Jincook Santa Monica

I've always liked Jincook so I was pleasantly surprised to see a location in Santa Monica. I got the tteokbokki with ramen noodles, braised beef short ribs, and kalguksu. Everything was just as I expected. Soft chewy rice cakes, light soup broths, and overall very fresh banchan. A great addition to the neighborhood and it's open late!

Jincook Santa Monica located at: 3001 Wilshire Blvd Unit 103, Santa Monica, CA 90403 The best korean food we had ever eaten in Los Angelas so far, fair pricing too. Love the authentic interior of the restaurant, gave warm atmosphere. definitely love to comeback

TL;DR: Will not return unless we’re realllllly in a pinch for Korean food. Would rather make the trip out to Koreatown. Faux-Korean in terms of food but great service. 👍 Great service from the staff! They were all attentive and fast in greeting, seating, ordering, and general check-ups. They clearly worked as a team and were friendly throughout the entire visit. 👎 Okay-to-meh food that’s definitely NOT authentically Korean; tasted more like the kind of “Korean” food that a non-Asian person (who lived in Korea for 5 years and came back home) were to make based on memory but never quite gets there. Like… I see the direction you were going but this is NOT it. Details below if you’re interested. 1. Jin Cook Kal-guksu (칼국수): Didn’t taste like any traditional kal-guksu that’s usually clam or chicken-broth based). Instead, theirs tasted like the Korean rice-cake soup (떡국) with knife noodles. Their description says seafood soup (with a few briskets and dumplings). However, their seafood flavor tasted pretty much like general anchovy-kelp broth (멸치육수). Not even close to the clam-based kal-guksu. They also served this dish with crispy onion flakes, which was completely random—like which authentic Korean dishes are served with crispy onion flake, let alone kal-guksu…?! Very confusing. It was not bad but you cannot call this kal-guksu or charge this invention at ~$19. If you want a real kal-guksu, a trip to k-town would be well-worth it. 2. Spicy Pork (매운 돼지 불고기): Looks good and not bad (2.5/5) but flavors were flat. Almost on the verge of not seasoned enough with…everything (salt, chili paste, chili powder, minced garlic, etc.). The meats came out almost minced/diced, rather than in bite-size chunks as you’d expect from Korean Spicy Pork (제육볶음). Weird preparation or wrong choice of meat. Not worth ~$26 for one serving. 3. Kimchi (cabbage; served as a side dish/banchan): Not really Kimchi… Not only the cabbages were not treated/prepped as kimchi (just straight-up salad), their kimchi marinade tasted more like a typical marinade for other side dishes that’s not kimchi. It’s not even gut-jul-ee (겉절이 freshly made kimchi). Hard to describe.. Just a really common side dish/banchan sauce 그냥 흔한 반찬 양념. Again, I get their concept but the execution isn’t there.

if you’re craving some authentic korean comfort food, you need to try this spot ! not having to drive all the way to ktown for korean food in the traffic is literally amazing. and for ucla students its like only a 10 min drive 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ everything was honestly SO GOOD (even their side dishes)! i rlly liked the garlic suyuk and the soups. they were warming and delicious. the cheese curry katsu was also soso good too!! perfectly cheesy, crispy, and flavorful! honestly, if you go to ucla or are nearby and want korean food and want to avoid traffic, GO HERE!! 🅿️ parking lot

Very tasty Korean food! It's flavorful and not too spicy. We were surprised at the large portion sizes, especially for the curry!

I didn’t know of this restaurant before, despite familiar with the sundubu. We waited quite a long time, almost 30mins, the wait list was quite long. The broth was savory, with mild level it was not spicy at all. The banchan was fresh, but there were not many options. Price was reasonable. The servers were very attentive and welcoming and we were satisfied. Highly recommend this location!

Amazing Korean restaurant! Their beef short rib is so amazing! As good as Sunnongdan!!! And sweet potato cheese katsu is a very interesting combination but so good! And their service is very nice. I love the Raden decorations on the wall!

I visited Jin Cook for the first time and wasn’t sure what to order. One of the staff, Ceci, was super kind and offered great recommendations. She was really friendly and made me feel comfortable right away. I tried the Kalguksu based on her suggestion, and it was really tasty and satisfying. Thanks to Ceci’s helpfulness and great attitude, I had a really nice experience. I’ll definitely be back!

This is amazing Korean food, better than anything I have found in the Boston area where I'm from. The portions are generous, and side dishes are limited, but very tasty , refilled as needed. Service was excellent, very much enjoyed the nice atmosphere. My favorites were the braised short rib and the jalapeño cheese pork cutlet.

Honestly such a solid korean spot in WLA!! We were quite impressed~ This place is definitely on the pricier side but that's to be expected of restaurants in the SM area, and it compares very similarly to places in Sawtelle. Also, their portions are pretty large, so it's worth it. Regardless, I will definitely return and recommend Jincook to others because of their flavorful dishes. We ordered the pork curry katsu and the beef bone broth (seolleongtang)--both items were so filling, warm and delicious. The katsu curry was served on a large hot stone and had enough to feed two people. The curry was a little bit on the salty side though. The seolleongtang was pretty light and hit the spot on a cold night(: Will definitely order this again! We got here on a Saturday night and waited for ~20 minutes. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. Staff are kind and service was quick. The interior designs were tasteful and elegant. Parking was plentiful with street and upper garage options.

WOW! The food at Jincook is the BEST Korean food I have ever tried. I came here on a Saturday evening in a group of 5 around 5pm and thankfully we were able to get a table. Although there was a good amount of seating available, when we left around 6:30 pm, there was a long line/waitlist out the door. We ordered the Braised Beef Short Rib (Galbi-Jim), Garlic Soyuk, and the Rose Tteokbokki. While we were waiting for our foods, we were snacking on the bonchon and the Kimchi here is one of the best kimchis i've had. It was sweet and flavorful with a very slight tang. It was not as acidic/sour as most kimchis. I also really enjoyed the tofu spinach. Our servers were kind and gave us more kimchi when we ran out. Out of the three foods we ordered, the Galbi-Jim was by far my favorite. The sweet soy-based sauce paired with the tender short rib and melted cheese over rice was a literal flavor explosion in my mouth. The garlic soyuk (pork belly) tasted a little bland, even with the garlic sauce and soy bean sauce so I added the sauce from the galbi-jim. The rose tteokbokki was also packed with flavor. It was very saucy and creamy, and not too spicy. The rice cakes were cooked perfectly ~ very bouncy and chewy! Overall, Jincook gets 5 BIG BOOMS from me. The food is a little on the pricer side, but trust me, it's well worth it.

First time trying but definitely not my last. I live on the Westside and sometimes it's a mission to make it out to Ktown for some good Korean food. Jincook had an excellent selection of items and everything we ordered was delicious. I am excited to go back to try other items. Between the 3 of us, we ordered spicy tofu stew (soup), marinated dumplings, BBQ beef rib (galbi) and the hotteok for dessert and it was the perfect amount of food. Everything was so yummy that I can't even pick a favorite.

The dining room is very well decorated clean and I like the menu. Service was timely and food was delicious. I like the location. It was a couple blocks from erewhon for dessert

I would say this place is a little bit priced higher than most places in Koreatown, however I will pay for convenience! The food here is phenomenal. Their chicken is super fresh and juicy! However, the side dishes is literally so mouthwatering! I found out that they make all of their side dishes in house! The service is amazing and they are very attentive! There is a good bit of seating inside and outdoors as well this place surprisingly gets pretty busy for the dinner time!

After trying out a Jincook in Glendale, I was excited for this location to open. I finally was able to try it and it's just as delicious as I remember. I ordered a variety so I could share and everything came out fresh and in good sharing portions. Our waitress was so friendly and welcoming, I'd love to come back again! I highly recommend the rose teokbokki-- the rose sauce is super good. I also recommend the bulgogi pancake, it's perfectly crispy and comes with a good dipping sauce.

So this is going to be quite a long review but let me start by saying there is a lot of seating both in and outdoors but there is a line. The service was impeccable there's always somebody around for anything you need and they always check on you. The portions at Jincook are awesome I went with a group and we all got something individually as well as something to share and we had more than enough food. Braised Beef Short Rib was my personal favorite and it's definitely big enough to share with friends we split it between four. The beef was so well seasoned and cooked to perfection. The meet fell right off the bone and it also has potatoes rice cakes zucchini and so much more inside of it. Would definitely recommend it. I got the Jalapeño Cheese Curry Katsu and it was a lot bigger than I expected. The Cutlets were huge and the jalapeño and the cheese gave it so much more flavor and texture. The Curry was delicious wish it was a tad bit slicer but still delicious none the less. The marinated dumplings were awesome too first time trying something like it. It was definitely better than most regular dumplings I've had would recommend tying. The bulgogi was good I wish it was a tad bit saucier but it's still very delicious nice tender juicy. Great consistency. Beef Bone Broth was good the soup was nice and warm and the beef was really good as well the noddles were nice and soft and melt in your mouth good. Overall for price dining experience and food an easy 5/5

Ambiance: it's a popular Korean authentic cuisine place located in Santa Monica, and the plaza has a shared small parking behind the establishment. The seating and tables are packed inside, and there's also a few tables set up outside equipped with heaters Service: you'll need to join the waiting list and it took about half an hour before getting seated, the staff working here are all very friendly, placed the order adequately and checked on the table frequently Food: standard Jin cook menu for comfort food choices Banchan - *** limited choices, the kimchi was great Braised Beef Short Rib (Galbi-Jjim) - ***** Braised Beef Short Rib with Potato, Sweet Pumpkin, Onion, Carrot, Rice Cake, topped with Green Onion, Sesame Seed, Choice of Spicy Level two, generous on protein, such a rare case that I had to pick veggies among meat, tasty and spicy flavors, highly recommend Price: very generous portions and reasonable prices, expect $40 per person

This place was great. We walked in a were seated right away and service was quick and friendly. I had the soondubu and it was the most flavorful I've ever had. I also tried the beef bone soup and it was really rich and hearty. Can't wait until I come here again.

I really wanted to love this place. It's only been open for three months. I am actually really excited that there is another Korean restaurant in the Santa Monica/West LA/Sawtelle area. The inside is spacious, new and beautiful. Service was good too. There is free street parking after 6pm. The food needs a few improvements. I got the Beef Bone Broth. The broth lacked flavor and seasoning. For dessert, I got the Hotteok, sweet pancake filled with brown sugar syrup. The dough tasted oily and greasy. I didn't eat it after a few bites. It was too rich. The kimchi was excellent and fresh. That was probably my favorite dish! The spinach and onion side dish wasn't bad either. I think if they can make a few adjustments to their food, this place will be a hit!

West LA- we finally GOCHU a quality Korean restaurant! As someone who's lived in West LA since 2016, I've been pretty disappointed with the Korean food offerings in the area, and often make the 1 hour commute to Ktown for better quality Korean food. Jincook is a chain with locations in Koreatown and Glendale, and they recently opened a location in Brentwood! Their extensive menu features many Korean comfort dishes such as galbijjim, soondubu, curry, bibimbap, Galbi, and seolleongtang, and every item we tried was cooked to perfection (and this means a lot from someone insanely picky about Korean food like me). Service was very friendly and attentive, and we didn't have to wait long to be seated and receive our food despite the restaurant being very busy. There's also a FREE covered parking garage in the back of the plaza, and plenty of street parking in the area. Highly recommend checking them out if you're in the area for one of the most exciting Asian restaurant openings on the Westside! Featured here: chicken katsu curry soondubu (seafood) seolleongtang

The space is gorgeous the mural on wall has lots of booths all comfy can accommodate big group - but it's limited menu compared to Glendale location. The Banchan set is also small only 4 items vs the usual 15-18 items. They had kimchi, radish, spinach and picked onion - but no egg salad, fish cake etc. We ordered the spicy tofu stew which wasn't bad but also not standout, the galbi was tender and seasoned comes with rice. The star was the mushroom japchae! Service was ok. He did take our order and refreshed banchan but we had a hard time flagging him down for other things. To be honest it looked like they were short staffed as it was only him and there were 5-7 tables

Come here for high quality Korean entrees! Food: 4/5 Definitely try the spicy beef short rib if you're hungry or have a larger group. Very flavorful, the potatoes and squash absorb the broth flavor nicely, short ribs are tender. My only knock on the food is that the pickled sides (kimchi and daikon) weren't very flavorful. Just basic salt and chili pepper. Not super vinegary or umami-ey. Service: 5/5 Very attentive, they constantly refilled our sides and water and asked if everything was to our liking. Ambiance: 5/5 Par for the course for a chain. Clean and modern.

If you're in the Westside, driving to K-Town for Korean food can be a bummer. You have to weigh the sometimes hour+ drive vs just sticking to a local place. Well now (about 4 months now), you can skip that gruesome drive and head over to Jincook. The place is sparkling clean too. We had a nice experience here the other night. Personally, I think the food at Jincook exceeds the quality and taste of it's K-Town counterparts. Don't get me wrong, K-Town is still great for the vast variety but again, that drive to get there. The staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful. Simple things like bringing a ladle without asking for it, refilling the cold water flask, asking a few times if we needed anything, and even apologizing for the wait to get seated -- what?? Then comes the food. The menu is fun to read, offers all the essentials - tangs, hot pots, hot stones, tteokbokki, curry and katsu. Even hotteok for that sweet ending. We got Kal-guksu, Brisket hot stone, and a mushroom soondubu. Everything was nicely presented and the broths were very flavorful. So do yourself a favor my Westerners and go check out Jincook. Again, no shade on K-Town, that food is great too.

We had heard the buzz of a new Korean restaurant popping up on the west side, which is a miracle. Jincook missed the mark for us. The marinated dumplings and banchan were hits, but the odd remixes of classic Korean dishes was a miss. The Tteokboki is nothing to write home about, and the addition of seaweed salad in the bibimbap doesn't work at all and ruins the overall flavor of the dish with its sweetness. The mushrooms in the bibimbap were dried and not soaked properly and tasted like cardboard. Very disappointing overall.

Comforting and delish! We have been to this place twice now and it's on our mind anytime we are craving some hearty comfort food. Also they are OPEN LATE which is rare for the west side! Get on the YELP WAITLIST so get on that before you leave the house to avoid a long wait. One time we waited like 40 mins, another day we were only 1 of 2 tables sat. Better to be safe! I recommend eating here over take out. Comes in sizzling dishes and just better fresh! My favorites so far: Spicy Tofu Stew and chicken Katsu Curry! I will start with the faves * SPICY TOFU STEW - SOON DUBU *: This comes with beef (at first we thought tofu only so it was a nice surprise). we got this with the RAW EGG and it was a great add - altogether loved this! Hearty and delicious. * JALAPEÑO CHEESE KATSU CURRY *: is the cheese and jalapeño necessary? No. It would be delicious without it but since when does cheese and Jalapeño not make things better? I liked it. If you are watching the waist line, skip the cheese I guess but I mean I dont think thats your concern if you are eating fried chicken topped with curry. If you like spicy, the spiciest level on this is not that spicy, thats maybe my only complaint. Ive had better katsu curry but I did enjoy this one. PRO TIP: Ask for a side of curry, for only $3 more, Worth it. GALBI JIM - BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB : This was pretty sweet for me and just meh, certainly not worth the $60 price tag (even for 2 people). I got this with cheese and level 3 spicy (still not spicy at all). They come and do a tableside blow torch of the cheese which makes it kind of cool and slightly smokey, probably more for show. It has a lot of potato and other fluff mostly and not a lot of shortrib. Just wasnt my jam (tasted a bit like jam though?) KOREAN PANCAKE - PAJEON : I would not order this. I like Taiwanese versions of this dish. This was meh to me. It was SO thick and just too much scallion. Dont get me wrong it's a great portion size, huge- but I didnt enjoy it. I did not enjoy this one. BANCHAN: They have a limited banchan of only 4 items. I liked their kimchi and onions jalapeño combo. I want to try the Rose Tteokbokki, because I love a good rice cake but worried it will be too sweet. Maybe the army stew? Will give it a try next time and report back. Parking: never had an issue grabbing a meter right out front Ambiance: decent ambiance, nice decor and vibe.

Delicious Korean food on the Westside! We split the galbijjim for 2 for $60 and it was more than enough food with leftovers to take home. We got the mildly spicy version (spice level 1), but you can also get it with no spice or more spice. The beef ribs were tender and I enjoyed the addition of chewy rice cakes and kabobs squash in addition to the usual potatoes. Parking was easy on the street and they also have a small parking garage in the back. Service was pleasant. I would definitely go back to try the other dishes when I'm in the area. The garlic suyuk sounds amazing!

This place is awesome in that I don't have to travel all the way to ktown and still get amazing Korean food with great service on the westside of LA. Food Pork soup with added salt was SO good. Pork bone broth was really nice and tasted garlicky. So comforting. Get this. Tteokbokki rose: I wish I could have this every day. It's like all the good snack food flavors of bacon, mini hot dogs, and mozzarella cheese in one giant bowl. The cutlets are also really crispy and ample portion sizes. I ate half and saved for left overs the next day! Two meals in one :) Parking in small garage or street. Next time I want to try the hot stone bibimbaps or the garlic pork belly dish. Service was super friendly and polite. Checked in with us from time to time and helped us with the ordering process as well. The inside is decorated so nicely.

Great food, ambiance, and service! We ordered the katsu curry, the seafood soondubu, and regular tteokbokki. This was enough for two people and we had some leftover as well so portion size was definitely generous! Katsu curry (5/5): very crispy and flavorful, and I especially appreciated the crisped rice at the bottom of the stone plate. Soondubu (3.5/5): it hit the spot for my soondubu craving, but the flavor was honestly pretty mild so not sure if I'd reorder Tteokbokki (4/5): a pretty good standard tteokbokki overall! Just felt that it was a bit expensive Overall, would definitely come back to try some of their other dishes :)

This place is definitely a more upscale, white-washed Korean establishment (lack of banchan varieties and more expensive than ktown) but makes up for it in authentic taste. The servers were quick to greet us and get us settled in on a Friday night. We ordered the sullungtang and hot stone bibimbap and enjoyed every bite. It's definitely not HanBat but makes for a perfect restaurant if you're in the mood for some hearty bone broth during the winter. The bibimbap comes piping hot on the hot stone bowl so make sure you don't burn yourself. What a great establishment to have on the Westside when you're craving Korean but don't want to drive that 20 mins or more to ktown in traffic.

I was hoping to be able to give this a higher star rating but unfortunately tonight just wasn't a spectacular experience. First, the food was great so kudos to the chef! However, the gap between mine and my date's entrees was incredibly long. My food was served in a hot stone bowl and had started to go cold by the time his food arrived. We ended up not even ordering dessert as the entire dining experience had taken much too long. Overall the restaurant seemed a bit hectic with servers literally running through the restaurant. Hopefully things will calm down in the coming weeks and we can have a more pleasant experience.

Galbi tang had no flavor and hardly any meat or anything else fur that matter. Seafood pancake was way too doughy and the bimbimbop had cheap ingredients like sliced cabbage and kelp. Meat was an add on as was the egg. I'll not return.

I thought about gatekeeping this place because the food is so good here! I know it's not traditional Korean but I got a chicken katsu curry and loved it. The standout dish for me though was the seafood pancake. Huge portions on everything but I still had like 2 slices of pancake. The dessert pictured was great too. I forgot the name but it was like a flattened donut with chocolate syrup inside. Service was great but we had to wait a while. Didn't mind though because the food was worth it!

So grateful to have authentic korean food on the west side thats not just soondubu. We tried their tteokbokki, pork belly soup, and braised beef short rib and everything slapped. Service was also good- food came pretty quickly. We came around 5pm and there was no line but a line quickly formed after we got seated (although it seemed like the line still moved quickly because theres quite a bit of seating).

Pretty bomb Korean food not gonna lie. I was very impressed with the freshness and flavor of the food. I'm half Korean and eat Korean food all over so I know mediocre vs Excellent Korean food. This place is excellent. WHAT THEY NEED TO CHANGE: Get Coke products guys. Seriously. How you gonna have Korean meats like Burlgolgi and Spicy Pork and not have Coke products. Need a good burp to make the food go down nice. Pepsi is trash. I almost walked to the grocery store to get a Coke lol. But we started with the Poo Ching Ge Korean Pancake. Super crispy and fresh. The seafood inside was fresh and the soy sauce with egg yolk was also perfect. It's big too! I got the Dorl Sot Bee Beem Pap. Korean hot stone pot. I always get this dish. Theirs is on point! Hot, fresh and their Go Choo Jang is bomb. Loved it. We also got the Spicy Pork. Also amazing. Hot, fresh and not too spicy. Loved it. Ban Chan was fresh. And they will refill your kimchee as much as you like. Very clean and casual inside vibe. My Korean food craving was satisfied. We have good Korean food in Orange County but selection is limited. This place is top tier. Highly recommend!

Fantastic spot for authentic Korean food without having to drive to Los Angeles. I'm glad they FINALLY arrived in Santa Monica! It's a bit hidden from Wilshire on the lower level. Across the street from Centinela Feed & Pet Supplies and BOA and close to Bristol Farms LOVE how they give and refill banchan here! FOOD 4/5 Beef Bone Broth (Seolleongtang) Specialty Katsu selections were delish Don't forget to try their Hotteok! PARKING 5/5 Easy 2hr parking above restaurant or metered paid street packing SERVICE 4/5 Friendly service from all staff members from start to finish this was also including BOTH dining in a takeout AMBIENCE 5/5 Clean ambience with outdoor seating and a nice spacious booth area

It's very exciting to have such an authentic Korean place in Santa Monica! My friends and I arrived around 7:30 PM and the place was packed, we got the last open table. We ordered : - BBQ Beef ribs (LA galbi) - the flavor of this was on point, and the pieces of meat were thick and succulent. Just wish there was a bigger serving! - Seafood pancake - I love the flavor of this as well, it was very seasoned and i enjoyed the dipping sauce that it came with. There was a lot of green onion, which I love, but my friend thought there wasn't enough seafood in it. It was fried well and had a nice bready crunch - Spicy pork - this dish was a low point of the night. It didn't even look like the photo, the pork almost looked ground and it didn't have any pork flavor or spice at all. It tasted extremely odd and I was very disappointed in this dish - Banchan - the kimchi here was fresh and excellent, and the spinach dish was good as well. Wish they had more options, like japchae or fish cake. Dessert - I was in Seoul last year and had fresh hotteok at the street market. This didn't taste like that at all. The nuts were outside (they're supposed to be inside like a filled pancake and covered with brown sugar/cinnamon). There was a weird chocolate syrup (Hershey's syrup?) to dip it in. It was too sweet and I wouldn't order it again. The main issue besides the pork was that the dishes took forever to come out, over 35 minutes. So we were beyond starving. If Jin Cook could get the food out sooner and fix that spicy pork dish, it could've gotten five stars.

Parking: do NOT park in any lot. The lot on the side and in the back do not belong to the building that Jin Cook resides in. I asked the staff. Don't let your car get towed. Garlic Suyuk - this dish is amazing and unique. My Korean friend has not had it before. It is soupy too. I love drinking the flavorful beef soup. The garlic sauce is salty so take a little bit. I also used the garlic sauce for my short rib in galbi tang. 5/5 Galbi tang - comes with 3 pieces of short rib. It has an herbal flavor due to the mushroom. It comes with white rice. The overall quality is great. It may not be the best galbi tang you have out there. And I have had better. But there is nothing to complain about. 5/5 Army stew - army stew has different spices level that you can tell the staff. The normal level is not spicy. The army stew is alright but mostly eat by my friend so I can't really comment on it. They used Korean spams and not American spams. The soup flavor is smokey in general. The price is quite expensive though. 4/5 Overall service is good. The restaurant looks fancy. All plates were nicely decorated. The paying option starts at 18% which is disappointing when it is not 15%. I can calculate it but the pressure of a person handing you the machine and waiting for you took the best of me.

I went here on a tuesday night and it wasn't too busy so we were seated right away. The portions are quite big and are meant for sharing. The food was very good and I'd definitely recommend trying their dessert. It's a very chill and nice spot to enjoy a meal and catch up with a meal with a very pretty mural and overall interior.

Craving Korean food and didn't have the time to go all the way into K town. The pictures of the food at Jin Cook is spot on. We had the 1/2 order Garlic Suyuk (boiled pork belly). it was our favorite and very good with a nice broth. Next was the BBQ Galbi. Really good marinade and the pieces were not too fatty. Recommend this also. I always have Japchae and we had the mushroom Japchae. This is standard and if you don't crave Japchae, you can pass on this. Lastly we ordered the Army Stew to-go for my friend that was still at work. She loved it. The service was good and the sides were very tasty, but limited.

It's so hard to find good Korean food on the west side - so excited to have Jin Cook in the area serving up Korean comfort favorites like rose tteoboki or galbi jjim. The pork suyuk was so tender and delicious. We also loved the galbi jjim and how they added pumpkin - I didn't love the slice of American cheese though and prefer just the blow torched mozzerella! But its so great to find if around the area. The rose tteoboki was just OK! I think I'll try the original next time for some good spice. Servers were super friendly and generous refilling the banchan. I'll absolutely be back!

Came here in a weekday since this place had good reviews and we don't have too many Korean places on the westside. Service was good and the place filled up even on a random Wednesday. We thought the food was a little mediocre for the prices - huge portions though. Tried the hot stone bulgogi, rose tteokbokki, and japchae. Wished the food had a little more flavor and spice. Maybe because it was a rose tteokbokki instead of traditional one but it didn't have a hint of spiciness. Even the kimchi wasn't spicy and very sweet.

I am sooo glad Jin Cook opened up in Santa Monica. I have been here twice already and have nothing but positive things to say. We went on a Friday at 8:00 pm and had to wait about 5-10 minutes. When we went on a Monday at 8:00 pm, we didn't have to wait though there were not many tables open. There is only street parking but it was not too difficult to find. Service is wonderful! Everyone is extremely kind. Very family like ambience. The food is incredible!! Banchan: there is not as much variety as other places but they were all delicious! The daikon radish was on the sour side both times I went. However the kimchi is spectacular. Galbi-Jim: One of the best galbi-jims in LA imo. We have had a few in Korea town and this place really stood out. Majority of meat had already fallen off of the bone and was so tender. The marinade was delicious and rich. They give a generous amount of meat. If I were to rank the quantity of items from most to least, it would be meat, potatoes = onions, zucchini, rice cake, then carrots. My partner and I ordered galbi-jim and dumplings and had enough food to bring home as another full dinner for the next night. Marinated dumpling: another amazing item! extremely flavorful! I'm not exactly sure the exact things on the inside since I keep devouring it in one bite but it for sure has japchae lol Garlic Suyuk: I had never had this dish before but was very pleasantly surprised. The meat literally melted in my mouth. Absolutely delicious. 100% recommend for folks to try this place out! You will not be disappointed!!!

Let me start by shouting out our server, Ben. He was so warm, friendly, and attentive. Exceptional service. Ok, onto the food. Get the braised short ribs. Just do it. It's the ultimate umami, sweet, tangy, savory, heavenly flavor-bomb. Every bite is packed with addictive, incredible flavors. The seafood pancake is also delicious. I love the light, crispy batter, combined with the fresh squid, and the amazing sweet-soy-yolky sauce. Walk-in only, no reservations. So get there before 6 if you don't want to wait. The Westside needed a real, solid Korean spot that isn't ayce. So happy that Jin Cook opened here!

Love that Santa Monica finally has a great Korean food that will certainly make you question if you really need to make the drive to Koreatown, especially with weekday traffic. We came on a Friday and there was a bit of a line (word is out!). They have a variety of broths, galbijim, and other goodies. Galbijim was tasty and they were generous with the amount of meat vs rice cakes and potatoes and is much cheaper than sun nong Dan. Broth is soothing and warming, esp during the winter. They have both indoor and outdoor seating - fortunately they have a couple of heat towers so sitting outdoor is not bad. May feel a bit crowded some the waiting area will spill over but all manageable. Service is super nice and attentive as well!

Best Korean spot ever in LA! The steamed dumplings are a must try! Amazing ambiance and friendly staff. Strongly recommended!

I lived in Santa Monica for 10 years, and every time I craved Korean food, I'd make the drive to Koreatown. This week, we discovered a new Korean restaurant just five minutes from where we used to live! Talk about timing-- so unfair! I'm not sure if Jin Cook is part of a chain, but it definitely hit the spot for my Korean food cravings. It's surprising it took this long for a solid Korean restaurant to open up on the west side of Sawtelle that's worth going back to. The decor is also something special. We enjoyed the vintage touches that created a warm, nostalgic atmosphere. They also had plenty of room for larger parties. Service was great. Was greeted quickly and warmly. Food came out pretty quick. They didn't offer much banchan (side dishes) but the taste was there. We were a party of 6 with 2 little kids. Kids enjoyed the dumplings, beef broth and the katsu. - Galbitang (Beef short rib soup) - Although I thought it was pretty tasty, my sister did not like the mushroom flavor it had. I didn't think it overpowered the beef but she did. I liked it. - Sullungtang (Beef Bone broth with sliced beef)- Yummy! - Steamed dumplings - Ordered this for my daughter. I don't know what it tastes like because she ate all 7 before I could. She gave it 2 thumbs up. - Curry Katsu - I don't think this was single serving. It was flavorful and the katsu was nice and crunchy. - Fried mushrooms- I really enjoyed this appetizer. It's like mushroom tempura. Nice and crunchy. As far as pricing goes, it is not bad (not cheap either). It's on par with all the restaurant in Koreatown. Unfortunately you can't get sullungtang for $10 anymore. Most dishes are sharable and range from $17 and up. I was able to find street metered parking in front which was pretty convenient. I will definitely be back.

Sun Nong Dan dupe except it's just as tasty! The interior was clean and slightly upscale, and the food was delicious all around. For a party of 3 on a Tuesday night, we were seated after a very short wait. The workers were kind, attentive, and pleasant. * Garlic Suyuk (Half) - I've never had this dish before but my friends and I agreed that the sous vide pork belly was very tender. The beef bone broth was both clean yet packed with flavor. The garlic sauce made in-house was a great addition to every bite. * Galbijjim (Braised Beef Short Rib) - I was a bit hesitant to add cheese because at SND the torch flame added a gas taste, but here it was not the case at all! The meat was tender, with very soft pieces of potato, onion, butternut squash, and chewy rice cakes. Honestly I might prefer this over SND's version, but they're both so delicious it's hard to choose. Mild was the perfect amount of slight spice for low spice tolerance people like me :) * Rosé Tteokbokki - Surprised by the amount of flavor in this! The bacon pieces were thin and not overpowering, and it was not overly spicy, which I liked. We added ramen noodles and it soaked up the sauce nicely. I kept putting the braised beef on a spoonful of rice with a little bit of the sauce from this dish (the perfect bite). The banchan selection was a bit limited, but the kimchi, spinach, and onion were all good. One thing I noticed is how nice the plates/cups/chopstick holders were! They definitely elevated the dining experience. There is a 2 hour free parking lot in the back on Stanford and Wilshire.

I had a great experience here, starting with the seafood pancake, which was very good. It had a generous amount of seafood and an excellent texture with plenty of flavor. The noodle soup with dumplings was delicious, though it could have used a bit more beef. Similarly, the bibimbap had great flavor but was light on the beef as well. The service was friendly and attentive, but there was a bit of a mix-up with our order, so we ended up waiting over 40 minutes for our dishes. Despite the wait, the clean environment and tasty food make me look forward to coming back again soon.

Pretty uncommon finding Korean food around this area and yes, it's recently opened one. Admittedly, I'm not huge fan of K-food, but yeah giving it a chance following the big crowd I was with (unpopular opinion but hey everyone has preference ;) ). The place looked pretty busy on dinner time, but not that long until we got seated; totally not bad for group of 12. Starting with Marinated Dumplings, which opened the course nicely with flavorful dumplings came in sweet and spicy soy-based sauce. Being a cheese-holic, felt wrong not ordering the cheese katsu. It was decent with filling portion, and stuffing it with jalapenos was great idea to give extra spicy kick. The curry itself was good but wouldn't say it's outstanding. I also expected to get more cheese in the katsu. The braised beef rib (galbi) with extra cheese topping was probably the spotlight on the table, and indeed one of their signature dishes. The beef was juicy and tender with some fats mixed in. The overall sauce was luscious and served in hot stone doubtlessly elevated the dish as it stayed warm. I opted for Hotteok as dessert, yes the Korean pancake filled with honey, nuts, and brown sugar. I unfortunately wasn't into Jin Cook's as it's bit greasy to my liking and it's further topped with chocolate sauce which wasn't my preference for my hotteok. Nonetheless, overall their signature dishes were worth trying.

Located on a relatively quiet stretch of Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, Jin Cook is the first authentic Korean restaurant in Santa Monica. No more need to fight the crowds and bad parking in Koreatown. We had the bone broth stew with lean strips of brisket that you can wrap around rice and with a piece of banchan for a nice taste. The broth was white with marrow and had the cartilage to prove it. They had "Army broth" on the menu that reflects US influence with instant noodles, American cheese, and Spam. I had the street food dessert that added a bit of authenticity. After having spent 40 years going to Koreatown for good food, Jin Cook is a welcome addition to the Westside.

Great service. Free parking after 6pm on the street. The food is a hit or miss depending on what you order. It's not as authentic as ktown but it's the best you'll get on the west side. Tofu soup was great. Bibimbap has seaweed salad in it which is weird to me. Small dishes are great. Overall, a happy addition to the Westside and will def go try other dishes next time.

JIN COOK braised beef short rib () rose tteokbokki () beef short rib soup garlic suyuk chicken curry katsu Jincook serves authentic Korean soul food on the west side of LA! It's open late, making it the perfect spot for late-night cravings their menu has EVERYTHING, from galbi-jim to bibimbap to katsu and so many other dishes! the braised beef short ribs and rose tteokbokki were standouts the galbi-jim was packed with tender ribs, rice cakes, and vegetables in a soy-based sauce with mild spice! make sure to add cheese on top to elevate the dish the tteokbokki was super creamy and cheesy packed with noodles, sausage, bacon, cheese, and a fried egg i can't wait to come back with friends to try their other dishes!

Went with my partner earlier tonight, it was little crowded but we got a seat like after 5-10mins check in. The environment was good, food was good, the server were good as well. The only one thing was, we ordered the food, and I was finishing my food and my partner still waiting for his food. No one came check, it was like 20-30mins later we asked the server and they went to check and the kitchen start to make the food. ‍ overall was good, just me and my partner didn't enjoy to eat at the same together. But they did took off little from the bill. Otherwise we would have giving 5 stars. The food was good. Also two things were out. .

This spot is a hidden gem and everything about it was great! The service was amazing and they kept it refilling our side dishes and water. The food was even better as everything we ordered came out amazing. My favorite was the curry katsu which I didn't expect to be so good but was delicious. The pork belly and the short rib are also must orders and good for sharing among friends. They said they just got their liquor license so they should have some drinks in the near future. Interior design was also very well decorated and modern. Will definitely be back!

New spot! As soon as we walked in, we were immediately helped by a server. We got lucky and were seated on the spot. We ordered multiple dishes and the server helped us choose the sizes. Good thing he did because these dishes are huge! The side dishes are free refill and they're really good!! The katsu curry that I ordered was also surprisingly so good!!! Better than I expected! I really recommend this spot. Delicious food and nice decorations.

My husband and I are super stoked that we finally have a good quality and reasonably priced (still high, but doable) Korean restaurant close to us on the Westside! Now we have an solid option outside of K-Town! We've been thinking about visiting this restaurant for awhile after first seeing a TikTok or IG reel talking about it, and the opportunity finally came along. Decided to pop by, parked in the side lot, and just walked on over. The other restaurants in the same plaza were relatively empty, so we were surprised to see a bustling restaurant upon walking in. Despite being busy, we were seated right away. The decor was very nice! We were admiring the gigantic and detailed map on the wall and took some photos while we were waiting for our meal. We ordered the traditional pork soup, steamed dumplings, budaejigae, and hotteok. We went to battle over whether or not we should have ordered the galbijjim, but decided we were in more of a soup mood. The banchan was really tasty! My favorites were the kimchi and the spinach. My husband wished there were more than four ban chan options though. I never finish them completely anyways, but it's something to note if you're a banchan lover. Our food orders were good, pretty decent and lived up to our expectations of what authentic Korean food should taste like. The hotteok was OK, it was nice to try it, but I don't think I'll order it again. Needs more crisp in my opinion. We were shocked by the cost of that Korean pancake. It looks delicious, but we will probably never order it. Over $30 for a pancake is WILD to us. The service was quick, attentive, and friendly throughout our meal. They gave us candy with our check because it was Halloween, so that was lovely. All in all, we decided that as long as Jincook stays around in the Westside, we will probably be coming back many many times.

The food was very good and very authentic Korean comfort dishes. The pork soup is a bestseller for a reason and the pork belly was very tender. I think the portion sizes are good and are paired well with the sides that come with the meal. When we came in, the service was very quick and food was out exceptionally fast, but by the time we left around 1pm, the place was a lot more busy in addition to many takeout orders. Their bathrooms were very clean as well and the restaurant is very cute. It seems that this place is loved a lot by the local Asian population. They were out of their seasonal tayaki which was disappointing but not too big of a deal.