BROKEN MOUTH | Lee's Homestyle

We’re visiting the city and came across this spot online — so glad we did! The food was amazing, and the portions are huge — definitely worth the price. We ordered the teriyaki chicken plate, which was super flavorful and perfectly seasoned. The owner (we think it was the owner?) was incredibly friendly and even offered us a free drink! 🥤 When my boyfriend picked up our order, we noticed he also included a cute spam seaweed wrap — such a thoughtful touch and totally unexpected. We loved the food so much we wanted to go back the same day, but unfortunately, they close at 6pm 😭 Highly recommend this place if you’re in town — delicious food, great value, and wonderful service. We’ll definitely be back next time we visit!

5 stars with over 2,000 reviews? Yeah, Broken Mouth definitely lives up to its rating and hype! *Tips* We read the reviews and followed people’s tips on ordering ahead for take out and thank goodness we did! Highly recommend doing that and also having someone drive with you if possible so that you can just get out of the car and pick it up. Broken Mouth is located Downtown LA so parking is usually a nightmare. Environment: It shares a building with a couple other businesses and there’s communal seating for the whole building. There were some high and low seating. I went on a Saturday afternoon and it wasn’t packed. Service: I came in 10 minutes earlier than my set pick up time and they were still apologetic for it being late haha! The food came out perfectly on time and it was fresh. I met the owner Timothy and he was so nice, welcoming, and personable! Loved seeing him work up front! Food: SPAM MUSUBI ($4.25): very delicious with their yummy purple rice. BEEF ($21.50): their famous Meat Jun. The egg-battered beef slices really melted in your mouth. It was sooo good with the sauce. SHRIMP ($19.50): garlic butter shrimp with shells on. You can choose to peel it off but I opted to eat the shells on because it added to the flavor. Probably the best garlic shrimp I’ve had. I also bought Lee’s Hot Sauce ($1) on the side. I recommend getting this if you like a little spice in your meal. The plate lunches come with purple rice and Mac. The purple rice was a total game changer as it complemented the meat and the shrimp well. The Potato Mac, however, was not my favorite. For me personally, I prefer it without the potatoes but everyone has their own preferences! Overall: One of the best Hawaiian food I’ve had here in California. I wish I lived closer but I would definitely come back again. Remember to order ahead!

Kinda warehousey hole in the wall eating spot but the food is great! First time having steak layered between what I’m guessing is an egg pancake. Either way very yummy and interesting! Even better I ate it cold the next morning and it was just as delicious which is so impressive.

Broken Mouth is the kind of restaurant you hope to stumble upon but rarely do — a place where bold flavors, heartfelt hospitality, and cultural authenticity converge into an unforgettable dining experience. From the moment you walk in, there’s a warm, inviting energy that sets the tone for the meal. The staff is friendly without being overbearing, genuinely passionate about the food they serve, and eager to guide newcomers through the menu. The food? Absolutely outstanding. Every dish feels like a love letter to Hawaiian and Korean comfort cuisine, with creative twists that elevate without compromising authenticity. The garlic shrimp is a must — perfectly cooked with just the right punch of flavor — and the mac salad is next-level creamy and addicting. Portions are generous, prices are fair, and every bite feels like it was made with intention. What makes Broken Mouth stand out most is its personality. This isn’t just a restaurant — it’s a story, a tribute, a vibe. Whether you’re a local looking for something new or a visitor wanting something truly unique, this place should be at the top of your list. Highly recommend. Just go hungry — and maybe bring a friend so you can sample more of the menu.

This place might be one of my new favorite spots in DTLA. It was super good. I’m literally so full after my entree. I can’t wait to try everything on the menu! Also, I want a cookbook from this Chef!

Order ahead or wait almost 1.5 hours. Food is OK, definitely not worth the almost 1.5 hour wait. Chicken Teriyaki, and garlic shrimp were basic. Beef Teriyaki was not my favorite. Not worth going back.

This is a great place for your craving of Hawaiian food. The owner was very helpful and courteous. The food was much better than all the places I had l tried when I was in Hawaii. The garlic shrimps here are 1000000 times better than all the hyped places in the North Shore area. The beef plate is out of this world too. I don't think you can go wrong with any dish here. Go give BROKEN MOUTH a try, you won't be disappointed. Highly highly recommend BROKEN MOUTH to everyone.

Pure comfort food! Delicious fusion of Asian and Hawaiian flavors. Shrimp rice is packed with buttery, garlic flavor. Musubi is well seasoned and the rice was perfect. Also owner is full of aloha!

The Musubi is so Ono, it lived up to the name (it broke da mout). Seriously. It was the best Spam Musubi I have ever eaten!!! The Meat Jun was fantastic!!!! I would, and will recommend Broken Mouth to everybody!!!

The owner was super nice and the food was amazing. It helps to order ahead. There are a few paid parking lots nearby.

MUST ORDER AHEAD OF TIME- Being from Hawaii i always get these cravings for a taste of home. This is now the number one spot on my list, and no one else even comes close. I haven't left an actual review in a while since yelp decided to sensor a couple of my reviews, but that's a story for another time. The service was great and are straight forward with how long the wait will be (because we just walked in and didn't order ahead) THE FOOD is just amazing. very flavorful and the portion sizes are perfect. Meat-jun was delicious, both with and without the sauce. The butter garlic shrimp for sure was better than the shrimp trucks out in the north shore of oahu... which truck? all of them. I can write on and on, and you can keep reading... or just order an hour ahead and just go try it yourself. You won't regret it.

We pre-ordered three plates on a Saturday. The indoor seating area is spacious but dim, and it was surprisingly empty for the weekend. The food was well-seasoned and nicely portioned. The meat jun was the only component that stood out with its interesting texture, though some bites were overly sweet. The garlic butter shrimp was buttery but not particularly unique, and the tofu was unfortunately not crispy. Despite the website warning of a 90-minute wait for orders, we waited nearly three hours, which was frustrating. The food isn't very complex, and there weren't many orders being picked up. It looked like only two people were preparing the food. Overall, prices are high, and while the food is filling and well-made, it's not mindblowing. It's worth trying, but I wouldn't revisit due to the long wait.

We have been meaning to go here for about a year. Finally made it before a Kings game. The food was ready exactly at the time promised. (We ordered about 90 minutes prior) The food was The beef jun was one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth. Delicious, tender and flavorful. We also had the chicken teriyaki which was cooked to perfection. My partner loved the macaroni / potato salad combo and noted the spot on blend of the two. As chef was there and greeted us with our order. He threw in an extra spam musubi gratis. A lovely and kind human. The food hall is bare and has zero ambiance. The lighting is awful and it was not particularly clean. But this place is all about the food ! You will be happy that you made the effort.

MUST ORDER AHEAD! Placed the order before they opened, around 11:30 am and food was ready at 12:45 pm, just as promised. This place is a gem. The owner is super friendly and helpful. He was impressed we knew to order ahead for our first time. We got the chicken Teri and beef plates with Korean greens, kimchi cucumber, potato-Mac and black rice. I ordered the spam musubi too. For drinks, we picked the cold coffee and passion fruit juice. Everything was delicious. Generous portions too. This place is located inside a small food court, which was lightly populated. Gotta ask security to use the restroom. When we picked up our food and ate there, he told the next people it would be about 2 hours if they ordered food now. I'll be back another time soon. Thanks Broken Mouth!

Atmosphere - Warehouse-like building, limited seating, street parking available. Taste - Authentic Hawaiian dishes. Garlic shrimp was deep fried with shells on, seasoned with lots of butter and garlic. Yum! It was very flavorful and crispy. Best Meat Jun in LA. Reminiscent of meat Jun on Oahu. Meat was tender and delicious. Winner! Dishes came with purple rice, mac salad and cucumber Kim Chee. Cucumber Kim Chee had the right amount of spice and crunch. Spam musubi was made with purple rice, teriyaki spam and furikake. The best! Customer service - Very friendly, helpful and took time to chat with us. Price - Average We will definitely be back!

I finally made it to Broken Mouth, and I get the hype!! This place is serving up some of the most flavorful and satisfying Korean-Hawaiian food I've ever had. Every bite was a perfect balance of sweet, savory, and umami - comfort food at its finest. I ordered the Meat Jun with salad & cucumber kimchi, and it was absolutely magnificent. The flavors, the freshness... I was blown away. I only wish I lived closer so I could grab food here more often! The Spam Musubi was a little rice-heavy for my taste, but it was a generous portion and definitely hit the spot. Service was great, and the owner even threw in an extra musubi! Super friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better. I definitely recommend ordering ahead to avoid waiting. This spot is located in a small food hall, so the ambiance is what you'd expect, but there was plenty of seating to enjoy my meal on-site. I highly recommend this place - it's so worth the drive for amazing Hawaiian comfort food. I can't wait to come back!

Broken Mouth - A Weekend Visit Requires a Game Plan and I definitely mean that. Driving into the city, I couldn't help but notice the overwhelming presence of tent encampments lining 7th Street. It's heartbreaking to see so many people struggling, and Los Angeles truly needs to step up in providing resources for those in need. That said, I was excited to finally try Broken Mouth, a highly praised spot for Hawaiian cuisine with a twist. From social media buzz to Food Network features, the hype had me eager to see what the fuss was about. Parking Woes - Plan Ahead Finding parking near the restaurant was an absolute nightmare. If you're planning a weekend visit, I highly recommend taking an Uber or Lyft. Street parking is scarce, and nearby lots or garages require some walking. I eventually found a spot, paid $5, and walked about a block to the restaurant. As a pleasant surprise, I noticed Holy Basil was right next door--another spot on my foodie bucket list. The Wait - A Deal Breaker When I approached the counter to place my order, I believe it was the owner who informed me there would be at least a 1 hour and 25-minute wait for food. That instantly raised a red flag, considering I had only put that much time in my parking meter. I sat down to browse the menu, debating whether the wait was worth it. By the time I returned to the counter to order, I was told the wait had now increased to 1 hour and 40 minutes! The owner mentioned that weekends are their busiest time, which I completely understand, but after already spending an hour searching for parking, I just couldn't justify waiting that long. I wish I had known in advance that ordering ahead was the best strategy. Final Thoughts While I didn't get to try the food, I wanted to share my experience so others can be better prepared. If you plan to visit on a weekend, order ahead or prepare for a long wait. As for me, I'm unsure if I'll be back. I was really looking forward to tasting what everyone raves about, but the overall experience left me disappointed. Unfortunately, no pictures this time--just some lessons learned.

Tucked away in an anonymous food hall in LA's fashion district, Chef Tim and his team at Broken Mouth have crafted a culinary testament to his Korean and Hawaiian heritage, one that I was hitherto unfamiliar with but am now unquestionably thankful for. It is IMPERATIVE you follow the common warning of ordering online and at least 1.5 hours before you intend on eating, for both the food prep time itself and attempting to find street parking in DTLA. Mega bonus points for the beautiful and smoothly operating UI of their ordering portal. My friend and I split a Meat Jun/greens/cucumber kimchi and a Garlic Shrimp/rice/mac salad for an astonishingly affordable $40 before tip. When we got to picking up our food after doing a little window shopping around the area, Chef Tim handed us our food and entertained our questions about the restaurant and some of the ideas behind his food - even throwing in a drink for our first time and a surprise spam musubi we discovered before digging in. Meat Jun - ridiculously tender cuts of ribeye layered in fried egg pancake-style with some delicious soy-based dipping sauce that made every bite so succulent (although I could've annihilated the plate without the sauce as well). So homey but so new in the best way possible! Garlic Shrimp - a mainland masterpiece. Lightly breaded for some uncontested crunch and fried till the tail is indistinguishable from the rest of the shrimp. Let me tell you right now - this is hands down the best garlic shrimp I've had in my entire life and I am fairly confident it will stay that way for a while. So much delicious garlic flavor that makes for a mouthwatering combination with the butter sauce and lemon. The Korean green salad was pretty much a spring mix with lots of sesame and soy flavor (good) and the cucumber salad was piled high with chili garlic (great). I loved the chewiness and nuttiness of the purple rice compared to traditional white rice, which worked well with the spam musubi. Potato Mac salad is heavy on the potato and mayo, similar to the potato salad typical of Korean banchan, as opposed to the more acidic Hawaiian style. We finished our massive bowls in under 20 minutes and had to go back to thank the chef. Worth every penny and then some. See you again soon!

Looked forward to going here. Got: 1) 3/5 shrimp with 2 sides ($18): cucumber kimchi & Korean greens. Both sides were seasoned very well. The shrimp tasted like seafood boil, except milder. I was told the shell is edible, but I can take it off if it bothers me. I did eat the shell, but a few pieces of it did bother me. 4/5 brioche bread pudding ($7): very cinnamony, warm, & very good, fall/autumn vibes; feels like sipping cinnamon punch in a cozy hoodie

There are multiple food vendors and an open cafeteria seating set-up. Everything we had was absolutely amazing. From the kimchi to the chicken and beef. They even gave us a spam musubi and Hawaiian coffee.

I came here with my husband and dog on a Friday afternoon around 2pm. This is located in a small food mall which is not obvious from the street, so it can be easily missed when you are driving. It is located near a huge flat rate parking lot for like $8, or you might get lucky and find street parking with a pay meter. Chef Tim was working the register when we came by, and he is such a kind and friendly guy!! After he explained the menu to us, my husband got the beef rice plate with cucumber kimchi ($19), and I got the shrimp rice plate with potato-mac ($18). The beef was good, but the shrimp was soooo good. It was fried to absolute perfection, resulting in a crispy, crunchy shell, and it was seasoned well, not at all too salty. The fried garlic all over the shrimp and rice was truly chef's kiss. Tim was so sweet and gave us drinks on the house (it was our first time trying Hawaiian beverages, and they did not disappoint!!! POG was excellent). He also threw in a spam musubi, and it was so freaking delicious, definitely the best spam musubi I have ever had. There are not a lot of restaurants I would brave LA driving AND parking for, but this place is pretty darn worth it. The food is unique and tasty, and the customer service is unparalleled. I appreciate that the food mall seemed low-key enough that no one minded my dog being there. Definitely worth a try when you're in DTLA!

Amazing broke da mouth grindz! Finally able to be in the area, FIND parking AND place an order! My stars were totally aligned today! Food-BELIEVE ALL DA HYPE! I wasn't thinking clearly as I should have just bought all the different plates so we could've sampled them all when I got home! Got the meat jun plate-the recipe is unlike any meat jun I have had on the islands. The batter was just right, layers of thinly sliced beef and batter, perfectly seasoned, that sauce is unnecessary! HOWEVER, when dunked in the sauce-it takes the plate to da NEXT LEVEL!!! So flavorful it's ridiculous! The Mac salad was on point, the purple rice and generous portion of furukaki was greatly appreciated! Makes me wonder why I never ever saw purple rice plate lunch when I am in Hawaii! Da locals need to take notes from you! Purple rice is no ka oi! Got a special musubi on the side, IYKYK! Also bomb af! The ratio of purple rice to spam was perfect as I don't like too much rice in my musubis. Mahalo nui loa to Chef Tim! Appreciate you bringing a piece of Hawai'i here where I can come visit and feel like I'm home! Congratulations! I hope one day Broken Mouth becomes a franchise located all over the country! People everywhere deserve to broke their mouths, in the best way possible! Maybe you consider your second location in Kaimuki? Pretty Please??? See you next week! (Not joking!) TIP to Yelpers: Call ahead and make a plan...not good to just take a chance, unless you have a lot of time. FYI: It IS worth the wait and all the effort!

**Important: Highly recommend you order online first before arriving- They didn't take in-person orders when we went on Saturday. Amazing food, but parking can be tricky. We finally found parking in downtown LA to find out once we get to the counter that they don't do in person orders. After ordering online, it took 1 hour for our food to be ready. We went at 12pm on Saturday right when they opened to find this out. The owner recommends ordering the day before even given how busy it gets. Parking: Parking can be really challenging to find. For metered parking you need to download an app and enter your phone, email, credit card, and liscence plate information. Metered parking is $2 for every 30 minutes. There are a few parking garages that advertise $3-$5, but when we went into one they switched the price to $25. Beware parking in LA! Service: Super straightforward - you offer online and pick up your food at the counter. Service was minimal and quick. Food: So good!! $53.18 for two plates and a spam musubi. We got the garlic shrimp plate, the beef plate, and a spam musubi. The shrimp was so crispy and buttery, the best garlic shrimp I've had! Better than the garlic shrimp trucks I ate at in Hawaii. Overall, Broken Mouth offers a ton of tasty foods (especially the shrimp), but finding parking can be challenging. I would definitely go back for the shrimp plate, hopefully for a quick pickup next time.

Okay so this is a hidden popular place in DTLA. It's in a food court. Amazing food with huge portions. You really can't go wrong with anything. Also if it's your first time, you get a free drink. One thing that I'm impressed about is how kind the staff is. They really feel like part of the DTLA community. People know them and they know people.

I love when a restaurant absolutely lives up to the hype and broken mouth definitely does. I waited an hour for my food and would pay to do it again! My perfect itinerary for broken mouth would be 1. ordering ahead of time online 2. finding street parking hopefully on maple 3. getting the meat jun and garlic shrimp to share w a friend 4. taking the meal to LA state historic park to eat w a view!

Awesome place to pick up a nourishing and delicious lunch! I tried the Teri Chicken plate and the Spam Musubi and loved everything about each. Came on a weekday around lunch time and the wait wasn't too bad, though I did have to order online which I was told would be quicker than ordering at the counter. I recommend always placing your order online before you stop by the shop - definitely saves time. The proteins were ample portions and the chicken was perfectly cooked. I was able to split the two items I ordered into two meals. Veggies were super fresh. Rice was nice and fluffy. Really loved my meal and I want to order the garlic shrimp the next time I come!!!

Yup. Another FIVE star review. This place totally earns it. Ordered the night before because I was so excited to try it for lunch. I was worried I was overhyping it to myself. I wasn't! I ordered the meat jun, rice, salad and an extra egg. It was incredible!!! First time trying this and it was so good. Portion was generous. The purple rice was nutty and delicious. And the owner was soooo nice.

Wow! This place is GOOD!!! We arrived shortly after they opened and I guess they were already getting slammed because the gentleman who greeted me, Timothy, said they weren't quite ready yet and it would be about 30 minutes. Not a problem! This location is in a large food court area, with several other dining options available and seating available for dining in. What a sweetheart Timothy is! He stamped my Treat O'Clock passport card and took our order. The check-in offer was for a free spam musubi and a drink. We decided to share the Local Breakfast which comes with 2 sunny-side up eggs, Portuguese sausage and purple rice. Timothy said that was an excellent choice and would probably be out quicker than anything else, so I told him we must have ordered right! He took my name for the order and I declined a receipt but then asked if he'd remember me and he said he always remembers names. He also told me he gets the Portuguese sausage from Hawaii because he can't find anything else locally as good. The breakfast was delicious and he was right, the sausage stole the show. So flavorful and paired beautifully with the eggs and purple rice. I got the passion orange Aloha Made juice can as well. The musubi I saved for a little later and I have to say, it was probably the best musubi I've ever had! Maybe it was the furikake...? Whatever it was, I'll need to come back and get more! Thank you Broken Mouth, Timothy, Margaret P, Yelp, and DTLA for such a great experience!

Literally understand the hype now after stopping by finally. We ordered online for pick up which was very easy to do. I ordered around 6pm on a Saturday and the pick up time was scheduled for 7pm (closing time). We got there early and chilled at the communal tables. We got the shrimp plate with rice and potato mac salad and the beef plate (meat jun) and greens and cucumber kimchi. Literally that shrimp plate is soooo good!! I love the flavor of the shrimp so much! Literally still thinking about it right now as I am typing. Wish I can go back soon. The meat jun is good too but my favorite is definitely the shrimp! Street meter parking and tables like food hall style. Can confirm owner is friendly.

Broken Mouth is the place in DTLA for great Hawaiian plate lunches. The owner, Tim, is super friendly and he'll steer you in the right direction. Plate Lunch with Shrimp: This reminds me of those great North Shore shrimp trucks, but without the intense lines. The shrimp is so buttery and crispy, coated with garlic, butter, lemon, and scallions. The sides are comforting with purple rice topped with crispy seaweed and creamy mac salad. This is the only place in LA where you can get meat jun, so I need to come back soon. Parking: Metered street parking spots around here are sort of limited, but not impossible.

Went on an off day so there was no wait!! The owner said there's usually an hour+ wait for lunch times and we came at a good time. We order the beef plate lunch and shrimp plate lunch to share with 3 people and portion wise, it was more than enough food. For sides we got the Mac salad and cucumbers. Honestly I liked the cucumbers more than the Mac salad so I'd recommend that one more!! The food was so bomb. Like actually so good. The rice complimented the meats so well and the shrimp was cooked to a crisp where you can eat the shell (I usually don't eat the shell, but this one was a mustt). The beef was good too but we all liked the shrimp better. The sauce that came with the beef was so good though too, definitely don't skip out on dipping. The service was so nice and the owner took time to talk to us and even gave us extra spam musubi and drinks for free since it was slow. Genuinely nice and kind people that work here and I will definitely be back even though it's a far drive for me. Location wise, it's in a little food hall in DTLA and so parking is kind of hard. We found street parking but I don't know if there's a lot or not for the food hall. Not many seats either but like I said before it wasn't busy when we went so it all worked out! Definitely try this place out if you're in town. The Korean Hawaiian fusion is something I haven't had before and it was one of the best meals I've had in LA. AGAIN, SO GOOD!!

We are Hawaii natives living in NorCal and had to try this popular yelp spot while we were visiting DTLA. Sooo glad we did! Like other Yelp reviews, it was definitely 5 stars. Best Teri chicken, garlic shrimp and Portuguese sausage breakfast that we had including in Hawaii! Mac salad was also perfect proportion of mayo to Mac! That Red rice was sooo delish, loved the texture. They were busy on a Thursday and for good reason. But it was definitely worth the wait! This place is located in a little food court with ample seating. We definitely recommend this cool lunch spot and hope to stop in next time in DTLA! Thank you to the owner (forgot to get his name) for gracious and friendly service.

Broken Mouth is the best Hawaiian type of meal that I've had in Los Angeles. What ultimately sets Broken Mouth apart is the Korean fusion that is in the meals. I had the beef meal that is their most popular dish. They also have a very good shrimp meal (not pictured here). If you've been to Oahu think Giovanni's. The Spam musibi is good but a little dry in my opinion. I think the furakaki is a little overloaded and it could use some more moisture. Thats just my opinion and I wouldn't knock them for it. One thing is they love their purple rice here. The owner Timothy is a nice and down to earth guy. I feel good supporting his business. The wait time for your food can be 30-90 minutes depending on what time you come. The best time to go to wait the least amount of time is between 2-5, to avoid the lunch and dinner rush. Another thing I like about this location is it's in a section of Downtown that's not horribly crowded. I was able to find street parking pretty easily.

The garlic shrimp were amazing. The cucumber kimchi was perfect. The rice was mind blowing! We pre-ordered and our food was ready and hot on schedule. The Hawaii born owner was so nice! We will for sure be coming back.

Hidden gem in downtown. We found street parking nearby and walked over to the building that this is in, with a few other restaurants. There were a good amount of people there but seating options were plenty and it was pretty comfortable inside. This was my first stop as part of a Yelp LA scavenger hunt event, and this restaurant was the only one who was on top of it! I went to several other places for the scavenger hunt after and the other owners/staff did not have a clue as to what was going on. Service was already top notch by itself but compared to other options in downtown, I learned the hard way that it's definitely superior here. Food allergies were also handled amazingly by the owner. He was very sweet and accommodating about it too which is always appreciated. We got to try the Beef, the Avocado Toast, and the Spam Musubi (pictured). Everything was delicious and if I had to pick ONE favorite, it would be the Beef. Planning to come back to eat here again!

VOTED TOP RESTAURANT (2023), Mr. Lee's Hawaiian cooking "broke da mouth," in other words, it broke my mouth. This is the BEST INLAND HAWAIIAN dish I've yet to try. His dishes are true to Hawaiian cooking with a twist of Korean favorites. The restaurant is located on the first floor of the building, like a food hall. There are two other restaurants (Holy Basil and Pizza Hut). For parking, you can find street parking or a lot nearby. What we ordered: TERI CHICKEN (Chicken Teriyaki) with CUCUMBER KIMCHI and SHRIMP (Garlic butter shrimp) with Potato-Mac Salad and SPAM MUSUBI--The Garlic Butter Shrimp was legit, with so much FLAVOR dancing in my mouth. The Teriyaki Chicken had a thick marination; every bite was SWEET and TANGY. The Musubi was served warm like it was prepared on the spot. I loved the Purple Grain Rice that was on every plate. Now, if I had to choose between Cucumber Kimchi and the Potato-Mac Salad, my winner would be the fresh and delicate Cucumber Kimchi. Overall, it was very DELICIOUS, and I see why Yelpers lauded this place. Mahalo.

Food was amazing and worth the hype! Portion sizes are great and the staff were phenomenal! Big food court to eat at, but we got it to go! Tips for visiting: if it's on the weekend, make sure to schedule order ahead of time, since the wait times are longer, but really worth it!

I decided to try their beef plate and with their cucumber kimchi spam musubi, and it's definitely a must have! Everything they added was full of unique texture and flavor. The customer service was amazing (shoutout to the cashier, great guy!) as they were super friendly and gave great recommendations Spam musubi: Their rice added some extra texture to their dish. A great standard spam musubi, but if you're getting a plate I don't think it's a must get. Beef plate: A dish that definitely stands out from other meals i've had! I liked how easy it was to bite through their beef. Paired with their sauce they have on the side it is a must have Though this place was a little on the steeper side, I would 100% come back!

We decided to order take out here after a fun day in the sun, and were too tired to eat out. Parking definitely looks limited as it's street parking. We got lucky and parked out front. We didn't catch the name of the person helping us, but he shared that he created the menu and recommends all items on the menu, depending on your preferences. We ordered the Beef Plate with Mac salad and purple rice, Shrimp Plate with purple rice and cucumber, Spam Musubi and Bread Pudding. The limited service that was required to order my food was amazing. He offered to go through the menu for us if needed since it was our first time here. Since we had browsed through pictures, menu, and reviews on Yelp, we didn't need it. My mom has extremely sensitive tastebuds and can't eat anything spicy. He made sure to check with us about certain ingredients were okay. He also personally walked to unlock the restroom for my mom while we were waiting for our food. The food was amazing. It was very flavorful. If possible, I do recommend eating onsite as there is a lot of texture to the food (crispiness!) that might be lost after some amount of time. We appreciated the default upgrade to purple rice vs white rice as it did enhance the flavor and texture. I also really like the crispiness of the shrimps and added crunch to the cucumber salad. Spam Musubi has an added layer of furikake that added and complemented the flavor perfectly. The bread pudding is the perfect sweetness and has notable spice. This place definitely has my recommendation and I can understand why it's so highly rated.

This was the second place we tried after leaving another spot with a long line. Since it was our first time and we didn't know about the wait, the owner was incredibly accommodating and apologetic. Despite his busy schedule, he squeezed us into his orders and even gave us free drinks and a musubi. We got the beef and shrimp plate, and both were amazing. The shrimp was packed with flavor, the meat was beautifully seasoned, and the potato salad was a standout favorite. Definitely a place worth returning to.

Broken Mouth has been one voted the #1 restaurant in the US for Yelp with delicious Hawaiian-style plate lunches. They are located in a food court DTLA with metered parking around the corner (free after 6pm on the weekends). The owner is super friendly and makes good recommendations. For the food: The Shrimp Plate has shell-on butter garlic shrimp, purple rice and choice of side. The mac salad is the classic choice. The spam musubi is one of the best I've had from any restaurant in LA. The shrimp is too salty for my taste and would try the beef next time. This is a must-try spot in LA.

The flavors in the food here were bursting in my mouth. The service is also phenomenal, the man working was apologetic that we had to wait a long time for the food (not his fault they're super busy!) but it is recommended to order online prior to coming to avoid a long wait. I ordered the shrimp plate, and the shrimp was nicely battered and crispy. It had a strong garlic flavor and the rice was well seasoned with furikake. The cucumber salad added a refreshing element to the dish but you can choose a different side such as mac salad if you'd like! 100% would come back again, I really want to try their spam musubi as well since that's made with purple rice! Honestly just as good if not better than food I've had in Hawaii. They do not skimp out on seasoning here. Parking is metered street parking and you can use LA's Park Smarter app to pay. Parking after 6pm on weekends I believe is free. This restaurant is located inside a food court and has plenty of seating. Great spot to try different things with a large group.

Review #500 Broken Mouth - Voted #1 Restaurant in the USA on Yelp 2023!!! I have been wanting to try this place in forever, but the timing was never right. Also, they closed on the weekend. With some meticulous planning, we made it here on Friday night for dinner. We were lucky and pulled in a street parking spot as someone was leaving. Otherwise, street parking is limited. There is an indoor parking garage nearby, but I'm not sure if it's private or public. Thanks to other Yelpers for pointing out that Broken Mouth is inside of a food court kind of set up without actual store front. That was very helpful. We had our mind set on ordering the two most popular dishes. Shrimp plate with kahuku-style garlic butter shrimp (6 pcs.), purple rice, and substitute the greens with macaroni salad. The jumbo shrimp was insanely delicious with lots of garlic and burst with flavor. The purple rice was moist and sticky with yummy seasoning, It kind of reminds me of glutinous rice. The macaroni salad is as soon as it can be. If you like shrimp, you must try this! The other popular dish is Hawaii's Meat Jun, egg-battered ribeye beef slices, meat jun sauce. It also comes with purple rice and greens. They were out of beef and replaced it with chicken. It was delicious, and I like the egg-battered method, kind of like french toast but with meat! We completely cleaned both plates with a grain of rice left! It was great to meet and served by Chef Lee. He is super friendly (wearing his Hawaiian shirt) and offered us free drinks with our meal. We had a fantastic dinner. The only caveat is that I didn't like the communal sitting area. It was on the dirty side, maybe because it was the end of the day. I didn't see anyone cleaning up, and the garbage was full to the brim with lots of flies. I would probably order for pick up the next time, which we saw a lot of people doing take-out.

Meat jun plate and spam musubi was the bomb. The owner Tim was super nice and definitely has the aloha spirit. Mahalos to Tim and his gang for bringing me back to the islands with the ono grindz.

We ordered ahead as recommended on the website and reviews. Parking lot is directly behind the building - just walk through the small courtyard. We had the garlic shrimp and beef plates with potato mac, purple rice, cucumber kimchi and the spam musubi. All of the food was amazing. Everything was full of flavor and the servings were true generous island style portions. We were stuffed yet still brought so much food home.The owner served us and threw in a whole extra plate as well as drinks and extra musubi - so kind! We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, the service and will definitely be back again soon. Mahalo!

Looking for bold Hawaiian flavors? Broken Mouth is the place to be! Their shrimp plate was delicious, packed with a ton of garlic and a furikake seasoning. I loved trying this new restaurant with my friend, we both loved the perfect crunch of the shrimp too! This is my soon-to-be go-to lunch spot and I'm so excited to come back and try more of the menu. The owner was super sweet and made my order promptly! Remember to order ahead of time, before they open. They are usually busy with to-go orders! Enjoy!

IMPORTANT - order in advance so you don't need to wait 30-45min for your food. There's nothing to do around here while you wait imo - ambience is just an open kitchen food court style. Friendly and generous service from Tim the owner. It's next to Pizza Hut and you'll see Holy Basil Thai food when walking in Parking is metered or $8 and the lot next door but most customers I notice are grabbing To-go orders Food is delish - Garlic shrimp was awesome but for 6pcs wish there was more. - Meat Jun was marinated nice just too much batter for my taste - Crispy tofu nice touch with the sesame oil and sauce - The Korean greens and purple rice give the overall plate a nice fusion flavor - Mac salad was a bit too water for me also Awesome spot if you're in the neighborhood but a bit pricey for a hawaiian fusion dish at almost $20+ per plate.

We decided to try this highly talked about Hawaiian-Asian fusion place and it was so tasty! The gentleman who helped us is who we believe the owner and was so friendly. We got the Hawaiians meat Jun- it's an egg battered ribeye beef slices, with some jun sauce. We added potato Mac salad and their purple rice. It was so Tasty! We did have to wait a while to get our food but they're constantly busy packing online orders. It's located inside what seems to be a food hall and parking is limited outside + metered parking. It's a busy food hall and there's tables to sit and enjoy your food or try other places that are offered, family friendly.

It was quite a distance, but naturally, I had to try the #1 yelp restaurant in the USA! And it did not disappoint. We got to try the ribeye with a spam musubi and Hawaiian drink and it certainly did not disappoint. The ribeye was extremely tender and seasoned perfectly. Enjoyed the spam musubi as well. If I'm ever in the area again, I would not hesitate to return. A huge bonus is that the owner makes you feel like a longtime friend and is very hospitable. Located in a food hall with other restaurants.

First bite - AMAZING. I already knew that it was going to be a good day just because of this meal. The garlic shrimp plate was so good, had the perfect sweetness to it, and whatever they put on that rice, WTH ITS TOO GOOD. I wish I could it it by the pounds. I can see why this place gets the reviews that it does and more people need to experience this!! Located in a food hall in the middle of Santee Alley, so be prepared for that.

Food 5/5 Restaurant (food court) 3/5 Location 2/5 Public Bathroom 0/5 (just hold your pee) The food itself took us back to Hawaii. Nostalgic. Very unique, tasty, hearty and artisan Hawaiin Fusion food. The chef/owner is one talented and very helpful guy. I imagine this restaurant to be located in Waikiki with tourists in tow(including me) however, DTLA and the area was just not working for me. We'd pick up the food to go but this food court area is just ok to eat at. I regrettably had to use the bathroom. I'd rather not get in to that since it's in no relation to the food.

Ok let me begin with my hubby telling my kids the no.1 spot for YELP not locally or state but the whole USA so off we go and check Its in santee downtown if u love to haggle and get good deals on about everything its the best way to order and shop while waiting just be aware and always protect you're personal belongings They do not have a cashier so the only way to order is online or qr code which is not bad because u can order ahead The menu has good selection If u dont eat meat theres a tofu or shrimp plate The rice is not a typical white rice it has a sweetness to it But of you dont eat carbs u can sub with salad or cucumber salad The service is good !!! Friendly and was upfront about the wait period I really like going to a place where its a small family business i love the experience and will deffo recommend

I finally managed to have time to get an order in before they close at 7 pm. I got a shrimp plate and a beef plate which took about 20 minutes to finish. I ordered online first given it was a time crunch getting to the shop. Parking is nonexistent as the streets are always crowded. Both plates were very delicious. The shrimp had a flaky exterior while retaining crunchiness since the shell was still on. The beef was cooked with egg and the egg gave a nice outer layer on top. Both combined with the seasoned rice and veggies made the meal incredible. Both plates were on the stronger side for flavor and I enjoyed them a lot. Overall the food was already 5/5. What made it even better was the service. When my partner and I approached the front, he told us the order wasnt ready because there was a lot. Once we got our order, he took time to explain how to fully enjoy the food. As a bonus, he even gave us two drinks he recommended on the house. With that kind of dedication to food + it being delicious, I am definitely coming back.

Have been meaning to check this place out since I heard it was the #1 rated restaurant in the U.S. and this place did NOT disappoint! We got the garlic butter shrimp plate, beef meat jun, spam masubi, and portuguese sausage. Portion sizes were GENEROUS and more than enough for 2 people. As someone who grew up always eating home cooked Korean food, I really appreciate how they use familiar, authentic Korean and Hawaiian ingredients such as purple grain rice to cultivate a bicultural fusion culinary experience that doesn't disappoint in taste and flavor. FYI: They do online/deliveries only as it is not an open-seated restaurant, and it can take up to 90 minutes for your food to be ready so make sure you plan ahead in terms of commute time (LA traffic alone can take up at least 90 minutes depending on where you're coming from lol) and ordering ahead before you're ready to eat! We ordered our food on a Saturday afternoon and it was ready for pick up in about an hour. When we arrived, we were greeted by the owner himself, Chef Tim Lee, who was super friendly and made sure our food was freshly prepared and packed neatly for our drive back home which I really appreciated since it shows that he genuinely cares for customer satisfaction despite having to run a huge food business. Thanks Tim! FYI: The establishment is located inside a small food hall facing S Los Angeles St right next to the Santee Court Apartments in DTLA. There's no parking available except for street parking if you're lucky, so would recommend coming with a friend so that one of you can get quickly dropped off to pick up the food. Hopefully with how well Broken Mouth is doing, he'll expand his business to additional locations outside of DTLA! TLDR: amazing food, amazing service, plan ahead when ordering online, parking is meh but it's in LA so what's new overall 10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND and will definitely be coming back

Better late than never! I have been craving Hawaiian food after reading that chef Jose Andres loves L&L Hawaiian Barbecue in Las Vegas. Currently #6 out of 100 "Best Restaurants in America" per Yelpers. Last year they took the #1 top spot in America. Was it worth the 36-minute wait for Korean-Hawaiian food? Yes, this is slow food made with passion and love. So much deliciousness it almost broke my mouth! I ordered "Hawaii's Meat Jun." Egg-battered marinated ribeye beef slices, meat jun sauce. Served with purple rice and your choice of side. I ordered the mac salad. Nothing like this food in LA... am I right? (For those who have already been) Pro-tip: Order on your way there on their website and try parking on the street... use the Park Smarter mobile app to pay. I found parking right in front so it was meant to be. @anneexploresfood

4.5 stars! Four stars for food. Got the beef with kimchi cucumber. The beef was very flavorful. You don't really need the sauce but the sauce added even more flavor. The egg coat was unique. It added a nice coating without making it oily like it would have been if it was panko/breadcrumbs. The purple rice was a bit bland but the furikake added nice amount of salt. The potato salad was a bit heavy on the Mayo. The gentleman at the counter was very nice. It also took 25-30min to make so you know it's fresh!

Broke de Mout it did!‍ EVERYTHYME! Came for the garlic butter shrimp plate! Left with the itis and a sense of comfort! I stumbled upon Broken Mouth in 2021 from a referral and when I say there hasn't been a thyme that they've missed with me! And I've been A LOT! It's been a while since I no longer work or live in the area, so since I was around and had some thyme to kill I thought I'd tap into some good home cooking! Their newest location is ghost kitchen style, you MUST order online and it's a minimum 30 minute wait....now anythyme a restaurant is guaranteeing a minimum wait thyme I know LOVE is being carefully infused into the meal. I was greeted by Tim when I walked up and he assured me that it was ONLY him cooking today so it would for sure be a 30 minute wait. No problem for me because I know it's worth it! I usually like to get the plate how it comes with Garlic Butter Shrimp, Purple Rice and the potato Mac then I add a side of Kimchi Cucumbers to be healthy lol. But this thyme I opted to get the Mac and Kimchi Cucumber. I forgot to note it in my order to swap the rice for the Mac so I'm returning JUST for that Mac cause now I'm craving it lol. The best part about this experience was my order was ready in 10 MINUTES! and it was just as I remembered it shrimp was fresh, buttery, garlicky, crispy and golden, the purple rice cooked to perfection and the kimchi cucumber was crunchy and had just the perfect amount of acidity....every time was BURSTING WITH FLAVOR! There's not a lot of homestyle Hawaiian food spots in LA let alone one with a Korean fusion twist that SLAPS like Broken Mouth! AND HE THREW IN A SPAM MUSUBI for the LOVE! Much love to Tim, the whole family and the workers this is a MUST TRY SPOT! 100/10 experience