Gu Jip used to be my go to Korean restaurant. Haven't been here in a couple years. The food has changed. The meal comes with 6 Panchan appetizers. I ordered the soon dubu soup and Galbi combo. The Galbi was 2 strips of LA cut shortibs. The meat was very fatty, chewy, and it tasted like it was bottled marinade. The dubu soup was nicely prepared. Not sure if this was an off day for food. I'd be glad to go try it again. Service was friendly and welcoming read more

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Came here recently and noticed they upgraded their menus from the typical placemat printouts to physical menus. It also seemed to include some new items, or at least ones that weren't printed out on the placemats. We've previously tried their cold noodles, galbi, hot stone bimbimbap, tofu soup and seafood pancake. All are pretty good but the cold noodle is our favorite. This time we ordered their fishcake kimbap and the cold noodle and galbi combo. I previously saw photos of their kimbap but didn't see it on their menu until now so I was excited to try it. It comes with 20-24 pieces and a side of soup, quite a lot actually for one person. The kimbap was as expected, it was flavorful, had a slight crunch (from the pickled radish) and didn't fall apart easily while eating. It comes with a dipping sauce but it wasn't particularly noteworthy and I didn't feel it is required to use. The cold noodles were a bit different this time but overall had the same flavor. It comes with half an egg, pickled vegetables, slices of cucumber, and slices of meat in an icy broth with buckwheat noodles. Be sure to add the mustard and vinegar for added flavor. The side of galbi was as expected, but doesn't arrive sizzling like at many other Korean restaurants. The flavor can vary, sometimes more flavorful than other times but overall it still pairs well with the cold noodle. Service can be a bit spotty, especially when they only have one server doing everything. It can be hard to flag someone down so be prepared to sit around for a while if they have less staff and many customers. Overall not a dealbreaker but just something to be aware of. read more

The Place Gu Jip Restaurant - Fishcake kimbap - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

Clean, well lit, friendly server, authentic and delicious. Can't go wrong with anything here. read more

The Place Gu Jip Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

Such an underrated spot, definitely a hole in the wall. My favorite thing we ordered was the galbi, it was sliced to be a little thicker and the marinate was perfect. I've been looking for a good Korean spot in South Bay and this is my favorite. The meats have the grilled flavor, nice smokiness to it. The worker was very nice and gave us a little sample of the sliced pork that's paired with kimchi. The restaurant is a good size, it was a little stuffy/warm in there. ig: @cravingswithcat read more

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Authentic delicious Korean food. Galbi's are yummy and not dry. Ban Chan/side dishes are fresh. Love the gold bowls and chopsticks. Friendly small family business. read more

The food is authentic Korean and it is soooo delicious. The team here is very friendly and always refilling your hot tea or water! Their banchan is the best and that's just for starters and they always refill if you want more which I always do! I had their Pollock soup and it was 10/10! I've been coming here for 15 years now! read more

The Place Gu Jip Restaurant - Pollock soup and banchan! - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

Delicious chicken ginseng soup! We got this for takeout and my only critique was that they didn't include any banchan with our order so for the price it seemed a little high for what we received. read more

Restaurant was located in the far corner of a plaza. Not very easy to locate unless you been there. Basically a no nonsense very basic Korean restaurant with a decent selection of dishes. Food came out quick and it was very good. The environment was a lil lacking as there was no music and basically dead silence. If I wanted quality authentic Korean food, I would definitely come back. read more

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I've been craving real, home-style Korean food, and The Place Gu Jip Restaurant (often just called "The Place") in Gardena totally delivered! This hidden gem feels like stepping into a cozy Korean family kitchen--super authentic and unpretentious. We started with a generous spread of banchan (those amazing complimentary side dishes), and they were spot-on: fresh kimchi with just the right kick, seasoned spinach, pickled radish, and more--all tasting freshly made and flavorful. I ordered the yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), and wow, it was packed with tender beef, veggies, and that deep, spicy broth that warms you from the inside out. My friend got the samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), which was rich, comforting, and perfectly seasoned. Portions are huge, and everything tasted like it came straight from a Korean grandma's recipe book. The service was outstanding--our server was friendly, attentive, and quick to refill banchan or explain the menu without making us feel rushed. The place is clean, casual, and welcoming, with plenty of parking in the plaza. If you're in Gardena and want authentic Korean soups, stews, kimbap, or street food vibes without the hype, this is the place! Highly recommend--I'll definitely be back soon. read more

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Always craving Korean (authentic) food after watching my Korean drama. This is a restaurant I have never tried before. OMG! The pig leg meat (jokbal) is so good. They are meaty and chewy, lots of collagen! The kimbap is a kids favorite for sure. Large portion to share. The (spicy) cold buckwheat noodles definitely hit the right spot. I like to cut the noodles with scissors first because the noodles texture is kind of chewy. The sotteok (rice cake & sausage) is a very popular street food. read more

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I ordered through DoorDash & it did not disappoint. The food was extremely delicious! I ordered the bibimpab and it came with side dishes and a soup. I finished all of it! Would definitely buy again. Also I asked for my egg well done and they followed through. read more

The Place Gu Jip Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

I come here with my family for their stews and soups. My dad gets the chadol dwenjang jjigae, I get the gamja tang, sister gets the kalguksu, and my mom likes to try something new each time. Really warm service from the aunties working there. read more

Ordered naengmyun galbi combo for delivery, and it was very disappointing.. broth tasted weird in the worst way.. and the galbi tasted underseasoned unfortunately. read more

My Korean friend took me to this restaurant. It has a casual, diner like atmosphere, making it an easy place to stop by. I've been here many times, but this was my first time trying the bossam. The meat was super tender and so good. The yukgaejang had just the right amount of spice, perfect for a cold day. I was bummed to see that their galbi jjim, which used to be amazing, is no longer on the menu really hoping they bring it back! Also, they close early, so if you're coming for dinner, I'd recommend going early. read more

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This K-food hole-in-the-wall spot is a hidden gem in Gardena. It's located inside the plaza right next to Honda dealership. It's kind of hidden. In the plaza, it's one over the Smoking Tiger Cafe at the corner end past Love Letter restaurant. See my restaurant photo for your visual reference. There's plenty of free parking on the main level and the bottom parking structure as well. We usually park behind the restaurant. Beware... when it's busy, parking is limited. The Food: It's customary for me to try yook gae jjang (spicy beef soup) at different Korean restaurants if available. Yook gae jjang at "Yook Dae Jang" restaurant in Gardena used to be my favorite go-to until they'd changed management. Then the quality just went south. Haven't been back since. Anyways, I'd recently discovered Gu Jip. Something about the yook gae jjang here just blew me away. The spices and ingredients tasted and smelled similar to how my mom and wife cooks it at home. It was authentic. You taste the love that's put into this dish with dopamine-releasing flavors. The portion was very generous. I love how they bring it out in a traditional brass bowl. My wifey tried cold noodles and spicy cold noodles. For the cold broth noodles, the broth was amazing. The beef slices were tender. They use the traditional slushy ice, which takes me back to when I had cold noodles in Korea. Spicy cold noodle is a spicy mix noodles with spicy (gochujang I.e. chili) sauce. This is one without the broth. It's spicy but all the flavors just come together. Both are refreshingly great on a hot summer weather. If you're craving meats, order the bulgogi (Korean-style marinated sliced beef) and kalbi (Korean-style marinated short-ribs). The soy sauce marinate is sweet but savory. The meats are juicy and tender. Both are delicious. The Service: Based on observation, I think this place is run by group of Korean ladies that just knows how to cook good traditional Korean foods. The service is prompt and food came out promptly. No complaints here. The Ambiance: The inside looked like a typical Korean restaurant. Not modern, more old school look and feel. The table seatings were spacious. All in all, if you're craving good traditional Korean foods prepared by ladies who know how to cook them, check this place out. Pricing was reasonable based on quality and quantity. It's actually cheaper than most other Korean restaurants imho. The food is excellent and authentic. I would definitely come back to try other dishes or end up resorting back to my favorite, yook gae jjang. Great place for group of family and friends. You're welcome. read more

The Place Gu Jip Restaurant - Gu Jip restaurant front entrance. - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

All food were great! Service was good! Definitely want to come back again when I miss Korean food!

My wife and I have ordered from Gu Jip multiple times now and it's quickly become our go-to for local Korean fare. The kimbap, soondubu, and kalbi have all been consistently derricious. Whether it's the kimbap's freshness and construction, the soondubu's ample spice and plentiful meat/tofu, or the kalbi's fatty goodness, we've enjoyed them every time. Looking forward to delving further into the menu soon. 4.5 rounded up! read more

The Place Gu Jip should not be overlooked even though it is tucked away in the corner of the shopping center. Gu Jip has been a staple in my husband and my regular restaurants rotation for quite some time now and we have never been disappointed. They specialize in traditional Korean soups which is my all time favorite to warm up the soul. We love the soy bean paste stew with beef brisket, burdock kimbap, and tofu soup. I also love their bulgogi stew which is a lighter, sweet and savory soup with glass noodles and lots of bulgogi. Hot tip: Ask for the kimbap menu which isn't listed on the printed paper table mat menu! You'll find an assortment of delicious kimbap to order. My favorites are the burdock and bulgogi. Instagram: @jessgoeat read more

Amazing food and service! I had the spicy beef soup and my partner had the kimchi beef soup--both were absolutely packed with flavor and so comforting. Honestly, this might be the best Korean soup I've ever had. The broth was rich and flavorful, the meat was tender, and everything tasted so fresh. The banchan was also outstanding--each side dish was delicious and really complemented the meal. Our waitress was so attentive and kind, making sure we had everything we needed, and the food came out really fast, which was a nice surprise. The whole experience just felt warm, welcoming, and satisfying. You can really tell they put a lot of care into their food and service. We left feeling full and happy, and we can't wait to come back again. This place absolutely deserves 5 stars! read more

Found this gem through Yelp. GREAT choice. The first sign I knew this place was legit, was the clientele. Random lunch on a Thursday. Filled with middle aged groups of Korean men and groups of Korean women. Four banchan served: sweet black beans (yummy), kimchi zucchini (yummy), miso gochujung wakame (yummy), & kimchi (REALLY good-nice aged umani, not hot,just flavorful) Shared: Tofu soup with pork & bulgogi combo The tofu soup was GREAT. The bulgogi a bit sweet for my taste, but still good. The Bossam was REALLY good. People have their own renditions. I like theirs over another version I've in OC (also noted for their Bossam). Their version is simmered in a soy sauce & sugar base. Good flavor, tender, not falling apart. Served with fresh raw garlic slices & jalapeños pepper slices & chungachi-dried radish kimchi. Slightly salted wilted Napa cabbage to wrap your Bossam was nice vs raw cabbage. Wraps much easier plus adds a bit of salt flavor. Sammjian & fermented shrimp sauces for dipping. This place is GREAT! Middle aged people filling a restaurant? Who know what good Korean dishes should taste like? Yup...this one's one my "let's get Korean food" list. read more

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It was absolutely delicious! We will be coming back here. The food tasted amazing and the side dishes were so tasty! The service was amazing! (Just like the food) I loved it! My daughter also said it was delicious! read more

Been coming here for a long time but the service has gone downhill fast. The previous group of servers were by far better at checking on the tables, understanding orders and just overall nicer attitudes. The servers now have bad attitudes like they don't want to be there and once they take your order they never come back to your tables. I had to get up and peak into the kitchen to get any kind of help. It's hard enough to even pay for my food now. Most of the time they're just gossiping amongst each other. Too bad because the food is really good. There are a few other good options in the area so I now take my business to them now. read more

Best Korean food at a Korean restaurant so far that I've had, reminds me of my mom's cooking growing up!

Used DoorDash platform for our order. They forgot a second Tupperware of the side dishes . It should be one for each order! For almost $80 worth of food and not have enough side dishes for two people is simply a big disappointment. read more

The Place Gu Jip Restaurant - Restaurant forgot a second Tupperware of side dishes when we clearly ordered two entrees. - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

If you're looking for legit Korean food in Gardena, Gu Jip is it. Everything here tastes home-cooked -- rich broths, perfectly seasoned banchan, and generous portions. I had the yukgaejjang and it was spicy, flavorful, and super satisfying. The banchan variety was great and all super fresh. The vibe is low-key, clean, and friendly -- you feel like you're eating at someone's Korean mom's house. Service is fast but warm. It's not flashy, just really solid Korean comfort food that hits every time. Highly recommend if you're in the area or craving a proper Korean meal that doesn't feel watered down. read more

Service is too slow. I don't recommend to go for lunch. There are only two servers/cashiers worked on Tuesday when I went. It was three parties including myself (just me) and had to wait to be seated, order, to be served, and to pay. Food is great, but I am not coming back for lunch. read more

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Still my favorite Korean restaurant to go to. Ordered to go: - fish cake kimbap- so good and much more flavorful than in the times past- I think they seasoned everything better this time! - bulgogi kimbap- so good and much more flavorful than in the times past- I think they seasoned everything better this time! - yukgaejang (spicy beef soup)- so flavorful, with lots of meat, veggies and egg. Generous portion. - Galbitang (beef rib soup)- flavorful clear broth with 3 big rib bones! My hubby liked it, but I liked the Yukgaejang more! Generous portion! They included 2 soups, container of banchan (broccoli tofu, spicy cucumber, kimchi and sweetened black beans) and 2 containers of rice as well. They packaged everything so nicely and even put a big piece of clear packing tape at the top, to make sure nothing spilled and moved around, which I appreciated. We'll keep coming back for more! read more

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This is one of my favorite restaurants to go to for lunch or dinner. I like to order the Bulgogi Kimbap rolls and the rice cakes. The Bulgogi Kimbap rolls is filled with bulgogi beef, egg, lettuce, and pieces of shredded carrot. It is super tasty and super filling. I usually order the rolls with the rice cake skewers. They pair really well with the rolls. The rice cake skewers comes with three pieces of rice cakes on three skewers. The rice cake skewers are amazing! I love that it has a nice crisp and chew to it. Also the bulgogi plate is another one of my go to's. The bulgogi is so flavorful and it's not dry. It has the perfect amount of sweetness. I love the grilled onions that comes with it. It's perfect. I would highly recommend this place if you haven't tried this place yet. read more

The Place Gu Jip Restaurant - Bulgogi Kimbap and Rice Cake Skewers - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

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I've tried a bunch of different foods from this place on different days and each time I've always had a dissatisfied belly! Each time I ordered off Yelp, I received about a cup of bean sprout soup and banchan (kimchi, egg, dried anchovies, and one other dish that was either a veggie or some sort of kimchi). Each dish was also very filling - I think this would be ideal for two people (if you're a lighter eater), or for one person who can eat a whole lot! I'm on the "eat a whole lot!" spectrum, so each dish was just for me LOL. Also, because I ordered off of Yelp, the prices my be different from what you see in store: Bibimbap ($15.99): I thought this was really bland. Even when I added the sauce I felt like it still needed salt or sesame oil, or something else to make the flavors really pop. So Dduk So Dduk ($8.99): The sasuage was covered in this slightly sticky sauce and cooked over the grill along with chewy rice cakes. The rice cakes were really good - chewy, thick, flavorful. But I thought the sausage was a tad too salty and I didn't like the type of sausage they used. Tuna Mayo Kimbap (2 rolls for $11.99): This was so dry. Bland and dry. I had to break out my mayo to make this taste better. JJol Myeon ($13.99): This came with a small tube of sea salt so you can salt your own soup to your liking. This needed that salt tube lol. After a while I decided this soup wasn't for me (first time trying it), but I ate most of it. Spicy Pork Neck Bone and Potato Soup ($15.99): This was okay; there were big chunks of pork neck in my soup with chunks of potato. I think after a while I decided that the soup wasn't for me. Gu Jip Kimbap ($10.49): This was also bland. I didn't taste any flavor from the meat. For everything I ordered, everything was pretty bland/I had to add things to the dish to make it taste better. I am only giving this 2 stars because the restaurant never messed up on any of my orders, which deserves one star. read more

The Place Gu Jip Restaurant - Bibimbap, So Dduk So Dduk, Banchan and soup - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

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This is not the same place anymore.... the food and service are both not up to par. Sad :(

Delicious Galbi Tang, Spicy Pork and LA Galbi! We were disappointed a bit with the Seafood Kalgooksoo and Naengmyun. The kalgooksoo was all noodle and broth, not much seafood! The noodles weren't that great. We got bulgogi Kim bap to go and it was the tiniest bit of bulgogi in each one. $10 gets you two rolls though. It's like half cucumber and pickled radish (danmooji). read more

Came here on Monday at 11am for lunch with my mom! First off I'll start with the food: me and my mom had ordered bulgogi with veggie wraps as well as makerol. I really really enjoyed the bulgogi and wraps which included cabbage, lettuce, and seaweed to wrap the meat in. The makerol was cooked very well and you have to squeeze lemon in it as well to make it complete. All in all Everything was pretty good, very standard Korean meals. Ambiance: clean inside, standard restaurant Service: everything came out in a nice and timely fashion, no problems with servers however we were the only ones inside at the time. Could be different if it's a full house! All in all: good food! Definitely will be back and will update the review read more

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I ordered spicy squid and Gam ja tang. Both were so yummy and good portions as well. People who work there also very kind and generous.

This place takes ONE HOUR to make Kimbap. Let me repeat that. ONE. FUCKING. HOUR. I called in an order at 12:30 and they said it would take 30 mins because they were busy. Okay, that works for me. I show up at 1pm and they said they were working on it. I'm sitting there expecting maybe 10 mins at most because how long does it really take to make kimbap? Ten...twenty...thirty Holy SHIT finally it comes out! I should have walked out but I was committed by then. Why in the world does it take one HOUR to make kimbap? Boggles my mind. read more

With so many Korean spots in the area, we decided to give this place a try. Currently, they are strictly doing take out orders with no outdoor seating area. We got an order of the seafood pancake and let me tell you, it's definitely enough to feed two people. I'm not sure if it's because we got it for take-out but the pancake wasn't as crispy as we are accustomed to. Although it was definitely packed with seafood, it was mushy towards the center. I want to give this place another shot when indoor dining is allowed again. They have a wide variety of authentic Korean dishes on their menu that sound delicious. read more

The Place Gu Jip Restaurant - Seafood Pancake - Korean Near Me - Gardena, California

It might be a good thing I don't live in SoCal. This place is really authentically Korean, so service isn't great in typical Asian fashion - But the food was so good!! We didn't get acknowledged when we walked in so we sat down and tried to figure out the protocol. There's a little button you press so someone comes out to take your order. I was there with my sisters and nieces, so we actually had quite a few mouths to feed. We got a beef noodle soup, bibimbap, and bulgogi. It was all really delicious - We had enough for the girls to take home for leftovers. The rest of us were hopping on a plane and couldn't take it with us. But I sure would have if I could... YUMMY!! read more

As I walked in, I was thinking, "I know this place..." Then it dawned on me: it used to be a sushi restaurant. Whoa, that was eons ago! I've been battling a cold for the last week and with my taste buds sorta working their way back, I figured a hot bowl of soon tofu might help accelerate the healing process. I came through maybe 30 minutes post opening, so I was seated immediately. Since I had already gotten the chance to look at their menu prior to arrival, I knew exactly what I wanted: combination bowl (mild) it is! I was given hot rice tea as I waited - delicious. The aroma penetrated right through my severe clogged sinuses and it was quite soothing. My food came through not too long after. It was incredible. Even with the cold, the flavor completely came through. I can only imagine how much better the whole experience would have been if my taste buds were at 100%. The tofu was nice and soft, almost fluffy. There was plenty of beef and seafood - they didn't skimp on either one. With the help of the banchan, the whole experience was complete. FOOD: 4. SERVICE: 3. Very little interaction, but they were nice when they did come around. VALUE: 3. Pretty average, might be slightly more in comparison to others. PARKING: Private lot, street and underground parking available. OVERALL: 3.25. The one thing I felt was missing was the yellow covina fish. Some places include that with their banchan at no extra charge. I know they have it here for a fee. Yeah, you get more than one, but I really just wanted one. Wasn't willing to spend that much on food I know I can't finish. Might be a different story if I was sharing it... Overall okay experience. I would come back to try the fish, for sure. I just need to make a mental note to drag someone with me... read more

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Outstanding food and service. I've ordered numerous dishes here from soups and pork dishes and everything is always wonderful.

We came by here because we were craving kimbaps and some tteokbokki. I wish we had ordered more than that so that I could have a better "feel" for the place, but I guess I just have to come back and visit again! We were (pleasantly) surprised at how big the kimbap portion was-- definitely fulfilled our craving for it. I do wish they were rolled a bit tighter so that the filling and rice didn't fall out. The tteokbokki was average, it was a bit sweeter than I like and I think it would benefit from just an extra dash of gochujang. Overall, it's a decent place with fair prices! I will definitely give them another try next time I have a craving for kimbap :') read more

Been going to this place for a while. Last Wednesday, had the dining experience that was horrible which made my wife and I to decide, will not be coming back here again. The restaurant was pretty empty as there were only two other tables with diners. There were two servers, older lady and another, she may be an owner wearing glasses, we call her "O", serving 3 tables including us. Older lady was great but she left around 2 and the other 2 table diners were gone as well. We were sole diners when the downfall started. Not a single time, "O" checked on us as she was busy chattering away with someone from kitchen. When we asked for refill of side dishes, "O" acted as if we were being rude by requesting additional side dish and brought us 2 even though we were done with every side dish. Not a single smile nor "how is food? or Do you need anything else?" Felt as if we were there free loading and not welcomed. Maybe "O" had a bad day or day's sale wasn't so good but whatever the reason, due to "O", Gu Jip lost a longtime customer. 주인 아주머니 같으신데 정말로 서비스 개선이 필요할 것 같습니다. 내돈 내고 밥 먹으면서 기분이 좋지는 않았습니다. read more