Damsot

I liked the steak rice pot here especially with the wasabi! But actually the raw fish(?) banchan on the side was my favorite with the rice. It was super flavorful and had good chewy texture. I ate 2 of my friends' portion of it. Their fried shrimp eggplant appetizer was also super yummy. I also tried my friend's vegetarian eggplant rice pot and thought it was tasty.

Damsot, a renowned South Korean chain, inaugurated its first U.S. location in Koreatown, Los Angeles in 2025. The restaurant specializes in sot bap, a premium Korean pot rice dish, where each meal is individually cooked in a small pressure pot. When we arrived for dinner, the restaurant was bustling with patrons, so we had to wait for a while. The establishment is relatively small with a minimalistic interior design, yet it maintains a clean and simple ambiance. The menu is straightforward, with the main differences between dishes being the choice of protein or vegetables. All orders come with the same side dishes. We opted for the mackerel, steak, and spicy eggplant pot rice. Despite the crowd, our order was prepared quite promptly. A distinctive feature of the rice is the crispy layer at the bottom, which can be softened with liquid towards the end of the meal. The dishes were both unique and delicious. However, I found the mixed rice with liquid to be somewhat bland. Overall, it was a very unique experience as it was my first time trying this kind of dish. The only downside was the challenging parking situation, as we had to use valet service in the parking garage.

Damsot has an incredibly fast and efficient reservation system. Go in, write your name in the wait list and go outside and wait a bit. My wait was 15 mins at most. They keep everything moving very efficiently. Service is fantastic, everyone from the host, to the server, to the food runner and even the busser were great. The Steak Pot Rice is usually limited to 15 for lunch and 15 for dinner but I was able to order it and I quite enjoyed it. The barley tea to be poured into the stone pot with the leftover rice still in it makes for quite a cool after-meal soup. We even got Yakult-style probiotic small drinks with our check after the meal was over. Great experience with short wait times, great staff and fantastic ambiance (the inside is very clean, well lit-up and nicely decorated).

I loved my experience at Damsot! Our group of 6 arrived around 1pm on a Sunday and waited 30 minutes to be seated after checking in. We all ordered different variations of the pot rice, as well as a side order of karaage (fried chicken), and everything was exquisite! From the juicy, flavorful pork belly, steamed rice and bok choy in my pot rice, to the pickled vegetables, side salad and barely tea, everything was executed extremely well and the experience itself was extremely enjoyable. Our servers ensured we had everything we needed at all times, including additional water jugs for refilling, and they even gave us each a small milk soda at the end to finish off the meal. Note that there is parking in the structure, but if you plan to walk around the area afterwards, I recommend parking in the Central Plaza Parking Garage for a flat $6 fee on weekends.

Tried Damsot recently and it was a great surprise! My top pick is the pork belly pot rice. The seasoning tastes like a mix of sweet/savory marinade with a mild spicy kick, and the pork belly is super well-marinated. Once you mix everything together, it’s incredibly addictive. The Spicy Eggplant Cheese Pot Rice was also amazing (minced meat + eggplant with stretchy cheese, rich but not oily). The abalone pot rice was clean and fresh with no fishy taste, and the seaweed wrap was a nice touch. The set comes with solid side dishes, miso soup, and salad. Friendly staff and easy parking. Would definitely come back!

This is the type of food I can have 3 meals a day everyday for the rest of my life. The flavor is very umami and go well together. It's such comfort food that's very delicious and not overly seasoned. The rice pot are signatures: egg plant, beef and salmon are what I tried and all of them are my favorite of the year. You have to mix the rice, then pour the barley tea to sit while you eat, then you have both a rice meal and cozy soup afterwards. The sukiyaki was very good too. It has raw egg dip. It's my first time trying it and I love it so much! Server was very friendly and attentive. The restaurant is decorated very cute in a Korean style. They provide free parking validation on weekday lunch time.

Super friendly staff! I tried their signature dishes — steak pot rice, eel pot rice, spicy eggplant pot rice, sukiyaki, and salmon sashimi. The spicy eggplant was just okay (maybe American eggplants are too soft), but the steak and eel pot rice were amazing — tender beef, rich eel, and pickled radish to balance the flavor. Each dish came with small sides and a fresh, crisp salad I really loved. The salmon sashimi was thick, buttery, and super fresh — great value for only $26! Sukiyaki was light and a bit sweet, perfect for a healthy meal. Cozy little place with real K-drama vibes — warm food, good mood, and a great spot to unwind after work. 🫶