Matna 1631 — Restaurant in Ventura

I've been meaning to try this place after hearing rave reviews and recommendations for months. I love Korean food and in my opinion the more great Korean restaurants in Ventura County, the better. I finally swung by with my bestie for a late lunch.

The service was excellent, and the folks working here were extremely friendly. We ordered almost immediately with little wait. The atmosphere of the place is bright, clean and welcoming.

You can get dolsot (hot stone/bowl) vegetable or beef bibimbap, and my bestie and I both ordered the beef variety with a side of kimchi.

Side note: You don't get the hot bowl with takeout so although I'm sure it's yummy anyway, it's a real treat to dine in for the experience and ensuing deliciousness.

The seating area is comfortable if not cozy, with plenty of space and tables and chairs and a cushioned bench lining the far wall. It wasn't overly crowded at 2:30 p.m. ish on a Wednesday.

Our food came out a short while later, sizzling hot, looking and smelling amazing.

I was a tad surprised to find that the beef itself was more of the ground form rather than the sliced beef I was accustomed to. The serving size of the beef was a tad small (for me personally) as well, however there was a great deal of fresh and tasty vegetables in the dish, and I'd say it was proportionate when measured per food item. The rice at the bottom of the bowl had an undeniably satisfying crunch and everything was topped with an egg that continued to cook in the sizzling bowl of beauty that was laid out before us.

The dish did not disappoint. It was AMAZING and everything I wanted it to be. It was served with a bottle of sweet-hot gochujang, which is a traditional Korean pepper sauce. The kimchi was fresh and flavorful, and had just the right amount of kick to it.

There was so much food in the bowl, neither of us could complete it. We were stuffed and so happy!

Overall this was an excellent experience, and we will...

I was really excited to try this new place out. I know they just recently opened, and I think it will get better with time, but for now it was just, okay. It has the potential to be great, but it's not quite there yet.

Service - One thing that threw me off was that we ordered a variety of food, but everything came out separately. So every time a part of your order is ready they will call out your number, and you have to get up and go get your food. I'd prefer it if they either had the entire order ready to go, or if they brought it out to you. Not a huge problem for most people, but with a bad back it gets tedious.

Atmosphere - Definitely lacking. Just a mostly pastel yellow open dining area with a small little focal piece at the back.

Food- Beef Kimbop was tasty. The Japchae noodles were excellent. My favorite was the Soy Garlic K-Fried Chicken- had a nice flavor and a really good crispiness. The Kimchi Fried Rice was okay, but not exciting. Least favorite thing was the Brisket Ramen- It seemed a bit bland and lacking in flavor. Sriracha and Gochujang were available upon request, but I would like to see more condiments available on the table or at a walk-up bar. Things like some chili flakes or powder, fish sauce,...

Came here for the first time today after hearing rave reviews from my friends and family. I firstly want to state that the service here is beyond incredible, the staff are so welcoming, sweet and polite. They also check up on you to make sure you’re okay. We felt extremely welcomed here.

The food was INCREDIBLE. We ordered the Spicy Beef Brisket ramen and the bulgogi bowl. The ramen broth was so hearty and healing, the beef was tender and juicy and this ramen bowl was an overall perfect dish. The bulgogi rice bowl blew me away. The meat was cooked perfectly yet still tender and the vegetables, noodles and rice were so hot, fresh and delicious. I can’t say which meal I liked more. I would have taken a picture but I inhaled this food the minute it touched the table.

I’m going to be telling all of my friends and family about this place, the food is incredible and the service is wonderful. 10000/10. This place deserves all...