and then sat down physically shifted their bodies away from us while they were sitting looking scared and uncomfortable. What a shame.

I get it everyone is going to say that the MJ smoke was a bad move. I get that but why not just tell me from the get go? Why wait till we are sat, appetizers hit the table drinks being drunk. Like...

I have been coming to this place often for over a year now. I first discovered it back when I lived in Koreatown when a friend from Korea took me there to try it because she used to get it when she lived in Seoul. I hadn't tried anything quite like it before. I've been hooked ever since. There was genuinely a period when I was going 2-3 times a week and absolutely destroying my body.

The food is by no means healthy, but it is delicious. It's spicy, carby, and heavy--peak comfort food. Great for colder weather but still a treat year round. It IS spicy. Even the lowest level, extra mild, has a fair bit of spice. We usually do the extra mild when my girlfriend and I go together. I often opt for the mild (which is quite spicy) when I am eating it by myself. I wouldn't call myself a juggernaut, but I am no stranger to spicy food. Mild is usually the spiciest I like to do. I can HANDLE the Original, but it has a strong kick to it. I am afraid of the highest spice level, challenge.

Also note that the portion is large. It takes several people to finish it, otherwise you will certainly have leftovers.

The restaurant itself is small, only seating about 16 or so people. There is often a wait because it is a popular spot with limited seating. Also because of this, I would probably discourage coming in a large party. They may struggle to easily accommodate bigger groups, and it will at the very least increase your wait time.

The staff is very friendly. I've seen several faces there over the years. They have always been pleasant and helpful. In particular, Eric and Michael have stood out to me in my time eating here. They are very attentive, helpful, and accommodating. They offer excellent customer service to everyone they interact with. I always look forward to either of them working when I go in to eat.

If you like spicy food, or you like tteokbokki, or you're just looking for something new and interesting to try, I definitely...

Overall: 4.5/5 (delivery)

We ordered the B set which comes with rice cake, veggie fries, egg, & diy rice balls for $36 on Ubereats. Like many said, the portion is huge. Three people shared this set for dinner and we had leftovers. I ate the leftovers over another 2 meals (but added veggies to the rice cake).

For the rice cake, you can choose either yupdduk or yup o. We got yup o which has more fish cakes than rice cakes. They were very generous with the fish cake portion but the rice cake portion was much smaller so I would imagine the yupdduk provides a more balanced ratio. I like the flat fish cakes more than the thick fish cakes which were too dense for me to chew on. The rice cakes were bouncy and mostly soft though.

Like everyone said, we got mild but it was still spicy and set our tummies on fire all night. The flavor was really good though so I was pouring the sauce on to my rice. Now I understand why people add another order of cheese - the original amount isn't enough to quell the fiery burn!

The mini sausage was meh. Also wasn't a fan of hard-boiled egg since the yolk is too chalky.

Seaweed Rice Ball DIY: This was a box full of rice topped with a lot of seaweed. I mean they could have just rolled them into rice balls then put it in the container too. I'm not complaining since it's easier to just scoop the rice into a bowl.

Veggie Fries: These were tempura vegetables which was done really well. Love this as much as the fried seaweed rolls.

Fried Seaweed Rolls ($4): These were really good. If you had to get one add-on, I would go with this.

Fried Dumplings ($4): Standard. You can live...