Sik-hye slushy tasted sort of like a less sweet Horlick slushy. The tteokbokki sauce is SO good and the tteok was perfect in texture/chewiness. Crispy seaweed rolls were fishier than seaweed normally is and I don't like seafood, so I wouldn't order it again, but if that fishiness isn't off-putting to you, I'm pretty sure this would be the perfect quick snack - savoury, spicy, crunchy, sweet. read more

Simply put it's food court food. Takiyaki was 98% fried dough, one tiny piece of squid in each. Their spicy rice cake was okay. Calamari was also just okay, had a little weird chalky taste. Best by far was their garlic soy chicken wings. They had a good tempura crust crisp to the wings. Sauce itself however was slightly bland. Expected better. read more

Love their kimbaps here! Great rice to ingredient ratio!! Also, my favorite slushy shikhae!! Must get the shikhae :)

Finally, my craving for spicy rice cakes were satisfied today at Awoolim! The staff was very helpful with suggestions and I was quite pleased with my snack: + Spicy Rice Cakes (Dukbeokki) was chewy and spicy and full of flavor! Street-style at its' best! + Fish Cake (Oden) with broth was quite comforting and tasty. At only $1 each, you cannot go wrong! + Kimbap! My favorite! Aigoo... This place is excellent and I will definitely return soon!!! I highly recommend this fast-food establishment to satisfy your Korean Street-Food cravings! Remember, they close at 8pm! read more

Awoolim - Only $14 for all of this yummy goodness! The medium size portion of dukbeokki is shown. Aigoo... - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Awoolim is a great place to get your tummy started! In other words, go get some appetizers. The place has options from fried calamari, rice cake, fish cake, and dumplings. Tasty and satisfying. It comes with different sizes and price is decent! I would go there just for snacks, not to eat it as a meal, but overall pretty good :). read more

Awoolim - Fish cake - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I don't understand how this place has 4 stars. Seriously, Yelpers, do you not rely on others' reviews to decide where to spend your $ for at least edible food?!? I'm pissed. Based on reviews, picked up a quick bite for two: assortment of kimbap, fried squid, bulgogi tacos and shrimp tempura roll. Calamari was the best, but only because we replaced the super sweet, icky dipping sauce with something else. Tacos were tasty mainly because the salsa was decent. Certainly not because of the quality of the meat, which was ground beef. Kimbap were inedible with the exception of the spicy tuna, which is in fact American style tuna salad where the mayo masks all else. When I asked how recently they were made and she said "today", I should have known that was a bad sign. They all went in the trash. This is repulsive, super low-quality food.. $24 bucks in the garbage. read more

What is not to love about this place, it's been around for a super long time and it's almost like a Ktown icon for street food. I do love a few of their items and would skip on others. I love their dduk-kochi which is the oil cooked rice cake on a stick with chili sauce on it, as soon as I put this in my mouth it takes me back to the streets of Korea in 1997. Super nostalgic food for me, but they do it well, the sauce is on point with the right amount of spicy and the rice cakes are well cooked. I think their kimbap is also very good, with lots of variation. Would also recommend their fried kim-malee which are glass noodles, wrapped in seaweed then fried (sounds weird but this is my fave). I've heard that their slushy shikhae which is typically a sweet rice dessert drink in traditional Korean culture is very good though I haven't had it myself. The fried shu mai is good but nothing to write home about. I'd skip the ddukboki, I've been spoiled by yupdduk and would not eat the ddukboki here anymore, the texture of the rice cakes is whatever and the sauce has no depth, I'd rather get two dduk-kochis. It's in the big Koreatown plaza mall on Western NOT the galleria, and on the first floor opposite direction of the market. It's called "International food court" lol. Parking is convenient and they also validate. read more

A good place for snacks in the food court of Koreatown Plaza. I've tried everything on their limited menu. Kimbap They have all kinds of kimbap here: beef, fish cake, tuna, anchovy, burdock, salmon skin, spicy squid, shrimp tempura, dried shrimp, and tonkatsu ssam kimbap. Price ranges from $3.50 for a roll of kimbap to $7.50 for a combo. Rice cake The rice cake is not bad, but there's nothing else other than a few pieces of fish cake. I wish they put more ingredients. Fish cake with oden soup At $1.15 each, it's the cheapest item on the menu, but it's just okay. The soup is too peppery. Must order a minimum of 3 for to go order. Bulgogi taco I like their version of this taco. Their ground beef bulgogi topped with diced tomatoes, onions, and cilantro is tasty, and their sauce makes it unique. Fried shumai Each order comes with 7 mini bite sized shumai. It's good, just a little too soft. Fried seaweed rolls Although sometimes it's no longer crunchy for sitting under the heat lamps for too long, this is still my favorite. The fried seaweed roll is stuffed with rice noodle, and it comes with tteokbokki sauce on the side. The fried roll is good on its own even without the dipping sauce. Fried calamari They serve fried squid legs instead of squid rings. Skewered spicy rice cake My least favorite item. The rice cake is too chewy and the sauce is too sweet. You'll get 2 skewers for $3. Slush sikhye It's refereshing on a hot summer day, but sadly I'm not a big fan of this sweet rice drink. read more

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This counter was right next to the Korean Cheesetella in the food court. The staff was very nice and willingly explained all of the dishes in a friendly way. We ordered the slushy drink that had a unique and very pleasant and mild flavor and was made from rice and malt. For food, the bulgogi taco had tender meat and was served on a flour tortilla with a super tasty chipotle like sauce. We also had the skewered spicy rice cake, which was a small roll of paste that was slightly crispy on the outside and pleasantly chewy otherwise. It had a mildly spicy red sauce on it. The fried seaweed roll were small nori rolls filled with potato sticks. The flavor was bland, but was intended to be dipped in a spicy red sauce that came with it. Finally, really enjoyed the rolls of sushi rice alongside a mix of squid, cabbage, and radish that came in an even spicier deeper red sauce. This was to be eaten by putting the squid mixture onto the sushi rice rolls, making it fun to eat. Although all of the sauces were warmly spicy, the level was never overpowering. The food court was clean and the bathroom were also tidy and clean. The atmosphere was calm with pleasant classical music being played overhead. Parking is available at the structure for Koreatown Plaza shopping center which is free on the weekends. read more

This spot is pretty awesome if you want some Korean Street food. The Calamari, fish cake w Oden soup, fried seaweed is one of my go to at this place! Hope you will enjoy there food! read more

The worker messed up our order and tried to give us someone else's food. Then, she placed our order correctly. She then was rude over us asking for an extra pair of chopsticks. read more

Came here after during one of my Music Plaza runs, got the Fried Seaweed Rolls and Deep Fried Rice Cake, would recommend. First time ever trying these items and would probably opt for the Fried Seaweed Rolls along with their other items they offer. read more

Nice portion and price. The taste also pretty good and a little bit spicy which i like. I also tried their gimmari and it was good too. I would recommend you to try it if you are in the area but it's not that special for you to go there specifically for it. read more

Expect the fried squid. Others are okay~ Ddekboki is not spicy to me. I want to spicy it more. Kimmalli is great in this store. read more

Awoolim - $11 the price is not cheap. - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Love their variety! I also like how I can quickly grab and go. Their kimbap is always fresh as well. Also like how I can add tempura soup and fried squid for dew dollars more. I get their saam kimbap. My friends always get the fried shrimp kimbap. Anyhow, I never had any bad experience with Awoolim! Consistently good! read more

Visiting from New Mexico, I was able to satisfy my cravings! The ddukbokki was street food good (Korea street food). In NM, I have to make it at home and it's just not the same. I wanted to order one of everything but of course, that wouldn't be ideal. Can't wait to head back read more

Awoolim - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Amazing spicy ddeokbokki (spicy rice cake in sauce), Ddukggochi (sweet+spicy fried rice cakes on sticks), and the Fish Cake in Oden soup! read more

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This is an excellent place for cheap Korean bunsik food!!! Located in the Koreatown Plaza food court, Awoolim has a typical Korean bunsik menu. I've tried their tuna kimbap, fried seaweed roll, spicy rice cakes, and fried rice cakes, all for around $15, and everything tasted amazing! The food comes out fast so you don't have to wait long for your food. I liked their kimbap and their fried rice cakes the most. If I'm ever craving bunsik, I'll definitely come back here! read more

Awoolim - Tuna kimbap, fried seaweed roll, spicy rice cakes, fried rice cakes - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I ordered the spicy rice cake and garlic soy chicken. It took about 10 minutes to make. While we waited for our food, we went to other vendors to get some food. I enjoyed the spicy rice cake, it was spicy but it wasn't over powering like the other places I've been too. It was warm and the rice cakes were soft. The chicken was hot, obviously because it was fresh. The chicken is kind of sticky, but crunchy. The sesame seeds added a nice flavor towards the coating and overall, it was okay. Dip the chicken in the spicy rice cake and it's delicious! read more

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This is probably my go-to spot whenever I'm in K-town for Korean street food. I've always loved dduk kko chi as a kid, but they were rare to find, or at least rare to find ones that were good. I would say everything is decently priced, in US standard (Korean price for these should be a lot lower I would think since they're more casual elementary school snack type of food). All in all, I love coming to this place and enjoy the childhood snacks. Also, try the Shik-Hye slushie. I love those. read more

Cheap, fast and authentic! I lived in Korea for eight years and ddukboki was something I had on the streets during my walk home after school. Awoolim's ddukboki really reflects the street style. Some may think that it's very plain compared to restaurant ddukbokis but I think Awoolim's concept is to mimic the street style ddukbokis! The moment I took a bite, I knew I was eating the right thing. The seaweed rolls however... while they tasted okay, they were over-fried as their batter was brown, dark orange color. They also tasted like they've been sitting there for a long time. I came here near the end of the day (7pm) so that might be why? read more

I've been eating at the Koreatown Plaza food court since I was a kid, and Awoolim is a wonderful recent addition, offering ultra-satisfying Korean street food that fits right in with the older stalls. To be perfectly honest, I haven't actually had the food on location. Instead, I've eaten Awoolim when my lovely mom dropped by my house with take-out lunch, on a couple different occasions. That seems at least as Korean as KTP, doesn't it? The food is delicious. I love Korean street food, and Awoolim's really hits the spot. The ddukbokki is on point, with supple tubes of rice cake swimming in spicy, flavorful, slippery sauce. It just comes with the dduk, but most of the other food can be plonked right into the sauce too. The odaeng is fantastic, huge sheets of savory fish cake in a warm, umami-rich broth. I don't know what it is that makes odaeng broth good, but some places just have it and way too many don't. Awoolim has it, and the odaeng tastes great on its own or dragged through the ddukbokki. I also enjoy the kimmari, those deep-fried tubes of seaweed wrapped around japchae noodles. They take to the spicy sauce beautifully. The main thing I crave from this place though is the kimbap. Awoolim has an anchovy kimbap that I've gotten both times, and it is so good--the salty seaweed and crispy, fishy myulchi work very well with the rice and a bit of fragrant sesame leaf. If you're in Koreatown and need a quick to-go meal, I'd highly recommend stopping by the Plaza for some Awoolim. If you're lucky enough to have a mom to go for you, all the better. Make sure you thank her--give her take the last kimbap in the box if she'll let you. read more

Ordered for takeout 5/30/20. We called to check if they were open because things have been a bit confusing with all the shutdowns and were pleasantly surprised that they were! The food court is emptied of any chairs/tables but there are still a select few businesses open. I've been here with my boyfriend before and they've always been so kind and the food always so comforting. I'm happy they're still open and hope this pandemic hasn't taken too large a toll on them. This time we got the bulgogi, tuna, and fishcake kimbap--honestly truly the best thing you can get here--as well as the calamari, tteokkbokki, and 2 sikhye slushies (also a favorite!). Everything was so carefully wrapped and put together by the time we came to pickup, which I always appreciate. (We called about ~30 min in advance) In our prior visit we also got the fish cake w/ oden soup, takoyaki, and dduk ggochi (also all very good). This place is great if you're in a more snack-ish-meal-type mood and want a little taste of multiple yummy dishes. read more

I venture to this place for one thing... And one thing only. Shikhye or shikeh? The Korean sweet rice slush drink. My friend introduced it to me once and I became obsessed (especially during my pregnancy)! I feel like this is the only place that sells this drink. The huz thinks it's way too sweet... To each their own. Only downside is that this place closes rather early so plan accordingly! read more

Only tried a few things but I did like what I had. The tteokbokki was decent and so was the tuna kimbap. My favorite thing was the shikhye (malt flour rice punch) slushie. It was a tad sweeter than what i'd like but the when the ice melted a little, it was better. read more

I always come here for the dduk kko chi and odaeng. It's cheap and delicious *they have a $5 minimum on cards read more

Awoolim definitely gives you the pojangmacha feels! They have most of the food laid out in front of you. Great for people to grab something on the go or to just enjoy at the food court. Prices are incredibly affordable. One oden comes in a big Styrofoam bowl filled to the brim with the soup & green onions. Did I mention it's only a $1? It's so simple but hits the right spot and keeps you nice & warm all over. It pairs well with their chunmu ojinuh kimbap which is AMAZING! My mom especially loved it and had to go buy seconds! It's just plain kimbap with NOTHING but rice wrapped in seaweed but you pair it with the ojinuh mix that it comes with. It's SO tasty! Seasoned really well. Ojinuh is cooked perfectly as well so it's not tough when you bite into it. Be cautious it is a bit spicy, but that's when the shikhae comes in! A large shikhae slush is only $3 and I love that it isn't just big chunks of ice! read more

The BEST korean street food in ktown, hands down!! After all these years of going to ktown plaza, I noticed a new stand in the food court a few months ago. The white display board with the minimal pictures and words attracted my attention right away. I also saw young people as well as the elderly happily munching away on fish cake sticks and I was like daaaaaaang where can I get that! The menu- ---Ddukboki (spicy rice cakes)- pretty much just rice cakes in sauce, nothing else and it's DELICIOUS. The sauce is on point and the color of red is the perfect red in my opinion. ---Kimbap (korean version of rolls)- they have various ones like bulgogi, ssam, Inari, and chungmoo kimbap as well! They use good quality ingredients and the taste of the kimbap is a sure tell of that. It's not all just rice, like other places. ---Odeng (fish cake in broth)- only a $1 each and HUGE! Reminds me of the odeng sticks from the actual streets of Korea! Make sure to get some green onions in the broth and slurp away as you eat your ddukboki with it. ---Calamari legs- crispy and very authentic tasting. They don't try to be fancy with it! Just straight up bomb fried squid legs that has a good light batter and isn't hard to chew. ---Shikhye (rice drink) slushie- A must get! I'm always on the lookout for good shikhye in ktown and I think I have found the place. It's so thirst quenching in this hot weather and the sweetness isn't too overpowering. Prices are very reasonable as well. They have different sizes for most of the menu items so it's easy to order in either small or large quantities. You can always find a line here when you're in the food court and I can definitely see why. The quality and price can't be beat! FYI, parking is free with validation. read more

Love love love this place.. The best Korean roll.. Kimbap ever. They also serve spicy rice cake which is chewy n perfectly sauced. Also fried calamari n fish cake soup which the broth is to die for.. Everything is simple and delicious.. They have diff types of Kimbap so you can pick and choose what you like. The service is also awesome.. They r very friendly. It is in a food court so you order first n sit down. read more

Awoolim - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

It's nothing fancy and it probably won't be super impressive to anyone, but it's a cheap and filling meal that tastes good and gives quite a lot for the price. I like their kimbap selection because they have smaller rolls and more unique flavors! Their odeng soup is super refreshing too. read more

There's a duplicate listing but I'll write on this one since it has the full title of the restaurant, not just "Awoolim". I live right behind KTP so I come here pretty much daily and this place is the hottest snack corner within the food court. I love their kimbap and their bulgogi tacos. I'd say this place is the closest thing to Korean street food in the U.S. Pro tip...you can buy kim bahp by the roll, they're the ones that are wrapped up in foil. read more

Ddukbokki - 5 stars Gim ma ri - 5 stars Squid legs - 5 stars Slush Shikhye - 5 stars All my friends and family know that I'm a ddukbokki connoisseur. You cannot find really good ddukbokki in Los Angeles Koreatown. All have fallen short of my expectations coming from Korea. That has changed. This place serves the closest thing to Korea's authentic street food. The workers all wear clean, crisp chef uniforms, and the place looks mighty sanitary. My new favorite ddukbokki spot in all of LA. read more

Shik-hye slush is the sh%t here. I had it for the first time on a hot day and it was so sweet, so refreshing, so good. I actually didn't know about this place but I saw all these people walking around with the same see-through plastic cups and curiosity sparked my interest. I like shik-hye and I like slushies so it makes sense I'd like this drink. The dukbokki is good. I wouldn't say it's awesome but it's pretty good and all the other food items are decent and reasonably priced. This is inside the food court of Koreatown Plaza so don't expect to be blown away by street food at street food prices. read more

having started watching korean dramas, this was a perfect way to feel like i was in one without have to look for a tent in seoul. had a little tteokbokki and 2 odeng skewers. delicious. only $6 total for the food bill. cheapest good lunch i've had in years. read more

This 5 star is strictly for their kimbap. It's always made well, so delicious, and a great snack/meal when you need something easy and quick to eat. read more

Their food gotten too spicy for me. I'm Korean but not so into spicy food. Stay away from Spicy Tuna rolls, they have several huge chunks of jalapeños to make your tongue/neck burn. Other dishes are OK, if you just want something quick to eat in Ktown. read more

Warning their Spicy Tuna kimbap is SPICY!! Fuego forreals... But this little gem is tucked inside Koreatown Plaza in the food court! It's catered to serve quick korean snacks but it is perfect for an inexpensive yet filling lunch. Parking is f.r.e.e ! With validation of course. I ordered the ssam kimbap and the spicy tuna ! I love the ssam kimbap because it is on the healthier side and not that much rice! It's quite refreshing and loaded with greens! The spicy tuna one was good but I think the jalapeños killed me ))); hahaha next time I'll get regular tuna like the cashier said haha. I also got to try Shikhye for the first time ! At this place it is in slush form. Omgoodness where was this all my life haha. It's mild in taste and even though it's a tad sweet for me I LOVE IT. I will be coming here for lunch way much more often and picking up kimbaps for my school days. At a great price and free parking what more can you ask?? read more

It's OKAY grade Korean street foods. The prices are good (mostly $2-$7). It's located in the food court of KTP. read more

The Koreatown Plaza foodcourt was the first place I wanted to go to when I landed in LA. (Yes, that's how excited I was for some good Korean boonshik!) Sadly, their dduk bboki didn't live up to my expectation nor did their kim mal ee. Their sauce was bland.. and the rice cakes weren't marinated enough so it lacked flavor. I've had better in New York. Sigh.. will just have to visit Korea for the real stuff. Awoolim's ddukbokki looks better than it tastes. read more

Awoolim - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The food here is decidedly 3-stars. Nothing is spectacular, couple things are great, but most are just okay. The reason it gets 4-stars is because it is so dang reminiscent of the old Korean days! It's rare to grant a full star upgrade from the food grade purely based on ambiance and service, but this place gets it. Now, it is located in the Koreatown Plaza food court so it loses a bit on the real pojangmacha feel, but since the authentic cart-style places probably aren't exactly legal in the U.S., this is what we may have to settle for. You walk up to the counter and the food is right in front of you. Oden, fried foods, ddukbokki, etc. are laid out behind a display glass Cute, simple menu catches your eye as well. Very reasonable prices ($1 for the big oden!) and the layout is enticing and makes you hungry! The bubbly cashier girls take your order, and then are filled by more serious workers preparing and packaging the food. Seems very efficient and effective - customer service up front, all-business behind. We get the food - 2 oden, 1 small ddukbokki, 1 kimbap & spicy squid bento. Oden is authentic and outstanding. Ddukbokki was... tasty but the rice cake was too soft. I like them chewy and firm. The bento was okay. Kimbap is just seasoned rice rolled in kim (seaweed) and just okay, while the squid was good but needed to be warmer. In the end, this is the closest thing they have in L.A. to replicating Jaws, an outstanding and delicious chain in Korea. Taste doesn't come close and the surroundings can't match the hustle-and-bustle that accompany the city centers where Jaws are typically located, but it is a viable place to get an inkling of what it's like in Korea. For Real! read more