Gaju Gimbap

Tucked away in the back of California Market, this place sells the best kimbob in the greater Los Angeles area. They have various kinds of kimbob ranging from tuna, ham, sausage, beef, etc. There are tables inside for indoor dining. Free parking in the parking garage. No validation required.

Gaju Kimbap!! This is the best kimbap spot in LA! It’s not particularly fancy or flashy—it’s just like the kimbap your mom would make. There’s nothing overly special about it, but the seasoning of the ingredients is just right, and everything blends together perfectly. Plus, the prices are still very affordable, making it a comfortable place to enjoy a meal, even on your own.

Used to be best kimbap in the KTown area. Pricing and taste used to be unbeatable, until ownership change… it’s been downhill since they changed all their original kimbap makers and cheaper ingredients.

They have various kinds of Korean food. Good taste n reasonable price of the food. No tip is required. Free parking

Not being from the area, I was exploring inside the supermarket and found this place by the corner of the supermarket and was pleasantly surprised! It is is a more casual setting place with a few seats. They sell great quality gimbap for what you pay for and have such a wide variety.

I love Korean food, there’s so much variety and great options😻🤤🤤 This small mom & pop shop in California market serves the freshest kimbap😻🤤 I usually order it instead of getting the premade boxes because they’re made fresh to order. 🍽️ Ordered: Tuna kimbap (2 rolls) Beef kimbap (2 rolls) 💰Price: $8 each box This is such a great and healthy quick meal to have whenever you’re running low on time. I especially love the tuna kimbap, it tastes so good with sesame oil & perilla leaf! I’ve been obsessed w/ this meal lately so I tried getting the Trader Joe’s kimbap but apparently they’re sold out everywhere until October🥹

My usual kimbap place. Price has gone up through the years. Used to be $6 but now it’s almost $8 for kimbap. Wide variety all pre-made for a quick grab and go. They offer other affordable Korean fish options as well and the taste is decent. 4.5 stars. It’s located in the far back corner of CA Market. There are limited seating but it’s best to take out due to smell and noise.

Best gimbap in town! Authentic and made fresh. I love how they are also very nice, spends time to suggest good gimbap and other places in Ktown.

Love Kimbap and this place is SO great for the price. No frills but just homey, hearty food. It's a quick pick-up stall in the back left corner of California Market and truly a hidden gem. I'm pretty picky about the ratios in my kimbaps, but they really have this down. It's the ideal ratio of protein to veggies to rice. Generally, I tend to prefer less rice, and I feel like they do that well. The prices are also very reasonable for the amount of food you get.

We got their seaweed soup and tuna kimbap. The food is so good and the portions are nice! The seaweed soup came with a side of fresh kimchi. It's delicious! I highly recommend this place.

Gaju Gimbap, thank you for always being our comfort meal that doesn't disappoint us!! We have been here at least 4x now (within 3 months) and their food always hit the spot. Few days ago we were disappointed by a pho restaurant that was charging $20 for the worst pho I've ever had and we took 2 sips of their soup and left.. To make up for it we knew Gali Gimbap would satisfy our soup craving so we drove over to Ktown and sure enough, we had a great meal for less than $19 (for 2 ppl!). There is always a line every time we come here and there's limited seating next to the restaurant but you can take your food to go and eat it on the rooftop on top of the market! The service is great too every time we come here.. I just wish they would sell their kimchi because I would buy a tub of that immediately!

I love that this place is inside the market! I can place my order, browse the market, then pick up my food. You have to pay at this booth. They make delicious gimbap! Very flavorful and seasoned well. If you don't like rice, you can ask for diet roll and they replace the rice with egg!! Perfect for people watching their calorie intake as well. You can see my picture to see what the diet rolls look like. I was satisfied and happy with the portion and cost.

Amazing kimpap!! the best i've ever had! The dopokki was okay, great prices though. There is like 5 tables and it's inside a market!

Initially I came to the supermarket in search of the Korean corn dog spot and ended up walking around inside the supermarket exploring then stumbled upon this Gimbap spot. It was pretty busy at night and wanted to give it a try considering I really love Gimbap and there were so many types of Gimbap available! I settled in trying the beef gimbap with something I'm familiar with. The portions were so filling and really great ratio of meat to veggies. It all went so well together. Overall, it was totally worth visiting this spot!

I love stopping by Gaju whenever I go to the California Market to do some grocery shopping. Located in the back corner of the market, they have a small menu of noodles and gimbap for a reasonable price. I always order the combo so I can get a taste of both and have yet to be disappointed. Portions are generous and they have a few tables with a self serve water dispenser if you want to enjoy your meal there. It's a nice way to satisfy your Korean cravings while getting your groceries at the same time.

Walk to the back of California Market and you'll find the restaurant on the left corner near the kimchi. They specialize in take out orders but have a few table and seats if you want to enjoy their udon + kimbap combo fresh. Their kimbap is solid and I usually get the fish cake one. I tried their beef kimbap and unfortunately it was underseasoned so I'll stick to the fish cake one from now on. The wait can get pretty intense for kimbap. I waited almost 20 minutes for my take out order so keep that in mind. But they have kitchen staff constantly rolling out the kimbap. The pick up process was a bit disorganized from my point of view. The orders were not being prepared based on first come first serve basis. So make sure to check in with the front to see if your order is ready if you decide to walk away. Parking is free in the parking garage but spaces are tight and the traffic can be pretty chaotic.

I always like to eat fresh various kimbap. And the other foods are delicious and the staff is friendly.

Their food is actually good. But their service is not acceptable. They should change their mind. I won't visit again.

Love it!!! Located Inside a market, and generously filled with tasty ingredients! My boyfriend picked up the tuna gimbap and crab gimbap for my lunch. My favorite is the Tuna: Filled with nice amount of spinach, carrots and creamy tuna . If you like California rolls but wish it was more nutritious then the crab gimbap is a nice alternative. That extra crunch from the veggies are delicious. Pretty filling, only was able to finish a little more than half. Can't beat that for $8 a roll. I'll have the rest later. Definitely will be back for more!

Fresh kimbap or Korean version of sushi roll made fresh. Delicious and $7-$9 it's great. No tip expected further. Great lunch healthy and cheap. My type of place! No English spoken though.

Huge portion sizes and the food was so good. I had a Gimbap craving and what better place to get it than Koreatown? I ordered via Ubereats. I love how California Market also gave me sides in addition to what I ordered.

I could literally eat here every single day !!! I love their fish cake gimbap & their beef one the best !!! It's honestly fairly cheap compared to other locations and I feel like you get more here . Also the service is fast and kind . They even have tables on the side and complimentary water . I recommend this spot to everyone ! It's inside the California market ! :)

Tucked in the corner of California Market, is a small kimbap and soup shop. It's very popular and often long lines form. It's worth the wait. So be patient. To find the shop head to the back left corner (near kim chee aisle). The counter often has already made kim bap with signs indicating the fillings. If you're in a rush this is your best option. You can also order things like kim chee fried rice, seaweed soup, and spicy squid. There are tables on the side if you want to eat there. Personally I just order to go. My favorite kimbap are the kim chee (4/5), sesame leaf (5/5), and beef (4/5). I typically get the "large" which is 2 rolls. But you can order by the roll. I haven't tried the soups but they seem very popular. The kimbap are very tasty. The rice is perfect, fillings ample, and overall everything is very fresh. I've had kimbap from other places and honestly this one is my favorite. The kim chee isn't too sour and just right. Plus the prices just can't be beat. Prices are extremely reasonable. But the wait can be a bit long and frustrating. While the ladies that run this place are very nice, sometimes it seems like they're a bit overwhelmed and disorganized. To me it's worth waiting for so I don't mind. Parking is easy because the structure is free and has lots of stalls. I tend to park on the upper levels rather than dealing with the traffic on the lower levels. Great place for takeout! Love the reasonably priced and home style food. It's nothing fancy but it's definitely a solid favorite in my book. LOCATION: 4/5 FOOD: 5/5 SERVICE: 3/5 VALUE: 4/5 AMBIANCE: 3/5 PET FRIENDLY: yes (but probably should be no) CLEANLINESS: 3/5 PARKING: 5/5

This is my go-to place for gimbap. Great portion size for the price! They are quick to make them as they are fresh. The rice is dry for some reason but I love the rest of the fillings. Overall, average place but def worth it for the price. Food: 7/10 Service: 7/10

I like ham kimbop..their ham kimbop was ok..i ordered soybean soup together.. wow, their steam rice is best ever taste in my life.. from nice rice or good technic for making ?? 1 thing, that kimchi was too old..can use for fried rice or soup..not for just eating.. just needed changing that kimchi to new one or not too old one.. i'd like to go there every day..will try every if have time..^^

The California Marketplace location was always my goto place for Korean kimbap and was always the best in town. The lady who took my order on the phone was so rude that I couldn't understand or speak Korean. I've ordered two rolls and they packaged it in the same container so I wanted to confirm if there's two rolls when paying. The same lady who looks much younger with long hair at the register started pointing at the container and speaking in a rude manner. Never experienced such poor customer service. This review is solely based on customer service and not the food.

Love this spot! Great udon and gimbap combo deal and everything made pretty much fresh!

This is a small shop nestled in a corner of the California Market. FYI there's a parking structure where you can park for free. They're most known for their kimbap but offer a variety of other items (i.e. noodles, sautés, etc) as well. There's a small eating area but most people appeared to get takeout. I got two rolls of the sesame leaf kimbap for $7 ($4 for one roll). The nice thing about this place is that you can get just one roll of many kinds and try different kimbaps. It's a little more for just one roll but the difference is minimal. Prices vary depending on the type of kimbap as well. Not a whole lot to say about the kimbap other than that it was really good - lots of filling and just the right amount of sesame oil. Really tasty and satisfying! I asked for extra pickled radish and they gave me a generous amount for free. I've tried several kimbap shops in ktown and this is in the top 3. I'll definitely be back and highly recommend to others as well!

I used to enjoy this place for quick kimbaps and udon, but my recent order was disappointing. I found a strand of curly hair!! Mistakes can happen, but it was upsetting. I hope they take measures to prevent such incidents, like tying their hairs, in the future.

I love this cute little spot. I get these when I'm hungry for something fresh and filling. Parking: plenty! Just be careful during rush hours like lunch! Food quality: Freshly made with great taste! You can't beat that. Price: I think it's a fair price for the quality and quantity It's a popular community spot. I highly recommend this place if you need a quick bite or a party appetizer!

So happy to find affordable and delicious, quality gimbap near me! I got 3 boxes of the tuna gimbap and fried stuffed tofu skin which didn't disappoint. Very filling for only $8 a box. Order ahead if you want to get boxes of just the gimbap though. At the front, there are only boxes with half gimbap and half tofu for quick pick up, which I took because I didn't have time to wait for them to make more. But they did mention it would only be 5 minutes so that shows how quick their service is. I'll definitely be back to try other options.

I always get my kimbap from this spot as it has the most affordable prices and deals! It is located inside the California Market in the back left upon entry. I have ordered kimbap to go multiple times in the past and yesterday I dined in for the first time and got the Udon + Kimbap combination which is SUCH A GOOD DEAL for the amount of food you get. There is a little seating area next door with about 6-7 tables. The food comes out quickly and the Udon was delicious! Definitely recommend if you are looking for an affordable kimbap spot or just for a quick bite to eat.

This place is always a favorite when I need something fast to eat. The perilla leaf vegetarian is my favorite gimbap roll. Prices have gone up but what do you expect with rising costs. I love how it's abundantly stuffed with filling and low rice.

Always taste good. Best thing to order ahead prior to visitation as they're always super busy

this place is disgusting. the meat is not fresh. what they do is put out the old food as display and sell it. making customer think that it's fresh but its not!!!!!! the owner and the employees are horrible rude human beings!!! i will not refer any of my friends here ever!!!!! kimbap paradise has better quality food. if you don't want food poisoning don't come here

Love going here regularly to buy food when the hubby is craving KBBQ. Specially now with Covid shutting down our favorite spots we've had to resort to cooking at home. They always have a huge selection of fresh meats and vegetables. The bakery inside is delicious as well. Their prices are very reasonable. They also adhere to the Covid guidelines by limiting the number of people inside the market at all times. They have social distancing markers at checkout and in the line at the parking lot to get in. The workers speak pretty good English which is always a plus. They have a parking structure so parking is never really an issue.

Food is not bad. Service wasn't great. I was standing in front of the cashier, waiting to order for several minutes, but they didn't acknowledge me, and instead, decided to take the order of one lady that decided to cut me, and another who was in line behind me. Prior to, the cashier was just staring at the ipad register the entire time. Decided to go to a different place to get better kimbab. I would recommend Kimbab Paradise.

Affordable kimbap. The rolls are quite tasty and the portion is huge for it's price. This time, I ordered the noodle combo which was very, very cheap. The noodle combo is $9.50 + tax. It comes with your choice of noodles and your choice of kimbap. I got the bibim noodles and fish kimbap. The bibim noodles is a little too sweet for my taste.

I've had California Market Gimbap a few times now. This place is great because it's very reasonably price, considering how much they give you. It's a small shop located in the corner of the supermarket at the California Market plaza. My most recent visit here, I was actually trying to go the The Kimbap around the corner from the plaza, but parking was too much of a pain so I ended up here again. My family and I usually bring their kimbap home whenever we visit Koreatown. I've tried their Tuna, Ham, and Odeng (fish cake) kimbap. All of them are good, although the Ham one can be salty if you're unlucky. It's not the most incredible kimbap, but it's still very tasty and well worth the cost. They use just the right amount of sesame oil and vegetable fillings, and give you generous portions. Really, it's just a great place to go to if you have a craving for kimbap and want a satisfying meal. Try to avoid the dinner-time rush though. Service is fast, but they do run out pretty readily of some flavors.

A bit packed here during lunch hours but great place for a filling cheap bite. Food: Ordered ramen/kimbap combo. Kimbap was better than the typical market ones. Ramen is obvious instant ramen with an egg inside. Service: Very friendly staff though they are limited in english. Environment: Located inside the California Market. Place is tucked in the back of the market. Clean shop, but fairly packed during lunch hours. Had to fight for a seat. Price: Cheap! Food: 3 Service: 4 Environment: 3 Price: 4

This is my 100th review of this year, 2019, YAY!!!! I am a big fan of their Gimbap especially the Tuna Gimbap! Its filled with so many tasty ingredients with less rice compared to other places. I come here to grocery shop and I always see a big crowd. I would assume they are busy all day but if youre just buying Gimbap togo, it will be much shorter wait. If youre dining in, you can order and pay at the register. Theres definitely enough seats but it does get full since they are very busy. My Bestie told me about this place and she told me numerous times that their Gimbap is one of the best she had in Los Angeles. After trying, I had to agree with her. I always get the large for a little over $6. I believe its a reasonable price because I get full eating half of whats in the container. The ladies working here are very friendly and nice even though its easy to lose it because it seems to be chaotic at all times with customers. Next time youre in this plaza for grocery shopping or for some dining upstairs, stop by and grab some Gimbap for late night snack! They offer many different kinds including Bulgogi, Cheese, Veggie, Cheese, Fishcake and more. I personally only tried Tuna Gimbap and I really enjoy eating them.

Bad service, cashiers are very rude, had to wait 30 mins, late for golf, didn't even apologize, ended up canceling order.

Of all the supermarket packaged kimbap I've tried, this tastes by far the freshest. And the pickled daikon doesn't take over the whole flavor like some others. The folded fishcake is light and tasty, matching its texture to the egg. You get a lot of food for the $6 you pay - 3 lunches by my count!

A hidden restaurant at the back of the market but the food here is delicious with large portions and reasonable prices. I would say that their gimbap is definitely the top gimbap places in LA as they put a lot of effort in making sure it tastes good. Other places usually puts a lot of rice but they put more of the fillings than the rice, which makes it famously delicious. They also have lots of other things on their menu. My favorite is the jjolmyun, which is the spicy noodle. There are times when they put too much sauce, but if you just let them know to put less, you'll be fine. I also love their janchi gooksu, which is another noodle dish, that you can share with 2-3 people. Highly recommend!

Just avoid busy lunch and dinner time. Other than that, kimbops are delicious. My go to: tuna and go chu (pepper) kimbop. Can't go wrong with these two choices. I've also tried their janchi gooksu. Anchovy broth is so good and refreshing. Will continue to get my kimbops here.

Cheap to the max- not the prices, the people. I ordered 3 rolls and they barely gave me enough pickled radish for 2. When I asked for a bit extra they all just stared blankly at me. When I asked a second time the guy at the register said, "You already got some." Dude, it's packaged pickles that you don't even make yourselves... just toss in a few slices, especially if you shortchanged me in the first place. Stingy people, stingy business. And after all these years the kimbap is still nothing special- only came here because other spots are closed on Mondays.

Just got 3 orders of ham gimbap here and I have to say that customer service is nonexistent. I was the first to order in line and received it last. I was wondering why I received it last, when I ordered first. I asked the cashier why and she couldn't come up with a clear answer. Their workers need to learn customer service and prioritize orders based on who came first. I also noticed that all of their gimbaps are cold whether it is made to order or on their aisle ready to purchase.

Ordered two kinds of gimbap for to-go. After I got home, I tasted them with some excitement brought by the scent of sesame oil. Wow, they are very fresh and tasty! The price is on point too. Im sure I'll come back to try some different flavors!

This one is the best for me you must come And try the soup oh my God is so delicious along with the Guimba staff is always awesome when I come here feel like home .come to the back of the market and you will see for yourself very delicious love this place you guys get five stars for me

This place came highly recommended to me by a couple of trusted sources and it took me a while but I finally came through here a few weeks ago to try some of their kimbap. This is a counter located in the back of the grocery store in the California Market. It's all the way in the back left corner - there's a little counter and a few tables to sit. When I went, it was right in the middle of the Saturday lunch rush so there was quite a line. They have a bunch of kimbap already packed in containers if you want to grab and go. They also have some soups and other hot foods made to order. I ordered one of the tuna and one of the fish cake kimbap and also got an order of the kimchi fried rice. This was definitely the best kimbap I have ever had - the ingredients inside are so fresh and flavorful. The kimchi fried rice was also super good - would definitely come back for more of these items. I will have to prepare for the chaos that comes with it, though. The long line that wasn't moving fast and there's no place to stand where you aren't in the way. Probably best to try and come through when it isn't peak hours if you don't like crowds! The good news is that the parking structure at the California marketplace is free if you are shopping inside the plaza!

This is my go-to gimbap (korean roll) joint. The California Market has finally completed remodeling and reopened after a decade! Their Wilshire location closed, and the owner told me that their second location inside Rodeo Galleria has been sold and is no longer affiliated. I love the tuna and the cheese. The kimchi once in awhile. Ok fine, I admit that I like all of the gimbap varieties! The gimbap here is not fancy or innovative, but each roll is dense and packed tight, and cut thicker than the competition (Awoolim, Popeye, and the ones inside any Korean market.) A box contains 2 lines of gimbap and is sure to make a satisfying meal (and a half) for one. I have not tried most of the other offerings here. Friends seem to always reorder the ddukbokki (spicy rice cake) as well as their as udon noodles and yookgaejang (spicy shredded beef soup.) P.S. Despite the glorious gimbap, I do recall that their nengmyun (cold noodle) sucks. Not sure if it's even on the menu anymore.

This is the best kimbap place in Koreatown. Even though yelp indicates they open at 8am, I was here at 7:30am and there was already a line forming. They also do catering . Saw large trays of kimbap waiting to be picked up. For $6.00, you get 2 basic rolls of your choice or $6.50 if you prefer something fancier, like tuna or kimchi. The kimbap here are massive , fresh and will fill your belly right up! Prices are very reasonable too. As the name suggests, this is located inside California Market tucked in the back near all the soju :p

My friends and I stopped at California Market one Sunday morning to pick up to-go kimbap to eat for lunch later in our heavily scheduled day (we were on our way to RuPaul's DragCon, and we weren't fucking around). We didn't know about California Market Gimbap & Udon--we just assumed that like most Korean markets, Gaju (I always think of California Market as Gaju Maket thanks to a channel 18 jingle from my childhood (~Maket!~)) would have pre-made kimbap in stacks of labeled plastic boxes, ready to grab and go. I was in charge of the kimbap pick-up while other friends got coffee and pastries (we later gave a soboro bbang to Korean drag queen Kim Chi). I found Gaju's kimbap stall while looking for the pre-made rolls, in a back corner of the market. As it turns out, Gaju doesn't pre-make kimbap at all. Instead, you can get it made fresh by an industrious duo of rice-rolling ladies. We were in a hurry, but the cashier (who might also be the owner) assured me that they could fill our order quickly. I waited probably ten minutes, perfectly acceptable, particularly since I was watching them make it in front of me. I ordered five rolls for the five of us to share--two odaeng, two ggaenip, and one tuna. This ended up being the perfect lunch for a day when we spent hours walking around and standing in line--we could open up a box and eat quickly, with or without chopsticks. The kimbap was delicious. Great rice and seaweed, with all the usual vegetable and egg fixings, plus the chosen main ingredient. I loved all three of our choices, and would get them again in a heartbeat. I live close to Gaju and am thinking this is my new go-to for to-go kimbap. I'm also curious about the rest of the menu--there are noodles and dumplings, and where the kimbap is good, those tend to follow. California Market Gimbap & Udon has enough seating to make it worth visiting for a casual food court-style meal. I'll keep this in mind next time I need somewhere fast and easy to eat.

Part of me does not want to share the love of this gimbab place, however as you can see - this is a mom and pop owned place, and I wish to only see continued success for this owner. She's there everyday and serves only the best, homemade, fresh kimbab, and other Korean dishes. Love love love the tuna kimbab + ddukbokki

Kimbap. This place is consistently good. Service is sometimes slow /disorganized and so busy that they stop taking orders. But the taste makes up for it. One of the Hispanic lady here has been here forever. Since the old Gajoo market days before it was renovated and there was a sushi udon place by the entrance.

Decided to get some gimbap within the California Market; it had no English name, so even finding it on yelp took a bit. But surprisingly, it's not a standard gimbap, because I felt like it tasted so much better. They were friendly and prepared everything quickly. I had the cheese, kimchi, tuna and beef gimbaps and dang, I liked them all. Especially fond of the tuna, and the cheese is a second. Would get those and try other ones in the future. Oh, and affordable and filling too.

Was too lazy to cook and found this place on Yelp. Ordered bibimbap and three gimbaps to go. The soup that came with the bibimbap was the best free soup ever. Everything was delicious and I can't believe how cheap the gimbaps are. This will now be my go-to if I ever need a quick bite. Might be a little hard to find because I don't think they have the store name in English but it's on the first floor of California Market in the back left corner.

A small deli/vendor located inside the gaju market (all the way in the back). They sell noodle soups (janchi gooksoo) and fresh kimbaps (Korean sushi). There's about 8 tables for people to dine-in, but keep in mind that these tables are placed in an open space connected with gaju market. Service is horrendous just like any other Korean establishments, but food is tasty. There is a free private parking lot in the California Market building (1 hour free).