Mapo Kkak Doo Gee

The aunties here are so friendly and cute and the vibe of the restaurant is cozy and homey 🩷 All of the food came out very quick. The banchan was so delicious and the bibimbap was the best I’ve ever tasted 🤭 the serving size was large and I felt very satisified and full after. I would definitely come here for authentic and yummy Korean food! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a small restaurant run by Korean aunties, so you know that it’s gonna be good. They are so very generous with their banchan portions and they’re all delicious, too. Lovely portions of rice and you get a free barley tea! I think they’re cash only, though, although I might be wrong about that.

I had dinner at Mapo Kkak Doo Gee in LA’s Koreatown, and it was fantastic! Ordered the spicy pork (jeukbokkeum) and seafood tofu soup (haemul sundubu), and both were absolutely delicious. The pork was perfectly seasoned with just the right kick, and the tofu soup was rich, flavorful, and packed with fresh seafood. The vibe is cozy, and the service was super friendly. Highly recommend this spot for authentic Korean comfort food!

Very homey atmosphere and great food! The ox bone soup was very satisfying and the banchan was highly complimentary. Would love to come back often!

It's a cute and authentic Korean place with very friendly staff. The food was good and the portion was huge

Came across this homey spot in LA for dinner. Aunties were very kind and generous with the food, they also had side dishes served. 10/10 felt like I was in korea.

A very chill Korean restaurant that provides comfort Korean dishes. There were not a lot of people when we came so it's nice to not have to wait too long for service but I can imagine it might get overwhelming because there's only one wait staff. The price is reasonable and the portion is ginormous so if you are a small eater you can consider bringing some leftovers home. For parking they provide valet parking that charges $3.

I really enjoyed eating at this place. I had been looking for a nice spot in Koreatown to try and this place satisfied the need. The place was very authentic. And while the waitress didn't know English very well, I was still able to communicate what I wanted. I ordered the squid and it was very fresh and flavorful. It was served mixed with onions, zucchini and various Korean spices. The banchan (side dishes) were very good as well. There was kimchi and 3 other plates of things. I think one of the others was tofu and another was zucchini. There was also a small pile of noodles of such. Overall, this was a great experience trying and I would eat here again.

This place is a staple of Koreatown. It has been around for decades. They have changed management once or twice, but really known for their fish dishes like eundaegu jorim and imyunsu gui and obviously their kkakdoogee (radish kimchi). They give a lot of banchan and honestly the taste is a little Western friendly aka sweet, but also has some variety where I'm more than satisfied. I won't fault them for this, but the cost of a eundageu jorim is $40 which is a lot, but you're usually sharing it with 2-3 people so it's worth, just hurts when you remember when it was $20 lol

I went to pickup for takeout, but the ambiance feels like an old-school, cozy, mom-and-pop Asian diner. The staff were just lovely and personable even though there was a little bit of a language barrier. They were nonetheless able to try their best to accommodate my dietary needs and make my dish to order within 20 minutes. Even though it took another 20 minutes or more to get home, the food was still piping hot and well packaged to not spill. I would probably order something else plainer next time personally because I think I did have a little bit of an allergic reaction so am guessing some of the prepared ingredients they use might already have my allergens in them. I do not know if I have the most discerning palate for authenticity and never met a kimchee stew I didn't like, but their kimchee stew was richly flavorful, as well as affordable. The included rice was also cooked to perfect doneness and just the right texture. I would certainly return to try dine-in with friends or family. Looks like their lot is valet parking, though there seems to be plentiful metered street parking in the area, and it is just one block away from the metro station.

All in all the food is amazing, this was one of our favorite Korean restaurants. The owners are really nice for the most part. The reason for the 3 stars is because it's gotten to a point where we go in and don't feel comfortable eating because the people are staring at you and talking about you/your appearance and the owners do absolutely nothing about it. These people are not quiet, but because everyone assumes one does not speak their language, it's okay to not say anything to them. Fortunately for me I understand Korean, but also unfortunate due to the fact that I had to sit there and listen to stuff being said about me, when the owner came up and served them, they were still talking to I was hoping for them to say something, but the owner just chuckled and walked away. Unfortunately we won't be going there anymore :(

As you can see from the photos, I got WAY too excited to eat because the food looked and smelled so good that I forgot to take a photo until I was already halfway through the meal. But, let me just tell you, the food is absolutely phenomenal. The restaurant is located in Koreatown, and has the best cozy/homey vibe. The people working there were all so nice and friendly, made me feel so welcome. I came on Christmas Day with my family and it was actually pretty busy but they still had a table for us. They served us immediately. We ordered a bunch of different items like the bulgogi, bibimbap, seafood pancake, and a spicy octopus dish. They brought out some extra items for us as a gift which was super nice!!! We got to try a fried fish and their sujebi (a korean noodle soup). All their sides dishes were so delicious and they kept refilling them since my fiance kept eating all the kimchi, haha Overall, I highly recommend!!! Amazing food, the kindest staff, and the most welcome vibes!

Pretty much amazing. My husband randomly picked this place based on Google Reviews and just drove up. It's in a strip with many other Korean places so I really am not sure if we went into the one he originally found online or not all I know is the food was amazing! Whenever you order, the lady brings you out a container divided into a bunch of different sections, all filled with different sides. They were all delicious and we ate them all up. Also, the food in general was just delicious. We couldn't take any of it home but we had no problem eating the majority of it. Only two dishes and the side were enough to fill us all up. The noodles are hard to share but the lady brought us some scissors and that made it easy. I've never cut noodles with scissors before so it was a neat experience. Loved: - Sides: all of them - Marinated Beef Liked: - Noodles: Fried Vegetables and Beef

had the ox soup.not much meat in there many types of banchan just wish i had better service

This place is so amazing. I got the Kimchi Stew and it was so delicious. I want to have it again soon. The restaurant had this "mom+pop" ambiance which was pretty legit. It*s not fancy but it is worth checking out.

If you can only go to one restaurant in LA, let it be this one. Bar none it is the most authentic Korean food you'll ever have in the city. The ahjummas that run the restaurant are a family and always welcome you with open arms and the friendliest service. The ambiance is very cozy and comfy and makes you feel like you're eating at somebody's home. I have been coming here for the past 5 years and the food has stayed consistently delicious. The sullungtang is miles better than Hanbat's; much smoother and milkier. You will also never taste another sundubu jjigae like theirs; not overly salty, packed full of umami, and addicting. All of their other dishes are to die for: spicy squid, sujebi, dolsot bibimbap, bulgogi, grilled sole (this is their specialty), and braised codfish. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu!

This is THE place to go for traditional Korean food!!! They have all the classic Korean foods like kimchi stew, dolsot, & many different fish dishes. Braised codfish (Eundaego jorim): This is one of my favorite fish dishes of all time and I love the way mapo makes it. The fish is so soft & flavorful and the portion size is huge! The two of us struggled to finish it. The radish is delicious because it soaks up the sauce & the other veggies (carrots, onions, jalapenos) are also yummy. The rice cake is a nice addition too. Side dishes: Didn't have too many because the main dish was so tasty on its own, but looked fresh! Fiance said that the acorn jelly was good. I've tried a good number of other dishes and feel like you can't go wrong with any of the items!

This is pretty authentic & fresh Korean food. It feels like what you eat at any local restaurant in Korea.

Always a pleasure eating at this restaurant. The food is always amazing and delicious. The side dishes are also super yummy. The service is also very friendly and it definitely feels like a home. Never a bad experience eating here and I have brought so many people to eat here and everyone enjoys it. The ambiance is definitely homey and comforting.

Been coming here since Covid when there was outdoor setting and I'm here every week to catch up with the friendly owners and enjoy their tasty homemade meals. Food never disappoint and with plenty of side dishes to eat with which I really appreciate it's my go to every time when I miss my moms cooking. Must come for their food and stay for the top notch service.

Make sure to get the black cod! The texture, the flavor, the radish, it won't disappoint!

The service was friendly and the food was way too good. I don't know any other Korean place with amazing food like this. Also the restaurant itself was traditional. Overall I would definitely recommend this place to all my friends and family.

너무 맛있어! 반찬을 여러가지 있고, 설렁탕 맛있게 만들고, 아줌마들 착해서 먹거는 경험을 엄청 좋았어요. 엄마 손맛을 같아서 아주 좋았어요. 다시 올께용!

Reasonable price, friendly staffs & yummy comfort foods-- what's not to like? This is hands down, my favorite place. This place feels like home--where you can always just go back and grab something to eat.

First time here. Parking is $2 at 11:45am but so is street parking for 2 hours. Restaurant is traditional Korean. Food was good. Banchan also very good. Reminded me of the 80s.

It's a small quaint restaurant, and I had high hopes but was sorely disappointed. We ordered 4 items off the menu: - [9] Soft Tofu and Seafood Soup (mild) {3/5} - [11] Pollack Stew (mild) {3/5} - [22] Hand-rolled Noodle Soup {2/5} - [26] Ox Bone Soup {1/5} All the soups tasted watered down or had little to no discernable flavor (especially 22 and 26). I've tasted other Korean soups that had more flavor than all the ones we had combined. The only saving grace was the rice and sides to fill up on. Maybe it didn't appeal to me because I am not korean, but I wanted more flavor in the broths? Service was good though. Be wary it costs $2 to park in the area in front of the restaurant.

If you're looking for comfort Korean food, this is the place. Food review only! A wide selection of delicious and fresh ban chan (side dishes). We were craving yummy seafood. For the fish option, I was debating between grilled alta mackerel and the fried sole. The server recommended the fried sole (Fried Fish) and said this place was known for it. The fried sole was amazing, perfectly crispy outside and tasty pieces of fish meat on the inside! No regrets! The Spicy Squid (medium spicy) was also well flavored with big pieces of squid and tons of veggies. I liked the two secret pieces of tteokboki that were in the dish. Absolutely lovely meal in a mom and pop location!

A good variety for all levels of Korean dishes. Service was good and it was delicious. There is a small parking lot as well

Absolutely delicious and legit Korean food. The quality of their dishes and side dishes are really authentic and everything was so enjoyable. I can't wait to go back! Refer to my menu item pictures as they're current. I also got kong gooksoo and al jiggae togo in addition to the items ordered per picture in restaurant ( pork belly kimchi stir fry, yukgaejang, and bibimbap) and nothing disappointed! Go, go!

Great hole in the wall! The lady that greeted us and served us was very warming. I almost felt like my loving Korean aunt just invited me into her house for a meal... And I'm Chinese. I had the beef ribs soup with cabbage, and the braised mackerel. The soup was hardy, and full of flavor The mackerel was less fishy than I thought it would be; very clean tasting and fatty! It was very delicious. The piece de resistance is their banchan. Served with several variety and extemely tasty!

Craving traditional korean food? If yes, then this is the restaurant for you! When we first came in, there was one ahjumma who greeted us in and tended to all of our needs. It was an empty restaurant, but clean and cozy. We then, for a party of three, ordered the Bibim Naengmyeon, Sullungtang, Grilled Sole, and Braised Codfish. Ended up being more than enough, so we took some leftovers home. I'd like to point out that the Codfish dish was especially good -- the sauce was amazing! Prices are reasonable in my opinion, but may seem pricier than other options in the area. But if you're going out with family or friends and are looking for some delicious, quality food, this is the spot! Also, by the time we'd left, the restaurant was packed and there were at least three waiters working. That says a lot about the quality and community of the place! :)

I was introduced to this family sisters own restaurant last year. The sisters are super friendly and the food is great. We ordered Braised Codfish was delicious and they always gave extra side dishes. So my girlfriend and I meet here one a week. The services are always impeccable. Also the restaurant is clean and safe. So I 'd totally recommend to anyone who's looking for family style restaurant. Everything are delicious here!

When you're craving some authentic Korean food, this is the spot. Parking is easy - they have a lot. Came here straight from LAX as I was craving Korean food. Everything is made from the soul and is so good. We ordered kimchi jiggae, pork stir fry, and the bimbimbap which all tasted like home. Service was good, the employees here are super friendly. Highly recommend this spot! This place has a hole in the wall vibe but don't let that steer you away!

Consistently good food. I get the bone brought and spicy beef and leek soups. Live them both!

Definitely one of the best Korean restaurants I've gone to! It's a very cozy environment and the food is really good quality! Staff were so friendly and welcoming and food came out so fast! The food was definitely comforting and the restaurant was very chill and laid back in terms of pace (not super duper busy restaurant and it isn't loud). We ordered: Stir fried pork vegetables: so delicious. A little spicy, but it was literally so perfect. It was well seasoned and it was full of flavor! It had some veggies and the pork was well cooked and so tender & juicy. Dumpling soup with rice cake: man, the dumplings were HUGE. I was so surprised. They were really huge and super delicious. Lots of meat inside them too hehe. The soup was definitely a pick me up too after all the super heavy dishes I'd been having while on vacation so I really enjoyed this. It feels like I'm being enveloped in a warm blanket while eating this. Both dishes are things I could never get tired of eating. I really wish we had this place in the bay. Mapo Kkak Doo Gee is definitely a hidden gem and I'd recommend people to check this place out! Would comeback here and make the trip out to get food here again. Super tasty and comforting, and the portions are pretty generous. My friend and I shared both dishes and were so stuffed after. Parking lot is small, but we came at around 2-3pm on a weekday and managed to find some!

We finally got to go back since covid started and let me tell you. The lady who owns, runs and serve at this place is amazing!! She creates a vast array of Banchan, has delicious entrees, and serves them up in amazing sized portions! The Banchan are the side dishes that come so why Korean meals, and a staple to any good Korean meal. This place gives you so many different house made Banchan, and they change all the time!! The ribs are amazing, but they specialize in fish here. The braised Cod is the best we've ever had, and my current favorite is this Bibim Guksu, a sweet and spicy cold noodle salad. I can't deal with how good it is, but please order it to go, because I don't want people crowding this place, making me have to wait when I get there! Just kidding. Also, if you eat all the Banchan, she'll offer you more for free! Love this place!

I am very very angry with this place. I don't know where to begin... The food was excellent though the same dish I had ordered last time ($16.99) is now $27.99. The service was none, and the small atmosphere was not as hospitable as before I did not tip by choice because I felt there was no service. Not even hi how are you. She took the orders & gave the bill That was all, and any need we had had to ask This is very unusual & cold in Korean restaurants But what I am mad about is that the owner chased us down to the parking lot to demand the tip She said it was American law that I must tip at least $5 I told her I will be back next time, and I will tip then. However, she would not let us go in peace, and my guest ( whom I brought there) ended up being dragged to run her CC It was ridiculous. I'm a firm believer in giving biz to local small owners What an insult and im sorry to even paid for that nights meal

One of our favorite places to eat and deliver from. All their dishes are delicious. Can't go wrong with their menu. Grilled Atka Mackerel and Briased Codfish are my favorites. The ban chans (side dishes) are plentiful and fresh. Love the family run restaurant and they welcome you like family. Support local dining and eat amazing food!

Was looking for cod fish since Jun Won closed. Stumbled upon this place, and I'm glad I did! Mapo is located on 6th and Normandie, same plaza as Yup Dduk LA and a karaoke place. Parking is awfully limited, and some spots are further occupied due to expanded outdoor seating. However, it's usually not a problem outside of dining hours. I really like how they have large pictures of their menu on the window, and the Korean/English translations are helpful. You'll find all the familiar stews, soups, and seafood dishes. If you're looking for meat, you can also order bulgogi and galbi. Take-out was easy, and they are pretty generous when it comes to banchan (side dishes). We ordered: Ox Bone Soup (Seolleongtang). The meat is pretty beefy and substantial, other places tend to use thinner cuts of brisket. I didn't receive packages of salt and chopped onions that usually come on the side, I think they were just added in. Kinda prefer to adjust the soup to my personal taste, but it was still pretty delicious and didn't need much change. Beef Rib Stew (Galbi-tang). Too much dried cabbage and other vegetables included, so I wasn't a fan of their rendition. Despite the smaller portion of ribs, I found the beef tasty and it went super well with the broth. The one that matters, Braised Codfish. Super tender and delicate to the taste. It's slightly above mild, the fish is bathed in a sauce that gives it such a complex, savory flavor with a bit of spice. This dish isn't cheap, but I'm willing to pay the premium. It's just that good. For such a tiny restaurant, there is so much to choose from. I have yet to try everything.

If you're a big fan of ban chan, this is the place for it because they serve a variety of ban chan and they're all fragrant and flavorful!! This place has great service as well. The Korean lady would come and refill the banchan for us. We had the braised mackerel and the sauce was a bit sweet and spicy. It didn't have that fishy stank, so you can tell they did clean it and season everything well. The dried cabbage soup could've been better. The meat in it looked sad. I'm hoping this means that their other soups are better. Can't wait to come back to try their other dishes!

Korean home cooking. That's what it feels like. Made by your Korean mom if you had one. The Ox Tail soup was comfort food. I wish I was hungrier. So tasty.

It's by far the best tasting Korean food in Korea town. I've been to tons of Korean restaurants. Price and service is tremendous.

Delicious homey Korean food. Tastes super authentic, like real Korean ajummas are in the back making the food. I had the eundaego (braised fish) and it was huge and so flavorful and scrumptious. Easily feeds 2 and maybe 3. Their side dishes were also on point, the kimchi here is sooooo good which is what I judge a Korean place by. Trust me, you won't regret going to tnis hole in the wall if you want some authentic Korean food.

Went there for the first time yesterday with my daughter we ordered 2 dishes. Spicy pork veg plate over 17 bucks blah not good at all 2nd dish was delish seafood knife cut noodles broth was yum almost 15 bucks banchans were meh slow service be prepared to yell for service, very tiny restaurant. Not going back.portions are alot smaller then the pics on yelp prices also went up.

The Service: Super attentive. The Food: Love the fish soup. Big portion to share for sure!! Lots of ingredients, steamy hot! Perfect dish for fall/winter time. The Parking: $2 valet parking

Delicious comfort food & kind service! I ordered the dough broth which was so subtly flavorful & comforting -- great if you are recovering from sickness. Also got the hot stone which had great flavor. Rice is among most delicious I've had!

Speciality: Soo Jae Bi (hand-torn flake noodle) Valet parking is $2 and I would just pay for it because it is not easy to find street parking in Koreatown. Service was nothing to write home about and it was pretty much your bare minimum (get order, deliver food, and deliver check). Banchan (side dishes): Kimchi tasted more sour than sweet. Asparagus were very good and crunchy. Cubed radish kimchi, seaweed, green bean jelly good, and this eggplant looking side dish were all very solid. I didn't like potato salad and potato cubes that much. *** #28 Soup with Pulled Dough Morsel ($10.06): This hand-torn flake noodle soup had a savory broth with chewy hand torn noodle and few oysters. I actually finished the entire bowl. *** Good Korean comfort food with tasty asparagus.

I really enjoyed the spicy chicken noodle soup. It came with three dumplings and two sides of kimchi. Service was quick attentive and efficient. Next time in LA I will definitely make it my first stop and further explore the menu.

Unexpectedly came here on a Friday night because all the other places were packed. Reluctantly sat down and ordered the stir fried squid and fish egg soup not expecting much but all that changed when the side dishes came out. They all tasted freaking amazing. Stir fried squid was cooked to perfection. Squid was nice and soft and the vegetables were still crunchy. Fish egg soup was more than enough to share between me and my wife and soup tasted amazing. The lady who works here was very friendly and treated us like she knew us. If you are craving some good old delicious Korean food, I highly recommend you give this place a try.

It is truly home made food concept delicious KOREAN home meal! Owner family is really kind and nice! Owner family, They are helping lots of people in the community. Love their food. Especially, Su Je Bi, grilled flat founder fish, thanks! Strongly recommend!

My go to place when I want authentic Korean soul food that reminds me of my grandmas cooking :). Must try the grilled sole and young summer radishes with rice!!! Everything on the menu is pretty solid - you won't be disappointed. Their banchans are also top tier and seems to change every visit so you can expect a good variety.

Love this place for the home style food and the extensive assortment of banchan. Some of the dishes could be a little more balanced, but portions are huge and everything is super satisfying. The only reason I am not giving five stars is that service is more attentive and more variety of banchan is given out if you are Korean/Asian. Just an observation after dining there several times and seeing dishes on other tables that were not offered to me. I've tried pointing and asking with no luck. I'll still come back for the bibimbap, spicy squid, dough flake soup, and maybe someday I'll get a dish of goguma mattang.

One if the original korea restaurants of koreatown. Tasted just like mom and grandmas home cooking. Glad to see it has stood the test of time and is still in business!

Found this spot randomly while driving through Koreatown. Food was amazing and authentic. Ordered the marinated beef (bulgogi), squid dish and glass noodles. So much flavor in each dish. Oh and the banchan was super delicious. Kind of a small spot but that's too be expected for a hole in the wall. The servers were super nice too. Will definitely be coming back!

Lots of side dishes, very quick to order, helpful staff, and yummy traditional korean food. nothing more i could ask for when i'm missing my moms home cooked mealsB

Never in my life I go to a restaurant and get stuff thrown at me. The people who works here are really immature and uneducated. First off, right when I walked in the staffs were already staring at me and talking smack in their language. Ok whatever. 2nd, I disliked the fact that they kept pushing me to order more...like hey, I can order just one dish if I wanted to. Just stop! 3rd, just half way done and they brought out the check. Whatever, I will just continue with my food and disregard it even with you going back and forth staring at my table. We ordered fish (not just one dish of fishes but 2) so of course we gonna take longer because of the bones. 4th, while eating I noticed that more people were coming in and those who came after us got tea instead of water. WE WERE OFFERED WATER ONLY. Next, I noticed that other tables got steam cabbages included with their dishes of ban chan. Unfair! And because of all that, for sure I ain't going to give a good tip like what I normally would give. The lady was eager to grab the tip. My sister decided to go to the restroom so I decided to go outside and sat in one of the outside chairs to wait. While waiting, one of the guy staffs came out and placed an empty trashcan next to 2 chairs next to me...like ok. Then out of no where, one of the lady staffs came out and threw an empty box at me. Hit my right arm and leg...WTH?? Ok...that wasn't the end of it. Another lady came out and threw a bigger box across me to the trashcan and walked away. Like seriously??? You guys are so old and so immature. I am not going to lie that their food was ok. I liked the fishes but I will never come back to this kind of uneducated, unprofessional and immature place. Eww. I regretted even giving a single tip.

Ox bone soup with rice #26 Pretty gooooooood. Hit the spot. This place closes at 10pm. Yelp hours incorrect Homey aunties with nice and kind service Sorry for the pict but I ate it all.