The Bun Shop

This place was a lot better than I thought it would be.
I liked how unique the food was
I don’t remember specifically what I ordered, but I do remember the meat was very tender and flavorful.
The atmosphere was very chill and quiet.
I would definitely go again

I ordered two buns… both the vegetarian options.
Temp Veg: My favorite! The avocado is fried (so good!) and it comes with tomatoes, onions, mixed greens, and a delicious aioli.
Tomanko: Tomatoes arent meant to be fried. Well, this one wasn’t. It fell apart way to easily and I was stuck with tomato and the skin of the fried batter. Either way it was still pretty good.
The buns are delicious! Soft and semi chewy. Not your typical bread.
The location is iffy since its located in an odd area. But definitely worth a visit.

This place was a pleasant surprise in the midst of all the Korean BBQ places in Ktown. I came here with a couple of friends and we tried a couple of the buns. They have around 7 different types of buns that you can try, but I ended up getting the Pork Belly, Kalbi, and Spicy Pig. The buns had an amazing taste and «felt like a baby’s butt» according to my friend haha. The fillings were equally satisfying, but the Kalbi was by far my favorite. They put a huge fried onion in the bun along with the meat and it is extremely tasty when eating it all at once.
The only thing you should be aware of is this place is not the type of place where you will get extremely full. Although the buns are normal-​size, it does not fill you up unless you get like 5 – 6 of them. Overall it’s a cool, hipster place with an awesome twist on Chinese and Korean Fusion.

FUN FACT:
The owner is the brother of Steven Yeun, who plays Glenn on The Walking Dead.
A buddy of mine brought me hear just an hour before Happy Hour started (which was at 4pm) on a Tuesday. Place was empty! We lucked out with free street parking around the corner.
We decided to order anyway to hang out until Happy Hour started! Here’s what we had:
SOJU — $ 7 HH
This bottle will serve about 4 shots each. I don’t know much about soju, but this was just the standard, non-​flavored, non-​yogurt one I had. Cheers!
BUNS — $ 2.50 ea. — Happy Hour
Regular $ 3.75 or 2/​$ 6.75
SPAM BUN — $ 2.50 HH (Reg. $ 3.75)
Grilled Onions, Tomato, Mixed Greens, Chipotle Ketchup.
You REALLY can’t go wrong with anything that has spam on it! So yeah this was good! Simple and straight forward!
PORK BELLY BUN — $ 2.50 HH (Reg. $ 3.75)
Pickled Vegetables, Mixed Greens, Cucumber, Asian BBQ Sauce.
Yup, this was a good one. The thick cut of pork belly was unctuous, flavorful, tender and delicious. Of course it was also good because of the savory and sweet sauce, and the combination of the pickled vegetables made this bun all around tasty!
BA’CORN CHEESE — $ 6 HH (Reg. $ 7)
Corn, Bacon, Moserella Cheese, Jalapeño, Scallions
This was such a guilty pleasure. I don’t eat corn – I avoid it if possible even though I enjoy it. But this time not only was I having a dish of corn, this bad boy was cooked with all the amazing works! The gooey cheese and bacon made it wonderfully greasy and yummy. I love scallions and it made the dish beautiful. There wasn’t a lot of bacon but I was happy with whatever amount was there! I don’t recall this being very spicy at all… but what a fun snack! Yeah this made me feel like I went big instead of going home: P
Oh, The Bun Shop is part of Five Stars Rewards Program! You get a point for every dollar you spent! They have random rewards they send out!
I dig the place. Pretty hip and trendy, although small. It has a beautiful mural right outside!
To be honest though, is only come back for Happy Hour because it feels a bit on the pricier side. I give it 5 stars for the happy hour. Had I come during regular hour, I probably would have given it 4 because of price… which is still good right!!! Heh: D

Gets me full when ordering the burger. I also ordered the bacorn with cheese which is not meant for one person but I finished it and it felt fattening. Total came out to be around $ 15 when burger is 7.50 which was good and $ 1 extra for egg and more for bacon added. Other than that, the bun shop is known for its buns in specialty made combinations like kalbi, pork belly, katsu, etc. It’s a little pricy at $ 3.75 per pun and it’s about the size of your palm. Two for 6.75 and three for $ 9.

This place is delicious. I tried their pork belly and kalbi buns and they did not disappoint. The bun itself is fluffy and compliments the filling very well. I like the portions here, not to big or too small but just right. I liked that they sell beer since it compliments food really well. I would come back and try something new so I could start getting familiar with their menu :)
–clean/​cute ambiance
–great service
–they offer more things other than buns!
–LOVED the music in the background

This place is neither bad nor amazing — just plain average in my opinion. I had the Katsu bao & Pork Belly bao. Both items were somewhat dry and on the bland side. If there was a sauce on the side that would compliment the bao, I think that would make all the difference.
My boyfriend had the Kalbi & Spicy Pig bao’s, which I each took a bite of. I thought this was on the opposite side of the flavor spectrum and that they had too much sauce and flavor, which was borderline salty.
We shared the Shop Fries, which were tasty though! Perhaps next time I need to try something else instead.
I can’t comment on their service since we ordered it to go but the restaurant is quite small and there is a TV (maybe 2? I can’t remember).

Just a big wow at this place! Was taken here with my cousins when I was visiting the LA area; it was truly an amazing experience. Place is completely full all the time, fantastic vibe, great décor, love the smells emanating on the streets!
Immediately got a table on the outdoor terrace area, it was fantastic, the service was on point, the presentation of our plates and utensils; the constantly need to ask us if we needed to clear room for more food, very in tune with our dining experience.
The flavors were truly interesting, everything was an explosion of experimental flavors, all great and memorable. The buns of course were delicious, sweet but tangy, juicy and literally melts into your mouth. I truly enjoyed the experience, the food and vibe was just the bonus. Location is hectic but fairly quiet given the fact we went on Saturday night. Will definitely be revisiting when i’m in the West Coast again!

My friends and I decided to try this place since we were near Koreatown. I decided to get the katsu bun, which was pretty good. I really like how the chicken was crispy, but I didn’t really care for the Asian bbq sauce. It seemed a little too sweet for me. I also got a side of their shop friends. I don’t really care for Rosemary, I wish they just had garlic fries, but the fries weren’t bad.
I think the place is a little over hyped, but I wouldn’t mind coming back to try the place out one more time. The staff is pretty friendly and the place is super cute inside.

Been here once before and loved it, decided to go back for a midday munch and was far from being disappointed. I ordered the spicy pork bun and it was the right amount of spicy and the right amount of piggy, salty goodness.
The service was friendly, relaxed, and quick. I felt welcomed and excited about their food! The atmosphere of the place is perfect for friends or individuals looking for good food, service, and space.
A perfect spot!

SD to LA!
I just wished they had one in San Diego. We need more places like these to go to. I mean they play really good music and the décor inside is very clean and nice. Lighting is perfect in there too!
So we always get the same thing when we go here. The ba’corn, 2 cream cheese wontons, kalbi bun, Katsu bun and the pork belly bun. Simply amazing!!!
The cream cheese wontons here are the best I’ve ever had! And usually these are something you usually get tired of if you eat too much. But man, I can eat the wontons forever. I even had to order some Togo to eat it later when I get hungry again! Haha
The buns is good as well. My favorite is the kalbi one. I wouldn’t say they are shareable because it’s a small bun but for a snack maybe you can share a couple bites with each other like how me and my boyfriend did.
The employees here are very energetic and friendly. They were really helpful to my friends that haven’t been there before.
I’ll be back on my next LA trip! See you next time!

I got the pleasure to try the pork belly and spicy pig buns, the ba’corn cheese, and the super garlicy-​rosemary shop fries.
As much as everyone raves about the ba’corn cheese, it was definitely delicious, but heavy. So if you want to chat it up with friends and feel lathergic after a meal & beer, I’d highly recommend it!
The buns were on point. Light and fluffy with a touch of natural sweetness. The pork belly was fatty, savory and sweet. The spicy pig hit the spot for me with its spicy/​sweet combo; everything was awesome, to be honest, down to the ambiance of the corner shop.
The fries? Garlic Heaven.
TL;DL
Throw a rock at something, order it, and you’ll probably not regret it.
Ask your significant-​other/​friends if they want their eyebrows burned off during a conversation before ordering the shop fries.

What you want to get here are the Katsu buns and shop fries (although as a warning the fries have so much garlic that you can’t kiss anyone for days). Some of the other buns, given the wrappers soft, spongy texture, were too squishy to be as appealing.
It’s a clean, casual atmosphere on a restaurant-​packed section of Western.

My friend and I came here on a Saturday afternoon and it was not busy at all. You go up to the register, order, and find a seat.
When choosing a bun, you can do either 1 for $ 3.75, 2 for $ 6.75, or 3 for $ 9.00.
ORDER:
Pork Belly Bun: comes with pickled veggies, mixed greens, cucumber, asian bbq sauce. I thought the pork belly was on point. They give you a pretty sizable chunk of meat. The sauce, however, was lacking flavor. I feel like it needed to be more of like a hoison sauce. The veggies were too pickled too
Katus Bun: breaded chicken, mixed greens, cucumber, slaw, asian bbq sauce. I thought this was a terrible bun. The breaded chicken was burnt and dried and again, the sauce was flavorless. This was the worst bun ever.
Shop Fries (SHARES) ($ 5) — Garlic, rosemary, ranch sauce. The fries were delicious. I would come here for fries.
Citrus Edamame– I thought this was really good. The citrus flavor was interesting and something I’ve never tasted so this was refreshing.
Overall, this is a bun shop so the star of this place should be the BUNS! I was disappointed and will most likely not return.

Wow. This place has improved SO much since I’ve been here one year ago. Better ingredients, better presentation.
The pork belly was a generous and flavorful slab of meat and the spicy pork was well rounded and packed a punch! Bringing the boys here for happy hour ASAP!

I’ve been wanting to go here for a while so I was happy to finally get a chance to try their food. I went during happy hour, which was a nice treat since you can get their buns for quite a discount if you plan to buy a few. I had pretty much all of their buns, but I would say my favorites were the kalbi and spam buns. I also really liked their corn, cheese, bacon side and their deep fried orea dessert, which is a must if you don’t get a chance to go very frequently. Overall, it was a great place to visit and I’ll be going back for soon.
The only downside is that parking is a bit tight. When we went, the parking lot next to their restaurant was all full, so just note that it might be challenging finding a parking spot.

I like big buns and I cannot lie
You other brothers can’t deny
When a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And her wallet in your face
She’ll buy buns!
For my first time at the Bun Shop, I got the 3 for $ 9 deal. I noticed that they have a Happy Hour, which runs from 4 – 7 Mon-​Fri, and 10 – 12 am Thurs-​Sat. The $ 2.50 buns and $ 1 off shares sounded pretty good, and next time I will have to come during that time to get the most bang for my buck.
My friend took one of the buns, so I was left with a KALBI and PORK BELLY to myself. The bun is soft and inviting, and the meat was bursting with flavor. The Kalbi had an interesting tempura onion and a hint of spiciness that I liked, but the Pork Belly was my favorite. I am a sucker for that fatty, rich flavor! We also split some shop fries, which were very good. Service was friendly, and the overall feel of the restaurant is trendy and hip.
I will come back again, but probably only when it’s happy hour, since the buns are smallish and expensive, and I really needed at least 3 to fill up.
Food: 5, Service: 4, Environment: 4, Price: 3

Cane here on a Friday night with the bestie and decided to order everything that helpers said were delicious. Thank you, Unilocalers!
Ordered ⁶⁄₇ buns.
1. Temp veg was my favorite. Who can go wrong with fried avocados wrapped in delicious fluffy carbs??? And that cilantro aoli? Yes please.
2. Kalbi beef. Slightly spicy. Beef was not dry which was good.
3. Spam was really salty. My friend and I couldn’t finish it.
4. Pork belly was really good. My second favorite. Tender belly & and flavoring was just right.
5. Chicken katsu was very dry for my liking. Not too much flavoring involved.
6. Spicy pig was not spicy. Well at least not for me or my friend. Felt the tingle on my tongue but that’s it.
Mama’s wings was the best part of tonight. Sticky sweet sauce covered very crispy wings. So good!
Sweet potato fries! Brown sugar and honey. Yum.
Overall I’m giving this place 4 stars because of the service and the vibe this place gave me. Not sure if I would come back again because the food was REALLY salty. Drank 5 cups of water.

This place is great!!! It is a bit pricy for things like fries. We went during happy hour which was a good idea because it was a few dollars off the three buns off I bought.
The buns are really tasty, and super filling actually. Eat the buns quick before they get cold and soggy! The fries are really good too and for the price it’s pretty plenty ! I also suggest the corn cheese!
The place was clean, even the restroom. The workers were super friendly and were quick to clean up the place. And the utensils and napkins are also on the tables.

I was in Los Angeles for vacation with a group of friends and this little spot was on our list of things to do. We were there just in time for happy hour! Score! It’s a nice little shop with a good amount of seating for the size of it.
My friend and I ordered the pork belly and kalbi buns because we just wanted a little snack before dinner. I think both were delicious. The kalbi one is a bit spicy. I think the buns were so soft and pillowy and were well balanced with the meat and veggies clamped in the middle. I wish I had tried more, too bad I did not want to ruin my appetite before dinner.
Check this place out!