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    JoongHwaRu

    4.4 (106 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 10:00 pm

    Order JoongHwaRu Takeout or Delivery

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    Business Info

    JOONGHWARU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - JoongHwaRu

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    Steven K.

    Seriously?? I really thought my order was a mistake when I opened it up. I've never seen such dried up small portion for the sweet & sour pork - it was the saddest thing I have ever tasted...and for $20? I had so much hope based on the social media posts of others. The jjampong was so so (no kick), and the jajangmyeon sauce was a bit bland.

    Chadol Jjampong: (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup with added beef brisket). Delicious!
    Cindy S.

    JoongHwaRu specializes in Korean-Chinese style cuisine. Located in Koreantown on 8th and Catalina St. My friend recommended this place for Jjampong (spicy seafood noodles), so off I went. She knows the best places for Korean food and beyond. Thank you Soomin N! JoongHwaRu are known for: -Spicy Seafood Noodles (Jjampong) -Black Bean Sauce Noodles (Jajangmyeon) -Sweet and Sour Crispy Pork (Tangsuyuk) I came here for their: Spicy Seafood Noodles (Jjampong): a spicy Korean-Chinese noodle soup made with seafood (clams, mussels, clean shrimp, squid), vegetables, and a red pepper (gochugaru) flavored broth. The jjampong here is loaded with seafood and the portion is HUGE! You definitely can also taste the smokiness of the "wok hei" in the spicy savory broth. Most importantly for me was the soup wasn't fishy! Absolutely delicious!! Now, the restaurant is a complete hole-in-the-wall, but the food makes up for the ambiance. Good food, non-pretentious spot. They take cash and card. Friendly staff. Parking sux in this area.

    Sweet and sour pork with the sauce on the side
    Jasmine C.

    I was craving jjajangmyun so came here and glad we did! They have bunch of combos so we got the jjajangmyun & sweet and sour pork with a side of fried dumplings. The portions were generous and so yummy! The Auntie working there was so friendly and even gave water for my pup. Small hole is the wall but what a gem!

    Lily P.

    The jjajjangmyeon here was lacking and could have used more black bean sauce. Jjampong and tangsuyuk I'm indifferent about since I don't eat them much but it wasn't bad for sure

    Jennie H.

    Service was fast and good. Seating is very limited and not good for big groups. The jjampong is probably the best in LA. Super flavorful and the noodles are chewy. Has a spicy kick and full of seafood and vegetables. The tangsooyuk was good but nothing special. The black bean noodles were okay. I think the star of the show was just the jjampong .

    Joseph H.

    This place hands down one of the best jjamppong especially cause the noodle, so chewy. The soups on the thiccer side. The only con is the place is HOT, so for summer youll be dyin...please fix the AC :) . The server ladies are all kind and usually busy, so gotta be a bit patient. 5 STARS WHEN AC IS FIXED

    Julia S.

    Best jajangmyeon in LA?? FOOD I got the seafood jajangmyeon and it was SO good. It had so much toppings and the noodles were nicely chewy without being overcooked. There was also enough sauce for the noodles (one of my pet peeves is not enough sauce on jajangmyeon haha). One serving is enough for 2 (normal) people to split, it's a hefty plate. Jamppong/spicy seafood noodle soup is my partner's favorite chinese-korean food and he deemed it the best he ever had. It wasn't too spicy and so you could easily finish a whole bowl. Tangsuyook had a good meat to breading ratio- it didn't taste like just dry breading. I personally thought the sauce could be sweater, but that's personal preference. The pricing is also extremely fair. A combo of jajangmyeon, jamppong, and pork for $40 and the plates were all heavy. Even two big backs will probably have leftovers. SERVICE One night aunty running the entire front of the store. She was extremely attentive to her customer's needs. AMBIANCE Very casual. At noon on a weekday, almost every table was filled with Korean aunties and uncles. We were the only non-Korean and that's how you know it's legit haha. PARKING Small shared parking lot at the front of the restaurant. Self park, no valet.

    Trinny T.

    I ordered jajangmyeon and fried pork with sweet and sour sauce for pick up. The service was fast and I didn't have to wait long. The parking is small though so when I arrived at 11:30am, the lot was filled up. The portions are huge for a very affordable price. If you get a combo it is even cheaper. I definitely will come back.

    Menu (June 2025) [2/2]
    Donovan C.

    Small Jjajangmyeon/Jjamppong spot in Ktown that's really good when it comes to value. We ordered the Combo #2 (Jjajangmyeon, Jjamppong, and Fried Pork with Sweet & Sour Sauce) so we could try a good variety of the menu. We expected them to skimp on the sizing because it was three dishes, but to our surprise, these were pretty big (maybe even full-sized) portions. The combo was definitely enough to feed two people with leftovers at the end. The Jjajangmyeon and Fried Pork were solid and about on par with other spots in the area. The Jjamppong was hearty and flavorful, but not too spicy. Service was a little slow, but seating was immediate and the space is what you'd expect from small Ktown restaurant. One weird thing, they charge for takeout containers, so they tell you to mention that you want containers BEFORE paying so they can add it to your receipt. We didn't realize/hear this so we forgot to and they were a bit peeved, but then they just ignored the additional charge. Parking can be hit or miss since it's in a small plaza next to a busy street.

    Jjamppong /
    Lucia L.

    If you've BEAN looking for a Korean black bean noodle spot, you definitely have to check out @joonghwaru_la ! They specialize in Korean comfort dishes such as jjajeongmyeon (black bean noodles) and jjambbong (spicy seafood noodles), and I love how every dish is lovingly cooked with a home-style flair that reminds you of your mom's cooking, with not too much salt or MSG. If you're like me and LOVE both of these dishes, they also have insanely affordable combos that include both of these noodles, as well as a side of fried pork, dumplings, fried rice, or fried shrimp for $40 and under. Service was so incredibly sweet, and I highly recommend checking out this hole in the wall if you're in the Ktown area! Featured here: black bean noodle with seafood spicy seafood noodle fried pork with sweet and sour sauce

    First, parking here is absolutely atrocious, with that out of the way; this place is hands down THE BEST jjajangmyeon place I've been to including the ones from Korea. For $10, you get a healthy amount of pork belly in it too, not those miniscule ones either The jjampong didn't miss either, you can taste the "fire/char" in the broth The tangsuyuk was meh, would recommend the orange chicken instead. All in all, would come back 100% as the jjajangmyeon and jjampong is all that matters

    Cholho R.

    The noodles of Jajangmyeon are handled completely with other houses, and they are really small, delicious, and inexpensive. Six hand dumplings are a lot, so it's enough for three people to eat, and it tastes the best... A glass of soju for men is the best even if it's a family meal

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    7 months ago

    Best (중화요리) chinese korean restaurant I've been to in LA and OC counties over 30 years. Great 짬뽕!!

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    7 months ago

    I love the great portion sizes and vibe of the place. Service is pretty great and attentive. Would recommend!

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    3 years ago

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    7 months ago

    Jjamppong is amazing. Highly recommend their Jjamppong! Not so much other foods, but worthy.

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    3 years ago

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Food was great. Took take out everything was handled quickly. Friendly staff. Will definitely return for a dine in experience.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Good combo deal and bouncy noodle texture! I appreciated the packing individual items separately.

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Food is awesome here. The noodles are perfect. Will always come back when craving some jangjang myun.

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Amazing!!! Will be back! Noodles are homemade, service is great, and ambiance is homey. The fried shrimp 깐풍기 is great as well! They're huge!

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Best jjampong we've ever had, hands down. The noodles are sooo chewy. Service is so hospitable and kind as well. We will be back!!!

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    1 year ago

    Good spot to go for a quick meal - the flavors hits the spot and great prices. Standard jajameyon and jampon (sp?)

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    Page 2 of 3

    Ask the Community - JoongHwaRu

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    Hangari Kalguksu

    Hangari Kalguksu

    4.4
    (3.3k reviews)
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    Women-owned & operated
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    Hangari is absolutely worth the wait. The restaurant is very lively and crowded with people who…read moreknow this spot is good. What seemed like a deceptively simple bowl was one of the most delicious and flavorful meals I've had - I'll be thinking about my bowl for a long time. I got the plain kalgaksu, mainly because it included pork potstickers. The anchovy broth isn't fishy (which I was concerned about), it's deep and full in a way that's hard to describe. It penetrates the noodles and potatoes well. The broth is similar if not the same between most bowl types. The cold noodles were also delicious, which a couple of my friends ordered. Quite large portions, as just about everyone had to take some home. They also have bibimbap if you're craving a rice based meal instead. I can't wait to come back - maybe not on a Saturday night next time so I don't have to look so long for parking!

    Good but not amazing. I was expecting to be mind blown by the amount of people who rave about this…read moreplace but I think it is pretty on par with many other Korean places in ktown. I especially wanted to try their bossam but didn't think it was out of the ordinary. With that said, food was still very good. Parking was difficult to find (obviously it's ktown) but they do offer valet. Food comes out very quick. I would recommend coming with a group because portions are large so you can try many things.

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    Afuri

    Afuri

    4.4
    (946 reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$

    I love yuzu shoyu ramen. It's hard to find a place that serves yuzu flavored ramen, so I was…read moreexcited to see that Afuri is known for it. I had it in Japan before and it was delicious! They offer Yuzu Shio (salt broth) and Yuzu Shoyu (soy sauce broth) Ramen. I went with Yuzu Shio ($19.50). The yuzu gives it a refreshing/bright taste that really cuts through the fatty broth and pork. Yuzu Limeade ($7) and although I liked the drink because it had a strong yuzu and lime taste, I wouldn't recommend getting it with a yuzu flavored ramen because it takes away the yuzu flavor in the ramen. Service was friendly and attentive. The space is open and bright. We paid for parking just to the side of the restaurant so that we didn't have to deal with street parking.

    Good ambiance, definitely. Good service, yes. Good food, yes. Good value.. no, not really…read more Came for their 6th anniversary where it was 50% all ramen. Got their signature Yuzu Shio which was about $10 (normally $19.50!!), as well as their Afuri Roll which the server recommended ($23). The ramen rather had a small portion, but was balanced and pretty good - and the broth was definitely on the lighter tasting side, good for people who wants a cleaner taste. I ended up using chili oil on the side to spice things up. The Afuri Roll wasn't anything special, and a bit on the dry side but it had a nice variety of different fish inside. Overall, considering all the other competitive ramen joints in the area that have a more competitive price/portion/variety, I'm not sure if I'd give this place another go given the price. Great vibes though!

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    Interior
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    PASTA e PASTA by Allegro

    PASTA e PASTA by Allegro

    4.4
    (1.8k reviews)
    3.3 mi
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    This was one of those places I knew nothing about, discovered randomly when looking for places to…read moreeat nearby, took one look at, and said to myself that I definitely needed to try it. Dropped by on a Saturday evening with my brother, no reservation. I was worried we'd be stuck waiting for an hour or more for a table but we were seated in less than ten minutes, despite the fact that it was a full house. The menu has an interesting assortment of traditional Italian pastas, Japanese classics, and Japanese-Italian fusion dishes. It's not a huge menu, but is just the right size to have a number of dishes I wish I could've tried all at once. I went with the bacon and mushrooms Japanese style sauce, which was a dashi and soy sauce base with bacon and mushrooms and a garnish of grated radish and nori. This was incredibly delicious, unique, and a true blend of Japanese and Italian flavors. The bacon was phenomenal and there was a generous amount on the plate. My brother got the arrabbiata. He asked them to not make it very spicy, but it still had a good kick (I definitely wouldn't have asked for it to be milder, but to each their own). The flavors were rich. And in both dishes, the pasta was cooked perfectly. Dinner comes with a complimentary salad and rolls. Our food came out fast, and our server was friendly. The owners were really nice, welcoming people. I loved the vibe of this place, with its dim lighting and quiet, laidback atmosphere. PASTA e PASTA is a gem and absolutely on my must-return-to list on my next trip to Little Tokyo.

    This is my second time dining here and each experience gets worse. The pastas are decent I do wish…read morethey had different options of noodles and for the price it isn't bad but what led to the two star rating is the service!!! It was not busy at all we got at right away and there was empty tables but our server could not remember a single request we asked for . We asked for Parmesan, the check along with Togo boxes on separate occasions (which I think are quite normal requests to ask for ) he forgot all of them and we had to ask his co-worker. At the end of the meal he apologized for forgetting the items and asked if we wanted a Togo bag for our meals which as you guessed he forgot again. I'm sorry but the restaurant was at like 20% capacity. Also they messed up on part of our order. All and all we will not be returning again Also the gratin we ordered was very hard to eat.

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    JoongHwaRu - korean - Updated July 2026

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