A new traditional Korean restaurant named Gabin has opened in Los Angeles Koreatown, offering high-quality dishes ranging from K-bbq and marinated crab to cold noodles.
The restaurant is the latest venture by David Lee, chairman of Kaizen Dining Group, known for its Japanese restaurant Kabuki. Gabin recently hosted a soft-opening event for community leaders and officially began full service at 400 S. Western Ave. #104 near Wilshire and Western. It has seating for 140 guests, with private rooms and group tables designed to accommodate both gatherings and business meals.
According to Lee, the name Gabin derives from a Korean term meaning “honored guest,” inspired by a traditional Korean restaurant once run by a friend of his wife Joanne Lee in Seoul’s Gangnam district. “I hope everyone who visits Gabin feels genuinely welcomed through our heartfelt food and service,” he said.
Elevated Korean Cuisine for All Generations
Lee said Gabin marks the culmination of his 30-year food industry career, now turning toward Korean cuisine. “I wanted to conclude my culinary career with Korean food,” he said. “Gabin is meant to be a traditional Korean restaurant where all generations can enjoy authentic and comforting meals.”
The lunch menu features simple yet flavorful dishes such as minari and coriander beef bone soup and yukhoe bibimbap. For dinner, the restaurant serves premium items like soy sauce and spicy marinated crab, braised short ribs, and a Korean-style full set meal with six upscale variations.
A standout on the menu is naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles). Gabin brought in a buckwheat noodle master from Korea to grind the buckwheat and pull the noodles in-house using traditional techniques.
Transparent Kitchen and Premium Meats
Gabin features an open kitchen behind glass for guests to observe the preparation of Korean pancakes. Its meat selection focuses on top-tier beef, including brisket, prime ribeye, and fresh sirloin.
“Delicious food has the power to move the heart,” Lee added. “We hope Gabin becomes a space that offers more than a meal—comfort and satisfaction.”
Gabin is open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., offering lunch specials every day, including weekends.
BY HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
