Danbi Korean Restaurant Los Gatos — Restaurant in Los Gatos

Danbi is a delightful new addition to the downtown neighborhood that just did a "soft launch" less than a week ago. They don't have signage or interior design completed yet, but they DO have delicious, authentic Korean fare under the careful eye of owner/operator and deliberate chef, Sunny. She claimed it was "just simple fare", but we very much appreciated the thought and careful consideration of all her choices.

We tried the seafood pancake and basic fried chicken with a pot of jasmine green tea and were pleasantly surprised by the variety of flavors and textures. The pancake was out of this world - thick and hearty in the middle, loaded with seafood and absolute crunchy perfection on the outside. The chicken was also so sharply crispy all over and super moist in the middle. You might think two fried dishes would leave us feeling heavy, but the ultra fresh fermented or barely-blanched veggie banchan left us with such cleansed palates that we felt great even after eating all the generous portions. The dressings and sauces were spiced and salted just right, so it didn't leave us feeling like we had overeaten or had a post-salt thirst. The spices never overpowered the flavor of the ingredients, allowing us to really experience the freshness of everything in each dish.

Small details also made a big difference - the fried foods and cold dishes are served in hollow, insulated stainless steel plates, so the crispy fried foods remained piping hot even seated next to an open door on this blustery, stormy day. It wasn't a race against time to get to all the hot food first because it just ...stayed hot and crispy... which wouldn't be the case if it were served in standard stoneware. What a delight. Clearly this is just second nature to her and she takes her own fine taste for granted.

We can't wait for other neighbors to try out this new spot and get to know more of the beautiful creations on her menu, especially as the weather warms up and she's able to open the patio soon.

Thank you Sunny for sharing your own bright spot in the...

I just had a delicious dinner at the Los Gatos location of Danbi Korean Restaurant (there is another one on First St, SJ and another in Santa Theresa Sq). The food was excellent as was the service. The server (owner this time) explained the dishes, how important color and variety are in Korean cuisine, and how to eat the dishes. We shared the seafood pancake and Hot Stone version of bibimbap, which the server mixed up for us and explained you eat it with the spoon. The side dishes were fresh and yummy. I recommend...

I tried this restaurant for the first time for takeout and ordered the beef soft tofu soup. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. The portion was shockingly small, with barely any beef—just tiny shreds that were hard to find. The banchan sides were underwhelming and lacked flavor. The soup itself was bland and didn’t compare to the quality I’ve come to expect from other Korean restaurants in neighboring San Jose & Cupertino. With so many great options around, I won’t...