Maru Kitchen in Lomita

I had a rare night to myself after working an open house, and was craving hot tofu soon on this chillier summer night. I came to Maru kitchen when it first opened during COVID, and I was pleasantly surprised to find how much their menu expanded!Everything was actually awesome, the only reason for 4 vs 5 stars is bc of the price. I think soon tofu and the side dishes for $15.99 are reasonable, but to add a side order of kalbi of 5 pieces, $14.99 (just a dollar off from the rest of my meal) seemed a bit steep for very thin pieces.That being said, I enjoyed the mildly spiced soon tofu, all the side dishes. Rice was smoooshy and overcooked, which is also disappointing at this price point, but the service was great! 👍Total for my meal including 18% tip= $40.31

This is my first time eating here, Very nice spot, great staff, and great food, this is what I had :# 3 - Pork Bulgogi - $23.99 – Spicy and sweet, perfectly tender. I always will get the pork over the beef if the option is available.# 5 - Stir-Fried Squid - $27.99 – Very spicy, lots of squid, loved the noodles all mixed up in the sauce.# 8 – Kimchi Pancake - $19.99 – Giant and packed with flavor from green onions, white onions, kimchi, and peppers.# 22 – Fried Dumpling - $13.99 – This is the best fried dumpling I’ve ever had. Whoever fried this dumpling know what they are doing. Crispy and golden all the way around, not greasy. Perfection.# 24 – Cheese Dbeokbbokki - $15.99 – So I did not get this with cheese, not a huge fan of cheese and seafood. Packed with lots of flavor# 34 – Soon Tofu - $ 14.99 – Very hot ! not spicy but heat hot, it was probably cooked in a volcano. We got the kimchi and tofu, a perfect combo.And don’t forget the Banchan – A little bit of everything, honestly my favorite part of Korean food is the bachan. Its like I’m running in the flavor Olympics and my mouth is the winner.

It had its own little tablet for you to choose your food, and the waiter was so nice. When I asked for more kimchi, they gave me a bunch, saying that that was all that was left. Will come back a million more times

Tasty bulgogi bibimbap and Korean fried chicken. They include banchan and soup in some dishes. The japchae was on the bland side and expensive - as with everything on the menu. The owner was really nice and friendly, she even said that her mom is the one who cooks!

Just had the most delicious meal where we finished almost every last piece of rice. Super authentic, perfectly seasoned and cooked (speaking as a Korean-American eating loads of Korean food both at home and out in the OC/LA area). Our toddler who is very picky even ate the broccoli banchan and mild soontofu. The service was also very attentive and kind, made for an all around pleasant dining experience. Their crispy rice bibimbap was one of the best I’ve eaten and the side of radish soup was devoured by my toddler. I always get very excited when my toddler eats a full meal that’s healthy and it’s a great indicator of the taste/texture of the food. They even gave us delicious walnut pastry balls filled with red bean paste for dessert. Yummy! Can’t wait to try more of their menu - its extensive with lots of great options. Something for everyone.

Fantastic food! Had the ramen and bugulgi rice bowl. Wasnt too spicy for my tender taste buds! The owner was very nice, excellent service. They put in tablets you can order from on each table.

Heard this place from yelp, so gave it a try. Had soulongtang and spicy rib soup, both are very good, kind of home style cooking. The meat on the ribs are soft and the soups are flavorful. Portion is good, too.Very neat and clean place with good service. We asked for additional kimchee and radish with no issue. After the meal, the waitress gave us two tiny small muffins for desert, so cute :)

Newly opened local family owned establishment. Amazing food and an even more amazing staff. Will be making my way back soon.

Great customer service with variable side dishes.I had a cold noodle. Server brings out vinegar and korean mustard which you can add into noodle makes more tasteful!! Make sure you add them as you want!

The bimbibaps were delicious!!! Everything was so good! The service was great and staff was so friendly. So glad I found this gem 💎 will definitely be back!