Death by Ddukbokki
We’re writing this review after our second time eating here because it was kind of hard to tell how anything tasted the first time on account of our mouths being on fire and steam coming out of our ears. So, let’s back it up to the first time around.
Yup Dduk is a ddukbokki restaurant in K-town off of 6th and Normandie. It’s a small restaurant in a strip mall and always has a crowd of people outside waiting to get seated. We waited about 30 minutes on a weeknight.
Their menu is set up so that you have the option of ordering a set menu or creating a DIY bowl from an assortment of options they have listed on the menu. We went with our server’s recommendation and ordered the Set Menu B with ramen plus spam. We were also forewarned about the spice level here, so we made it a point to ask the server what level of spice we should get. He recommended mild which sounded alright to us. And boy, was this a fatal error.
Before the ddukbokki came out, we were served a plate of mini rice balls wrapped in small strips of seaweed. These were delicious and a nice little snack while we waited for the main course. The rice is cooked to perfection and lightly seasoned with small pieces of seaweed wrapped around it. Super yummy to eat alone and with the ddukbokki sauce.
The ddukbokki came out in a huge bowl (could easily feed 3-4 people) and was topped with mozzarella cheese. Sounds kind of odd, but actually works with the dish. Inside the cauldron of steaming sauce was cocktail Frankfurt sausages, rice cake, fish cake, onion rings, sweet potato and zucchini tempura, spam tempura, and ramen noodles. A serious assortment of pure dankness bathed in a death sauce. Seconds after our first bite, we knew we fucked up. The spice had a multiplier effect that gave us both temporary hearing loss, numbed our brains and made our skin crawl. The ingredients were cooked to perfection; however, it was just kind of hard to enjoy them because of how spicy everything was. The tempura is a really nice thick batter that holds up well in the sauce and the rice cake is perfectly chewy. Lesson learned: mild at Yup Dduk is not mild everywhere else.
So, fast forward to the second time around when these pictures were taken. We learned our lesson and went for the extra mild which was STILL spicy, but definitely more bearable. We were able to actually taste and enjoy all the different ingredients. So, if you’re feeling up for something that’s going to warm you right up and be a substantial meal, we definitely recommend Yup Dduk. A bowl is about $28 but can easily feed four people.
YUP DDUK
3603 West 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA, 90020, United States
