Chil Po Korean Restaurant

This was the most authentic Korean restaurant I’ve ever been in in California! The staff were so lovely, so friendly and it reminded me of my grandparents 💗 They were taking care of us so well and were trying to teach us how to eat the food we ordered. They watched us enjoy the food and it was just a very heartwarming meal. This is what we ordered: ⭐️Boiled pork diced, soybean paste soup and a sorted vegetables $22.99: This was all so amazing. I was craving this so badly. The pork is cooked perfectly and love all the lettuce/perrila leaves/… that it come with. I of course made my wraps with their banchans as well and oml!!! They were the most authentic banchans I’ve never had!! It tasted differently from what I was use to, it more seasoned and all tasted so fresh ⭐️Spicy beef soup $19.99 : This has so much fillings, lots of vegetables and beef! My fiance loved it and it hit the spot after a night of drinking haha

From the outside, this restaurant looks old, and even inside, it feels like it could use some refurbishment. However, the food is absolutely delicious. In Korean cuisine, we use the expression "son-mat," which refers to the unique taste that comes from skill and experience. There’s a saying that the older the restaurant, the better the "son-mat." The food here is incredibly flavorful. Definitely coming back

Really good and authentic Korean food.

It seems there are a lot of old korean folks hanging out and having fun in the restaurant. I guess it's a good indication of authenticity, but at the same time it was intimidating my wife. Anyway, the food and the service was amazing though. We ordered bbq chicken (the only chicken in the menu for dinner), seafood Korean pancake, and stew Pollack fish. Whatever comes in the pollack stew tasted very good (my wife said it is the fish's intestines - see picture). Definitely will go back when I'm visiting the town again.

I love this restaurant. Korean seafood special soup and after eating make it fairies recommend. Most menus I like it and best👍 I miss sweet rice punch - free desert

Pork with kimchee was excellent. Seafood soup/casserole was so-so, nothing special, which was disappointing, cuz that was their specialty. Spicy octopus was pretty good. Potato pancake was pretty good, too. We sat in a large room in the back, so we were able to eat leisurely. Service was very good. Usual soju and beer available.

This is the best food I’ve had but the service is not the best and they mandatorily charged us 20% tip after taxes. I understand we should leave a tips but it should be optional not a mandatory 20% when service was not good. And notated in a post stick not on the actual bill.

A must visit to this hidden gem. My first bite took me right across the Pacific Ocean to South Korea. Don’t be fooled by the old exterior and interior of the restaurant as each dish brings you truly authentic Korean flavours. The beef bulgogi is the best I have tried. Regarding the poor customer service comments from other patrons, I can imagine this is due to the level of English that the owner and staff speaks. In fact, all I heard while dining is just Korean (including all other patrons). We managed to somehow communicate with each other but I can only imagine the language barrier is a sign of the authenticity of the dish itself.

This was the most authentic Korean restaurant I've ever been in in California! The staff were so lovely, so friendly and it reminded me of my grandparents They were taking care of us so well and were trying to teach us how to eat the food we ordered. They watched us enjoy the food and it was just a very heartwarming meal. This is what we ordered: Boiled pork diced, soybean paste soup and a sorted vegetables $22.99: This was all so amazing. I was craving this so badly. The pork is cooked perfectly and love all the lettuce/perrila leaves/... that it come with. I of course made my wraps with their banchans as well and oml!!! They were the most authentic banchans I've never had!! It tasted differently from what I was use to, it more seasoned and all tasted so fresh Spicy beef soup $19.99 : This has so much fillings, lots of vegetables and beef! My fiance loved it and it hit the spot after a night of drinking haha

The workers here are super nice and service is top tier. They are always smiling and greeting us whenever we go in. I frequent this restaurant for lunch as it is nearby work and my coworkers seem to enjoy this restaurant! At first I did not enjoy it because my coworkers would prefer to get big plate of meat and share (I am not the BIGGEST fan of meat) and I thought it would be a waste of money to order something that I can easily make at home (kimchi stew, soondubu, etc) so I never ordered those specific dishes. However, I recently tried the kimchi stew and it was A+. I really enjoy traditional kimchi stew and I can never seem to get this type of flavor out when I make it at home. It does take 20 minutes for them to cook it so call ahead or prepare your time! The other photo is from a couple weeks ago. I am not usually a fan of bibimbob but this place changed my mind! The dolsot bibimbob was really good! I can see why this restaurant is up and running consistently! It is delicious and the employees are so kind. Interior is typical of any Korean restaurant.

On a cold birthday night, I was craving something hot and comforting, so I decided to come here for dinner. I ordered the regular-sized fish soup, and it did not disappoint. It had great umami flavor, fresh ingredients, and was seasoned perfectly. The side dishes were excellent as well -- the kimchi was phenomenal. I finished the meal with the fried rice they make using the fish broth, and it was the perfect ending. This place is definitely a repeater.

Tried their bossam it was tender and flavorful. Would like to try their other specialty!

My husband and I were in town and saw this spot on TikTok! I've been craving authentic Korean food esp Bossam and I knew I had to check this place out. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! When you walk in, it's definitely a mom and pop feel. Very homey and authentic. You just know it will be good. One thing to note as well, once this restaurant is busy -- parking really sucks! That did not stop us from eating here. Food -- Bossam 5/5 -- the kimchi paired with the pork belly was to die for. I mean, you can taste how authentic and fresh it is. I wish I could have packed it home but there was no way for us! Everything was so flavorful and amazing. Potato pancake 4/5 -- I really enjoy the crispy parts of this pancake! It paired well with the sauce. Being pregnant, I am all about texture -- so the squishy parts didn't sit well with me. But still a great option!!! Overall all the sides, rice, and even water were so good. I would def recommend and come back if I were ever back in the OC area.

This place in Cerritos is a hidden gem. We got the half order bossam and it was fresh and absolutely delicious. If you're into mom and pop old korean restaurant vibes, this is the place to go. Service was great and they had so many choices on their menu. Definitely recommend!

Our group ordered two medium bossams. The highlight of the dish was the thick pork slices and the kimchi. We also ordered the seafood stew and some bulgogi for the kids as well. Everything was so good. The flavors of all the dishes are superb, you can tell some old school heart and soul went into each dish. Due to the establishment being a tad older, the ambience isn't the best nor the service. The space is ample for big groups but the decor/furniture out-dated. The employees there are also older. They're definitely kind but forgetful. We had to grab our own drinks, from the fridge. 100/100 for quality food but 70/100 for service and ambiance.

Service was great. Food was good. Sunday between 2 pm and 5 pm good time to visit. Price is good.

This Korean restaurant off the 91 Freeway is like a hole-in-the-wall where you can immediately miss it due to the freeway proximity. Adjacent to this stand alone restaurant, was a Nepalese restaurant that's distressed, so the attraction to this restaurant does not look appealing. However, we should judge a book by its cover, this place is worth the visit. This restaurant has a standing CRT old-school television hanging on the corner. Although it wasn't functional, seeing that electronic was a blast from the past! What we ordered: HWANGSIL BOSSAM (House special steamed pork wrapped in kimchi) - The description can be challenging for some folks who have never tried "bossam", but the true beauty of its taste is the pungent flavor of garlic, the spiciness of kimchi, and the savory and sweet taste of boiled pork. Overall verdict, GREAT if you don't want to travel to LA for the next best thing. Service was amazing as we received a complementary drink for being chummy with the owner. I have also heard great things about their signature dish, Hae-mul-tang (Seafood Soup), which I can't wait to try.

This place is my go-to Korean restaurant place when I'm craving Bulgogi boiled in a delicious sweet/soy broth (Special Traditional B.B.Q Beef). The beef is so tender, and the broth is so delicious I always end up eating two bowls of rice to soak up the broth with my rice. Chil Po is known for their Seafood Soup (haemultang), which is a spicy stew filled with generous amounts of seafood (crab legs, squid, mussels) and topped with Korean parsley. The broth is very deep and rich in flavor and simultaneously refreshing (an oxymoron and interesting combo but very delicious). One note is that you have to order at least 2-servings for the Seafood Soup. I've also ordered their Hwangsil Bossam (thin slices of pork belly broiled in herb) which was served with their famous kimchi. There was nothing special about the pork belly but the kimchi was indeed delicious and was the star of this dish. The seafood pancake was also good but nothing too special. I did really like the Spicy Buckwheat Noodles, which was sweet and not spicy - just the way I like it! Because this restaurant only has Korean-speaking aunties, the service may not be as on par, but this doesn't really hamper the experience. Overall, this is a nostalgic and solid Korean seafood restaurant!

If you like simple Bossam with kimchi only, then this is the place. Their kimchi is spectacular!!!! Another dish I like is their old school bulgogi, with broth and glass noodles. Of course everything should be consumed with copious amounts of soju. Cheers!!!

Chil Po is a hole in the wall restaurant that serves authentic and comforting Korean food. Located just across the 91 freeway exit, Chil Po is tucked to the side and is very easily missed, so make sure to keep an eye out when you're trying to find the restaurant! They have a small parking lot available and ample seating as well. I came in for lunch and like most traditional Korean restaurants, no reservations needed. When you first walk in, you'll notice that the restaurant is definitely on the older side with a very homey/authentic vibe to it. You're immediately greeted by the server and they're all very kind and friendly! As it was my first time, they were more than happy to share their specialties and encouraged us to try their kimchi, as they say their's is extra delicious! I came in a party of 2 and we ordered the small hwangsil bossam for the two of us. This was more than enough food for us plus it's served alongside a lot of banchan as well! The bossam comes with a large serving of kimchi, garlic, jalapeno, and ssamjang to wrap it in their lettuce. They were not exaggerating when they say their kimchi is special, because it truly is! It's the perfect in between of sour from the fermentation but also fresh and crisp! The bossam was also perfectly cooked and tasteful. Wrapping it in the ssam was the perfect lunch! Overall, if you're looking for an authentic Korean restaurant without having to drive all the way to Koreatown for, I would recommend checking out Chil Po!

The best Bossam (thinly sliced boiled pork with veggies) I have ever had! I've always been neutral about this particular dish, but I am now a fan. The meat is so tender and juicy. The side dishes are also fresh.

We went to the same place second time around in three days because we craved the original NangMyeon with no sugar aftertaste and noodles that are firm but thin. We also wanted their famous BoSsam-Boiled Porkbelly with salty cabbage leaves wrap and shredded Yangnyum turnip to add to the Porkbelly inside the cabbage wrap. Unfortunately they ran out of BoSsam. The service was slow and the foods were not as fantastic as we expected compared to our first experience. We ordered three Mul NangMyeon, which were delicious and excellent. Bibim NangMyeon with raw skate fish with cartilage is solid four stars. A little too sweet for me. Then we got the Pork Ribs marinated in soy sauce and barbecued. It was pretty good. Overall a solid four and half stars today. The sautéed octopus with sweet spicy sauce with wheat thin noodles was good but tad too sweet.

Place was bookmarked by my son in law to try. Not a busy Tuesday night but we also got here about 1& 1/2 hour before closing. I got the squid on rice served in a hot earthenware pot, I let the rice sit to get that crispy texture on the bottom, added just a small amount of the spicy paste or gochujang. Squid was cooked well and just the right texture of tender and chewy. Son got the siondubu which had shrimp, squid and mussel plus soft tofu. Daughter got the spicy naengmyun or buckwheat noodles which she really enjoyed. Son in law got the pork kimchi stew or kimchi jjigae . Side dishes or banchan was quite delicious: spicy cucumbers, fermented Napa cabbage two ways : spicy and a more sour type ( it looked more translucent almost white) potato salad , stewed vegetable with soy and garlic - Gosari Namul (Fiddlehead Ferns) . We wanted to try the bossam but they had sold out. Will try again another time.

Please change your hours of operation. They are closed Sundays. It's the 2nd time they got me.

The worst agujjim ive ever had. We added more ingredients and still couldnt save it. The guy was nice tho

This hidden gem... BEST kimchi for BEST bossam hands down!!! Always generous with portion size...Our go to when you need good Korean food... kimchi and pork should get married also try the cold noodles... so refreshing on hot summer days...

Really good home cooked style meals with really good service!!! My go to stop for kfood when I'm in the area

Seriously the best haemultang (seafood stew) in Cerritios/ Buena park area . Small hole in the wall that's been around for over a decade with a quaint ambiance but has many tables even for big parties. They open at 11 and the service is great unlike most Korean restaurants - the ahjummas are kind and helpful. I also recommend either fish dishes they are soft and tender or the bossam my favorite. Another specialty decision is they're monk fish dish highly recommend!

Every single dishes are so good! Definitely taste like my grandma's homemade meal. Very clean and umami taste.

For updated menu and price information, please check out the pictures starting with "as of May 20th, 2022". Pros: The signature menus; seafood soup, steamed monk fish, and steamed pork, would never disappoint you. Other menus are also outstanding. And I would just come here for the side dishes. Cons: Mixed / multi grain rice is not offered. And I never enjoyed the rice served here. I assume it was steamed, not cooked. As I tasted it, I recalled the rice served in Korean Army. And beef bulgogi (lunch) was really sweet to me. Me: I have been coming every other day since I found this place. Most of Korean restaurant was going downhill recently. This place was not. The price increased, but the food was still great. As I work 6 and 1/2 days per week, more likely, I will be coming here for a while.

Best bossam I've had, service is always great and the ambiance makes me feel like I'm in Korea. Must try

This small hole in the wall type place is legit good! Their Haemultang (mixed variety seafood stew) had perfectly balanced flavor and very satisfying! I also tried EunDaeGu JoRim-BlackCod marinated in variety of Korean spices and cooked to perfection. Melts in your mouth. Damn good! Totally surprised. Typical Korean Ajumma and Ajussi service style but feels at home. They even speak English - a bit. Love this place! Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

Tasty bossam, and even tastier kimchi! It even came with some seaweed soup, which was super umami tasting. Classic taste, you honestly can't go wrong.

Food and service was great, even when there was only one server. We ordered bosam and haemul tang, was delicious. The banchon were excellent too. They are known for Haemul tang. I recommend this place if your in the area and in the mood.

Authentic, soul reviving Korean food that makes me do the happy dance! Their bossam was very filling and their seafood soup was a great way to wash it all down.

The bo ssam here is bomb. They make it very flavorful and the kimchi that comes with it is delicious! They offer half sizes which is enough for two people. If you get the regular size, it is enough to feed 4 people. You can ask to combine the half with the regular size if you want more. There is outdoor and indoor seating here. I personally had a to-go order but when I went to wait for my order I saw that there was pretty good amount of seating. Parking is located right next to the restaurant. Authentic Korean restaurant. Family owned. Workers speak mainly Korean, but can speak English too. Highly recommend for the bo ssam and kimchi.

The food, any dish, is alway great at Chil Po. I have been going here for years and the ambiance is no nonsense with a very attentive and polite staff.

Really good food and service (maybe because I came with someone who was buddies with the restaurant peeps), but I would not have heard about this place if I had not been introduced to it word-of-mouth. Chil Po is super hidden and hard to locate, so just get ready to circle around if you miss the turn on the small street. I really liked their cold noodles, and the noodles had a nice elasticity to them! The broth was a bit sweet and is super refreshing on a summer's day. Other than that, this place is great for a family feast! :)

Great service and the food was so amazing. Delicious!! Will totally come back for more

restaurant is clean and servers are kind. taste is also great. menus are very fit with soju.

Average Customer Service, the server was nice to us. Gave us everything that we needed. Food was delicious, not too salty just right. I got my Korean Seafood Spicy soup with alot of seafood inside and condiments as well to go with the food. Food was delicious, we will be coming back since they also cook fried rice on top of the left over soup as well. Parking was decently abundant.

They are known for their bossam and haemultang. I think both are fine, but I prefer their banchan/side dishes.

Authentic Korean food. I had the old style bulgogi which is full of original flavor, different from the one at BCD. They cook it on a golden grill meant just for that. I also had the royal bossam which is steamed pork. It came with fire kimchi. This spot has the best one in all of Southern California, better than Jongro in Garden Grove or YeDang in Irvine.

This place have all kinds of Korean seafood and some traditional meat barbecue. Little old style .. but, food is excellent and delicious!

TLDR: great food, great service, been coming for almost a decade and this is still my #1 spot. Been coming here for almost ten years now. Wasn't very familiar with the food initially so I just ordered bulgogi. The food and service was amazing. I eventually brought a Korean friend to walk me through the menu and ask the servers questions. I now order the ssambap as my go to. On special occasions my Girlfriend and I get the special bulgogi. What we order sometimes is irrelevant, we seriously crave the Banchan, it is always a nice spread. After building a rapport with the staff; they started showing me to how to eat stuff right. It was very cute. I love this place.

Excellent food. Very authentic and yummy Korean cooking. My family's nose favorite Korean restaurant

My Korean chingoo (friend) highly recommend this place for their famous haemul tang (spicy seafood stew), so we came here to try this famous dish. -we got 9 varieties of banchan!!! Love it when they serve you lots of side dishes! They also had one of my favorites, the jello :) -haemul tang: we ordered the small ($42.99) which is actually big enough for 3 people imo. We ended up taking some home. This dish was delicious!!!! It definitely had a nice seafood taste. It came with crab, shrimp, squid, octopus, radish, bean sprout, and some other weird seafood that I didn't know what it was and was too chicken to try... after you are done, you can ask them to make you some fried rice with some of the stew!!! Save room for that! Service was good but that might be because I came with a Hangul :)

My family loves to come here for the black goat stew!!! Supposedly goat meat is one of the healthier meats so the elderly in particular enjoy this stew. So don't be surprised if the average age of the patrons is 40+. My friend and I (in our twenties) were the youngest people in the restaurant puhaha. We ordered one serving of goat stew ($20) with kimchi jeon ($8). Though we were both famished when we got there, we had so much leftover! I would recommend getting one serving of goat stew for two people and another smaller dish to share. Will definitely be back to satisfy my ajuma cravings.

This was authentic Korean rural style experience! Although interior is not modern the style and taste is hard to find authentic rural Korean cuisine that brings old memories. The portion is really generous. Seafood jjim with sprouts was great, bossam was also great. I would visit again when I am in LA area

I enjoy eating a lot of Korean food. When I read so many positive reviews of this place I was so excited to meet my friend there as it was the first time in 16 mos she and I ate out together due to covid. No one here spoke even a little bit of English. We ordered the seafood spicy soup as so many others have said it was their signature dish. The soup had two frozen muscles, chopped squid, some weird looking squirt things and two mushy prawns and crab halves. we got the small size which was $49.99. Sorry to say but the broth was light and bland. There is no clam which was sad. the crab flesh was mushy and had a scent of chlorine. Absolutely the worst seafood soup I have ever had at any K restaurant. Their kimchi pancake was also bad. Flavor and texture of the pancake was not right. just a waste of $80 which was what we paid for this meal. I would never go back to this place. Sorry to have post this negative review but I went there bcz of the soit i've reviews I read and that means those with the same experience as mine did not post reviews. I'm being a good neighbor by leaving this review.

This place has the best Bossam in town!! The only downside is ambiance is pretty old and run down but the quality is very authentic and good! The servers are very friendly.

Good service and good food. Not really place for you if you're looking for a hipster place but I like the hole in the wall vibes.

This is the best food I've had but the service is not the best and they mandatorily charged us 20% tip after taxes. I understand we should leave a tips but it should be optional not a mandatory 20% when service was not good. And notated in a post stick not on the actual bill.

This is the authentic Korean food place! Steamed monk fish is actually very tasty compared with Korea too.They were very friendly. Parking lot is kind of small, but still you can find a spot. I would definately like to try other menus too! If you want to try real Korean food(seafood) this is your choice

Stopped here for dinner after picking up my husband from the airport. The server was very friendly even though there was definitely a language barrier. I ordered the tofu stew and the hub had the Bulgogi. Everything tasted great and we love the banchan especially the nokdu-muk. My husband enjoyed the experience (authentic Korean food and atmosphere) so much that he said he is willing to take the drive here from Temecula just to eat.

The side dishes are very very good. Steamed egg and beef. How many Korean restaurants offer those as side dishes. The service ladies are very friendly and attentive. The prices are a little bit higher, not too much, but it's totally worth it. I'm definitely eating here again when nearby

No time to leave review. But this place is so authentic. Soups are fantastic and Ssam wrap are also fantastic. Incredible value. Banchan selection is great. Our family has been going here for over ten years. We call it soul food.