Great tasting Korean comfort food. We got the kimchi jjigae and noodle soup. Both were amazing and full of flavor. Service 10/10 read more

Great service, quiet and delicious. Was craving dumplings and wandered here, it was everything i wanted and more. Great food afternoon an afternoon or errands read more

I've been here a handful of times and this has become my go-to spot when I'm craving traditional Korean comfort food! Their portion sizes are generous and the flavors always hit the spot. Here are my go-to orders: Pork Bone Soup ($19.99) Good amount of meaty pork bones and the meat was fall-of-the-bone tender! The broth was hearty and flavorful with a slight kick. Seafood Pancake ($23.99) My new favorite spot for seafood pancake. It was always super crispy and loaded with seafood! Overall, this place is a mom and pop shop that delivers quality food at a reasonable price. The restaurant feels spacious with plenty of booth seating. The food took 20-30 minutes to come out and they were worth the wait! My only suggestion is for them to serve the banchan before the food came out. read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Pork Bone Soup - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

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I've been coming to Daebak for years with my family and it's always very empty when we come for dinner on weekends. I'm hoping to share and bring more attention to this place since the food is so delicious. This humble restaurant is located in a pretty empty plaza in an area of Lakewood that doesn't get a lot of traffic. Inside you'll find the sweetest couple who runs the entire operation. The husband is taking orders at the front and the wife in the back hard at work cooking delicious food. My family always gets the seafood pancake which is stuffed with seafood like clams, squid, and oysters. And the soondubu is delicious and piping hot. Our favorite has to be the teokbokki (rice cake with squid). The sauce is nice and thick, spicy, and sweet. But the rice cakes are nice and chewy. The onions, carrots and green onions stewed in the sauce is perfection. Please come and support this hole in the wall spot. I hope you enjoy this place as much as I do! read more

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This place deserves more customers. Went on a Tuesday night and were the only ones in the restaurant, so the server (might have been the owner) let us sit anywhere. The restaurant has a very traditional, home-style vibe to it, which I enjoyed. We took some to time to order because everything looked good, but settled on their seafood pancake, spicy beef soup, bulgogi, and squid bibimbap. Their seafood pancake was among the best I've had in SoCal, and another standout was the spicy beef soup. The whole experience was great overall and I'd gladly come again whenever I'm craving Korean. read more

Great food and service! We had the dumpling soup, seafood pancakes, bulgogi, and bibimbap. All of it was great read more

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Came here in the evening before a movie and got the tofu soup and galbi. The server was kind, and it seemed like he was the only one working. It's a quiet diner with booth seating. Overall, the food was pretty tasty, and the wait for the food was about 20 minutes, which I didn't mind. read more

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If you asked me, "What could you eat every day and never get tired of?" -- it's beef soondubu jjigae (Korean tofu soup), hands down. And especially from here. The broth is rich and flavorful, the banchan is always on point, and the vibes? Cozy and kind. It's a small business that never misses... unless they're closed (which is the real heartbreak). Highly recommend. read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

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One of my favorite Korean food restaurants. The man who greets us is always very welcoming. Food takes a while to be prepared because there is only one lady cooking everything. But trust me, I swear she cooks everything with some magical ingredients because the food always tastes amazing! THIS FOOD IS FOR THE SOUL!! Meaning it will make you feel better when you have it :) The place always makes me think like I'm inside a big wooded ship so it's chill, not noisy and very clean. Thank you for the best bibimbap! TT read more

My friend's daughter had her 8th grade graduation in Long Beach, and she requested Korean food after. After searching this one came up and it happened to be perfect for our group of 10. They had plenty of seating and parking as well. The owners pretty much do all the cooking and running they place so they were wet attentive and you could tell everything was being made fresh to order in the back. Their portions were huge and we had leftovers to take as well. Savory flavors mixed with spice, but for those that don't eat spicy like some of the kiddos, they had options for as well. We went for dinner for they have specials for meals during lunchtime. Everyone ordered something different. From BBQ bulgogi plates to seafood soup, noodle soup, Korean pancake, dumplings, and bowls with your choice of protein included tofu and vegetables to bulgogi or chicken. Everything came out hot and fresh with thy at home cooked taste you'd want from this smaller shop. They were very accommodating, helpful, and friendly. They gave three sets of banchan for the table which were all very good. The pancake was my favorite and had a crisp pit side and chewy and soft inside. Perfect with hot sauce! Prices: Very reasonable, especially for the size. $6-$30 Dietary options: tofu and veggie options available Parking: there's a lot for the strip mall with dedicated spots in front and also some street parking if needed Atmosphere: great for friends, families, or couples read more

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We absolutely love this place. Their bulgogi rice pot is delicious and their spicy beef soup! All paired nicely with raspberry wine and Cass beer! Definitely recommend coming to this hidden gem! read more

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Very unassuming restaurant in a small business complex, there's an AYCE spot next door plus a teriyaki restaurant. Signs out front declared reserved parking for Dae Bak customers. Lunch specials available until 3pm. There was a single gentleman staffer who also took our order. Menu is straightforward: We got the Korean pancake : delicious and crisp with several chives and potato sliced thinly plus bean sprouts : delicious as a starter. We also for the soft tofu soup which came as a single style : clams and shrimp bubbling hot, we got medium spicy and it was just right. Deeply flavorful without being fishy. It came with a fresh egg to add. Stone pot rice with vegetables and beef (bibimbap) also delicious. We shared a dish of bulgogi: honestly this is the most tender and flavorful one I've had in a long time. Sliced beef meat piled high on a bed of onions and cabbage shredded on a sizzling hot plate. Each dish came with a bowl of steaming hot white rice. Banchan included kimchi, bean sprouts, steamed broccoli, soy sauce marinated potatoes and macaroni salad. No hot barley tea here. My lunch companions were not expecting too much from the restaurant but we really enjoyed all the food. read more

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This is a great korean restaurant with traditional soups and kalbi. It's located in the same strip mall as Gangnam Kalbi which is very popular. This place was pretty empty on a Saturday night and service was slow with only one man as the server but food was good and pricing was reasonable. If you're looking for a solid korean spot in the area, highly recommend. read more

This place is really good! I had the soondubu and it was really flavorful. It was a rich umami flavor throughout, with the seafood that came with it. The vibes were immaculate and left me feeling like I was in someone's kitchen. Even got a refill of broccoli banchan! Highly recommend! read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

Ive been to many Korean restaurants around So Cal and the Tteok Mandu Guk (rice cake dumpling soup) is one of the most flavorful I've had thus far. The portion for the price is satisfying. The place only had one other party, but the person who helped me was very friendly and helped me as soon as I came in. The plaza usually has ample parking during the day and a few designated spots for when the kbbq next door gets busy. read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Rice cake dumpling soup (Tteok Mandu Guk) - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

DAE Bak is one of new favorite spots to frequent. The food is so delicious. We love the Korean pancake, short rib, and bulgogi plate. Some of the best short rib I've had. The banchan is also delicious. The service is also amazing. The owner is very kind and I can tell they really care about serving quality food. 10/10 could not recommend more! read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

The food was freshly made. We went right at opening so no one was there. Truly a mom and pop shop. I love it. read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Original Korean pancake...love it. - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

My absolute FAVORITE place to get some tofu soup. Just went here yesterday and realized I never made a review -- this place is amazing! Everything is always so flavorful. Not pictured, but I've also tried the octopus rice hot pot, and it's just as amazing. Be aware, it does become quite a pricey dinner if getting multiple things (which I notice with most Korean restaurants). But I think it's 100% worth it. The owner is so friendly and patient. Whenever I've visited, it's been close to empty, which feels bittersweet. While I appreciate a calm dinner, I believe this place needs more recognition than it's getting! read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Soft tofu soup, marinated beef, rice - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

This was our first time there, I actually chose this restaurant because of the YELP reviews. The only thing that I didn't anticipate was the long wait for our food. We were the only ones in the restaurant and it took at least 20 to 25 minutes before our rice and banchan came out then the entrees. I am not sure if this is the normal wait time. While we were there 4 more tables were filled and it seemed that their food came out faster than ours. We ordered the Korean Pancakes, Spicy Pork and Spicy Beef Soup, all the dishes were good and so was the banchan. We will definitely go back there to try their other dishes. The restaurant was very clean. The man working the front who I believe is the owner was very nice. Even though we had to wait for our food, we were happy that it tasted good so it was worth the wait. read more

Very welcoming even when late, friends were very loud but still gave great service. The food wait time was a little lengthy but it was super fresh, I got the octopus read more

Very delicious, authentic Korean food!! They open until 10 pm. The bulgogi was so delicious! The side dishes especially the kimchi was also very good. I hope we can come back to this restaurant again! read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Beef bulgogi, very delicious - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

It was daddy/daughter lunch today and she asked for tofu stew. I was a little apprehensive because places we have been to recently have selling tofu stew for $22-$27. I think that is absolutely ridiculous. I looked & looked and came across Dae Bak. They have a lunch menu available 7 days a week and their stew was $17. You can choose any of the usual kinds but, no matter what, it's the same price. My daughter enjoyed her stew with beef. It had plenty of flavor. I had a dumpling & rice cake soup and then we shared bulgogi. It was all delicious and reasonably priced. We both enjoyed ourselves and it was a respectable $56. I will be back and will bring the wife and son. If the restaurant passes their approval process then we can add it to our frequents list. read more

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Got here just a little before 1130 and it was still closed even though the hours show it opens at 1100. Restaurant may need to update hours that are being advertised (unless this was a one time thing). Service here was good. Ambience was nice, casual, and pleasant. Spent a few hours here and they weren't trying to rush us out like other places sometimes do. Food here was delicious. I recommend their Beef Bulgogi and their Soft Tofu Soup. They had a lot of flavor. Parking was plentiful. They even have a few spaces reserved right in front just for their restaurant. So easy. Definitely a good spot to hangout with friends and enjoy a tasty meal. Highly recommended. read more

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Love this place. Food is excellent. The place next door is always busy, but this place is quiet and in my opinion, better. Karlbi is bomb. Love supporting this small family owned business! read more

I have passed by this place for years. I talked to the owner and his wife is cooking. Lucky man to have such a great cook. Today, mom wanted some Korean dumpling soup so I thought I would give it a try. This review includes two items. mandoo soup Korean pancake These were full flavored and the taste was really great. I make kimchi too, but everybody's is a little different and aged. I loved their kimchi today with q slightly different ingredient. I look forward to trying the squid stir fry to see if it as good or better than mine. read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - To go Korean pancake - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

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I was in the mood for Korean food and decided to check out Dae Bak. It's located in a dilapidated strip mall, but there is plenty of parking and the interior is much nicer. As others have mentioned, it's a husband and wife couple running the restaurant. Everything is made to order, so the service is a little slower. The menu is medium sized and prices have gone up so it's now more comparable to other Korean restaurant prices. They do offer lunch specials 7 days a week though. I ordered the fish egg soup, which was piping hot, with clams and shrimp unexpectedly added in giving it more flavor. Steamed rice was great, as always. The banchan were just okay, the cabbage kimchi in particular was a bit too mushy for me today (I like it a little crispier). Overall, comforting tasty Korean food. read more

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Best Korean food in the area. Everything tastes homemade. This comfy little delicatessen is situated in an unassuming plaza and is staffed by a husband (Lee) and wife (the chef). My wife and I ordered the Spicy Beef Soup (AMAZING), Bibimbop (Refreshingly Fresh Ingredients), and the Korean Pancake (so delicious). Between the wonderful customer service and the mouthwatering cuisine this is definitely a MUST VISIT for quality Korean food. Note: Please be aware that the service may be a little slow but understand that it is only the husband and wife who are running the entire store, so please be patient and you will get a great meal read more

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They were all so good but especially the ddukbul(hotpot bulgogi) was the best I've had in oc. Octopus hot pot stir fry was SOOO good too! Reasonably priced and decent portion. Definite coming back! read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

Do not order casserol togo! Ordered togo meat, ham, sausage, kimchi casserole (Army stew) ~$40 It came in two regular soup Togo containers, same as ordering 2 individual size soups which is cheaper (~$15 each) Portions are way too small for price! read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Meat, ham, sausage, kimchi casserole (Army stew) ~$40 (for 2 ppl) small portion for price. Same size as 2 indiv soup which is ~$15 each - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

I live in Long Beach and this is one of the best Korean Restaurants you could go eat at. The thing is most Korean Restaurants are lazy and overly spice, salt, or sugar their food and it's especially bad in my opinion when Korean food and banchan uses too much sugar. It's lazy cooking for the masses. This place is the exact opposite. Whoever is doing the cooking is special and has their recipes down pact, cares and makes delicious food consistently. Absolutely unexpected in this hole in the wall and appreciated. read more

Nice vibe // great home style cooking with rich flavors in the broth and excellent hot pots. read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Bulgogi Rice Dolsot - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

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Dae Bak is the most unsuspecting, most underrated Korean restaurant in the Lakewood, Long Beach and Cerritos area. This is one of the few places where I'm comfortable eating here alone, enjoying a relaxing, heartwarming comfort meal. As of late, I've brought friends for dinner and always enjoy the hospitality. When you're craving Korean tofu soup (soondubu-jjigae), your first thought is probably BCD Tofu House because that's either all you know or that's all you've explored - which is fine, but it's upsetting to see a place as great as Dae Bak being empty every time I visit. So I implore you to give this place a shot. For starters, the tofu soup is affordable as hell. For $10 you get banchan sides, as always, and a hefty serving of soup/rice. My only note is the banchan doesn't come with a side of fish like other places might but that's not that important to me. Aside from that, you can't find tofu soup with this much value anywhere else. The Korean pancake with scallions was very large - a great addition that you can wrap around some kimchi and stuff yourself. I enjoyed this with Makgeolli which is a fun rice wine that you drink with a traditional bowl rather than a glass. Interestingly this stuff is only 6% alcohol content and is much more tasty than Japanese sake - though the two can't be compared that simply. I can't recommend this place enough! It's in the same lot as Gangnam Korean BBQ (not a fan of that place btw) and it blows my mind how popular that spot is while this wonderful Korean restaurant attracts very little attention from younger customers. They even have their own parking spots for customers but its always easy to park here regardless. The icing on the cake for me is that they close later than 9PM on weeknights which is HELLA appreciated. read more

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My son has been to this restaurant twice before and loves the food. Today for Mothers Day he took me for lunch. The "A" for quality is posted on the front window. We were the only guests in the restaurant when we arrived around 2pm. We were told to choose a table. The server/Manager? brought chilled water and small metal cups to our table along with chopsticks and a metal spoon. My son ordered for us both as we have similar tastes in food. The server brought ban chan to complement the food we were about to receive. Then he brought the sizzling bowl of food which was still cooking and placed it on the table. There was a raw egg placed on top of beef, rice, beansprouts and veg. My son mixed his together and it literally cooked the egg into the other ingredients. So I did the same. The food stayed hot from start to finish. We added some chili sauce to keep things moist and to stop the food from sticking to the bottom of the bowl. The food was delicious. Such a great dish and entertaining at the same time A little back ground music would give some ambiance. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and I will be back soon read more

We stopped by because it was near the Long Beach Airport. The yukejang (spicy beef) soup was pretty good but nothing special. The mandu guk (wonton soup) was salty. The portions are pretty big. We also ordered a side of galbi (beef short ribs) which were again good but not great. The ribs didn't taste of being char-grilled so they may have been heated in a pan. There was one other couple in the restaurant at the time so they were not busy, but our food took a long time to arrive at our table. There was exactly one server and most likely one cook based on the time it took. read more

Dae Bak is a small mom and pop Korean restaurant with a small menu and I had the Korean Beef bibimbap which was . Definitely will continue to come back to eat here. The banchan was also simple but delicious. read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Korean Beef bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

Great place to grab a bite to eat. It's close to Long Beach Airport and the Korean food and service here are exceptional. read more

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant - Lobby and seating - Korean Near Me - Lakewood, California

Pork bone soup (감자탕) Korean food in Utah is better. It's missing the sesame leaves, the aromatic seeds, and the soup does not taste like 감자탕. It is disrespectful to call this 감자탕. No kimchi. 4 sides, all tasted old or rushed. The water tasted pretty decent, that's maybe the only saving grace. Avoid at all costs. Waste of money here. read more

We finished a round of golf in Long Beach and wanted to get some Korean food. Found Dae Bak thru Yelp and decided to give it try. It's situated in a somewhat unlikely location for a Korean restaurant; granted I'm not too familiar with the area. They had only a few tables for outdoor seating. The quality of the food was excellent and the serve was very friendly. The chives pancake was very thin and crunchy on the outside, which was a refreshing change from the soft pancakes I've had. There was ample amount of Asian chives in the pancake. I'm not normally big on chives pancakes but this one I liked. The seafood tofu soup was most flavorful; however, the only seafood I discovered were one medium sized shrimp and a few small clams. Nevertheless, this super hot soup really hit the spot. The grilled mackerel was equally delicious. Sorry I forgot to take a photo before we finished it. It was a good size fish and only some larger bones so it was easy to eat. I only wish they had more variety of banchans. read more

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According to other Yelpers, this family-run Korean home style restaurant is really tasty. I was really excited to take the family for a nice Korean lunch. Tofu Soup was highly recommended and my taste buds were buzzing. Sorry to say, my buzzing taste buds were not only let down but the tofu soup was beyond BLAND. Have y'all Yelpers ever tasted BCD Tofu House or Han Yang? I mean, seriously - Korean Soon Tofu soup packet + a hunk of tofu in hot water. Hello H Mart, are you there? This tofu soup was not good at all. My family shared a Veggie Bimbimbap + Squid Rice Hot Pot. The squid was definitely the winner here - but not on the Lunch Special menu. ($$$) So for the squid dish, it earns one more star. But truthfully, you deserve 1 star. See below. Additional note for this restaurant: We must have said over a dozen "Thank you's" to the male owner and not once did he reply to anything. Not one smile, not one greeting, not one "Your Welcome." Even the check was just placed on our table and he just walked away. For the price of what they charge for "Lunch Specials" + the "I don't care about customer service or loyalty," our taste buds will not ever come here again. In summary, there are way too many other Korean soup places that care about customer service (tips are $$$ these days for us patrons!) and their food is WAYYYYY FOOD BOMB Tastier! Plus they smile! read more

Incredible Korean food!! I have tried almost everything and have never been disappointed. What is surprising is there is never more than 3 tables occupied when I dine! Don't miss this Treasure! read more