Driving down Vermont street, there are feelings of nostalgia that start to bubble up within me. There are memories from the first decade of my life, filled with youthful curiosity and innocence. Then there are the following decades of my relationship with K-town that are filled with cock-eyed naivete and black-out fun. In the heyday of K-town (the 90's - early 2000's) people loved this town and its somewhat sovereign existence in the center of a horizontal metropolis. The best part of it was that only those who knew, knew about this paradise, filled with good times, pure or hedonistic. Ask those who came through and they'll all have different pieces to the question, "What's your favorite part about Koreatown?" Some will say the karaoke bars & girls, some will talk about the clubs, booking or otherwise and some will talk about the best part of the night. The beginning & end of the night. That's when you go to the "Sool Jib," loosely translated to the 'drinking house.' You start the night here with a pre-party of drinks and tapas and then you end the night here with the night cap and munchies. There were and are many great ones in K-town, including OB Bear and Prince but you'd be surprised to find out that there is one in Buena Park that is better than most if not all of the ones in K-town. I know, it sounds crazy and maybe it is. But Cafe Gunul is pound for pound the best Sool Jib in Southern California, if you're judging based on food, service and ambiance, as long as your type of ambiance is chill. But what do I know? To be honest, not much. So again, it is up to you to go and find out for yourself. Stay strong and independent minded my friends.... read more

Cafe Gunul - Nerves of steel, hands of might.. the chicken had no chance - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California

There was no recent pic of the menu so I did you all a favor~ As of Nov 2025, this is the menu items and their prices! Enjoy! Their food is so bomb! Every single one of them! read more

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Good food, good service and good times! The manager, Sean, always takes such great care of us. This is the perfect spot for a night of drinking, grubbing and hanging out with friends! read more

This place they need to clean the bathroom and the table with the light that's on top of the table because it's so nasty too much dust. I lost my appetite after I saw this. I bet you all this dust Go inside the food and people just eat it don't realize it . I will never come back here unless they clean it all up really good... read more

Cafe Gunul - Light on top of table so nasty look at the dust - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California

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I don't like this place at all. The food was really bad. I remember one time our server recommended we order the braised chicken, and it turned out awful. Honestly, the whole pub feels like it's more for elderly people, and the vibes just aren't great. read more

My partner went here a handful of years ago and has been telling me about the green apple soda since... we have been looking for it for almost a year and FINALLY accidentally stumbled upon jt! And after having tried it I would say definitely worth the journey! Green apple soda is delicious, green apple soda soju pitcher is even more fun... We also had the sea snails with noodles, huge portion and absolutely amazing (pictured) Tried the disco chicken as well, I would also recommend this! (I also love this frog... ) Service was timely, staff is friendly, ambiance is clean and dark and private. read more

Cafe Gunul - Sea snail salad with noodles Green apple soda soju pitcher - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California

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Great place for drinks and Korean pub food! We come here often for a casual girls night or date night. Their garlic chicken wings are chef's kiss amazing and they make the best teokbokki in town. Pair it with an ice cold beer and you're all set! Service is ok and they have buttons at each table to call the server when needed. read more

Cafe Gunul - Garlic chicken wings - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California

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This spot is perfect to visit, especially on a rainy day. The ambiance of this location is so relaxing and laid back. We went to try the Kimchi pasta, the So-dduk-so-dduk, and the Fish cake soup. Everything was served beautifully and in significant portions. The staff was amiable and helpful. The place is tidy and well-maintained. - Kimchi pasta is scrumptiously creamy, and the kimchi goes well with the flavor. The crispy bacon balances the overall taste of the dish. - So-dduk-so-dduk was very flavorful, and its coated sauce was highly delicious. - Fish cake soup was served super hot, which is a plus, especially on a rainy day. It's loaded with a tremendous amount of fish cake and eggs. read more

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Decided to go here for dinner with friends. At first, I was hesitant because we were only going for dinner and no drinks, but to my surprise, the food was good! We ordered chicken with rappokki. The rappokki was ok, but the chicken was really good! I've heard the other things on the menu are good too. (it is a bit pricey though) The ladies working were really friendly and attentive. Made sure we were good often. it is a bit loud and dark. - Looking Z at the menu, I can see why people go here drink and eat. . Can't wait to go back and try. read more

Ordered the kimchi pasta on this visit. It is foods you crave to eat that gives you comfort. The pasta tasted like a Mac and cheese, and then as you started to go deeper, you could see shrimp and bits of kimchi. Overall, it was good. It is hard to incorporate kimchi into dishes since kimchi can either help or hurt a dish. If you've cooked with it, made it. You get me. Korean fried chicken and sea snail salad a match made in heaven. Don't think it's bizarre foods, just a canned cook shellfish. This is made into a vinegary, spicy salad that goes really well with the chicken. The sauce comes on the side of the chicken to not ruin the crispiness and juiciness of the chicken. It is elegance by itself. Mostly asians eat here, which means only one thing. It has got to be good. I want to try the chicken gizzard and garlic which has been a lont8me favorite. read more

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JUN GI TONG DAK!!! One of very few places who serves this in CA. Order the large, it's soooooo crispy and the inside is still juicy! They get busy, so go early if you want their chicken. I get their chicken, chicken gizzard, and fries our go to! They also have combo specials with alcohol, perfect pairing with the chicken. The servers are attentive and you have a service bell if you need to get assisted. read more

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I ordered a spicy octopus with noodles to go. There was a very small amount of octopus and most of them were onions. The taste was ok but the portion of the octopus was such wasting money. I don't think I would order again. read more

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Nice to have a legit Korean bar type restaurant that is not located in KTown. Food is your typical anju

The best garlic chicken in town has been 그늘집 for the last 20+ years. Now, it is sh*t. I'm not sure if they changed brands like all the other places, but it is absolute sh*t at the moment. Please go back to it's original recipe. read more

I always come here for the fried chicken! They are mostly popular for their chicken and beer combo menu. The sea snail noodle salad is another favorite. It's spicy, tangy, and sweet on top of feeds a good serving for 4 people. read more

Cafe Gunul - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California

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Food is great. Service also great. Bul-dak cheese is delicious. This is chicken and mozzarella cheese with spicy sauce. And garlic chicken is the best. Crispy. read more

Great spot! Their serving is huge and is meant for sharing. Greasy food, probably best to pair with alcoholic drinks. We tried their whole fried chicken (the first one on the fried chicken list). Beware, this is not your typical battered Korean fried chicken. This is a whole bird split apart and served with a side of cabbage salad and pickled jalapenos. The chicken is different from my expectation but it is so tender and delicious! The skin is so crispy and the bone falls apart so easily. The cabbage salad is crisp and refreshing. Dip the breast meat into the salt/pepper mixture, it's necessary. We also tried the kimchi fried rice. They have a huge serving with either one or two egg on top. It's greasy and I wish it is more sour but delicious regardless and makes a great pairing for drinks. The service is nice. Make sure to use the button on the table otherwise they won't come for your bill, which is so nice because you can talk forever and ever without feeling bad. Ambiance is great, it's cozy. Total bill to about $36 with tips, 2 meals no alcohol. read more

Came here a second time with my mom and the server remembered us and our order WOW! We ordered muscle soup, seafood pancake and garlic chicken. The muscle soup looks very simple with a clear broth and spring onions but it is soo flavorful and filled to the brim with muscles. The garlic chicken comes out piping hot and stays crispy without being greasy. It is mild and sweet with mountains of crispy garlic and seasoning. this is definitely for the garlic lovers: They serve it with some daikon and shredded cabbage. Lastly our seafood pancake was cooked perfectly, some places makes this dish either soggy or burnt with rubbery seafood but theirs was perfect. The seafood was tender and balanced well with the veggies. It had shrimp, squid, and muscles inside. They serve this with a tangy soy sauce with chilis and sesame seeds. (Not spicy) The portions are really big and they have a lot of preset food combos, mostly to pair with drinks. It seems like people come to chat and unwind with friends. The severs don't make you feel weird about sitting for a long time and are very attentive. I forgot our servers name but he is always so helpful and nice. Don't be afraid to ask about menu items he'll give you great recommendations! The parking lot is huge so parking shouldn't be an issue. Their building is right in the middle of the plaza with folding chairs outside to sit and wait after you've signed your name on the check in sheet. read more

Food - Great Service - Awesome Vibe - Nice Staff - 2 Thumbs up Great spot for food and drinks. read more

It was my first time here and to try Korean fried chicken. I love it here! Chicken is so crispy and crunchy, the meat is cooked well. I like the fish cake soup too. I will come back here again. read more

Cafe Gunul - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California

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This place is a staple.. It's been around for 20+ years and all the locals are diehard fans of this place because the food is and continues to be consistently soooooooo good! Their fried chicken with their dipping sauce on the side is hands down one of the best things you will eat in Orange County. This has been around for decades and still continues to prove that is is incredibly delicious. Another thing I cannot go without is their Kimchi Pasta. You will not understand how delicious Kimchi Pasta is until you try it. Savory, spicy, cheesy, it hits all the Umami flavors. Their Army Stew, O-deng Soup, Nachos, Calamari, etc... every food this place offers along with their huge quantity will show you why this place has been around for this long and why it continues to have a large following with wait time every single weekend. The service is top notch, the main server has such a hilarious personality, and the ambiance is fun, lively, good eating, good drinking place. Enjoy the best Korean bar food that the OC has to offer. read more

The garlic fried chicken is very good. Their menu is consistently good. The staff is hard working and they create a friendly environment

First time checking out this place. It's a Korean Asian fusion place. Ambiance is chill, food is rich with flavor, and a wide selection of drinks including Soju. We had the Mac with Hot Flamin Cheetos and I gotta say it was BOMB ! We also ordered their signature dish- Kimchi Seafood pasta. It was also a very rich dish packed with flavor. If you are looking for lighter foods, this ain't the place for you! But they have yummy beer food. We had truffle fries and those were so good with the yogurt soju and beer we ordered. Coming back! read more

Cafe Gunul - Mac n Cheese with Hot Flamming Cheetos - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California

Would visit again 10/10 for sure. The owners and the staff were very welcoming and cheerful. We were having hard time deciding the menu but JJ (staff) helped us through our order and he nailed it. We started off with the garlic fried chicken which JJ recommended and I don't think there is a chance of not liking the menu. While being crispy is was also very tender and went along great with the beer! Then we tried tteok-bok-ki, which is rice cake with spicy traditional korean sauce. I'm not very good with spicy food but it was perfect for me. We also ordered bo-ssam with fresh oysters. I didn't try the oysters but the meat was tender and soft. According to my friends' the oyster went great with the sauce. Fish cake soup was deep and we regretted not ordering Soju, as it would have went so well together. Our last menu was ggalbijjim. We were actually very full by the time the menu arrived. But boy was I wrong. Great food! All the menus were in huge portions and we were super full. Will be coming back for more and hopefully everyone has the chance to visit this amazing place. read more

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Canned Whelk: $5.99/can Cooking Time: 5 minutes Menu Price of Whelk: $29.99 Ridiculously overpriced read more

Cafe Gunul - Canned Whelk on Ice - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California

My dad and his friends came to Cafe Gunul tonight after having a great day, but sadly, one of the waitresses ruined their night. They stopped by Cafe Gunul just to get some drinks and their bill came out to $75 and they tipped $15 which is 20%, but I guess 20% tip wasn't enough for the waitress. She walked up to the group and said that they should pay her $20 instead of $15. Seriously? 20% isn't enough? She had the audacity to walk up and ask for another $5 after she received 20%. I hope she understands that her actions affects the owner of the business more than it affects her and I really do hope that she stops this nonsense. I've noticed that servers these days ask for more tip, but obviously, the economy isn't that good right now, prices have increased, and many are not willing to pay more than 20% tip on top of the already increased prices. I went to Cafe Gunul too, but I am not going back again after hearing what happened tonight and will not be recommending. Thanks for your service! read more

I love all the food they make!!! Especially army soup! I think they make best army soup in the town

If you want good bar food to go along with a nice drink of soju, beer, or makgeolli, you should definitely try out Cafe Gunul if you're in the area. Cafe Gunul is located in the Zion Market Plaza where the form Sobok (now soft-opening Cafe Bora) is. It's nice to go with a smaller group (probably no bigger than 4-5) from what I noticed as I went with one friend. There wasn't a wait when we arrived but it started to get busier once we were seated. We settled to get one of the combo sets which (I think it was either C or D) included the bossam + raw oysters + soju or makgeolli (we settled for peach soju for an additional cost) and cheese corn. Oh man, that CHEESE CORN was amazing. It was probably one of the best cheese corn I had and usually, I can't even tell what the difference it is from each place I've tried it. The cheese used here were particularly stringy and still had a bit of stretch even as it cooled down while the corn wasn't too soggy or softy. I liked the addition of small bits of veggies to give it a different texture and color to the dish as well. The bossam was really good especially with the cabbage, carrots, jalapenos, kimchi, etc you had with it that you can wrap. The pork belly soft and melted in your mouth while working perfectly with the other condiments. Soju was a great choice to really cut down the greasiness at time. It was a bit pricey, but that's expected for these kinds of places but they did post up a notice about having Happy Hours from Sun-Thursday from 5-7PM I believe (I could be wrong). The service was great and they had the button at each table so you can press it in case you need anything. Personally, I wouldn't mind stopping by again if I was in the area with some good company for a round of good drink, food, and good vibes. read more

Cafe Gunul - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California

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Plenty of parking / in the Zion Market plaza / old and young crowd... But just enjoy yourself :) Yes, weekends get busy but this goes for EVERY kick back spots! There were 5 of us and was told they needed to get a table ready - within 10 mins it was ready for us. I only ordered the french fries and Odang soup (both are delish!) - Only downside was, I did ask for extra garlic or garlic powder and was told they will bring it over but never came. - Glad to know they had my pineapple soju available - Self pour the beer into the tower (that was my first) read more

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Crisp Chicken.. really good. It was my first time here and the food was great! The staff are attentive and nice too. read more

I love this Korean bar. It definitely is an older crowd here which I don't mind. I prefer this than somewhere with underaged teens trying to get alcohol with their fake IDs. The atmosphere is very relaxed and chill. The food is great. It is pricey but I think it's worth it for the quality of the food and the overall atmosphere of the place. One of my favorite Korean bars to come to for soju or makgoli! :) read more

I have been here many times in the past year, but this is very first time that I am writing a review. Just the very best all around Chicken Tongdak Place with one of the best selections of the Korean beer including two OB's-Kloud and Premium Gold and Hite on tap. The beer menu is very good but the best part is that this is one of only two or three authentic Korean Restaurants in the entire Orange County where you can literally have the Original Tong-Dak. Please, you must try their golden, crispy Tong-Dak (literal translation of whole chicken). At least try once. If you are little skeptical, then try the smaller one. The excellent crispy whole chicken will come out as one whole chicken which went through hours of Rotisserie and after all of the greasy fat has been drained and meat cooked well, they put it on the frying pan to make the skin extra crispy. The meat will fall off the bone. Since the chickens are young and small, they are tender. I can have one whole thing. They give you generous portion of salad and few pickled Japapeno peppers on the same plate. The second dish that I love to eat over there is Due-Bo-Ki. It is a semi-spicy Korean rice cake which has a shape of thin sausages but made up of special rice powder and few tasty compressed fish cakes in triangles and exceptional sauce as well as other vegetables all mixed in semi-sweet and red hot Go-Chu-Jang hot pepper sauce all mixed in perfect tasty mixture. It comes out in a huge bowl and feeds four people in one sitting. They are $15.99 but with Ramen noodle, it costs $17.99. I recommend one with Ramen noodle. Third one is simply my favorite dish with beer. It is called Kimchi Tofu. It has several thick slices of half cooked tofu topped with stir fried Kimchi and thick Korean bacons. It is literally to die for. It is excellent in taste and texture. The porkbelcy is so perfect with lightly pan fried Kimchi, you cannot go wrong with this choice. However, for what you get, it is pricey but worth the money. The wait staffs are quite polite and friendly and answers the bell at your table. The ring is located on the wall and will show up at the wait station with brightly colored numbers. Here are the menus and photos of the food. read more

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Their Fried Chicken wings with the sauce is really delicious. Kimchi fried rice- Is ok. It comes with the egg fully cooked. So I always ask for sunny side up egg. Ramen noodle and spicy rice cake- pretty good Tongdak- Not as moist as I like it to be. Must try their Kimchi Pork French fries/chips per all the Yelp reviews... I like how they have 4 different beers on tap. It changes every once in a while. read more

Context: Friday night, full house and here with 2 young kids. Summary: As other reviewers have stated, the food here is good for Korean bar food. Service not so much and price is on high side. We arrived at 7 and were seated quickly, however for 20 tables (inside and out) there are 2 servers. We waited 10 minutes to order (even after ringing the service button at our table multiple times), it took our food 45 mins to come out, and then took almost 10 minutes to get our check. Also, a pet peeve of mine...If I'm ordering alcohol, don't drop a bottle opener on the table and have me open my beer, I can do that at home (see pic). Food is good but prices are prob 20-30% higher than other similar establishments. Repeat? I have but would come back more often if service was better for price. read more

Cafe Gunul - Is it really that hard to serve an opened bottle of beer? - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California

One my favorite restaurant in Buena Park, but it may not be well suited for everyone since I had mix feedback from different people ive taken over the years. Most of their food goes along with beer and/or soju. Aside from that, I think most of their food has been wonderful. The servers are quick and attentive. Togo is pretty quick since I have been ordering togo quite often during covid (have been satisfied on how quick they are). This is a unique experience, its worth the visit. For what it is, it's not that loud which makes it a perfect vibe for having a drink and korean food. read more

Great atmosphere and terrific service. There are some menu items that fall a little short than desired (go over yelp reviews before making your food selections), however, overall quality/delivery is superb for a sports-bar/pub. Definitely my go-to spot for meeting friends in Buena Park area. (have been here 3 times with a large crowd in the past 2 weeks) read more

Cafe Gunul - Spicy chicken with cheese (cheese buldak) & fried oysters - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California

Everything is good here. Love their roasted chicken, spicy cheese chicken, clam soup, fish roe soup, kimchi pork tofu, fish cake soup, spicy pork ribs, etc. I've tried so many things here and it never disappoints. Must try the sweet potato fries if you go. Manager and servers are all friendly and awesome! read more

GARLIC CHICKEN WINGS FTW They food here is bomb. Everything we ordered was tasty from the Bulgogi Fries to the Dakddongjib (Chicken gizzard w/ garlic cloves). But the star of the night was the Garlic Chicken Wings! Crispy af, sweet sticky icky finger licking sauce covered in chopped garlic it's sooooo good! But I gotta warn you... your ass is gonna STINK like garlic for a day or two. I hopped on a plane the next day and even with brushing and mouthwash I still reeked like garlic ‍ Like Korean ajushee stank LMAO!!! So if you're on a date or gonna be in a plane don't get the wings... lol unless you don't give a damn than eat away. read more

This place has been here for the longest time. It's a pretty popular spot for middle-aged Korean men who want to smoke and drink after work. I came for the first time in years for some beer and food and it was ok. We were seated right away and ordered some udon (not sure why we ordered this of all things) lol. Udon was good, nothing special. We also ordered Kimchi pork fries with cheese on it which were probably my favorite thing here. Good amount of fries but kimchi/pork to fry ratio was off. By the end of it, we had a bunch of fries and wished there was more kimchi to go with it. They have a wide alcohol selection of soju, sake, beer, etc. The main thing I wasn't a fan of was the cleanliness of the place. The ledges were dusty and obviously haven't been wiped and the menus were pretty gross. Clearly no one wipes them. Also, our server didn't really check up on us. Any time we needed something, we used the doorbell button thing on the table which I tried to avoid doing cuz it can get annoying. But we weren't checked on or glanced at at all so it was necessary. They have good Korean/beer food but they just need to wipe shiz once in a while. read more

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Always enjoy these fried garlic wings . Sharing these 2 ordered to LACOFD #34, the fire fighters also enjoyed them read more

Cafe Gunul - 2 ordered to go garlic chicken wings - Korean Near Me - Buena Park, California