Da-Maat Korean Restaurant
VENUE OF THE MONTH BY KTOWN GOOD EATS KREW

Based on 4 KT213 Good Eats Krew members (scale of 1 to 5):

Food- 4
Service-4
Ambience-3.5

Sure it's not in K-Town, but we got love for the whole LA/OC County. 

Da Maat is a restaurant located in Torrance and is close to Kings Hawaiian on Sepulveda Blvd. The people who own Cho Dang Soo, a tofu house in the South Bay, manage it and do a good job with it. It�s a relatively new restaurant, since it opened not too long ago. The thing is, it resides in a location that usually has a very low success rate. The previous business residents, who also sold Korean food, didn�t do well. In fact, there were 3 previous restaurants, and they were all named Korean House.

Despite the bad location, Da Maat is still around today and that has a lot to do with its food. It�s home-style cooking is made out of love by the moms who work in the kitchen. It�s pretty much a family restaurant that has the ambience of Busan�s countryside. Pictures of straw huts, marbled tables, and giant clay pots decorate the inside. Fortunately, it�s not completely bumpkin, because they have design elements that modernize the whole look of the restaurant. A vast collection of beautiful and whimsical rice bowls that decorate the walls, as well as pastel paint, lighten it up.

Originally, the restaurant was known for its Kal Gook Soo. However, since it�s not hand cut, but machine-made, it�s nothing special. It�s good, but not great. They have different versions like yang pa, yuukae jang, and dalk, where the soup is mild and the noodles are slightly doughy. They also have bulgogi you can wrap in lettuce, bimbim bap, and other common dishes, like daen jang chigae. However, two recommended dishes are their pork belly wraps and cold buckwheat noodles in beef broth. The steamed pork belly comes with pickled vegetables, cabbage, and jalape�os to wrap it with and compliments good company and shots of Soju very well. Their Naeng Myun is refreshing and has a nice savory, slushy broth to compliment its richly colored noodles, sesame seeds, and spicy pickled cucumbers. It�s unique and tasty, to say the least. They don�t offer a lot of ban-chan, but they do change it up everyday. The caramelized steamed potato bites and the apple potato salad are a treat to nibble on.

The service was great and the waitresses were attentive and kind. Parking is not a problem, because there are a lot of spots available. There is no happy hour and no music playing, but it�s more of a place to fill the belly in good company.

Overall, it�s a good place to enjoy the simple but delicious cuisine of Korean culture. If you happen to drive by , don�t be shy to stop in and enjoy it�s interior, home-style cooking, and good people.

Information:

Da-Maat Korean Restaurant
 
2814 W Sepulveda Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505

Phone: 310-534-5533