A unique dining experience in ktown! I've always wanted to try blowfish but never thought it'd be at a Korean place. After seeing it in Jonathan Gold's 101 Best LA Restaurants though, I had to give it a try. No wait on a weekday! Street parking is available as well as $2 valet parking. The service was extremely friendly and patient with us, describing and recommending dishes despite their limited English. You can order some of the dishes either non spicy or spicy. I recommend choosing spicy and then just toning it down to "mild" if you're worried about it. The BBQ blowfish was probably my favorite dish. Blowfish itself is substantial and meaty, kind of like swordfish, so it was perfect for grilling. The kick and spiciness complemented the texture really well. The deep-fried sweet and sour blowfish was nice and crispy, but the sauce is really strong so it's similar to a typical Chinese sweet and sour dish. The pineapple is a nice touch though. The blowfish soup was really good, and at the end they mix some rice into it which tasted great. I'd never had monkfish before, only monkfish liver, but it was pretty good, much more tender than the blowfish. The steamed version comes with a buttload of bean sprouts though, it was probably like 99.5% bean sprouts. I was kind of disappointed that I didn't feel the "buzz" or tingly feeling that some others mentioned, but it was fun trying out unique foods and the taste and service were both on point for very reasonable prices. A huge plus -- they give you shikhye (sweet rice drink) at the end! A good alternative to a regular Korean seafood joint!

A wonderful spot for a healthy Korean meal. They were very impressed that this white girl came in and knew the drill, so let me outline the experience for you: They'll ask you what you want and you tell them 'bok jiri.' Sure, there may be other things that are good here, but the jiri is what they're known for and what the regulars come back for. Don't call it 'blowfish soup,' call it 'bok jiri' like you're Korean. They'll appreciate it :) They'll bring out a pot of blowfish, tofu, soybean sprouts, moo radish, and lettuce and put it on the stove. Various banchan (side-dishes) will accompany it: kimchi, radish kimchi, wakame, mook, potato salad, etc. They're all delicious; make sure you try them all. Let the pot boil for a few seconds and then begin ladeling out the blowfish, broth, tofu, and vegetables into your bowl. You can use a spoon to eat it :) The blowfish is very good and tastes like a cross between halibut and albacore. Scrape the meat off of the bones and sip it with the soup mixture. It doesn't seem like it will fill you up but it will! When you start to get to the bottom of the pot, they'll bring over some black rice, wakame, and a little sesame oil, and mix it into the dregs to create a healthy "fried rice." This is delicious and very easy to eat with chopsticks. They'll also bring you a cup of sikhae, which is a traditional sweet rice drink, to end the meal. It's very sweet but tasty; make sure you have a sip. I'll take the bok jiri over KBBQ any day; it's healthy and light but quite filling at the same time. The blowfish is delicious and since I didn't die eating it, I'm definitely going to recommend Dae Bok.

-CONS: pretty pricey :( -PROS: NOMS. The food was SO GOOD, the fish dishes were amazing and you could tell it was quite authentic. The alcohol was nice too. Recommended for good groups so you can share plates. Definitely a must try, but my wallet can't handle going here too frequently :(

I have to dedicate this review to my mom since this is one of her favorite restaurants in Ktown, and we have been coming here for YEARS, so long in fact that she knows the personal lives of the waitresses that work here... their children, husbands, etc. Yes, my mom is that Korean ajumma... but it helps since we get excellent service wherever we go. This restaurant is known for puffer fish, aka blowfish (bok in Korean), and we always get the bok jim (steamed blowfish with tons of red chili paste and a mound of bean sprouts) and their spicy blowfish stew. I love the spicy bean sprouts, actually, but the fish is tasty too. The fish is a little firmer and chewier than halibut or sea bass, but I don't know that I would recognize it just from eating it. The stew is awesome, the broth is flavorful without being salty. In fact, it's quite refreshing, since it wakes you up and warms you up in the right places. After the stew, they will mix up some rice and cook it with sesame oil and seaweed. It can be a little bland, so I mix it up with the leftover spicy bean sprouts. Very satisfying meal, and one that makes my mom happy. Definitely different from your typical Korean bbq. Recommend!

i felt like i had to stay true to my roots this review. i must spread the gospel of korean cuisine. korean food is not all about korean bbq. sometimes you have to mix it up. this is a blowfish specialty restaurant. when you're not feeling like heavy, meaty korean food, but korean food nonetheless, this is the place to come. when coming here, i always have that one simpsons episode in mind where homer simpson gets poisoned by the ugly blowfish. the blowfish here though, from my experience, is safe. it's this restaurant's specialty and a part of its namesake. all you have to know is "bok jiri" and "bok jjim." (bok meaning blowfish)" jjim is one method of cooking and seasoning the blowfish. it's steamed and mixed with a hot korean chili paste mixed with bean sprouts. it's not too spicy (by korean or mexican standards), but it might be too spicy for those who can't handle spice at all. the bean sprouts make this a modestly spicy yet refreshing treat the jiri has no spice or seasoning at all. it's a clear broth that's created purely from the blowfish itself mixed with boiled radish (moo), bean sprouts (kong namul), and minari (some mystery green i'm not sophisticated enough to translate). dip the bean sprouts and fish in the soy sauce with korean mustard sauce for a perfect complement. regardless, it's a soup that's pure and goes well with soju or the morning after you drink too much of the alcohol of your choice. i can't really speak to anything else that's on the menu because i've been so satisfied with the two dishes i've described. at the end, they fry the rice for you with the soup from the bok jjim and sesame oil mixing roasted laver into it. my tip is to save the (somewhat) spicy jiri sauce and mix it into the rice they fry for you at the end. korean cuisine is not all about grilling meat. when you're craving good fish (potentially leathal although it hasn't been here), come here to see part (just part) of what korean cuisine has to offer. you won't regret it even if you're homer simpson. don't hold back the soju. perfect complement. p.s. there is also a second location on 6th and western, but if you want less crowd and want to enjoy your blowfish without the hassles and frills, come to this location. the neighborhood is a bit more ghetto, but there's plenty of street parking at night and the location brings more authenticity to the food.

This is the place for blowfish. It's not a fancy place with pretty décor nor is it in the best neighborhood. It's a place where you can have your Bok (Korean for blowfish) fix, pure and straight. For those not familiar with blowfish, it's a clean, simple tasting fish that's meaty with chewing texture. Yes, the fish itself is quite exotic but it does not have an exotic taste. It's simple and satisfying. We had the "Ji-ri" which is the blowfish in a clear broth with Korean vegetables and tofu cooked over an open flame at your table for $14.99. After you're done with your fish and vegetables they use the leftover soup to cook you up some porridge, Korean style. This dish was healthy, tasty and it hits the spot. I would definitely get this again. We also had the "bulgogi" style blowfish in the Korean red chili paste sauce. They grill the blowfish and serve it on a cast iron plate. The dish tastes like Korean pork ribs except that it is fish and not pork and it's easy to eat. My husband loves this one. Of course you get your typical Korean sides but one side that does stand out is the Bok skin with watercress. The skin is chewy and a little jelly-like. It's the most exotic thing you're going to eat here.