Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Gaya Korean Tofu & Grill in Torrance

4.4 (106) 4817 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503, United States

Categories

Restaurant
Barbecue restaurant
Korean barbecue restaurant
Korean restaurant
Tofu restaurant

Location on the map

Torrance, Los Angeles County, California, US

Phone: +1 310-921-8599

Opening hours

Monday:11 AM–8:30 PM
Tuesday:Closed
Wednesday:11 AM–8:30 PM
Thursday:11 AM–8:30 PM
Friday:11 AM–8:30 PM
Saturday:11 AM–8:30 PM
Sunday:11 AM–8:30 PM

Edit info

Total reviews rating 4.4

106 Reviews for Gaya Korean Tofu & Grill 2024:

Review №1

2023-07-20 01:31:38

First time there. Food was really good. We ordered the seafood pancake, combination of tofu soup and beef bulgogi. I love the tofu soup because it is very flavorful and they added tomato in it. My boyfriend loves the beef bulgogi which served on a hot skillet. Crunchy texture of the charred beef was so delicious. Overall this is a great restaurant, we will go back again.

Review №2

2023-05-16 14:00:37

If you are in Torrance and wont bother with the traffic to K-Town during dinner hours, this is a very good alternative. Regardless of its external appearance, it is very clean and pleasant on the inside. The service is quick and efficient. The food is delicious and comforting when compared with other restaurants nearby.

Review №3

2023-09-23 06:03:09

Our favorite Korean spot. Their Galbijjim (braised beef short rib) is the best rendition we’ve ever had. I would highly recommend trying it, or the soft tofu soup!

Review №4

2022-10-06 06:02:25

One of the few decent Korean Chinese restaurants in West Torrance area. Its definitely a step up from its previous occupant (Moos), but its not as good as other places you can get in K Town. They have good service, good portion, and good pricing. Rating is based on overall experience and taste to what you can get within a 15 mile radius. Would recommend coming for a quick easy fix without driving too far. Expect to pay $20-30 per person.

Review №5

2023-10-04 18:39:28

Incredibly gifted chefs, you can taste the Love. This restaurant lets their food do the talking and is a culmination of all of our favorite traditional Korean dishes.Throw a dart on the menu and whatever dish it lands on, you will be surprisingly pleased. Most restaurants today could never live up to that standard as they struggle to keep one outstanding dish intact.

Review №6

2022-05-14 22:20:24

I ordered Spicy Squid from House special menu. The portion size is big it comes with rice in the side. You cannot choose level of spicy for this menu but for other you can. (From the picture I already finished 30% of the dish)My friends ordered Bibimbub and it’s come so good with tofu soop the sideVery busy during lunch time.The decorations and layout inside is not attractive for me but the food is good.

Review №7

2023-10-30 01:19:16

I love Gay. It is one of my staples for comfort food... And Im not even Korean! Their stews are excellent and their small dishes that they give before the main course are some of the best Ive ever had

Review №8

2021-12-18 20:20:33

Wow! Delicious. Fast service at the non-rush afternoon time we visited. “3 flames” spicy level was handled well by Chinese-American mouths. Great side dishes and barley tea. We ordered two dishes, and it fed three people, including side dishes. The combo was kimchi soup and beef bulgogi; larger soup was a short rib, cold-noodle soup, warm and fairly salty. The meat fell off the bone, but we probably will lean toward combo orders in the future.Great presentation! After tax/etc came to $50 bill for all items pictured below.

Review №9

2022-05-16 21:38:26

This place used to be Moos Chinese restaurant (Koreans style) was well known for their Jijangmpeon and they have closed down during the pandemic. They have remodeled the place with new tables and decoration. The foods are amazing there! This will be my new spot for decent Korean foods in Torrance area beside Cho Dang Tofu. They have a lot more selection in the menu than Cho Dang Tofu. Foods are authentic (American Korean style/cuisine). -1 star for lack of staffs. They really need to hire more staffs during dinner hour.Quick tips: Parking is very limited (share parking with Scardinos Italian Restaurant) during peck hours. You might need to park on the street at Donora Ave. They might be short on staffs on some shifts. Give them some time to prepare your foods and be patient.

Review №10

2023-11-25 06:41:07

I don’t often write reviews but this Korean place was fantastic! The sides were generous and they gave purple rice with the amazing tofu soup. I’d recommend the medium spice for most people

Review №11

2021-11-14 06:03:14

The Pork Katsu was crispy & delicious! It comes with rice & salad. My dish was the Pork Tofu Soup. Comes out super hot in a Hot Stone Pot! You can choose which spice level you want. We loved the food we ordered!

Review №12

2023-06-06 18:36:03

The seafood pancake is my favorite; super delicious with the dipping sauce! The tofu soup is not bad, but I have other places for when I desire tofu soup.

Review №13

2022-02-05 00:31:05

Great place for Korean food. Some plates are served family style. Ordered the Bulgogi, pork katsu, kalbi. Everything was delicious.

Review №14

2022-07-19 16:15:51

Not all good Korean restaurants are in K Town! Got the black goat soup and bf got the stone bowl bibimbap. Way more meat than I expected! Ate every last bit of it. I love that they stir fry the pork with the kimchi for the bibimbap, makes it much more smokey and flavorful. Banchan themselves are super good and “refreshing” too, I like that the kimchi wasn’t super sharp so I can still savor my food when I pair them with each bite. Such a good meal to end our LA trip!…😋☺️

Review №15

2022-06-12 23:09:37

This is a very popular place.Service was 5-star nice and efficient.But for me, the food was a very good 3-star. I liked it, but feel that other Korean places may be more full flavored.

Review №16

2021-11-21 22:11:37

We went in at 8:15 pm 15 min till the posted closing time and they were so accommodating, friendly and attentive ! We ordered dumpling tofu soup, seafood pancake, Japchae and Galbi. Everything including the Banchan was fresh, flavorful & simply delicious!!! 😋 my only suggestion is that on a sat night maybe extend the closing time if possible. Overall a great dinning experience.

Review №17

2023-06-30 19:03:24

First time eating there. I would have to say the overall experience was excellent. The food was delicious. The only thing I thought wasn’t great was the fact the kalbi and bulgogi was too sweet (marinade was on the sweeter side). My wife and I would definitely go back again and would recommend to friends and family.

Review №18

2023-08-08 20:38:50

I like the lunch box. Spare ribs can be more tender. My son loves the beef bulgogi. Need to try the ox bone soup next time.

Review №19

2022-10-27 00:57:40

Good food at a decent price.Tempura is different than Japanese places.Needs to be served with more sauce.

Review №20

2021-08-29 03:29:26

The food was so good we forgot to take pictures! The seafood pancake was spectacular! Crispy, moist, and full of flavor. The spicy squid was also really tasty but not at all spicy. My favorite was the tofu soup with mushrooms (ordered minus the beef). They were busy - poor waitress was literally running. Even though it seemed that there were just two people working the restaurant they were very nice, helpful, and were able to attend to everyone properly.

Review №21

2022-05-29 04:55:07

Tasty and abundant quantity of food when lunch box choice was ordered. Friendly service and not crowded past 1:30pm.

Review №22

2023-04-27 01:25:01

Skip this spot. Not sure how it has more than 3 stars.Ever eat a meal where you walk out dissatisfied? This is that place. We got the stone bowl bibimbap and seafood noodle soup. The bibimbap ($16.99!) came with a lot of rice and only a few tiny pieces of beef. The meat portion was unbelievably small. The seafood noodle soup came with one shrimp and a few shell-less clams of the frozen variety, pretty much devoid of flavor.Also, the owners here are also too frugal to hire help, so you have to keep trying to flag them down for service.

Review №23

2023-07-12 07:11:48

Too many menu items... I only enjoyed the tofu soup here. Some dishes were especially bad... like gamjatang and galbitang which the meat tasted stale and the broth too bland. I think they should just remove some of these dishes off the menu.

Review №24

2023-03-26 15:43:54

Great Korean food!!! Friend of mine recommended me this place, the food is yummy.

Review №25

2021-11-13 04:53:20

Pretty decent especially if you like soups. Galbi ribs and sides are pretty on point as well.

Review №26

2023-02-07 07:56:52

Some of the best Korean food in town. To get the bast bang for your buck, I recommend the combination menu. When ordering the level of spice on your soup the mild isnt mild at all. Id order the spicy for mild and very spicy for spicy.Only bad thing is parking spaces are limited.

Review №27

2023-05-17 02:25:44

Nice home cooking. Ox bone soup was excellent. A little bit of wait but good food is worth it. Parking is small so had to park in the street.

Review №28

2022-12-12 16:59:50

It is very unfortunate that I have to give this place 2 stars because it is one of the decent Korean restaurants I can find in Torrance. The food is good, and the price is great, compared to others.However, I am not sure if the owner is not looking for servers to hire or cant find them but they are extremely short of servers. There are plenty of tables to sit but no one to serve them. When I went on Friday for a dinner, I was surprised to see the place full plus some more waiting for their food to take out, but with only ONE server and the owner to serve them. We had to sit at the table for 45 minute without anything on our table except for cups of water. This is very difficult when you have little kids. Korean restaurants usually give you some banchans before the main food comes out but I guess this place knows that the main food wont be coming out for >30 min so they didnt want to give you banchan too early??We also had to wait forever to pay our check, actually I just went up to the register, still waited about 10 minutes standing there before I could pay and leave. We devoured our food since we were too hungry but I wont be coming back.

Review №29

2022-08-17 12:27:45

Great Korean food! The galbi beef was amazingly tender and perfectly seasoned. Wide array of side dishes that come with thr meal. Staff were very nice and attentive. Parking is kind of sparse, but the food is well worth it.

Review №30

2022-06-02 22:59:08

Weve been here a few times and each time weve enjoyed ourselves. the grilled meats and tofu soups are all tasty. They have many different side dishes they bring out at the beginning of the meal which i am pretty sure they make them in house. This includes their kimchi which was the best Ive ever had. Their prices reflect a family style serving, so it can get a little pricey but its totally worth it. The over all atmosphere is nice, and everything is clean and neat. Ive never had a big problem with their service, but they are chronically short staffed and are always rushing around. This makes things really nice if you dont like to be inturrupted during your meal all the time. But dont be afraid to get their attention if you need assistance because they are super nice. Im pretty sure its a family run establishment. ill always come back, i have dreams about their delicious beef kimchi tofu soup.

Review №31

2022-12-15 01:42:08

Based on my 2 visits: the entre is pretty decent as expected - 3.5 to 4. Banchan is meh - 3 to 3.5. The service is very lacking though - 2.5. It may be because they dont have enough people working but dont expect a courteous and prompt service. Theyre not rude; they just dont have time for you. On both visits, I got my water 10 minutes after sitting down, and had to flag someone down to get anything not already coming out.

Review №32

2022-08-19 20:41:29

This is probably only Korean restaurant with regular menu in Torrance. I had a mixed feeling when they open after previous Korean style Chinese restaurant closed. I used to go there quite often. I stopped by here for lunch yesterday and tried Soondae(Korean sausage) soup and I was happy. Good flavor. Banchan(Side dishes) were also good. They were not too salty or sweet. Portion was also good enough. Im going to try Gamjatang next time and kinda waiting for it at the moment. Im glad we finally have a restaurant up to par in Torrance.

Review №33

2022-06-14 05:25:00

Came here for dinner on a Sunday night with my husband. The service is nice but I think they are really understaffed especially for the size of the restaurant, they only had one woman taking most of the orders and the owner, and one young girl taking drink orders, and one bus boy. We ordered the tofu and the cold noodles, that was my mistake I don’t know why I ordered the cold noodles at a tofu place… probably because it was a hot day. But the cold noodles are not that tasty. The noodles are over cooked and the broth is just not very flavorful. The tofu was ok, I think it wasn’t cooked long enough to have a more deeper taste? I think I’ve been to enough soon dubu places to know when there’s not enough flavor. Overall I don’t think I would return again

Review №34

2023-07-12 05:27:27

Excellent. We really enjoy this place and make it a point to go here whenever we are in the area. You should too.

Review №35

2022-07-17 23:16:21

Very flavorful, tasty Korean delicacies. Nice indoor dining ambience but I ordered To Go. Kalbi Med Spicy Clam Tofu soup combo was filling! Next visit will do dine-in.

Review №36

2021-11-07 04:25:18

The food is great, the portions are large. Soup combos are well worth it. The place is clean and bright. The staff is very friendly and helpful. We always bring leftovers home for lunch the next day.

Review №37

2021-12-22 02:54:24

Nice Korean restaurant. The seafood pancake and the beef bulgogi were delicious. The seafood noodle soup was ok (could have used more salt). The appetizer dishes were really good! The service was good and everyone was really nice. Overall a very nice dining experience.

Review №38

2023-03-19 03:04:18

People were relatively quiet. The service and food tasted delicious. Wonderful area and the furniture is quite comfortable.

Review №39

2022-10-27 19:18:38

Good food, large proportions, and much closer to BCD, and other tofu houses.

Review №40

2021-09-23 02:23:14

Id like to preface this by saying Ive never felt compelled to write a Google review in my entire life until now. But the customer service (or lack of it) my friends and I experienced last Saturday (9/18/21) was unacceptable and Id like this review to heed a warning for future guests.tl;dr: My friends and I were seated around 6:30 pm but did not receive our food until after 8 pm and the staff were not communicative and did not follow COVID safety measures.Basically, there were 3 of us (myself included), we all ordered soup-based dishes so we assumed the food would be out relatively quickly but we didnt even get our side dishes (banchan) until 8pm, let alone our water. There were two other large parties (of about 10-12 people each) that ordered after us and even then we didnt receive our food until way later around the same time as them. Even worse, the gentleman (manager?) took off his mask when he was approaching our table to collect the bill.I wish one of the staff was at least transparent to all parties that the food wasnt expected to come by until much later. There was no communication nor apologies whatsoever from the staff nor management. And I understand that perhaps Gaya was particularly short-staffed that evening but there still should have been some communication on their end on the estimated time our food was going to arrive or what was going on from their end. My friends and I really just sat there trying to kill the time for 1.5 hours while waiting for the food, and I dont know why I didnt suggest we cancel our orders and walk out sooner. My friends and I left the restaurant much later than expected and I can only imagine how stressful that could have been for other guests who might have been on a tighter schedule.Dont get me wrong, the food was good but the lack of customer service and communication are unfortunately not enough for me to reconsider going back. Again, it pains me to write such a negative review, especially for a small business, but I hope my feedback will be put to good use for better management practices moving forward as well as a warning to future guests.

Review №41

2022-07-08 20:04:23

This place has some of the best Korean food. Side dishes were fresh and tasty. Kalbi was awesome. Bibimbap was awesome. Decent prices! Want to eat here every day.

Review №42

2022-05-31 02:24:10

I love this place. The food is really good and I always leave satisfied. Only downside is that if it’s super busy, they really only have 1 or 2 servers max but I’ll keep coming back.

Review №43

2023-12-02 03:49:15

Not enough servers during Friday dinner time.

Review №44

2021-08-21 18:26:11

We had dinner here last night. Service was prompt and friendly. We had the spicy beef and tofu soup and the spicy beef noodle soup. Both were WONDERFUL! I had the beef noodle. The soup was flavorful and rich and the noodles were fresh and cooked just right. My wife had the beef and tofu soup and she loved that too. We will go back there soon.

Review №45

2022-10-13 02:06:59

Wonderful family owned business which offers great value during times where the price of everything is going up. Best Korean food in the South Bay.

Review №46

2022-06-03 22:19:41

Tasty Korean food fare; many good choices

Review №47

2022-06-30 05:32:25

Good food and nice service I will be back.

Review №48

2023-08-21 21:28:36

Great food and very good sides!

Review №49

2023-02-23 02:15:49

Best spot thats close by for traditional Korean food. Good portions and price too.

Review №50

2022-06-15 05:38:12

Food quality is very good. Service is little slow may be due to lack of sufficient attendees.Tofu soup taste is very nice.

Review №51

2022-11-20 18:50:23

Food is pretty good!Galbi + cold noodle is really good!Seafood pancake is soso.

Review №52

2021-12-09 06:44:19

My favorite restaurant to order takeout!

Review №53

2022-09-25 23:52:29

Very good Korean food. Recently opened up. They serve a variety of Korean food from tofu soup to bimbibap. Make sure to check it out!

Review №54

2023-07-27 00:22:51

Price is fair, taste great

Review №55

2021-11-25 06:43:04

Foods were and services were good.This place is new open restaurant after closed down prolong timeWas Chinese restaurant and now serving Korean Foods

Review №56

2022-02-11 02:42:16

A very good tofu restaurant with many variety of Korean dishes. Its clean and the service was top notch!

Review №57

2022-05-25 18:06:02

This place is really yummy. However, it might be better with a bit more taste for the soup.

Review №58

2021-12-06 02:52:50

Ever since the Korean restaurant in H Mart closed, Ive been looking for a place that has good Korean stew and Gaya fits the bill.

Review №59

2021-08-28 05:07:25

The restaurant is very clean. James and Kelly are very friendly. The food is very delicious and fresh. I will come back again.

Review №60

2021-10-10 23:15:11

Food was good, bathrooms were clean, service was super slow but there was only one server for the whole place.

Review №61

2021-11-27 23:18:50

Extremely delicious. Portions were perfect. I apologize for flicking things all over my table with the chopsticks : )

Review №62

2022-06-04 02:31:11

Great portions. Apps coulda been a meal itself. I’m sooo stuffed and happy.

Review №63

2022-11-27 04:59:29

Food was really good. Service is ok. Just wait time long.

Review №64

2021-10-05 02:37:28

First visit and had a great meal. Fast and friendly service. Looking forward to another visit.

Review №65

2022-04-17 00:13:28

I love this place. My daughter wants to go eat here everyday. :)

Review №66

2022-02-27 02:17:37

I loved their Bossam (aka slow-cooked pork). Also their soon-tofu is good.

Review №67

2023-06-23 03:46:56

Great selection of food!

Review №68

2022-03-22 17:17:34

Newly remodeled, decent food, good price for the portion you get.

Review №69

2021-10-26 18:57:12

Great little gem in northwest Torrance. Good service and good food. Will definitely return for more.

Review №70

2022-05-31 20:27:53

Spacious and very clean, good price for tofu soup.

Review №71

2022-08-15 23:57:52

Great service, tasty food. I will be coming back.

Review №72

2022-09-09 00:36:34

Simply Good food. Good price good service. Good owner

Review №73

2022-09-05 03:43:14

Tasty food, big portions, good service.

Review №74

2023-03-03 13:57:12

Great Korean food. Lots of choices.

Review №75

2022-04-25 02:07:50

Tried this place and it was delicious. Will definitely be back.

Review №76

2021-08-27 17:54:39

Amazing food, Bright clean restaurant!

Review №77

2023-06-25 15:43:06

Good food and services 🤌

Review №78

2023-04-05 05:21:31

Good location & very delicious

Review №79

2021-10-31 06:30:19

Great food. Nice and helpful staff.

Review №80

2021-11-23 03:58:52

Good food and great side dishes.

Review №81

2022-03-20 06:20:50

Great staff, atmosphere and tasty food

Review №82

2023-03-02 00:08:40

So good

Review №83

2022-12-04 03:42:58

All the food was amazing

Review №84

2021-11-29 22:15:26

Great food and kind people...

Review №85

2021-10-10 01:22:29

Super nice friendly staff great service

Review №86

2021-08-29 21:02:04

Much better than BCD imo

Review №87

2022-06-24 01:52:16

The service was so amazing.

Review №88

2022-12-04 06:23:13

Love all the dishes!!

Review №89

2022-04-26 01:12:55

Service and food both excellence

Review №90

2022-08-13 05:41:41

With friends had lunch 😋.

Review №91

2021-10-24 19:35:25

Very good

Review №92

2021-09-27 05:56:14

Good

Review №93

2023-04-25 05:52:47

Discrimination

Review №94

2023-10-06 01:42:10

I visited this restaurant because I really wanted to eat Korean food after coming to my accommodation in Ladonna Beach.I also visited Bukchang-dong Soft Tofu a few days ago, but the side dishes here were more delicious. The kalguksu was great, but the ribs were a little disappointing. It was nice to see Korean people there.

Review №95

2022-03-28 01:06:59

Recently, I felt like I was being treated to a Korean meal in the Torrance area.I went to go and was very impressed... .The portions are generous, the food is neat, and the taste is great!Among Korean foods, its cheap, delicious, and plentiful... .Thank you to the owner who filled us with food.I hope you never change your mind and prosper in the future!

Review №96

2023-07-10 20:58:39

As for the food, I highly recommend it to those who want the delicious taste of restaurants in Korea.A house youll want to visit again with a friendly, spacious and comfortable atmosphere.

Review №97

2023-08-04 02:09:40

The meat is so delicious! The owner is kind and the other side dishes taste good. I ate well

Review №98

2021-09-19 04:12:58

Dining in on Saturday evenings is not recommended. I sat down after being assigned a seat, but they only gave me water for 30 minutes and did not take my order.When I looked around, there were 3 more tables where only water was served. I wonder if I came here for no reason. server. Each owner...is there even one in the kitchen????Even though I sat down for almost an hour, he didnt even look at me, so I ended up asking the server himself if he was taking my order, and only then did he take my order. What makes me even more angry is that the table that arrived 30 minutes later than ours took our order first.Even after receiving the food, hair came out in the bathtub...two of them. ㅠㅠEven after the food was served, they asked guests at other tables if they needed anything else, and only gave us food and a check without saying anything to us. Differentiated Services. Is this a restaurant feature??I dont want to visit again.Service is no good… everyone…

Review №99

2022-02-03 21:42:42

Yesterday I met a friend and had dinner at Gaya Sundubu.It is. I ordered bossam and rice cake dumpling soup and it was so delicious. The dumpling soup was very thick, seasoned just right, and delicious. Bossam came out hot and was so good. The meat was also tender and delicious. I talked with my friend and promised to meet here again next time. I love that Torrance has such a delicious restaurant. I didnt have to go far and it was so close.

Review №100

2022-01-22 08:43:06

Its been a long time since I met the worst restaurant and wrote a review. We ate at the store on Friday evening. Usually, even if the food takes a long time, it makes sense to bring the side dishes first. After sitting down for 30 minutes, nothing was served, only water, soju and cola were brought to the table. I couldnt drink soju without food, so of course it became lukewarm. Food was so poor. The pork soup had very little meat, so there was nothing to eat. The chives and chives, which should have been sliced, were roughly cut into three finger lengths and placed on top of the soup. The meat is also messed up. The meat came out in cuts the size of my palm. I thought it was a steak.. This is the first time in my life to see this type of meat😳 (I cant think of anything else because I was busy and bothered to cut it) Besides, I felt that it was boiled without spices or rice wine. The pickled cabbage served with it was literally salty. How about rice cake soup? Loosen the eggs loosely so that large egg masses swim in the broth. We asked for salt and pepper (to sprinkle on pork soup), and the waitress said that we can eat the meat by dipping it in salted shrimp, and we dont need salt and pepper... .😔 Even the will to talk is gone. When I looked around, there were not many Korean customers. People who dont know much about Korean food will think that this is a standard Korean restaurant, but in my opinion, this type of food should not be sold for money. Of course, I havent tried soft tofu yet, so it might be limited to the food I ordered.

Review №101

2023-06-29 02:15:47

A place where LA galbi and soft tofu sets are delicious

Review №102

2023-01-22 01:51:55

Service sucksFood tastes badI ordered chicken noodle soup.Woogi said he ordered seafood kalguksu.Boss... it was really absurd.

Review №103

2022-07-22 06:50:38

Food. Not salty and delicious. The price is reasonable.The owner manages the store very meticulously (cleaning, etc.)

Review №104

2021-09-15 21:10:32

Friendly and most of the food is deliciousIt is also suitable for groups of guests.

Review №105

2022-01-01 23:12:05

The side dishes were deliciousThe soft tofu was also delicious.It was really salty,

Review №106

2021-10-30 02:50:44

Good moodDelicious foodfriendly service5 star