I've been coming to Gamja Bawi at the Koreatown Plaza food court for a very long time -- probably more than 50, maybe even 70 times since a very long time ago. There's usually a lady with her hair tied up who's been working there since a long time ago -- she's always so kind and pleasant. But when I went there for lunch today (Wednesday, October 15), she wasn't there. Instead, there were two other women working -- and one of them was shockingly rude, to the point that it completely ruined my day. I really like their seafood hot stone bibimbap, spicy chicken stew (dakbokkeumtang), and braised black cod (eundaegu jorim), and today I ordered the black cod to-go. They charge to-go for $.50. I paid for that but I ate at the food court. Yesterday, I went to Jinju Sungchan in Koreatown Galleria -- even though they were very busy, they kindly informed customers that food could take 20-30 minutes, which was totally understandable. However, at Gamja Bawi today, I waited and waited, but no food came out -- not even after a long time. I understand it was lunch time, but the least they could do is let customers know ahead of time that the wait might be around 30 minutes. When I politely asked about my order after waiting a while, the woman snapped at me, saying they were busy and I just had to wait. No apology, no courtesy -- just attitude. After about 40 minutes, I asked again, saying I had been waiting that long, and only then did she hand me the food -- without any apology. When I later went to get some water, I calmly said that I had waited 40 minutes and that it would've been nice if they had warned me about the wait, or at least apologized instead of being rude. Instead of apologizing, she got even more irritated and told me "Then don't come back." When I asked for her name, she said, "Why do you need to know?" I said I wanted to let the owner know about her attitude -- and she replied, "I'm the owner." I was completely shocked. This was such an unprofessional and disrespectful experience. I've always thought this place stayed busy because of the good food, but after today, I'll never go back. No matter how tasty the food is, treating customers like this is absolutely unacceptable. read more

See all

We've been coming here for years. The spicy squid and the spicy seafood dolsot are my favorites. Portions sre generous and come with seaweed soup and banchan such as kimchi and radish kimchi. Don't order these dishes if in a hurry. It is freshly prepared and takes time to make. The rice in the dolsot is crispy crusted, which is the best part. It's a food court, so don't expect an elegant ambiance, but the food is worth it. read more

See all

Was in Koreatown Plaza and stopped by this stand for bibimbap. Nice deal - the portion is huge (probably enough for 2 people) and comes with a small seaweed soup and a small banchan selection. The crispiness of the rice was well done although some of the vegetables were a bit too soggy. Not bad for a food court meal. read more

Gamja Bawi - Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This restaurant can be very busy during the lunch and dinner peak times but I think it is worth waiting. The food is on point every time so far. read more

Gamja Bawi - Menu - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

I am so happy I walked to this place the food came out fast and hot it's so delish! The service was ok and the place was nice inside of a food court setting but surrounded with great foods. read more

This is located in the food court with so many options for your 3 star basic Korean food. The bibimbap looked good so I got the kimchi, bean sprouts, and bulgogi one. It comes in a stone bowl so it's really hot and if you're a fan of crispy rice, the rice really crisps up. There wasn't too much meat and the flavor was decent. The portions are huge and for sure shareable amongst two people. The reason I definitely won't be back is because of the service. They obviously cater and are more welcoming if you are of Korean descent. Another issue is that they charge .25 c for to go containers. Since the portions were so big for one person, I needed a container. I wasn't going to throw away at least another meal of my leftovers so I went up to the cashier to purchase a container. They told me it was cash only but I didn't have any cash. Who really has any cash in this day and age. The lady just looked at me like "well too bad, it's cash only". Ummm I wasn't going to throw away my food. I asked her can I just have a container? She looked unsure and thought about for a good 10 seconds whether or not she was giving me a container and finally gave in. She then proceeded to say ok this time only. Yeah right, I'm never coming back. If your policy is going to charge for containers then they should also accept card payments. It's not like they took cash only for my food. They accepted card! They just didn't want to pay for the transaction fee for .25. read more

Gamja Bawi - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Come on Monday 10 March I get the vegetable and beef rice on hot bowl. I really like the food. The flavors is almost perfect, if little bit more salt that it would be excellent for the rice. I feel like the beef suppose to be put on top with spreading on the vegetables in stead on the eggs, My brothers like the kimchi and beef rice. They were more flavor and sour (kimchi). He really like the food. Price is affordable 17.5$(with tax) Would come back to try another menu :) read more

Gamja Bawi - Clean - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Worst 감자탕 experience ever I ordered 감자탕 at 감자바위 inside Korea Town Plaza food court, and it was a huge disappointment. The broth tasted more like thick gochujang soup than real 감자탕(Gamja Tang) no depth, no savoriness, just salty and pasty. The pork was extremely dry, almost like it had been reheated multiple times. 감자탕(Gamja Tang) is one of my all-time favorite Korean comfort foods, and I always finish it. This was the first time I couldn't. I will never be ordering it here again. Easily the worst 감자탕 I've ever(Gamja Tang) had. read more

Gamja Bawi - Left over gamja tang and receipt. - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Ordered menu and asked me whether mixed rice or white rice. I chose mixed rice. They never notified there us $0.75 extra charge for that and there is no sign. Wow... Never comeback again read more

This food lacks so much meat and it's charging me $20 for mainly rice/ roots....literally paid extra $2 for extra egg. But this is not th

Had the bibimbap in the stone pot. The banchan was good that came with it. Everything in the dish was great but the crispy rice in the bottom makes the dish spectacular. Priced well and will come back with the larger family clan since the food court has many great options competitively priced and taste great. read more

Gamja Bawi - This is the stall in the food court. - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Solid authentic Korean food from a mall food court! I got the hot stone bibimbap set from this stand and I enjoyed my meal. The best part for me was the crispy rice on the bottom. The veggies were also nice and crunchy. I wish there was more meat though. The seaweed soup and the banchan were good compliments to the bibimbap. After you order, they give you a buzzer and will buzz it when your food is ready to pickup. After you're done eating, you can just leave your tray on the table and a staff member will buss it for you. There's also complimentary self-serve water cups from a filtered dispenser. read more

Gamja Bawi - Hot stone bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

One choice among many others in the food court here and we weren't too disappointed with our choice here. To start, there is 2/3 hours of free parking with validation so plan to come for food/groceries for free parking. For seating, it's grab whatever table or seating you'd like. There are custodial staff that clears the tables frequently so you can leave your finished dishes on the table afterwards. Food-wise, we ordered their #1 and a their 26 (Korean seafood pancake). Quite delectable and pricing wasn't too bad in our opinion for what was offered. The #1 comes with 3 banchans, a seaweed and anchovy base soup, and a stone bowl bibimbap. The amount of food was very adequate for us. The best part of the BBB I think for us both was the scorched rice bottom. It was very well done and it wasn't burnt at all. The food stayed hot for a long time so it was very welcoming for the cold weather we had that day. The vegetables were crisp and didn't taste like they were old. We wished there was more BBB sauce provided but I think they would give more if asked. The egg is sunny side up, which I don't mind but I can see some people think it's a little too raw for their taste. The Korean seafood pancake had visible portions of seafood but also a lot of leeks and vegetables inside it. I wouldn't say it was the best we have had as the pancake was a lot soggier than we thought. Portion is adequate and the dipping sauce is nicely mixed. But the pancake did leave us thinking maybe not next time again. All in all, the food is decent for the pricing and it wasn't bad at all. Just some minor stuff here and there we thought could be better. Worth a try for your own opinions! Note: to-go box is 25 cents from here. read more

Gamja Bawi - #1 - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Solid big portions for an average price point. The service was very quick while the food took a bit of time to come out. The food court is almost always packed so finding a table can be difficult, but they have bussers which is nice. Food itself was good, a bit on the bland side despite me adding all the kimchis. They didn't offer any extra sauces or gochujang to help season. Not a lot of bulgogi, mostly rice, but definitely gets perfectly crispy from the stone pot. read more

See all

Gamja Bawi is located on the first floor in Koreatown Plaza food court and has been around as long as I can remember. They primarily serve bibimbap, soups, and other classic Korean dishes. My personal favorites are the jeyuk bokkeum (spicy pork stir fry) and their eun daegu jorim (braised cod). The spicy pork stir fry is a beautiful combination of thinly sliced pork cooked with perfectly fermented kimchi, tofu and vegetables. It pairs so well with a hot bowl of fresh rice. The braised cod is so tender and flavorful that it crumbles under the slightest pressure of chopsticks. It literally melts in your mouth. The braised radish that is cooked with the cod is so flavorful as it soaks up all the delicious juices. Garage parking is validated on the weekdays and free on the weekends. The food court does get packed during lunch and dinner hours on the weekends so I usually take out my orders. read more

See all

The dolsot bibimbap is very delicious and very reasonably priced for the ktown area. Disregard the 3 stars and order the food, iykyk. Food: ordered the dolsot bibimbap. I've tried many dolsot bibimbap in my lifetime and in ktown, and this is definitely up in the top as my favorite. Good amount of vegetables, meat, and rice. I personally would ask for more gochujang next time but I like to make my bibimbap spicy. Miyukguk (seaweed soup) came with the order, as well as banchan. A very filling meal for ~$15. Good to share for 2 people. Service: you order at the front, and you get a beeper (?). The beeper will beep when your food is ready and you just pick it up. Very simple! Ambiance: you eat in a large cafeteria in the koreatown plaza. It's a good place to eat casually with friends or family. read more

Gamja Bawi - Dolsot bibimbap, miyukguk (seaweed soup), and banchan. - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Bad service two old mean ladies bwahahahhaa not even good food what a shame Smhhhhh I will never ever order here again read more

Came here on a Saturday around 11am, there was no line and no trays lined up for orders about to be served. Placed order and there was no mention of a long wait. Over 45 minutes later and standing at counter for probably 20 minutes, food finally came. There were other people near counter who said they had been waiting for same amount of time. Saw them put together multiple take out orders ahead of ours which still hadn't been picked up by the time our food was ready. I've rarely seen a place look so unbusy and yet take so long. There also was an overall sense of non-urgency from the workers. Common customer service/courtesy would be to let people know if the wait for food court food will take close to an hour.... The food itself was just okay. Portions wise, not a lot of meat. Will not revisit. Was so tempted to warn the other people who ordered after me, but wanted to see if the cashier would warn them...more fell victim. read more

This place is inside Koreatown Plaza Food Court. I ordered ddukboki and this is what I got. It does not look or taste anything like it. It tastes like a spicy jorim sauce with added a thick rice cake with potatoes. Potatoes in ddukboki and not a fish cake? I'm Korean and never had this type of ddukboki in my life. I took the tray to the owner and asked and she said yeah that's how we do it with an ugly attitude. The people in line saw and heard me and looking at it like what the heck is that?! I don't know other foods but don't recommend this. I will not ever go back to this place with today's experience. read more

Gamja Bawi - Does this look like ddukboki? - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Located inside a food court. Free plaza parking. Prices are not inexpensive for food court dining style, where there is no service. Pancake and bulgogi with side dishes came out to be over $30. The ladies at the counter were helpful. The food is good, the kimchi and banchans were good. Good pick out of the other food court selections. They had a constant influx of customers which is positive, but not overly busy. read more

See all

This bibimbap was one of the best i've ever had. The seafood one was packed with flavor and so much seafood. It also comes with potato's and zucchini mixed inside. Every meal comes with kimchi, radish kimchi, and some kind of greens. The total was $19 which is a little pricey, but considering the amount of squid, shrimp, and mussels they gave us, I would say it's worth it. read more

Gamja Bawi - Seafood Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

It is located in Koreatown Plaza 1st floor on the opposite end of the supermarket. This food court offers a lot of choices. Parking is free with validation-technically 3 hours but they don't strictly enforce it. I love which is braised cod fish in spicy sauce. They made it perfectly here, but there was not enough fish for a meal. It was all vegetables, so I was still hungry. I don't remember the exact price, but it was over $20. All the dishes cost around $20. It is expensive for the small amount of food from a food court. The owner or employees do not know customer service. They are not nice, but I understand they are probably tired and busy. read more

Gamja Bawi - Middle of food court - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

There was only one reason I came by here: scallion and seafood pancake. It was like having tunnel vision. I was just walking by, looked up and it was (literally) the only thing I saw on their menu that caught my attention. In fact, the interest in this dish was so strong that I didn't bother looking at any of their many other food offerings. Hell, I couldn't tell you one more thing on their menu if my life depended on it. Only one person ahead of me, the ordering was pretty quick. I expected a wait since they're pretty popular. The longest they didn't have a customer was probably for a good minute or two. It took about 15 minutes for my buzzer to go off. There were a few people also coming up for their food, so there was a bit of a chaos. The ladies behind the counter, however, were organized and on point. Lady asked if I would like my pancake sliced. "Sure, why not." VERDICT: a little too oily and a little too undercooked. The center of my pancake had too soft of a finish. It could have used a bit longer on the fryer (some kinda crisp woulda been good) and could have used a little more drying on a cooling rack. But there was plenty of seafood, so they didn't skimp on that at all. And the sauce was a winner. It made an impact on the overall flavor. But because it was a bit oily for me, I only had a one pie-sized slice. I was pretty much done after that. Took the rest to-go. FOOD: 3. SERVICE: 4. (Pretty average, really, but I'm gonna give them an extra bump because I overheard one of them rectifying a situation she previously had with a customer by comping him a potato pancake. The customer, picking up his food, was delightfully surprised! Now that's awesome customer service.) VALUE: 2. (Hardly worth the $12.99 price tag.) PARKING: Mall parking. Free on this visit. Located behind the building on James Wood Blvd. OVERALL: 3. I don't foresee myself coming through this area anytime soon, but if I do end up at this food court, I'll make sure to look at the rest of their menu. But their scallion and seafood pancake will certainly be a hard pass for that next visit. read more

Gamja Bawi - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Hands down! I just had my most favorite dolsot bibimbap at Gamja Bawi. It is located inside Koreatown Plaza's food court, towards the rear center. The ambiance felt vibrant on a busy Saturday during lunch. Just be wise enough to save your table and seats during peak hours. Since it was dolsot (stonepot) bibimbap, my order took about 10 minutes before it was ready. Upon ordering, they provide a buzzer/beeper that will buzz when it is ready for pick up. The dolsot bibimbap was still sizzling when I picked it up. Of course, the camera eats first so I could not miss out on their exceptional presentation. After taking pics, be sure to mix your bibimbap immediately before the rice becomes too toasted. This dolsot bibimbap is truly filling and tasty because it is packed with tasty beef, julienned carrots and zucchini, mushrooms, bean sprouts and fried sunny side up egg. The odeng (fishcake) side was also sweet and flavorful. I could've asked for the gochujang on the side, but it was drizzled on the bibimbap. I will definitely order this again when I'm craving dolsot bibimbap at Koreatown Plaza! read more

Gamja Bawi - Dolsot Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

I had a Dolsot bibimbap, just not good, taste bad. and I found rice on their kimchi that I never touch. I've lost my appetite after I've seen it. Can imagine things behind their kitchen. I'll never ever order here read more

Gamja Bawi - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

The servers were rude towards non-Korean speakers. Go with people who can speak Korean and maybe they'll treat you better.

very good food, i love coming here, service is great and i like the food court ! bibimbap and soup is always safe choice to get here.

I should have walked away when the woman at the register was so rude, but my dad wanted to eat something on their menu. The world does not need her negativity and sourness. I wasn't going to bother with a review because I seldom leave one and everyone has an off day, but then the food took 25-30 minutes, and it wasn't even good! While I was waiting, someone asked how long a dish would take, and she responded that there was no way to know, dishes go out when they're ready, but the kitchen wasn't currently backed up. read more

Only place I stop by for stone hot bibimbap in Koreatown, usually make the 30-40 min trip just for this place. Very big portions and extremely flavorful!! The staff is friendly as well. I love the dining area as there are also many other choices for food and the surroundings are lively. read more

Located inside a food court, this restaurant served decent food. The grilled mackerel was $13.99 and the potato pancake was $10.99. I first asked for the portion size for potato pancake, and the cashier said it was one person only. Because she said that, I ordered another dish (grilled mackerel). When the potato pancake came out, it was enough for 2+ people. Texture wise, I didn't taste any potato, and the pancake was a bit burnt. Grilled mackerel was good though. Customer service was very poor. I went up to ask a question about my order, and before I even asked, they told me to stand on the side. I waited and tried to ask my question again when there were no customers, and they told me to wait for the transponder. They charge $0.25 for containers and also charge for to-go boxes. I will not be back here again, and will go to another restaurant instead inside the food court. On a side note, the restrooms inside the food court were very dirty with trash everywhere and people don't flush the toilet. I would avoid using it here if possible. The clean up crew inside the food court were hardworking and took away our plates as soon as we were done. read more

Gamja Bawi - Grilled mackerel - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Is it me or the owner just doesn't know how to please her customers for return businesses? Maybe she just doesn't care... We always order something from this place every time we come to the food court. I didn't feel she values our business anymore. The price is not cheap, the food takes a long time to come out. I asked for for an extra bowl, she didn't want to give it to me. I asked for Bibimbop sauce, she didn't want to give it to me (we ordered Bibimbop). My 8 year old went to her and asked for a bowl because it was too hot to eat out of the stone bowl, she told him "NO". I asked for a to-go box, she said "25 cents". So, I ended up going to the other place that I ordered food from and got it for free. That's totally ok she just lost a customer. read more

Gamja Bawi - The store that doesn't care for return business! - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I originally just got the dukbokki from this place just to try but was surprised at how good it was. The ingredients in the dukbokki are not super traditional (potatoes and no fish cake) but the flavor more than makes up for it. The seasoning was amazing, and there was more than enough for three people to enjoy. Because it was so good, I ordered the pork bulgogi and again was shocked by how much food came from it. There was enough for two full servings which was extremely worth it for the price, especially comparing it to other restaurants in Koreatown. It was delicious and I thought that it was well worth the money. Only downside is that containers cost 25 cents, and you will most likely need a container if you are on your own. Also, food takes a LONG time to come out, but I think it's because everything is homemade. It really isn't like the other vendors in the market area, meaning that they make food to order instead of having batches waiting to be served. Be prepared to wait at least 25 minutes for food. Also, for people saying that the lady can be rude, I think that is just the way she comes off. I told her that her dukbokki was so good, I came back for the bulgogi and she was very kind and happy to hear it. read more

Gamja Bawi Located inside the koreatown plaza international food court. Right away I could see that this stall had a decent sized line and people waiting for their food. The popularity drew me in. Taking a peek at everyone else's food orders coming out I could see that the portions were very generous. An elderly couple sitting down was thoroughly enjoying a spicy braised cod fish dish that looked stellar. I had to have it. After ordering #4 and waiting for quite a while... I was given #14!!!! The woman at the counter seemed annoyed that she made the mistake, as if it were my fault. She said I should have known That I was charged a lower price as the fish was more expensive.... I decided not to argue. Paid the difference and waited again. Luckily, it was worth the wait!!!! The sauce was soooo flavorful and not too spicy. The fish was tender and delicious. Large pieces of zucchini, daikon and onion topped 4 generous portions of delicate braised fish. There were a lot of bones but easily picked out and the bones add to the flavor of the stew anyway... served with rice, wakame soup and banchan (cucumber, kimchee and fish cake) I feel it was certainly worth $18.99 I'll definitely be back and hopefully can add another star. The food was great. Service was slow, which is not so bad because the food was great, but not very friendly. read more

See all

Every time we come to LA (which is about twice a year), we come to KTP. And every time we go to KTP, I walk around the food court, think about getting the massive tonkatsu, think about getting pork or bean buns, think about getting Korean fried chicken, and then end up at Gamja Bawi for a diet Coke and the "#1" (on the menu): "Dolsot Bebeembap" (Their spelling, not mine. And I have no idea why they spell it that way.). It's decent, but nothing to write home about. But it's also reliable. By that I mean it's always good. And it's comforting to have a standby. read more

Gamja Bawi - "Dolsot Bebeembap" (bibimbap) - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

My mother ordered first out of our group. She ordered a Bipbimbap. All of our buzzers went off and we all got our meals from the other vendors at the food court. My poor mother is watching the two women worker prepping trays after trays and giving them to customers that ordered after my mother. I complained and they said hers is coming up in 5 minutes. After another 20 mins of saying 'no not yet' I asked for a refund. Then she put up 2 fingers for 2 more minutes. We stood there the whole time watching her give away my mother's meal to someone else. this place is a joke. They really don't have a system or refused service to non Korean speakers. read more

My fiancee loves to visit Koreatown Plaza before we head back North, so after we did some K-pop shopping, we stopped by the food court. I chose this place based on the picture and description of #13, and glad I did. My plate included two pieces of fish and a platter of rice and assorted sides. Not much else to report, except the fish was cooked to order, fresh, hot, and tasted as it should. For the amount of food, relatively inexpensive. She got the Spicy chicken and potato platter, and enjoyed it. I had a bite, and, though to spicy for me (thanks, prednisone :p. ), I could still taste a juicy piece of chicken. To be honest, the food court area offers a lot of different authentic takes on Korean food, and I most likely will want to explore and try other places. That being said, I do recommend you try this place, as we both enjoyed our lunches read more

Gamja Bawi - #13 platter - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Never mind Yelp. You can kind of tell which food station is better by the popularity at this food court off Western Ave. Gamja Bawi is usually more popular than the other food court store fronts. We ordered a bibimbap and grilled mackerel fish with rice. Our order took a good 10 minutes before our number came up. The rice was stinging hot and crispy from the heated bowl. We left the meat off the bibimbap so it was a wonderful mix of vegetables and rice. The grilled mackerel was thin and full of small bones. When I was able to scrape some fish meat off the spine, it was tasty and light. A squeezed lemon adds to the flavor. This is definitely one of the better food court options and worth a return visit when we're in this dungeon basement. read more

See all

YUM. I got the beef bolgogi for my boyfriend and beef bibimbap for myself to go, and both were SO GOOD. The sauce the bap comes with is spicy so if you're not used to it (like myself) I would mix in a little as you go! read more

Very good bibimbap!!! The sauce is dis Wish there's more meat or maybe i should've ordered the seafood dol sot bibimbap instead. read more

I love their black cod soup with cut pieces of dough that are like knife-cut noodles. This delicious order is pretty huge and comes with a bowl of rice and some banchan. They cook everything to order so it takes a while for everyone's food to be ready. They have a number display so you can watch from wherever you are in the food court seating area. The black cod soup is just so delicious. The only thing is you have to beware of bones. The fish is really tender and the pieces of noodle (dough) are perfectly chewy. For $13.99, I would say this is a great deal. I don't know too much about this food court except they close at 8pm on a Friday night. We got kicked out. Haha. I'm a creature of habit so if something tastes good, I'll come back for it repeatedly. This is one of those dishes I'll come back for again and again. Just gotta figure out how to eat without choking on the fish bones. :-p read more

Gamja Bawi - Black cod soup with dough bits that are like knife-cut noodles. All this is for $13.99. Soooo good. - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California