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    Gol Tong Chicken

    4.8 (2.7k reviews)
    Open 11:59 am - 11:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Gol Tong Chicken Photos

    Business Info

    GOL TONG CHICKEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Gol Tong Chicken

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    Half and Half Chicken
    Winn H.

    Gol Tong is a spot I've mentioned time and time again for fried chicken. Well, it's unique, I'll give it that! It's located in a small plaza, and it's quite literally a small business - one director to all customers! The director was super nice, but alas, I must review the chicken! My friend and I visited for the half and half. Overall being the only party there, the wait time was ~ 30 minutes. Several customers came in at the time to order takeout, too. What makes this chicken unique are the following qualities: (1) It's a sweety syrupy glaze! There aren't too many similar ones out there outside of orange chicken. However, the chicken is drowned in syrup! Ever bite felt like sips of honey. (2) There's fruit. How often do you see fruit served with chicken? I guess there are a few (e.g. orange, pineapple) but grapes, cherries, avocado? (3) The fried chicken is quite soft, mushy - almost deceiving. Don't expect a crunch crunch because that sauce will remove any semblance of that. Overall, I would rank Gol Tong as a dessert-themed chicken spot. If you're looking for fried chicken that tastes like baked breading, mouthfuls of sugar and syrup, and warm, mushy fruit, then this might be the spot for you. However, I think I'm safe to say this food was... not for me.

    Daniel C.

    As advertised. Not your traditional Korean fried chicken, Korean fried chicken spot. Founded by a former movie director who happens to cook all the chicken himself. The dishes are all served with a mix of fruit to get that balance of sweet and umami. The sauces are something I haven't had in Korean fried chicken. Definitely should try it out atleast once.

    Karina G.

    Came here after a night out in k town and wow! Despite having to wait outside and not enough seats available, it was still worth the wait. This man is a one-man show so it is quite impressive! The chicken has a beautifully sweet taste as it's marinated with yummy fruits. I highly recommend if you like your chicken on the sweeter side.

    Half and half soy garlic and chili
    Jasmine D.

    One of my favorite spots in Ktown for Korean fried chicken! The restaurant is a small, hole-in-the wall restaurant run and operated single-handedly by the owner, who was previously a Korean film director. Stopped by on a Sunday for dinner and we got the half and half boneless (half soy garlic and half chili). The chicken was delicious and so juicy and paired well with the toppings (various fruits and avocado, onion, bell peppers). We liked the soy garlic more as the chili was a little over-sauced for our taste. The portion size was quite generous too. Drinks (including water) are self serve and cost extra. Would approach the experience with a bit more patience as the owner is making the food to order, while also serving tables, cleaning, and processing payments. Parking is either in the plaza (small parking lot) or on the street. Overall a great spot for Korean fried chicken in a casual, no-frills atmosphere!

    Boneless half and half was extremely filling for 2 people.
    Josh M.

    Gol Tong Chicken is no longer a secret that can be kept from Angelenos. Gol Tong is a former director from Korea who started a one-man business in Koreatown and has perfected the concept of sweet and savory fried chicken (will take this over fried chicken and waffles any day). He takes his time carefully arranging fruits around perfectly fried and dressed pieces of juicy tender chicken. Portions are massive and going here with a group to try all the different flavors is a must. Despite being the person doing it all - cooking, serving, and bussing - food comes out expeditiously, and the wait (while being entertained by multiple large TV screens playing Korean ballads) is so worth it. Pro tip #1: Use the gloves provided to keep your hands clean throughout your meal. Pro tip #2: Ordering a large tray for take out to a superbowl or other watch party will make you very popular.

    Half and half boneless chicken
    Sheila V.

    One of my fav late night spots in LA. Such a good combination of flavors with the fruits, veggies, and chicken. If you haven't tried, highly recommend! Owner is always sweet and hard-working

    Half and half boneless
    Kristal B.

    Stopped by here before hitting up a nearby escape room. Chicken was delicious! Small shop, apparently fully a one man show by a former Korean film director. Cool to see his film posters up on the wall. Inside is a little stimulation overload with so many screens of different Kpop, local news, an aquarium stream and more So how was the chicken? Delicious! Would have never thought to pair fried chicken with fruit but somehow it works. The chili sauce was a sweet & spicy delight. Soy Garlic was super tasty and paired well with the dipping sauce.

    Will X.

    Gol Tong provides delicious boneless fried chicken in a variety of sauced and sourced with warmed sweet fruit and avocado. There's a good crisp. Chicken is tender and moist. Sauce is rather modest and may have you wanting more garlic or spicy forward flavors. Do appreciate hot no frills it is. A one man/director show as he mans the front and back of house. Tables have plenty of self serve utensil. No alcohol license to pair with the chicken but they have some soda. Plenty of large TVs playing kpop and one playing sports. Plaza parking with plenty of space.

    Outside
    Christopher C.

    Really cool chicken spot! The owner is a former director of Korean movies. The portions are huge!!! Each order is for 3-4 people minimum. I was by myself but that didn't stop me. I really wanted to try the directors cut which has 3 different types of chicken but it was too big. The fried chicken was super crispy and had a nice taste. It came with 3 different sauces and the most interesting part fruit. Surprisingly the fruit works with the chicken and the sauces. The owner was super nice and even gave me one of his movies. There is parking which is a huge plus! I believe he runs the whole place by himself.

    Half
    Calena A.

    Genuinely the best fried chicken in ktown! We got seated immediately on a Saturday afternoon and the restaurant was clean and tables well stocked. I really appreciate that there are gloves and utensils at the ready so the Director can focus his time on the kitchen. The half and half chicken is so delicious, the chili and the soy garlic are so different yet they compliment each other. The portion is huge, it would've been best for 3-4 people. The fruits are so good with the hot chicken. Parking is easy and the director is so fast to get people served and checked out. We didn't feel rushed or dragged at all, the TVs throughout the restaurant kept us entertained while we waited for food.

    Yumi L.

    Who knew fruit and chicken would make a good combo? The sweetness of the fruit complements the savory chicken really well. It was truly a unique dish! There is one guy, "the director" that runs this place by himself so service can be a little slow. But the wait is so worth it as the chicken comes out fresh. The parking lot had a lot of spaces during lunch time. Fyi there is no free water, only $1 bottled water or $2 soda cans.

    Kaylee K.

    Very cool spot. Chicken was very crispy and flavorful. Fruity and savory. What an interesting combination. The owner is very friendly and runs the whole show so if it is busy there will be a little wait since it is just him. Lots of K-POP playing

    Half & Half Soy Garlic & Chili
    Wendy N.

    We was surprised by how good the combination of chicken and fruits. Came here after 10:00 PM, the chicken came out delicious, the owner was very nice and working hard only by himself. There are multiple screens in the shop for Kpop, nature and news that keeps you entertain while waiting for the food. We would love to come back and 100% recommended.

    Director Gol Tang!

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    Gol Tong Chicken Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Gol Tong Chicken

    Do they have bone-in chicken? I prefer bone-in.

    No. If you don't go to this place for that reason you are missing out

    Does the batter have gluten?

    Is there gluten? I believe so.

    Does anyone know...Is it chicken breast or thigh?

    It's thighs. But so delicious!

    Could the place accommodate a party of 15 for dinner? And if so, would there be a recommended time?

    When we went there was no indoor seating allowed it was take out only. You may want to call to see if that's changed. Also the place seemed on the smaller side.

    How much should you tip for takeout?

    No one can tell you what to tip, you have to make that choice yourself. I don't like to tip usually if I pick it up myself, but during these times restaurants are struggling and when we went here, only the owner was working and hustling. This is one… 

    Do they have food delivery services from DoorDash or Uber eats? I see it on uber eats but it's always been unavailable for some reason...?

    They do not do deliveries.

    Are they open for dine in?

    Yeah! But its a small area.

    How many pieces of chicken do you get?

    My daughter and I shared the half and half and we had some left over. It's also very rich and satisfying, so you'll probably eat less than you normally would with most fried chicken.

    Is there MSG in the original recipe batter?

    I don't know but it's so good!!!

    Is there a lot for parking ?or is it driving around in circles looking for metered parking?

    Yes, there's a private parking lot that you can park at no cost. However, it's not a big parking lot but I've never had an issue

    View All 15 Questions

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    4.4(3.3k reviews)
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    After having a sauna at Crystal Spa on Sunday evening, September 13th, I had dinner with my mom and…read moremy two brothers at Hang Ah Restaurant (항아리 바지락 칼국수). I think I've been coming here for a very, very long time--probably for about 20 years! I used to come here quite often back then. At some point, though, I stopped coming as much because the parking situation in this shopping center became so busy and chaotic that it was difficult to even get in from the entrance. Also, the last time I came here, maybe two years ago, the valet parking attendant was so rude that I didn't really feel like coming back. This time, since we were already in the area for the spa, we decided to stop by again. Back when I first started coming here, it was just a very small noodle restaurant. One thing they've kept all these years--and what I think is such a great touch--is that they still serve yeolmu kimchi and kkom-bori-bap (barley rice) as a complimentary side. The restaurant became incredibly popular over the years and eventually expanded into the neighboring space, so there are now many more tables than there used to be. Since it had been such a long time since my last visit, I noticed they had quite a few new menu items that weren't available before, including galbi-jjim (braised short ribs), samgyetang (Korean ginseng chicken soup), and galbi noodle soup. One of my brothers and I ordered the perilla oil makguksu each, and it was absolutely delicious! It had such a rich, nutty flavor from the perilla oil, and it was one of those dishes that makes you think about it again later. In the past, I would always order the clam kalguksu whenever I came here, but this time I decided to try something different. My other brother ordered the clam kalguksu, and my mom had the dolsot (Hot stone) bibimbap. I tried a spoonful of my mom's dolsot bibimbap because I really like bibimbap too, and it was delicious as well. In the past, the wait here used to be incredibly long. You had to write your name and phone number by hand at the entrance, and then a staff member would come outside and call your name when your table was ready. This time, the system was different. We were told to simply wait in line, and she would take our orders outside. She said the wait would only be about 5-10 minutes, and she was absolutely right. While we were waiting in line outside, she handed us menus, took our orders, and then seated us at our table. The food came out quickly, the service was very friendly, and everything we ordered was delicious. It turned out to be a very satisfying dinner. After coming back here again after such a long time, I completely understood why this place has been so popular for so many years. It was just as popular back then as it is now, and honestly, I can see why!

    This is by far the best noodle spot in LA's K-town…read more The noodles and soup are consistently amazing, and the service is excellent. On top of that, the interior is clean, cute, and very well-kept. Parking is quite limited, though--even with valet service, it gets super congested. There's almost always a long line, as it seems like a must-try spot for anyone visiting LA. Because of that, getting a table is usually pretty tough, but we got so lucky last Sunday and were seated right away. The food was absolutely divine, and we left completely satisfied. Honestly, I almost wish fewer people knew about this place so I could come more often. They're just that good.

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    Borit Gogae - Dwenjang

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    4.4(542 reviews)
    0.7 miKoreatown
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    I absolutely love coming here. The portions are huge, the food is fresh and delicious, and it…read morefeels like so much thought and care went into each dish. This is the kind of comfort food I grew up with so I always look forward to coming here. The servers are nice, parking in the back is easy, and set meal price is decent. I highly recommend Boris Gogae if you want traditional Korean food!

    Borit Gogae is a comforting homestyle Korean place to go if you want a lot of banchan. I'm rounding…read moreup to 4 stars but it's 3.5 stars for me. Service is quite slow, as a true mom and pop place. It's quite popular and we happened to get there just before the rush as there was a large group waiting when we left. I'm not sure why it takes quite so long for the boribap jungsik cold dishes since most of it is premade and just needs plating. For a long time all we got was fried kelp crackers, kinda greasy fried shrimp cracker (?) and scorched rice water that was very tough to eat. The sweet pumpkin porridge was better, but I'm not a fan of sweet porridge. The rest of the set was better, fortunately, but most of it was on par with banchan that is complimentary at other restaurants but of course more variety. The savory pancake was very crispy and stayed that way. That was probably my favorite from the set, along with the perilla seed and chicken soup. The texture was quite thick like gravy but I love congee and it had a similar feel but nuttier taste. I would love a bowl of this if I were sick. Since there were 3 of us, we thought a protein would be good so we ordered the pork ribs. They were pretty good. It reminded me of hamji park, although I prefer hamji. It ended up being more food than we could eat so we took some of the ribs home. I'm glad we ordered the set for 2 and then shared a different dish. Overall I'm glad I tried it since I've been curious. The meal was good but I probably would try another option next time.

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    Borit Gogae - Restaurant decor- art work and Korean figurines

    Restaurant decor- art work and Korean figurines

    Borit Gogae - Barley rice mixed with side dishes

    Barley rice mixed with side dishes

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    Ham Ji Park

    Ham Ji Park

    4.2(1.8k reviews)
    0.8 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
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    Great service and Very delicious! Loved it here. Will definitely come back!And will recommend to my…read morefriends n family!

    tl;dr the delectable pork ribs overshadow the otherwise authentic but standard lineup at this…read morenow-shuttered Korean stalwart Los Angeles Koreatown is home to restaurants that specialize in every facet of Korean cuisine. If you're searching for some of the city's best pork, then those in the know will bring up Ham Ji Park. For 2 decades, generous platters of pork ribs and pork neck stew decked every table. Now, our Korean friends lament the loss of their favorite pork joint in the city. The Koreatown proper location is located in the Royal Plaza mini-mall, just a few blocks off bustling Wilshire. Discounted parking is available in a lot across the street from the Chevron gas station. From the street, the entrance is flanked by potted plants and an enclosed street-ery. Inside, stainless steel chairs are pressed up against wooden tables, each outfitted with a metal grill. Oppressive fluorescent lighting shines down on the stone grey walls, which are left undecorated apart from a few flatscreens. Multi-lingual chatter blends with the sizzle of platters. I visited with some friends for a weeknight dinner, and about half of the tables were occupied. We shared a spread of grilled platters and sizzling soups. The meal began with a carafe of barley tea and a mostly standard spread of banchan. Across our food, the best dish was the signature Charbroiled Pork Spare Rib. The ribs were flavorful without feeling gamey, and the meat was complemented by sweet caramelized onions. The pork ribs handily outdid the good-not-great Charbroiled Beef Short Rib. Lastly, the Milt and Cod Rose with Vegetables stew was fishy and briny, appropriately flavored for the Korean palate. The service was appropriately attentive, although I would've appreciated more intentional refills of our banchan ramikens. The rib plates cost upward of $35 each, while the soup was just under $30. The portions were hearty; a single entree platter could reasonably feed 2 moderately hungry bellies. It's a shame to hear that Ham Ji Park has closed; I'm kicking myself for not trying their pork neck stew earlier.

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    Hello. Why is LA Korean food so good?!…read moreAnd you can't miss this one. When you step in, it's all Korean. You know you are at the right place! And the second we saw the menu, we knew they are good: they specialize small amount of dishes and everything will be good. And it is exactly what happened! Everything is perfect. We love cold noodle and Kimchi stew ! They also have seasonal crab specials! Anyway, LA Korean food is amazing. Love love love.

    my $20 lunch special turned into like 4 meals. GREAT value…read more i was craving korean home-style cooking and found this place. it's got affordable lunch specials under $20. i was really surprised at just how much food i received for just $20... giant plate of sizzinging. perfectly seasoned pork ribs & onions with a really nice char. a big cup of rice, a really great banchan spread with lots of variety, and a massive bowl of broth with such a great mild flavor to balance the spicy banchan and rich pork. it was phenomenal, cured my tummy ache, and immediately took me back to my trip to korea many years ago. i inhaled everything but there was so much food i ended up with a big takeout bag. i kid you not this one $20 meal has turned into like 4 meals for me. pork turned into lettuce wraps, rice fried and mixed with eggs , broth used to elevate a cheap ramen. i WILL be back. i wish i could have bought some of the banchan as an extra charge or something so i could take it home with me because im STILL dreaming of it. the inside has good a/c and a cute homely atmosphere. and the staff was incredibly kind and helped me choose what to eat and helped me pack up the broth once i was done eating. you can see the giant goblet of boiling broth in the kitchen as you eat. easy parking behind the restaurant and in the street.

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    Gol Tong Chicken - chicken_wings - Updated September 2026

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