Their food is amazing!!! I mean really amazing!!! I have been going here for three years and their food is just amazing! It feels home made food but so good! My parents in law dated here like 30 years ago. They have been around for a long time. Their service is great! It feels like you are in Korea when you walk in! It's not too big so large parties might not be good to go! read more

Excellent place for cheunggukjang which is a quick few days fermented bean paste (versus months). It highly nutritious with a strong smell. Consistency and cleanliness makes this a popular destination. Can see other tables looking satisfied with a variety of dishes so try them as well but we always end up ordering their delicious cheunggukjang! Located -in plaza on the south side of W Olympic Blvd & Arapahoe St (between Magnolia & Hoover) -free parking lot can be entered on the south side of Olympic Blvd read more

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Ambiance: it's a family style restaurant, located in a plaza with plenty parking spots available Service: terrible experience, very neglectful attitude if you happen to be non-Korean speakers, it took a while to get seated, and another long wait to place the order, it took 45 minutes to get food after being seated let alone they made mistake on their broth selection and wouldn't fix it. However, guests from two other tables got there much later than our table, had their food served near simultaneously right after seated just because they speak Korean, this place is either extremely disorganized or discriminative Food: comfort food menu Banchan - *** limited kinds SAAN DUBU - ** Stew of soft tofu, vegetables, kimchee, egg yolk, and beef bone stock, flavorless taste D-JINGUH BOKGUM - *** Sauteed squid with vegetables and special gochoojang, average taste SUL LUNG TANG - ** Beef bone stock and topped with scallions, light as water Price: small portions and affordable prices, about $25 per person, overall bad service and food quality, not worth it and wouldn't come back read more

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The lady is very nice, great service. The food is delicious like home cooking. The fish and the octopus plate is my favorite! Very healthy food, you can tell they don't use any msg. Been there many times and finally had to leave a review. read more

Great place for some healthy, traditional Korean comfort food. They are known for their cheonggukjang as the name suggests but they offer a wide variety of delicious options. Ordered the spicy mackerel stew (godeunguh jorim), and spicy pork bulgogi (daeji bulgogi). Both were cooked well and seasoned perfectly. It has a nice hint of spice without being too overwhelming. I believe the bulgogi as well as some other larger dishes come with a small side of cheongukjang (fermented soybean soup) so double check before ordering a separate soup dish! The soybean soup might be an acquired taste as it has a bit of a strong fermented taste but definitely worth a try for a very traditional Korean dish. I also love their brown rice which is made with barley. It gives it a nice chewy texture and not dry like other types of brown rice. The place is small inside but feels very homey. Staff is very friendly as well and make you feel welcomed. This is definitely a hidden gem! Overall a great place for when you want a home-cooked, hearty meal. read more

Olympic Cheonggukjang - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The food is fine -- nothing stood out to us. The server told us the pork, fish, and squid are the most popular but I should've gone with the soup ‍ Good parking! read more

Small restaurant, very pop and mom feel.. less than 15 tables. Super sweet ladies, very friendly and welcoming. Within a plaza, convenient parking. Good banchans. Love the fermented black beans, the cucumber and kimchi. Love the kal guk soo - anchovy broth noodle soup with egg drop. So good, that I put aside my spoon and drank the soup from the bowl. Definitely going back for more noodle soup. So perfect for this rainy season. read more

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This place used to be good as far as service and food quality. I don't know what happened to the owner but the person in charge has zero personable skills and does not know how to treat customers. My mom only had a $100 bill and the cashier who I suspect is the new owner or the owners daughter sneered at it and kept staring at it and staring at me as if I gave her a counterfeit bill. I told her it's real and then she tells me she can't accept it without verifying with a counter fit pen or any other device akd tells me to give her a $20 bill as they have no cash in their register. She reminds me again that she can not take credit cards but cash only. I gave you cash but yet you won't take cash because it looks fake to you??? This place is repulsive as far as service goes and their food is below average. Never going back. read more

Wanted try this place for a long time and finally got there to taste the famous Chung guk jang. So tasty with rich aroma. Sautéed squid was also superb. Want to go back to taste again and try another dishes as well. read more

Olympic Cheonggukjang - Sautéed squid, sul lung tang, Chung guk jang - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Just as amazing as I remembered it to be the first time. Plenty of rice cakes and mandu in the soup. This time it also had egg. Soup is the perfect comfort food and this dish is a generous portion size. Don't be thrown off by the smell walking in or the all Korean menu. Truly a hidden gem. read more

Olympic Cheonggukjang - Thuck Man Doo - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Let me say this place feels so peaceful. The staff are very kind and respectful towards the customer and it's a very welcomed experience. The Sul Lung Tang was rich and flavorful. The beef was tender, the soup was savory and the noodles were just right ! Not overly soft nor undercooked ! Can I just say the appetizers were amazing ! I think I nearly ate everything they gave us! The kimchi and radish are very much to die for ! I'm honestly amazed how this spot isn't blowing up but as for now it's a hidden gem! Definitely recommend! read more

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I feel bad about writing the review cause everyone else seems to like this place. For the cosy ambiance, it was ok. I would gladly give 4 and a 1/2 stars. But for the food taste, of course, it's a restaurant so we should talk about food. The cheongukjang was too bland (my daughter had the same opinion) and other food I ordered were also not my taste. :( read more

Olympic Cheonggukjang - To go box for Left over food costs $1.00 for big ones and $.50 for small ones. - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is a small and homey spot that specializes in cheonggukjang. It's definitely an acquired taste with strong smell, but very tasty and healthy! They're open from 8am-9:30pm Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays. They have a small parking lot as well. I dined in and ordered the cheonggukjang ($13.54 pre-tax). Food came out pretty quickly and piping hot! Definitely ask for a separate bowl to cool it down before diving in. The cheonggukjang comes in a small pot and is filled with fermented beans, tofu, and a little bit of scallion. I really loved how flavorful this dish was without being salty. The meal also came with a few side dishes: steamed cabbage with fermented bean sauce, spicy pickled radish, cabbage kimchi, and pickled cucumbers. The pickled radish and cucumbers were quite refreshing! Service was friendly and the overall experience felt very authentic and homey. Highly recommend! read more

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The spicy octopus dish is my favorite and I can't even eat spicy food. The fried fish is a must. Everything else is worth a try, but those are my top 2 there. I think I eat there like 2 times a month and every time it's been great. Been going there for years and I finally put in a review! Kept it a secret. read more

I love this place but not as much anymore. they don't turn on the AC unless they reach a certain number of people. when we went in it was 85 degrees INSIDE!!!! we had to beg them to turn the AC. this is ridiculous. even for the side dishes they wouldn't give it to us until the food was almost ready. poor front ladies had to ask the people in the kitchen for permission. A male staff from the kitchen came out and turn it on after counting how many people were inside. side dishes as well she had to ask the lady inside if she can give it to us. i feel really bad for the ladies in the front. BRING UR OWN FAN IF YOU WANNA EAT HERE. FOOD is still good tho!!! but the service went down so much. Also they said no more seaweed is given because it's really bad for the air quality and stuff like that. Did they get caught by the health inspectors or something?!? read more

Ownership changed 2 years ago and doesn't taste the same. Quality and service went down.

I love traditional restaurants like Olympic Cheonggukjang, where I can taste the flavors of Korea right here in the heart of LA. I haven't hade Cheonggukjang in a while, so when my colleague suggested we go here for lunch today, I was very excited. This place has been the same forever, and the taste of Cheonggukjang - which is a type of soy bean soup, was the perfection I had imagined. The banchan was so daintily plated and delicious. This place really reminded me of my grandma's old cooking. Our party of three ordered two Cheonggukjang and the Stirfried Squid dish to share. This was definitely enough food to feed all of us full. The squid was so soft and very well seasoned, which I wasn't expecting at all. The women working the restaurant were so kind as well, offering us to give us more Cheonggukjang for free if we weren't full since we were sharing (of course we declined). I just had this for lunch but I want to go back for dinner. Next time, I wish to bring my grandma with me so she can eat her soul food and be reminded of her hometown. read more

Olympic Cheonggukjang - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Good traditional Korean food here. Kind of small but this place has been here forever. No MSG so I feel safe to eat here. Waitress is nice. Prices are reasonable. Hope they will stay for a long time. read more

Definitely a hole in a wall. I did take-out here and the cheonggyukjang is pretty bomb and comes with a few side dishes and rice. The portion size is pretty large and enough for 2 people. It's in a lot with some other stores, so parking was relatively easy. read more

Came visit as it was listed and nearby where i was staying. So as others been posted, definitely not very eye-catching if you aren't looking for it. Mom n pop style restaurant, most are listed in Korean, so do ask for the English menu. Wasn't brave enough to try the smelly tofu soup, that is the restaurant's claim to fame, i went with the safe bulgogi. It still comes with all the fixings, kimchi, cucumber, tofu, etc. Beef slices were tender and not too heavy on the sauce, nicely sautéed with onions but also mushrooms that was a bit different. Considering the price, serving portion is actually pretty good. Overall, an interesting Michelin-rated Korean eats. read more

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I discovered Olympic Cheonggukjang during the pandemic. I was craving traditional cheunggukjang and found this location on Yelp. The cheonggukjang is very rich without as much of the pungent scent of the paste. I've also gotten the godungeo jorim which is also quite good. The service is very friendly and kind. This place is a great find in the sea of the many Korean restaurants in K-town. Inside is on the small side-reminds me of juntong and hanbat. read more

This is the OG of all Korean food. This is the flavor of "grandmother's cooking". The food here is humble but the taste is down right comforting. Makes you reminiscene childhood visit to grandmother's home in Korea. The side dishes are not much but very flavorful, wanting to order extra bowl of rice. Do not see much younger generations, possibly due to the soup/stew which the restaurant is named after, cheonggukjang, fermented soybean soup/stew, which gives off foul odor. If you have a cold or ever lose your senses temporarily, give the cheonggukjang a try. It is very hearty and soothing and good for your health. Seriously, if this was in central part of Ktown, it would be bustling with diners. If you are health conscious, want authentic Korean food, or true gourmet, give this place a try. Ever since Jeonju on Western Ave and Dong Il Jang on 8th St closed, this is the go to place. Soban on Olympic is over rated. read more

You might end up with some language barrier, but I guarantee you're going to be getting some legit korean food made by a korean grandma. My husband loves cheong gook jang so we come here for that when he craves soup. Luckily for me, they have other soups that I can try since I cannot stand the smell of cheong gook jang! Also, their food comes in bowls and utensils that I use to see growing up whenever I visited my grandparents so it really feels like I'm eating at my grandparents house when I eat here. If you know, you know. read more

This is one of the best chunggookjang I've had in a long time. It tastes just like what my grandma used to make for me! Really cozy and feels like the motherland :) read more

Hidden Gem! Outstanding food and service! Saw it on tiktok and its sooo good!!! Definitely will be back! Excellent service with so tasty food!! read more

Olympic Cheonggukjang - Kimji stew and the their special 3day soybean anchovy stew. - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Small Koran traditional restaurant. Great food and Amazing Staff with reasonable price! read more

This is THE best cheonggukjang place ever! I used to come here when i lived in LA. I was actually never fond of cheonggukjang when i was in Korea. Maybe i was too young to enjoy the flavor. Anyhow, it didn't have unpleasant smell, but just so delicious, and one soup was enough for two hungry people. Servers were always very kind. I loved it so much that i talked about this to my husband after 8 years of my last visit. So finally i had a chance to order for pick up. It was empty at 10am on friday. The food became more expensive than before, but well, they need to survive the inflation. The lady in front was so kind, she made my day. There were enough food and side dishes.. We ordered two soup and pork bulgogi, but we didn't even get to open the second soup. One was more than enough for two fat hungry people. There is no food picture because i was in rush. read more

Fermented beans stew - seen it again and again on other restaurant's menus. Always deterred by other reviewers' comparison to stinky tofu. Finally decided to give it a try - afterall we were in a restaurant with this dish written in its name! Not sure if it was because the servers knew we weren't Koreans, my fermented beans stew was not as pungent as ones served to other tables. It tasted fine but nothing I would ever crave again. My husband ordered their soon tofu - didn't have any meat - yet very filling and flavorful. Overall - surprisingly it was a bit on the pricier end especially for a mom and pop store. Free parking though! Banchans tasted very clean and home made. Worth checking out if you love fermented beans stew. read more

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My favorite restaurant to eat good authentic Korean food. They are on the Michelin Guide for California. read more

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Rich and deep-tasting, yet gentle, for both the nose and the belly. Cheong Guk Jang is as traditional as it gets for Korean food. Health benefits, yada yada, you can read about that elsewhere. All I want to talk about is this joint's fermented bean stew. Compared to most other CGJ, Olympic's version is easier on the nose. The taste is not as aggressive either, yet the stew captures the smooth and soothing taste of bean very well. You can think pinto beans, only smoother and richer. Side dishes good, service hearty and attentive. There's a reason why this hole in the wall is still going strong, through all these years. read more

It's small traditional Korean restaurant in Ktown. I just love their dishes specially Cheonggukjang which is heavy bean paste soup. It's traditionally tasteful. One thing I must mention as a complement is that every time I go to this restaurant to enjoy the Korean food the service lady is always sweet and kind. Her smile and her sweet words made the dishes more delicious. Thank you miss. read more

Oh wow. How did I miss this hidden gem in Ktown! The food here was amazing! Super tasty, great portion, and healthy! I'm glad I've found this place now because I will be back! Service was good and the vibe was cozy and homey. Can't wait to go back! read more

This restaurant is famous for cheonggukjang. However, It is famous for braised mackerel and grilled yellow corvina.If you order braised mackerel with rice, 2 bowls of rice will be done. If you're on a diet, don't start. Family Restaurant...Strongly recommand. read more

Olympic Cheonggukjang - braised mackerel and grilled yellow corvina - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I have now taken countless people here when they want "authentic" Korean food. For me authenticity in Korean food = fermentation. Kimchi is fermented, Daen jang is fermented soybean soup, Cheonggukjang is HELLA fermented soybean soup. But the best thing is that they also have great KBBQ ribs and spicy pork ribs which won for its category in a KBBQ fest. Always a wait but so worth it. Go slightly off hours and you can linger. The owner is super nice and loves talking about her food. I love their seaweed. It's so crisp. I can just eat their rice and seaweed with cheonggukjang and be a happy little girl. read more

This review is catered to folks who are concerned about not speaking Korean, since this establishment - in my experience and according to some other reviews - is mostly conducted in Korean. Long story short: you'll be fine if you don't speak Korean! I love authentic hole-in-the-wall places like this! I walked in right at noon on a weekday, worried it would be busy, but there was one table open (and most of the folks already there left by 12:30). I was also slightly concerned about being a single eater since my experience in Korea is that many restaurants don't really cater to single servings, or the servings would be very large - but that was not an issue at all. I don't know what size you might get if you ordered one stew for two or more people, but I got a perfectly single-sized hot bowl. You just come in the door and seat yourself at an open table. Unfortunately all the tables are for 4 people so if you're a single or double eater you'll take up a whole space. Maybe during a busier time they would seat single eaters together, I'm not sure. Like other reviews have mentioned there are maybe only 10 or so tables in there. Service: great. Saw another review saying the service was bad, possibly because they weren't Korean speakers. Indeed everyone in there was speaking Korean, and the staff was also speaking Korean. I speak some, but I was initially approached with English (the specific lady working when I was there had simple English but I was able to understand. We used a combo of Korean + English to communicate since my Korean isn't fluent either). We had a brief conversation in Korean and she was very sweet. If you don't speak any Korean, the menus are in English and, push comes to shove, pointing to the menu is probably all you'll need. (But again to be clear the staff DID speak basic English to me that would have worked just fine had I not spoken Korean at all). If you're familiar with ordering/service culture in Korea you'll know that they don't really come around and check on you as often, so if you need something you'll need to get their attention. If you don't speak Korean at all, it is relatively easy to get their attention because the space is very small and you can probably catch their eye. This is kind of what happened to me at the end when I was about ready to leave. Food: I did not try their cheonggukjang but I had the doenjang jjigae, which I was craving and it was delicious. The banchan were also really good and at the end the staff was trying to explain to me that one of the banchan (which I was not eating because I didn't like it) was good for digestion so I ate some anyway. You are offered cold or hot "water" (that's what the Korean-speaking customers were saying), which is barley tea. This was presented to me as "tea" so I expected it. The prices are reasonable for LA. The food is also very filling so if $15 for a stew + rice + banchan seems expensive to you, you can get any remaining packed up to have for dinner! From a sign on the wall (in Korean), a to-go box is an extra $0.50 - $1 depending on the size. I didn't see this price reflected in my bill, so I'm not really sure what happened there. I did ask for my soup/stew to be packed up (in Korean) but it seemed that everyone else there had their food packed up so if you don't speak Korean, "to-go box" is how it's written on the sign. Parking: There is a small lot, as this restaurant is part of a mini strip-mall on a corner. Other: I saw every other group in there paying with cash, so I got a little worried as I did not have adequate cash on me. But I paid with my card just fine. If you do have any level of Korean, I would encourage you to try and use it! The lady who helped me was very surprised and we had a short conversation, and obviously it helped with ordering and other communication. It felt like I was back in the small towns and cities of Korea, in the best way. read more

Small business owner. Space is small, but with the wait. I go at off hours though. The stews, fish, and galbi- chim are excellent. This was one of my parents' favorite places. read more

Sorry to bum you out but this ain't no five star baby! Oh man no I see the past reviews as bogus! It may be a comfort food but it ain't no WOW in any means. No it's not amazing, not even close. What it is is an overpriced place with mediocre to okay food at best. I ordered the famous pork dish that everyone has pictures of including me. I have to say it was okay to good but no way is it awesome. Then I ordered the rice noodles that was bland at best The rice noodles itself was cooked to my delight chewy the way I like it but the beef inside of it was so overcooked and the broth was just eh to bland. I had to add kimchi in their to get a taste reaction. Oh man that fermented soybean stew smelled horrible. I almost puked just smelling that thing. That was a stinker in a smelly way. I didn't order that. The service on the other had was good. The little ole lady was nice. There was even a helpful patron giving us advice. One of the other dishes was this Rock Cod for $12 bucks. Um sorry that fish was not worth $12 bucks. It was more of a $6 deal, but there was no deal. BTW this place was tiny. For 6 of us we had to sit at two tables. Sorry no thumbs up or down. read more

Olympic Cheonggukjang - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Whenever I visit Ktown I have to get cheonggukjang to-go. They make the best in ktown in my opinion. It taste like my grandma's food so I love visiting this place. When I lived in ktown I went here once a week! I personally love the cheonggukjang but everything else was delicious. I believe they offer two to three outdoor seating. Please go support the moms and pops restaurants. read more

Honestly for $8.22 for a cheong gook jang in Ktown aint so bad. This is well know for their cheong gook jang in Ktown :) I came here last night for a togo/pick up to grub at home. All the portions were great and delish! BTW sunday they're CLOSED I only had to give 4 Stars..since i've tried other great cheong gook jang else where... ;) read more

Olympic Cheonggukjang - this is it looks like when ordering as take out... not bad ;) - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

the best thing they have here is THE MULTI GRAIN RICE and the lady here is soooo niiiiice......buttttt it's like ok don't they use salt here on their food at all WTFFFF?!?! isn't chungookjang supposed to HAVE SALT IN IT with lots of flavor?? I mean it's CALLED chungookjang for crying outloud?!? and the only reason the get 3 stars is BECUZ the lady here is soooo niiiiice.........!! read more