Hanjip Korean BBQ

This place doesn’t beat anything in Ktown, but it’s more accessible to westsiders and those who don’t mind paying a bit more. Speaking of which the ginormous TOMAHAWK STEAK with foie gras butter at a whopping $ 150, is the main reason you’d want to give Hanjip a try. But don’t go at it alone. It’s meant to be shared. We also enjoyed the KIMCHI FRIED RICE and the BONE MARROW CORN CHEESE.

It’s kind of hard to screw up marinated pork belly… But when I pay $ 50 for a small pork platter you better believe I expected at least somewhat close to K-​town. Instead I got tough to chew pork that lacked flavor.
Our first mistake was letting the kitchen cook our meat. Showing up on a busy night where seating was hard to come by inside we decided to sit outside where they didn’t have a grill… I mean who better to cook the meat then the chefs in the back? WRONG!
The sides were not bad. They weren’t exactly traditional, but not terrible. It’s the pork that was so disappointing. Isn’t the meat the point?
I’m happy we finally tried this place but will not come back. It’s not worth the money.

I REALLY wanted to like this place… I mean, the west side has been sorely devoid of good Korean BBQ.
The servers were nice but I think a bit over-​busy to be able to provide the service typical at most good KBBQ joints.
We had a 3-​meat platter and I was so disappointed. The meat wasn’t at all flavorful, and the sides (typically a well-​enjoyed bonus at any KBBQ for me) were just ho-​hum.

June 23, 2016 update: I received a message through Unilocal from the owner /​management of Hanjip that they are going back to a «more traditional» tipping protocol, and removing the 20% hospitality fee, and it’s weird (and hopefully unintended) side effect of what was effectively an 11.4% sales tax charge.
I applaud this move; I also respect any person /​organization that can admit something «just isn’t working /​just ain’t right» and takes corrective action.
Perhaps I will revisit; life is too short to hold grudges… we shall see. Please stay tuned…
——
3^rd visit now and last — 20% hospitality fee (read: mandatory 20% tip) AND 11.4% sales tax!!!
First time I noticed, during second visit (didn’t notice 1^st trip, but too long ago to find detailed receipt to check) I thought it was a mistake, asked the server, who brought the manager, recalculated the tax to the appropriate tax level applied to the SUB-​TOTAL and though with a bad taste in my mouth from the «mistake» I assumed it was a one time thing, though I had my doubts since I know it’s all computerized, thus programmed in. The implications are… pretty bad.
I checked posts here on Unilocal and asked friends — apparently no one else checked but I found a receipt posted online — yep, 11.4% tax.
WTF?
When I was young, «I got gyped» meant «I got cheated» or «I got ripped off» I guess the owners of this restaurant chose their name correctly.
Staying away for a long time to allow the bad taste to fade, and hearing from friends how the food keeps evolving and improving, I went back.
Again with the 20% hospitality fee AND 11.4% tax.
I asked again, again the server claimed ignorance and asked the manager. The manager came over and explained they have to charge tax ON THE 20% HOSPITALITY FEE. So the actual percentage is correct (apparently.)
I WILL NEVER RETURN. I DON’T CARE HOW GOOD THE SERVICE OR FOOD IS. 20% MANDATORY TIP ***AND*** PAYING TAX ON THAT TIP (WHICH AT THAT LEVEL SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RECIPIENT OF THE INCOME… OH, WAIT, IT’S NOT INCOME TAX IT’S ***SALES TAX***) IS JUST TOO OFFENSIVE.
AGAIN, 20% MANDATORY TIP ***AND*** PAYING SALES TAX ON THAT TIP IS JUST TOO OFFENSIVE.
RIGHT UP THERE WITH FORCED TIPPING ON THE TAX, ie GRAND TOTAL
I’d rather they charged a «door charge or entrance fee» — I’d still not go but at least it’s more honest.

I heard about them on NPR’s Good Food where Jonathan Gold reviewed them. I kind of thought I should not listen to JG; I never really liked him. Anyhow, the husband wanted to go to Culver City, so I suggested to try this place.
Was surprised that we were able to book a table on OpenTable. Normally, if JG writes about you in the LA Times, you can’t get in for months, but at least weeks. Maybe people have already figured out that it’s really not all that and definitely not worth the money. You need to understand that Jonathan Gold never pays for his food and never cares about and understands how much things cost.
From my reviews you can see that I don’t give a damn if a place has a fou-​fou chef. I want to eat good food and not judge a competition by the way a dish looks.
Place looks nice; interesting modern design, but annoyingly loud.
You can pick a Beef or Pork combo or certain dishes for the barbecue. A beef plate for 2 is $ 57. The beef combo has brisket, bulgogi and marinated short ribs. You can get the same amount of beef (actually more) with all the side dishes and fixings for $ 20 less at better places in Koreatown. The quality of the meat was very good, but not better than at some of the better Korean BBQs in KTown.
You can, well kind of have to buy some side dishes, because they don’t serve rice. I mean you get the usual little side dishes that you get at any Korean BBQ, but that is not enough for all the meat.
So, we ordered the Shrimp and Scallops Pancake and the Kimchi Fried Rice. The Seafood Pancake was OK, the Kimchi Fried Rice was more interesting, but nothing to write home about. We didn’t care for the weird dishes that JG recommended. I’m not a fan of bone marrow or uni (it’s just a fad).

I ordered the Watermelon Soju that was $ 16 on the menu. It was a huge half bowl of watermelon with the inside carved as small balls, the soju poured inside the bowl and then topped with crispy fruity pebbles (hunh?) and fizzy pop rocks. It’s more of a gimmick than a drink. I should have just ordered a regular soju for $ 10. When my bill actually showed $ 20 for the Watermelon Soju, I was told that the menu just changed and now it’s $ 20, but they’ll take off the $ 4 as I didn’t get the new menu. I think it is all BS, as all the menus seemed to be the same and their website also says it’s $ 16. It’s not even worth $ 16, but definitely not worth $ 20.
I think they were just hoping that I wouldn’t check the bill.
By checking the bill I also noticed that they charged a 20% gratuity. So, I checked the menu and indeed it does warn you at the very bottom with tiny letters that they will automatically charge you 20% gratuity. (Otherwise, it would be illegal.)
I thought that was tacky. With the prices they charge, it’s already expensive for what it is, but to add 20% is really not cool. In fact, it’s seriously crooked. I understand that restaurants add a gratuity on parties of 6 or larger, but on every check, that’s a little uncalled for.
So, that and the fact that they were trying to cheat me put a damper on the whole experience. Service was OK, but let me decide myself if I want to reward them with a gratuity of 20%.
So, I will definitely not return and now I know never to listen to Jonathan Gold. :-)
I suppose there isn’t another Korean BBQ in Culver City and with all the people with money from Sony Studios and all the snobs in Culver City, this place will thrive with these prices, but don’t get fooled: just a few miles down the road, you get the same quality, but more quantity for half the price.

Make sure you realize: They charge a 20% hospitality fee and they charge a cancelation fee within 48 hrs of reservation.

Prime Korean BBQ food in Culver City by Chef Chris Oh. Great selection of meats and seafood. Come with friends and enjoy grilling your meal at the table

This is pretty much a high end Korean BBQ restaurant. My friend and I came during Happy Hour (4:30pm-6:30pm) on a Saturday.
The banchan selection included some unique dishes, such as cuttlefish, which I really liked. The salad was also a step up from other kbbq places — better quality and tasty dressing. For food we shared:
Mister Oh’s Ribs: From HH menu. Sooo tender and falls off the bone when you bite into it. Not a huge fan of the sauce though. It was completely smothered on and was a bit tooo much. A thin coating would have been more perfect.
Kimchi Fried Rice: Enough kimchi flavor and not overpowering. The egg was soft and runny — a must for this dish.
Bone Marrow Corn Cheese: I love corn cheese on its own but this took it to another level. They tell you to mix it all together but I felt the bone marrow flavor was lost if done that way. So I ate it separately and it was heavenly.
Uni Steamed Egg: So. Much. Yes. Also had salmon roe in it. Added a saltiness and fishiness that I very much enjoyed.
We didn’t get any meats to grill, but everything we had was pretty darn delicious. I was wondering why there’s so many low reviews though. Service was good, but it was also very empty. However, when the bill came, we saw that they added an automatic 20% «hospitality fee» to our table of 2. Umm, not sure if that’s even legal, so that’s why minus 1 star from me.

A fun little Korean BBQ joint in downtown Culver City. They have a great lunch deal for $ 15 you can pick some kind of rice bowl (poke, chicken katsu, spicy pork, soon tofu, or bibimbap) and a meat choice to BBQ on the grill at your table. Otherwise i suggest getting Mr. Oh’s ribs. My absolute favorite thing at Hanjip. So tender, succulent & delicious!

Came here on a Saturday afternoon and there were only 2 tables seated. My friend and I were pretty excited about all the interesting food dishes they had to offer but unfortunately none of them stood out in the end. The banchan included an interesting selection, but we really only picked at a few of them. Food-​wise, we ordered:
Uni Steamed Egg: Good dish, but not sure that I would get it again. Uni texture really blends well with the egg and adds that extra flavor. I love egg and uni but not sure if this is the combination for me.
Bone Marrow Corn Cheese: Once again, interesting concept and presentation, but that’s about it. Way too much corn and cheese to evenly mix the bone marrow into it. You’re better off eating them separately but then why mix the two things together in the first place?
Kimchi Fried Rice: Pretty typical fried rice dish, but it does comes with a runny egg.
Mister Oh’s Ribs: On the HH menu. Drenched in sauce and onions, this was my favorite dish. Ribs were done very well, portion size was huge. Definitely recommend getting this.
Hospitality Charge = 20% automatic gratuity. Pretty sure it’s been illegal to do this in California since 2015, I would understand if we were a party of 10 or more, but it was 2 people and you’re charging us 20%, let’s be real here. Definitely won’t be back.

This place is ok. Their menu has a lot of sides /​appetizer dishes and a decent selection of meats for the BBQ but seemed a little less exciting for some reason.
They have combo options, which is what we decided to do. The portions were pretty large and the meat was good. The server helped cook everything for us, which is nice.
The initial side dishes (banchan) were all a little more «modern» and not as traditional.
Lighting is pretty dark.
Parking is hard here. There’s valet for $ 8 (!!) and there’s a building behind them, but it was full when I went. Street parking is also available, but hard to find a space!

A Korean friend suggested Hanjip differs from Korean BBQ in K-​town in that it is more accessible to west sidereal both geographically and philosophically. She took issue with some of the fusion going on in the restaurant such as the otherwise delicious pouting with curly fries. The meats are quality and there is no skimping on the preparation. The pandan has some fusion going on primarily via the coleslaw with kimchee dressing. Don’t worry, you’re sides will include traditional kimchee as well.
We had four people and ordered both the beef platter and the pork platter. We would have been well fed solely if we ordered the beef platter. Perhaps its because we ate the beef first and I was fairly full before moving on to the pork dishes, but I preferred the beef cuts and preparations more. The pork platter had four portions of pork belly and it was too much for me.
The night I ate there Jonathan Gold was also having dinner! This is the first time I’ve ever bumped in to the Pulitzer prize winning food writer on the street. His review will certainly draw more attention then mine.

I think I’m going with the general opinion when I say that this place is overrated.
We got the bone marrow corn cheese which I will let you all know is basically my three favorite things in the world in one bowl. But unfortunately the bone marrow wasn’t flavored so when they mixed it into the corn cheese it kind of just melted and didn’t add any of that delicious marrowy taste. And the corn was on the overcooked chewy side too. Total fail.
As for the meat, we got a combination plate and the quality of the meat was definitely lacking. Pretty flavorless. Also, they kept turning up the grills so high that there would be this huge cloud of smoke over our table and everything would almost get burnt right away.
The kimchi fried rice could’ve used more salt too. Honestly people, just brave the 10 and head out to Ktown.

Doesn’t deserve any stars. Quality of the meat meh… atmosphere it’s ok, ok because it’s in culver city that’s about it. Very overpriced Kbbq, you can get better quality and more tasteful Kbbq in ktown. I highly recommend anywhere in ktown if you’re in the mood for Kbbq.
What really disappointed me was that… when kbbq-​ing, they frequently change your grills… the server, who seemed to be some kind of manager or top level server, gave us a peeling off grill… the cover or whatever the grill was made of was literally peeling off and he put or leftover meat on there and was about to start grilling the next set of meat. I asked him to change it to another grill that’s not peeling and he told me all the grills were like that but I noticed the one he brought wasn’t at all… The other table was complaining about the same thing. My soybean paste sauce looked like it was dipped in I asked to change it and he asked me why which I thought was considerate. Overall experience conclusion… prolly never gna go here ever again. Nor do I think it’s worth it. To prove the filthy grill, image is attached.
Ah uni steamed egg with the salmon eggs… really fishy. Yuck. Just stick with plain steamed egg.

Not my thing.
I prefer to eat the authentic Korean BBQ in Koreatown. They have more sides, more meats, all wrapped in thinly sliced radishes, but at half the price. Paying nearly $ 150 for two with two beers, only two meat options and a rather limited side list makes me consider this a very overpriced ‘version’ of Korean BBQ.
The tomato and onion salad was delicious. Same for the Pork. I just would have preferred to wrap these meats and sides in something other than lettuce.
I also didn’t like the fact that I froze my ass off and used the gas grill as a heater.
Yup, one still has to drive to K-​Town for decent Korean BBQ.

Everything SOUNDS and LOOKS good, but when you actually taste the food, it’s crap.
Some of the things we ordered:
+ Uni Steamed Egg — did not taste good together.
+ Bone Marrow Corn Cheese — the bone marrow melted into the corn cheese, practically adding more fat to fat
+ Kimchi Fried Rice — bland
+ Beef Tongue (my favorite meat) was no bueno. The heat was way too low when they put the meat on, causing it to cook SO slowly and turn rubbery.
For 3 people, we spent around $ 200. Waste of money. Save your cash and go to the dozens of better Korean restaurants in ktown. Everything looked good in photos/​snapchat though.

Expensive? Yes, but worth every bit the headache it saves from driving to K-​Town and trying to find parking, because that always proves nightmarish. I hate it. I think part of loving a joint is not just food, service, and drink but also about how convenient it is for you to go there and still enjoy the experience. And I have to say EVERY TIME I GO TO K-​TOWN, I hate it. It’s overcrowded and insane. No, thank you!
So guess how much I loved this joint with their large Hite beer and the black lager for the hubster; their perfect ventilation and modern décor; their acceptance of RESERVATIONS? Plus it has things that most traditional KBBQ places don’t, like the AHMAZING creation that is the corn with the bone marrow! No joke, this dish was DIVINE.
We came here the other night for my pre-​Birthday Birthday dinner and it didn’t disappoint. The lovely manager came by to check on us often and she couldn’t believe we ordered that much food and ATE IT ALL. I’m not kidding, we were machines: Bulgogi, Beef Tongue, marinated pork, plus all the ban chan you can eat (that included the exquisite dried squid). We went KBBQ cuckoo!
We’re bringing friends next week! And probably the week after. If you think this place is too expensive, have fun driving East, dealing with horrible traffic, finding needle-​in-​a-​haystack parking, and all that LA joy. Me, I’m staying on the Westside and happily giving this place my money.

A-​ok! Wasn’t sure what to expect of this trendy fusion kbbq place but def holds up to the hype! Kinda pricey especially for some of their house special dishes. $ 5 for steamed egg? (we opted to forego the uni) However the bone marrow cheesy corn is unique and definitely rich. Kimchi fried rice was definitely satisfying. Meat portions are smaller than you would expect at other kbbq places. It’s not all you can eat and the quality of meat is decent but not quite worth the premium they charge. Great ambiance and awesome service which means a lot. Will be back to try their much more affordable lunch specials!

I am giving one star for this restaurant because of the poor service. I made a reservation for Friday night at 8:15 pm for four people. I checked in for our reservation at 8:15 pm and the hostess informed me it’d be 10 – 15 minutes before my table was ready. 45 minutes later, our table was still not ready and when my friend checked on our table, the hostess said «I thought we called your name. Oh wait, I’m sorry. Your name disappeared off the list!» Strike no. 1!
After waiting for 45 minutes even though we had a reservation, our waiter was less than friendly. He barely made eye contact with us and was very cold. When explaining the menu, he said, «the menu is self-​explanatory.» In addition, after we finished our meal despite the restaurant being less crowded, it took our waiter a while to give us our check.
In short, I had high hopes for this place because I liked the décor and location, but after such poor service and our waiter’s bad attitude, my friends and I will not return!

Loved the atmosphere. A very hip, urban vibe without being pretentious or righteous.
The food was great. We had bulgogi and some beer. The condiments were flavorful and refilled frequently.
Service was friendly and proactive.

3.5 stars = 3 stars for the 90s hip hop, plus 0.5 stars for offering me a bone marrow luge with my bottle of soju and bone from the bone marrow cheese corn. i politely declined… bone-​marrow-​laced soju sounds like an unfortunate mixture you’d find in a trash can. yet, i willingly and happily ingest them separately…
the music was so good that i was nearly distracted into hallucinating that i was at a real k-​town KBBQ place. then a quick glance around brought me jarringly back to reality. cool vibe with cute and hip décor and real ventilation? dorothy, we are not in k-​town-​ansas anymore.
the banchan was pretty good, especially the dried squid. but where was my beloved potato salad? and cherry tomatoes in oil? why? no?
we got the seafood pancake and pancakey it was. it was too thick and super greasy.
the bone marrow cheese corn was delicious. bone marrow makes everything better. it could make a piece of cardboard taste amazing.
the meat was aight. definitely not the best. worth it for $ 29 dineLA, not worth it at full price.
if you live on the westside and don’t feel like dragging yourself through traffic to get to k-​town, this is a decent compromise. if you’re a typical angeleno who lives and dies by traffic patterns and plans your entire life including when to get married, what time to give birth, and when to eat yummy food around traffic, then spend the extra 15 mins to get your ass to k-​town where the KBBQ is way better.

Came here for restaurant week with a couple friends. We had a pretty good time!
The servers there were incredibly friendly and gave us some great tips about knowing when the meat was done.
The banchan was alright, as was the salad. They gave us ponzu and truffle salt (?). I missed the traditional oil that typically goes with the salt.
The meat servings were actually quite generous. We each got to pick 2 meats and a side for $ 29. Collectively we got the bulgogi, short rib, marinated pork belly, pork shoulder, the bone marrow corn, kimchi fried rice, and the seafood pancake.
The bulgogi was very good, but the marinated pork belly was my favorite. In terms of the sides, the kimchi fried rice was amazing!
We had a ton of food left. It was a lot for 4 people and a pretty decent price during dineLA. However in the world of Korean bbq, it’s a little pricey. The atmosphere is definitely more high class, but I’d rather get all I can eat for less money at kalbi King or gen.

Went to Baldwin hills scenic route to «hike» but it was more like a stair master. Climbed a bajillion steps with my friends and our legs were all cramped up and our tummies were growling.
Looked up for food spots in culver city, and was planning to come here during dine la weekend but didn’t get the chance to. We thought, why not, let’s get some protein in for them gainzzzz.
Our server was the sweetest thing ever. He described to us a few popular items on the menu. The dine la menu is their lunch special, and it was a pretty good deal for the amount of food you get so we decided to do that.
For the lunch special, you pick a bowl, poke, pork bowl, bibimbap, or soon tofu. Then you choose your meat. Either brisket, pork belly, bulgogi, or short ribs. I decided to get the bibimbap and brisket.
Our server was kind enough to cook the meat for us and serve us endless banchans (side dishes) that I must say are freakin delishh. My friend and I were devouring all of the banchan that we got pretty full before our main course came out.
The bibimbap was just meh to me. A bit bland compared to the banchans. I seriously would’ve just been happy with the banchans. The meats for the grill were good though. The pork belly and Galbi came in one giant thick slice while I got a plate full of brisket. We also ordered the bone marrow corn cheese which was def worth the hype. The bone marrow made the corn taste buttery but I couldn’t really taste the cheese.
Overall, this place is good if you want to get some rice and meat, but if you just want to stuff yourselves with protein, you should prob go to an ayce place cuz that’s definitely be cheaper.

It’s more like a 3.5 stars review…
(Rating based on food I had only)
Poke Bowl — A–
Good portion size of fresh Tuna poke, salmon roe, avocado, greens, seaweed, and uni garnished on top! Serve with warm rice underneath. It is a very appealing poke bowl, a happy lunch choice.
Chicken Katsu Bowl — C
This is rather disappointing. The batter of chicken katsu is quite thick and tough. Curry is from believably premade curry blocks. They give your white pickled ginger, which is so weird… shouldn’t it come with red pickled ginger instead? White kind doesn’t go well with curry… maybe it’s my bad, I shouldn’t order katsu rice at a kbbq place… or maybe they shouldn’t put it on menu?
Meat — Marinated short rib, bulgogi, marinated pork belly — B
We had these meat during dineLA lunch, so we have one piece of each meat. Short rib is normal korean style sweet soy marinated, tender enough. Bulgogi is about the same. Pork belly has a little spiciness, which is nice. For the price level they are, the meat is normal quality, I would hope for better, but as lunch, it’s fine.
10 Banchans we had, they are quite good. I am very happy with kimchi and tomatoes.
(please note, they charge you 20% service fee automatically, which you wouldn’t see that at Koreatown.)

THE SERVICE IS TERRIBLE. T-E-R-R-I-B-L.E.
What’s more disappointing is it’s obvious from the Unilocal reviews. so why has nothing changed? It should be one of the easiest things to improve upon. Who are you hiring and why can you not have a staff meeting to address this?!
AND THEY ADD 20% GRATUITY TO ALL TABLES REGARDLESS OF SIZE. No mention of this at all (dineLA) and after horrific service we double tipped them $ 80? Wow.
Why is the service an absolute joke? No follow-​through and everything had to be asked multiple times, that is whenever you could actually get your server’s attention. I had to question if the bus boys even spoke English — we’d ask for more water, a box, an extra plate and he would nod his head yes. but nothing would ever happen. The servers were also not friendly to say the least — not sure if it’s the automatic 20% gratuity but nothing was delivered with even a *hint* of a smile or customer service.
The food itself was actually pretty good (kimchee fried rice, kalbi, bulgogi, corn & bone marrow), but priced very high vs. what you might be used to seeing in Ktown. but yes agree the décor is nicer. but service 100% worse than Ktown so you are better off skipping this place and just driving east to Ktown. Disappointing that a 5 star place could be 2 stars due to the absolute lack of service and management’s negligence.

I’ve been waiting for Hanjip to open for months and then when they finally did, I was overseas. I didn’t make it here until I came back and it was well worth the drive to Culver City.
First off, I thought the restaurant was a lot bigger from the photos I had seen, but it’s a reasonably average size. I’m guessing they get pretty packed on weekends with long waits for a table.
We had several cuts of meat including the obligatory chadol which was absolutely fantastic. We also tried pork jowl which looked really fatty but once it’s been on the grill and rendered down, it was some of the most flavorful meat around. We had some other meat which I’ve now forgotten, but the meats were all top quality possessing really good flavors.
We didn’t get the chance to order the Tomahawk since there weren’t that many of us, but we did try the corn with bone marrow — absolutely to die for!
The uni egg needs a think through because the uni on top got cooked with the steaming hot egg and harden by the time we ate it and it killed the taste of the uni. I’m thinking maybe serving the accoutrements on the side and you can eat it with the egg by scooping a little of the uni and the roe with it instead of having it «cook» with the hot steam. Just my thought.
We loved the assortment of banchan, especially the dried squid which we probably had 5 refills of.
If you’re a fan of pajun (seafood pancake) then by all means order one of these. It’s crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
We also were able to try the ddukboggi which had a little cheese on top. This is a special so I’m not sure if it’s available when you go there. However, it was SO good. I thought the cheese might be a bit much, but it actually didn’t overpower and was a perfect addition to the mix.
All in all, we had a wonderful meal — a tad on the pricey side, but you’re in Culver City — and service was also on point. It was the first time I actually got to eat and not cook the meat! The server came by and cooked everything for us.
It was an absolutely stellar meal (except for the uni part) and I’m dying to return again for the Tomahawk!

This is a DineLA lunch review.
This is my first Korean BBQ meal. I have a bunch bookmarked and AYCEs scouted but never on that side of town. This one opened up in Culver City a few months back, but I wasn’t in too much of a hurry because it looked pricey. I was excited to see it on DineLA offering a $ 15 lunch, (the dinner is only $ 29) so I made a reservation thru Open Table. Good thing the restaurant’s 17 or so table were basically full at the 12:30 hour.
Our server Rafeal asked if we were ready, had any questions and we asked for the DineLA menu. He seemed surprised one wasn’t left so I assume their not hiding it from you like some places. You get a choice of 1 bowl and 1 grill meat with 5 options for each, We selected the chicken Katsu bowl, tuna poke bowl, marinated bulgogi and marinated pork belly.
Infused water and banchan started hitting the table 9 total I believe: kimchi, dried squid, potato, tomato, pickled onion, bean sprout, fish cake, radish, seaweed and sea weed salad.
A soy sauce condiment, salt, fresh sliced garlic, fresh jalapeño and bean paste too. We asked if we should eat those first or wait for bbq, he said whenever no right or wrong way to do it. We sampled them all and all were pretty good. definitely some unique flavors and textures but all worth a try to see what you like.
Meat came out quickly and the server threw it on the hot grill. Said to turn it in 3 – 5 minutes and handed us tongs. We were kind of lost in the banchan so he came back turned the meat, cut it and the onions up and proceed to move it around then off the hot part of the grill. Bulgogi great. Marinated Kurobuta pork belly, really nice with the white onions and garlic/​jalapenos we threw on.
OK now the bowls. A meal in themselves and where the value really went up. The katsu came with a good spicy curry sauce and poached egg with soft yolk. The poke had sea urchin, salmon roe, avocado, nori and fresh seaweed (which I would omit next time)
Service was great, attentive, friendly and going out of their way for us first timers.
I would go back for this special every time they offered it with plenty more options to try.

THANK YOU AIMEE AND BRIAN!!! You guys have made my Hanjip experience truly an amazing one.
I came to by with a couple friends on a Tuesday night for DineLA and I was mindblown by the warm hospitality I got the moment I walked in. Though it was supposed to be a 30 minute wait, the hostess did her best and had us seated within 15 minutes.
Shortly after being seated, we had servers all around taking care of us immediately. Water, banchan, menus out in front of us and orders taken in no time, which was great cause we were starving!
Now I’m a foodie — when I go to restaurants, I focus mainly on the dishes a restaurant serves instead of paying more attention to service because great service is rare to find nowadays. But Hanjip changed all of that for me.
Our dishes were brought out very quickly and our server Brian was so personable and attentive to our needs, and even took a few shots with us! The supervisor Aimee even came by to cook our food and chat with us. What kind of restaurant supervisor sets aside time to personally know their guests?! The hospitality provided at Hanjip was seriously like no other.
We had the short rib which was extremely tender and marinated to perfection, non-​marinated pork belly (also amazing), and pork shoulder which was one of my favorites. It was my first time trying pork shoulder and though I was unsure at first, Brian assured me that this would be a good choice and he was definitely right.
The quality of the meats were all superb and they give you generous amounts. The banchan options were different and tasty – there were a couple new things I’ve never tried before so it was kinda like a fun tasting event for me :-) I especially enjoyed the shredded potatoes and cherry tomatoes!
Bone marrow corn cheese — like everyone else on here has mentioned already, GET THIS!!! It’s a pretty big portion and there’s a nice sweetness to it… the bone marrow was delish!
Uni steamed egg — this was on the house; I was eyeing this item on the menu when I first sat down so I’m glad we had the chance to try. Being both an uni lover and a steamed-​egg lover, I found this dish to be perfect and amazing.
At first I was a feeling a little meh about the mandatory 20% gratuity, but my friends and I eventually ended up tipping 30% because of the wonderful overall experience we had here. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants and I can’t wait to be back. I LOVE HANJIP!!!

My first DineLA stop for Winter 2016. Soooo good!
Made a last minute reservation to come try Hanjip for the $ 29 KBBQ dinner deal which included a first course choice of prime beef + second course choice of Kurobota Pork + super yummy side dish! I came with my mom and bf, allowing us to order and sample every type of meat offered on their set menu — which were all really flavorful, well marinated and delicious. We ordered the seafood pancake which was very moist and yummy, the bone marrow corn cheese *my favorite thing I ate there* and the kimchi fried rice. We also had to order the uni steamed egg with ikura that everyone raves about and posts on social media and it was sooooo good. The uni and ikura adds the perfect flavor to complement the steamed egg.
The service was great as well, our server Lisa and another gentleman who brought a colorful spread of banchan dishes to our table were both full of energy, and friendly. The restaurant was very hip-​ly decorated and I really enjoyed the 90s hip hop music they played as well. I’m looking forward to coming back and trying that huge bone-​in steak.

3.5÷5 bumped to 4 just because I wanna try the bone marrow cheese corn next time.
Really.
I came in for the $ 15 Dine LA 2016 lunch. I did not make a reservation, so I had to wait for 20 minutes before I was seated. They take your number and text you when your table is ready.
When I was seated, my server’s greeting opens with «just to let you know, we have a reservation for this table in an hour, because of Dine LA».
So that means I get about an hour to eat, and cant chill? When does the clock start? From when I sit or when the food comes? She made me feel rushed, and I haven’t even ordered yet!
Ok, so she took the orders. I ordered the poke bowl (pokéball. Makes me grin every time I say it) and sliced brisket upon the server’s recommendation. Did I mention? My server was the hostess.
My brother got the spicy pork bowl and marinated kurobuta pork belly.
Banchan was served, it was a good spread. Had my all time favorite fishcake and squid strings. Bean sprouts was ok. The kimchi was thin, weak and sad looking though.
So the food came out. The bowls first, then the meat. They asked if I wanted them to cook for me, I declined. I know how to handle my grill~
But I started eating my poke bowl first. About 4 minutes later another female server came by and asked if I wanted her to cook the meat. So I relented. Fine… If you’re so eager to cook… Or rush me… Whatever.
But after the first time she cooked the meat, she never came back! Lol. I dont know if it’s a Yay or Nay.
Anyways, the briskets are nice… They get dry quickly so eat time while they’re hot. The pork belly was great too. It wasn’t frozen like in the AYCE KBBQ places. Love the mushroom caps… And the huge slab of onion.
I ate til it was hard to breathe. I didnt want to take away my food. Cause really, I didnt know what to take away. Meat from the grill, or the alrrady mixed in rice bowl?
Oh btw my brother said his spicy pork bowl isnt spicy at all. It was just sweet. Which is true, cause I tried it.
Maybe it was about 45 mins into my lunch when I asked for the check.
I was surprised to see the 20% service charge. Maybe it’s only for the Dine LA diners? Is it? Can normal diners enlighten me on this? Uhh anyways. I wrote it off to them wanting us to tip according to their normal prices… But if that’s their normal service charge rate… Blehh that’s awful.
There’s a 2 hour free parking lot behind Hanjip, or street parking.

This is for DineLA Lunch ($ 15):
I am so obsessed with this meal. I was really hesitant based on everyone’s reviews about bad service, bad food, overpricing, etc. but to be honest, the only issue I had was that there was still a 15 minute wait with our reservation. However, the hostess was really nice about it.
Once the six of us were seated, we were promptly served with water and the SIDE DISHES, which by the way, are AMAZING. I cannot have enough of the squid, the little potato sticks, and the orange things I do not know the name of. We got free refills of these as well, but free refills were expected. Wouldn’t it be crazy if they charged extra for the sides?
I ordered the POKE BOWL with BRISKET. First of all, who is the smart guy that came up with poke rice bowls at kbbq? Genius. The meat was tender, if cooked properly. It hardens pretty fast when it gets cold. The poke bowl included all my favorites: avocados, masago, furikake, seaweed, ginger, some greens, ahi tuna and uni!!!
It was a pretty good I was full eating only half the rice bowl and took the rest to go.
The bill came out to be about $ 20 a person because they automatically charged tip. Since they automatically charge tip, everyone should take advantage of the services they offer, especially if you’re a small party — not us group of six though. ;)
NEXT TIME: Will need to come check out the regular pricing items.

DineLA!!! Lunch is only $ 15 and it’s so worth it!
I took my mom for her birthday lunch. I chose Hanjip because it’s pretty «hip» and I wanted to introduce her to a different city and show her that korean cuisine isn’t just limited to koreatown.
YES DINELA. Hanjip probably has THE best dineLA deal… (over exaggerating)
You get to choose one of the five different lunch bowls they have and also choose one of the five different meat choices they have. Honestly I thought it won’t be enough food but boy, they proved me wrong with a lap in the face!
We also added the soy bean stew because… it’s a must when you eat kbbq.
Both of us ordered the Tuna poke bowl and we were very satisfied, except the avocados in there… it was… hard as a rock… how did they even cut it?
They give you enough tuna cubes and very generous amount of ikura (salmon roe) but they were a little weak with the uni (sea urchin) but no complaints for $ 15. I was so happy hahaha
The marinated short rib was very juicy and soft. It wasn’t too chewy so my mom had no problem eating it. They gave us a plate full of some delicious brisket too!
The portions made me wonder if they were even profiting from this dineLA menu…
BANCHAN (side dishes)
Yes, this kbbq spot is a bit away from koreatown so my mom and I had low expectation of how the banchans would taste. My mom was skeptical to try the kimchi but I remember seeing chef chris oh’s intagram post about him learning how to make kimchi from his mom and yes, he succeeded hahaha PASSED the kimchi taste test.
Moist dry calamari banchan is actually a pricey side dish even in korean families and that was amazing.
THE SALAD! IT​.WAS​.MADE​.FOR​.ME. hahaha
The mixture of shaved green onions, purple and green cabbage with hints of carrots… MY perfect salad!
A little disappointed with the soy bean stew… maybe culver city isn’t ready for the stank yet haha The soy bean paste… wasn’t even broken up and we scooped up a huge chunk… haha
I think we enjoyed it even more because the price was so amazing! My mom and I both left with our tummys happy and full. The service was awesome!
I’d definitely come back to try their bone marrow and prawns… I was drooling all over the picture! Definitely a place to try in Culver city!

My friend asked me for a recommendation on a good group place for her husband’s birthday. I pulled up Eater LA’s list of current hottest restaurants and did a quick search for reservations that allowed large groups. Hanjip had mouthwatering photos and a reservation for 10 was easy.
Pros:
— they sat my husband and I when we got there and let the rest of our party linger in
— bone marrow cheese corn (bone marrow is SO 2011 — kinda joking) — so goood
— portion sizes are big (we got the brisket, tongue, and marinated short rib)
— banchan dishes are pretty good
— seafood pancake is substantial and had good flavor on its own without sauce
— garage parking is free for 2 hrs but the restaurant doesn’t validate beyond that
— reservations! no 2 hr wait like Kang Ho Dong
Cons:
— it gets reallly smoky
— service wasn’t good for a place that auto-​grats 20% for any size party. We had to flag our waiter down for every request (even the water). He also wasn’t friendly but saw him chumming it up with other tables.
— uni on steamed egg was alright. Probably not the restaurant’s fault though. The egg cooked that way isn’t rich enough to enhance the uni & ikura (in fact, it really waters the uni flavor down)

Hanjip is not bad for a Korean BBQ joint in WestLA. More importantly, It’s nice to have some diversity and see something «less white» open up in Culver City.
Being as how one would likely make the trek to K-​town for authentic KBBQ, Hanjip took the more logical approach: make food that caters to those who eat & live in the area. So I’m calling it more fusion-​y or white-​friendly version of KBBQ. They have very nice cuts of meat for their bbq while offering up other traditional cues like metal cups and chopsticks + complimentary barley water.
The service is pretty good and everyone speaks perfectly English (I jest). Our waiter explained things nicely as we were 1^st timers at this place. I do really like their overall décor too. Kind of modern industrial look & feel.
We had lunch on a Sunday and ordered the marinated brisket (very good), seafood pancake (decent) and kimchi fried rice (pretty good).
Would I come back? Yes, cuz I live in the area. I’d come back to order things like bimbimbop and whatnot. So I’m happy they are here and hope they stay!

Came here with my GF and my brother for a post X-​Mas feast. My brother and myself are big eaters so we were excited to try this place out. I was more excited than anyone since I follow Hanjip on Instagram and the photos they post were just amazing. We made reservations and got seated right away when we walked in.
Tomahawk Steak with Foie Gras Butter: The Tomahawk Steak is about 48oz — 4lbs ish (good for 3 – 4 people). It is seared on both sides on the grill and then taken back to the kitchen to finish off. It is brought back out nicely cut up and a perfect rare. If you don’t like it rare (which I recommend trying at least 1 piece since it is literally MELT IN YOUR MOUTH good) you can cook it a bit more on the grill. For $ 120, it is definitely pricey but its worth trying at least once. The meat is really tender and flavorful. Since it is 30 day aged, the beef flavor is intensified. You can also keep the bone if you have a dog!
Bone Marrow Corn Cheese: Sweet fresh corn mixed with salty cheese and rich/​fatty bone marrow makes for a perfect combination. Definitely eat this with some rice. Recommend getting it.
Uni Steamed Egg: This was a bit disappointing. The Uni looked kinda on top of the steamed egg. The flavor was a bit bland — but worth a try as well.
Kimchi Fried Rice: Served with a perfectly runny egg. You get to mix it yourself. I honestly didn’t have any expectations for this dish, but this was really good. The Fried Rice had a nice spicy kick to it which was surprising.
Banchan: I like the variety and uniqueness. It not your ordinary/​basic banchan of Kimchi, Mashed Potatoes and Salad. You can re-​fill them however many times you want.
Service: Service was excellent — which I would expect as they add 18% service charge to your bill automatically even if you go during lunch time.
I definitely enjoyed the food and service here — but it is pricey so be prepared to spend. All the items we ordered were on the highlights and I definitely recommend trying them as other Korean BBQ places do not offer similar sides and the Tomahawk Steak.
My wallet is sad but my belly is happy. Definitely overpriced.

I was literally drooling reading the highlights of this restaurant. steak and foie gras butter? That sounds like the best combination ever. We arrived around 1130am and it was empty. I mean what kind of fattie arriving at Korean BBQ place when they just opened? us…
Since my BF was treating, we ordered a lot of food. The waitress was super nice and friendly.
— Great choices of banchan. I like their pickled onion, refreshing and sour. Good match with steak.
— Tomahawk Steak with Foie Gras Butter
This steak was was 30 day dry aged with foie gras butter spread over. I was impressed by how huge this steak was. They cooked the raw steak on our grill first and then brought to the kitchen and finished the cooking process. Then they brought out the steak after cooking and sliced so we can decide to eat straight from the plate (if you like medium rare) or cook little longer on our own (if you like medium) The flavor of the steak was outstanding and tender. I mean it is $ 120 so I expected it to be really great. Too bad the foie gras butter turned out to be super greasy and I barely tasted the foie gras flavor. It was super greasy and I only had 3 – 4 pieces. I like the steak but honestly I think it is overpriced. It does not taste like $ 120 value.
— Bone Marrow Corn Cheese
I love corn and it tasted even better with the bone marrow flavor. I absolutely enjoyed this dish. The only down side is that corn was a little dry.
— Uni Steamed Egg
This was kind of disappointing. The uni tasted kind of weird from this place. I had really good uni and it was super sweet naturally. The uni here was a little stinky.
— Kimchi Fried Rice
I like the kimchi fried rice from here but the portion was kind of small. They placed a soft boiled egg on top of the kimchi fried rice. Break the yolk and enjoy the fried rice with yolk flavor. The kimchi flavor was great but fried rice was a bit plain for me.
We had three people and we got just enough to be full from these orders. It was $ 250 include tips ($ 83/​person) I could use that $$ to dine in Lawrys or high end restaurant. I mean I have been to high quality Korean BBQ place so I would not complain about the price but I think if you charged so high for the BBQ, the flavor has to stand out but sadly I did not see here. I would rather go to other better BBQ place with cheaper price and great meat quality.

Definitely not all you can eat and for sure expensive but you get what you pay for. We ordered the menu for 2 beef combo and their high alcoholic content soju and i guess this made the meal super yummy.
Service was awesome, but some of the cook helpers seems to rush us until we told them we were not in a hurry to finish. The GM was amazing, I mean we were literally having shots with them.
The banchan was good, not the best i’ve had but its good enough since the meat definitely compensates for it.
We didn’t care for the Kimchi Soup that much and we also ordered the Steam Egg with Uni — it was ok and will not order again. Thus the 4 star.
Love the music, love the vibe and I will definitely be coming back.
Oh and btw, they add the Hospitality charge to your tab whether you like it or not. Hmmm I think!

Had high expectations for this place, but it was rather disappointing. First of all, pretty over-​priced. I guess you’re paying for the nice atmosphere but doesn’t really make up for the food and service.
My friends and I were soooo excited to try the Uni Steamed Egg — probably the most disappointed with this dish. They’re ruining the precious uni! The steamed egg was so steaming hot and was totally cooking the uni placed on top. Not good. The combination just didn’t work. I’d rather have them separate. And the poor ikura too! You don’t want those cooked. Please save them.
The Bone Marrow Corn Cheese — I like corn. I like bone marrow. But together, again, it seemed like a waste of a good bone marrow.
I came with a party of 5, and we all did (had to) dineLA, so we had a lot of food coming. And they just kept bringing out the meat one after another. We were already running out of table space, and what do they do. They bring a tray and a stand and make an extension of a table and just left the meat when obviously we’re not ready for them. WHY!!!
The grill wasn’t even good and wouldn’t cook the meat well. We had to crank it up but still only really cooked the center area, and the outer section of this circular grill wasn’t getting hot (and it wasn’t even that big of a grill). Those thin slices of briskets weren’t even changing colors on this thing!
We were unsure whether we were in charge of grilling the meat ourselves or if the server was gonna handle them. She’d come here and there but not often enough. The 18−20% whatever mandatory tip they automatically added to the bill didn’t seem fair with the amount of attention and care we got, but what can you do.
The best part about this meal might have been the beer I had. First time trying this black lager, a Japanese craft beer called Coedo.
Glad we tried this place, but we’ll head back to Ktown for our next kbbq.