Urban Seoul

This place is so effing delicious! It is the best Korean — Mexican fusion food you could possibly eat. This place is under-​rated– people don’t know what they’re missing out on and they need to try this out.
I recommend like everything on their menu from their gogi waffle fries, gogi tacos to their under-​rated elote (sweet corn with mayo cheese and some spice). I love the setting and relaxed vibe the store has, on top of the friendliest and most genuine customer service I’ve had. The place is small but it’s comfortable and has a cozy vibe.

Urban Seoul has a big fan in me. Though I haven’t been here in a few months, I have been here a number of times prior, and will be recounting a collection of my memories and experiences I’ve had at this location.
First things first, this place has bomb happy hour deals. Dollar beers in DTLA Little Tokyo?! Unheard of. While the dollar beer deal is only on their «Urban Seoul Lager» (which I’ve heard is actually just bud light), they do offer other deals on their other beers and drinks. An IPA, I believe, will run you $ 4 – 5 here. Awesome.
Their appetizers and small plates are also a great deal. I highly recommend their popcorn chicken. The seasoning is perfect, and the chicken is cooked to perfection. The price? Unbeatable.
The ambiance here is modern and trendy. It’s a really refreshing place to come relax and unwind after a long day at work. Seating is offered both downstairs AND upstairs, and they have a few nice HD TVs so you can catch the game.
The workers here are all really nice and friendly. I thoroughly enjoy dealing with the servers and have never had a bad experience in terms of service. The servers are definitely fast and attentive to your needs. Happy hour prices are even a little flexible if you order a minute or two late. Awesome!
The bathroom is located in the back of the restaurant, for those wondering.
Parking is in the staples parking lot, and make sure to have them validate it for you once you leave.
I will definitely be back for their happy hour, and highly recommend all to go give this place a try. If I lived down there, it would definitely be my down-​low go-​to for cheap drinks, watching a game, and happy hour snacks. Definitely a chill place to hangout at.

The gogi gravy fries were a decently sized portion and pretty good. As for the pork belly tacos, the pork belly was diced up and cooked to a nice crisp. Awesome. The Angus Kalbi sliders were good. I wasn’t expecting the iceberg lettuce though. I feel like iceberg lettuce is just awkward and mediocre in general. I also tried the bibimbap. It was okay; it felt a lot like a salad and the consistency of the pepper paste sauce was more on the liquidy side; it lacked flavor.
Overall, nice hipstery place to get some grub. Those gogi gravy fries really hit the spot though. Service was friendly and efficient.

Suzie Q’s Fun Facts:
Seoul, Korea’s official name is «Seoul Teukbyeolsi,» or «Seoul Special City,» to denote its capital status.
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Having come to Little Tokyo to play an escape game courtesy Unilocal,I emerged from the experience hungry as heck… and surrounded by an over-​abundance of options.
I had noticed Shin-​Sen-​Gumi, but when I tried to put my name in on the wait list, the length was too daunting (considering how hungry I was).
So instead, I sort of randomly wandered into the adjacent Urban Seoul. With its industrial loft-​like space and few customers, it was inviting in the «peace and quiet» kind of way (the total opposite of the frenetic ramen experience next door).
I sat myself, and staff members quickly greeted me and took my order. I chose the healthiest-​sounding option: The Urban 3B, a bibimbap bowl with a base of purple rice and topped with pork belly.
I was surprised and impressed at how quickly the food was brought out to me (probably within 5 minutes). As the healthy option I had envisioned, the bowl pretty closely fit the bill: It had lots of veggies, and a well-​cooked poached egg.
My primary complaint, however, was this: Pork belly responds best to slow, patient braising. Instead, my pork belly was cut into tiny cubes and deep fried (ack!). This is a pretty lazy shortcut to take when cooking this delicious marvel of an ingredient. Perhaps they were trying to mask low-​quality meat?
I also felt like the prices were a little higher than they should be. At upscale Korean fast food chain Bibigo, bibimbap bowls start at only $ 7.95, and include four veggies and your choice of meat and sauces (an egg is $ 1 extra). Here, a similar bowl of food was $ 10.95. And unlike Bibigo with its limitless kimchi and abundance of sauce options, I was only offered one single squeeze bottle of hot sauce at Urban Seoul… and no extra kimchi. So the dish was a little on the mild/​bland side.
All things considered, however, I did enjoy my meal, and would return if I happened to be in the neighborhood and craved a quick Korean meal.

Supet good vibe for weekday happy hour. Its a new place but you dont get that annoying wanna be cool vibe most places have.
Super good deals and bomb beer! Had a real good tjme. The staff was also awesome!
Wanna go back for sure!

Tasty, reasonably priced and fast this is a great lunch spot. The atmosphere is very casual and the service was great.
Gogi fries– a really cool blend. Fries, Golgi beef, pickled radishes topped with cojita cheese. Very good to share and a great app.
Tacos– huge! Mixed three, Gogi chicken and pork belly. The pork belly was only okay, but the topics were outstanding.
Bmimbap– Gogi again, so good. Love the crispy purple rice and their hot sauce is really good. Not too spicy and kind of sweet.

Cute little Korean-​fusion gastropub in Little Tokyo.
Excellent prompt service and decent food.
I wandered in here around 12:30 today for lunch and the place was empty. By the time we left, about three other tables were full.
My two friends and I got the urban lager (basic American lager), red wine (the only wine they have in the place… no white and no variety, but decent nonetheless), gogi gravy fries, sliders, loco moco skillet and fried rice skillet.
Everything was fine but really quite heavy. I picked out all of the potatoes in my kimchi fried rice skillet, and it was STILL pretty heavy even though I only ate about ²⁄₃ of it — I can’t even imagine how I would feel after eating the entire thing. Sliders and fries were yummy and the loco moco skillet was like the kimchi fried rice skillet — good but very heavy.
Overall, it’s a decent addition to the area and I’ll probably pop in again next time I’m in the area and want a quick easy bite. Cute industrial décor to boot.

I’m Korean, and I’m a foodie, so I tend to be pretty critical when it comes to fusion Korean food. But Urban Seoul really gets it right when it comes to flavors, and hits the spot so hard that you’ll get random cravings after you’ve experienced the food here.
I personally think bibimbap, rather than tacos, have the most potential to be an awesome fusion food, and Urban Seoul delivers one of the best non-​traditional bibimbaps. I won’t ruin the pleasant surprise for you, so make sure to order this when you are there.
That being said, the tacos and the sliders are very solid with a lot of different flavor profiles. Make sure to order the pork belly tacos and the angus kalbi sliders. The portions are big here, so one order should be enough for 2 – 3 people to share (if you’re ordering with other dishes to share). For Happy Hours, make sure to order the Loaded Fries. It has the perfect variety of flavors you’d crave with your drink, and the fries are very crisp.
I am definitely going back on my next visit to LA.

Food was actually good, but it’s highly unlikely that I’ll be back. The food was creative, and pretty tasty. The music playing was pretty vulgar. (Lots of «b-​words and N-​words). I came before noon. With my son. Service was unfortunate. The servers couldn’t answer some basic questions like «what is soju?» And used dishes piled up on the table and weren’t cleared until we were nearly finished. The place was not even that crowded.
We came with a
gift certificate, which the server refused to accept. First she said «we dont accept those because we had a situation last week.» Then, after saying she called the manager the story changed to «we are a chain, and this store doesn’t participate.» When I told her that I JUST bought the certificate this morning and it specifies this locations address and phone number, I got a new story: there is something wrong with their management account, and they can’t get the money from
. she then told me that I need to call «whoever you bought that from.» Nothing but an uncomfortable smile and a vapid stare when I responded that a call from me can’t resolve the issue with the restaurant’s account.
The manager was off the property «at the bank» so on principle, I’m waiting for him to return as I write.
He arrived, with more excuses, and did accept the gift certificate, while maintaining that Urban Seoul didn’t sell it, and that his workers aren’t permitted to apply discounts.
If you wanna come pay $ 11 for two solid sliders, you might not be disappointed. Its good, but this is No Roy Choi establishment. Management handled things so poorly that I would recommend avoiding this restaurant.

I thought this location was cursed! I’ve seen several restaurants open and close over the past few years and when Urban Seoul opened, I thought — maybe this one will finally work! I’ve heard a lot of good things about Urban Seoul from my OC friends and was hungry to try their korean fusion comfort food, yum!
Came here on a Saturday night after having a few drinks. Lucky for us, the night we were there, there was a 0.99 cents beer special! Of course, we all got a beer — the deal was only for the Urban Seoul lager, which is light and kinda tastes like Bud Light. We also got the loaded fries — criss cut fries topped with a bunch of toppings, load it up, toss on some ketchup, and chow down! Really flavorful and goes well with the beer. We also tried the chorizo kimchi fried rice — nice presentation, you mix it all up yourself. Loved the crispy bits of pork and again, went well with the beer. The place was lively and pretty full when we were there, there was a DJ in the corner, so it was on the loud side. I would definitely come back to try more of their food!
Hope Urban Seoul becomes a long-​term addition to Little Tokyo! :D

Another copycat restaurant of Roy Choi’s Kogi Truck. However, Urban Seoul stands out from the other Korean/​Mexican fusion places I’ve been to. I have been here twice and will definitely be back for more.
Their tacos taste very similar to the Kogi truck, which is not a bad thing at all! If you want to try something different, I recommend their gogi gravy fries, which is their take of a Canadian stable, poutine. For true fans of Mexican street food, the elote skillet is a must try.
Major props to Urban Seoul for their extensive beer menu and great happy hour prices. They even have their own house draft beer!
Only «con» I have to say about this place is the tip chart on your check calculates the tip including tax. Usually tip is calculated with the pretax amount. But the service was so good, I don’t mind tipping a little more.

Finally Bibimbap Thats Easy to Eat!
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I’m Korean so I’ve eaten bibimbap my whole life and its always been hit and miss. My main gripe with traditional bibimbap is that it looks great when its served, but it becomes a tangled mess once its mixed. I end up eating a spoonful of bunched up spinach with one bite. The next bite would be a pile of twisted bean sprouts or gosari-​namul. It just doesn’t mix well!
Problem solved at Urban Seoul! The creator must have shared the same frustration. There is no spinach, bean sprouts, or gosari-​namul. Instead: cabbage, carrots, radish, fried shallots, lettuce, daikon sprouts, egg, and choice of meat. And the veggies are cut very finely for the texture.
The «3B» (bibimbap) mixes incredibly well so every spoonful gets all of those distinct flavors. Those little julienned veggies are like little flavor crystals that explode in your mouth. And of course, the bibimbap sauce is key. Urban Seoul has mastered the bibimbap sauce. Its not too concentrated (which I like) and packed with flavor.
Oh and finally, there is an option for purple rice! It tastes great!
Tip: If ordering the spicy pork as the meat option, might want to mix and taste before adding the bibimbap sauce. As your me, the spicy pork was too sweet.

A for effort but the Gogi fries and tacos didn’t hit the spot as I thought they would. I think overall it was just a bit too sweet. Maybe I had my expectations set a tad bit high with all the Korean fusion places around but whatever. It pretty much tasted like bulgogi doused in sauce and placed on top of crisis steak fries.
I dig the house beer and whole vibe of it all but to be honest with Seoul sausage a couple blocks away I don’t find myself returning. I maaaaay give their wings a shot but again Seoul sausage really set the bar for those too lol

First review of the yearr!
Came here on a Sunday night, it was relatively slow, but hey, no wait! Compared to them long lines at Shinsengumi during the same time. This place is full of TV’s. Great to watch sports and drink. Who doesn’t love that?! Little Tokyo is booming with new places!
Tried their tacos. (3 tacos for around $ 10)
My favorite was the Pork Belly. Would order that again! Crispy and pork cooked perfectly. Full of flavor.
Gogi taco — More like a bulgogi taco. It was ok.
Tofu taco — Vegetarian option. They used fried tofu, but it was a little soggy.
Chicken spicy udon — Lots of flavor. Spicy. Pretty good. After you eat most of it, the sauce gets little overwhelming. Took the left overs and added some rice. BOOM. Another meal, but at home! :)
Criss-​cut Fries — Reminds me of Carls Jr. but better. SO GOOD.
Probably come back and check out the HH!
Friendly staff. Good atmosphere.
*Free hour parking with validation in the same Office Depot plaza.

close to my place
better than i expected
but overall, just a-​ok
asian fusion bar food
large, casual space for when you want a cheap bite, drink beer
and to watch sports or something
better than the chinese place that used to be there
ordered a few things off the happy hour menu to check it out
wings — super crunchy. seemed double fried or something.
bulgogi quesadilla — my gf really liked these but i thought they were just ok
popcorn chicken — don’t do it. tiny fried morsels of fried stuff
i didn’t like that most, if not all of the dipping sauces looked/​tasted the same
the happy hour deal is pretty good
if you want something super laid back and fatty

I hope Urban Seoul is here to stay! The previous restaurants that occupied this space have not been that successful. However, when I stepped into Urban Seoul, I felt as if the ambiance was really nice and thought they did well with the place. There’s a happy hour Monday-​Thursday. The happy hour menu has some discounted beers on tap and discounted apps!
I really liked the pineapple cider. The pineapple taste was dominant and I felt as if I was drinking pineapple juice! It was delicious and refreshing. The kimchi quesadilla was okay. I found the quesadilla itself to be mediocre. I was more of a fan of the kimchi sour cream that accompanied the dish. The pork belly tacos packed a lot of flavors. The pork belly is diced and deep fried; hence, adopting the taste and texture of chicharron. I thought it’d be more flavorful if it was cooked slowly, basted in some sweet sauce, and caramelized. However, the tacos come with gochu jang aioli, queso fresco, kimchi, and their house hot sauce! So, plenty of flavor there!
My favorite item on the menu was their gogi gravy fries. Criss-​cut waffle fries with gogi, cheese sauce, jalapenos, some type of pickled veggie, and queso fresco… mmm! It was heavy, indulgent, and delicious! It filled me up and I gladly took some home for leftovers.
Service was really friendly and helpful. Parking was convenient as they validate 2 hours in the adjacent lot. (And that is great because parking in Little Tokyo is not easy nor that cheap!) Overall, it was a satisfying dining experience. I’m typically not a fan of Korean fusion but this place really delivered!

The food, setting and vibe make this place one of the best to try. The chorizo kimchi fried rice is delicious. The smell and the flavor are mouth watering good and will fill your belly. We will definitely try this place for a great happy hour as well
The service is great as Marissa will make sure your needs are met.
Parking is in the office depot lot or by the meters.

Yum! Love their modern day take on bibimbap. Extra brownie points for letting you sub for purple rice too if you’re trying to be healthy for the day.
The sauce they let you add isn’t your typical gojuchang sauce but more like a vinaigrette style. Everything is extremely fresh including the vegetables and the meat is super well flavored like the bulgogi you’d get at a soondubu place.
Definitely a must visit! Will be returning soon.

This is a fun place with great energy. The food is trying to be innovative which I think is great, but there are somethings that aren’t perfect.
Elote Skillet (8.5) — Delicious and cheesy. This was a crowd pleaser, but a bit pricey for corn pieces and cheese.
Gogi Gravy Fries (8.50) — Great portion! But it tasted like how you expected. Fries with K-​meat on top.
Spicy Rice Cakes (5.5) — A crispy take on Tteokbokki. Mmm. Good to share, nice price.
Urban 3B (10.95) — My friend loved his 3B, though the bimbimbap sauce was more vinegary than traditional sauce.
Chorizo Kimchi Fried Rice (13.95) — I wasn’t too impressed by this bowl, especially for the price. I couldn’t understand what made it more than the UrbanB. The chorizo was dry.
Chicken Katsu Sandwich (9.75) — My roommate felt sick after eating this. The chicken had a weird texture and felt stringy. He couldn’t actually bite into his sandwich to get a good piece in his mouth. He ended up not eating the chicken and just finished the bread. Avoid this.
Tipping: They conveniently put check boxes for tipping 15%, 20%, 25% with a new total. You don’t even need to write in the numbers or do the math, just check the box. However, the tip is calculated based on the final total, not pre-​tax. Soooo for folks who care — you can use the «custom tip» line to calculate the pre-​taxed amount.

Over the past few months I’ve been waiting with anticipation for the opening of Urban Seoul. The newest addition to the Little Tokyo food scene, this place explores the tastes of Mexican/​Korean fusion.
The décor is modern, clean, and has character. There is seating downstairs and up, though due to laziness, I am unable to report information regarding upstairs… You can walk in, no reservation needed. It’s a semi-​open kitchen, so you can see the meals being prepared by chef. Service is great and personable.
Fried Chicken wings with white radish and chili sauce is a nice appetizer. I also enjoyed the house specialty with purple rice and choice of pork belly, gogi, etc. It’s a well-​structured dish with the right amount of components. Pork Belly Tacos look interesting, I’m looking forward to try next time.
Happy Hour is 5−7pm Monday — Thursday. $ 0.99 house beers. Hard to beat that deal!
All in all, it’s nice to find a place that’s coming forward to make a statement and creating unique, original dishes.