While perhaps not apropos right now (yes, the joke in La La Land about Winter in Los Angeles is true - it hit 87 degrees yesterday), the delicious dish known as Gamjatang (or Korean Pork Neck Stew) was perfect for a warming and nourishing meal last month when we had it (and it should get back to colder weather here soon). 
Perhaps the best known specialist of Gamjatang in the area is Ham Ji Park. The small mom & pop shop along 6th Street has been in our regular rotation since it was recommended by our OG Hounds on Chowhound back in the day. But we recently heard mention of another Gamjatang specialist and felt it was a great time to try an impromptu Korean Pork Neck Stew battle. 
Ham Ji Park
When the county allowed outdoor dining, it was a lifeline for many restaurants struggling to make ends meet with only takeout orders. We decided to try the outdoor dining option, first surveying if it felt safe. Ham Ji Park had only 4 tables total outside, and during the cleaning process they had an alcohol / disinfectant spray and some sort of UV light attached to it and they sprayed and UV exposed the entire table and all chairs, before seating us.
(Complimentary) Banchan (Side Dishes):
Ham Ji Park has a respectable array of Banchan (Side Dishes) that come with every meal. My favorite on this visit was their Kongnamul Muchim (Soybean Sprouts) with a light, fragrant Sesame Oil accent.
Gamjatang (Pork Neck Stew with Potatoes):
And the star of the menu and only reason you need to visit Ham Ji Park arrives: A huge cauldron of piping hot, long-stewed Gamjatang (Pork Neck and Potato Stew), which has so much food, it’s practically overflowing.
Taking a bite:
Succulent, mouth-watering, tender chunks of fall-off-the-bone Stewed Pork. Ham Ji Park’s version is potent with the Gochugaru (Korean Chili Flakes) and Gochujang (Korean Chili Paste) flavors taking the lead along with the natural porcine flavors from long-stewed Pork Neck. It is absolutely delicious! 
For newcomers, rest assured that the deep red color of the Stew does not reflect how spicy it is. There is some spiciness for sure, but that deep crimson color is more visually shocking than it is actually spicy. It’s actually on the mild side.
The Stewed Potatoes are also wonderful, soaking up the flavors and providing a pleasing, soft, earthy contrast.
Another Visit:
The Pork Neck Stew was so good that we had to make a return visit.
(Complimentary) Banchan:
As before, their Banchan (Side Dishes) were solid, and their Soybean Sprouts Side Dish was still the standout.
Kimchi Stone Pot Rice:
We don’t remember seeing the Kimchi Stone Pot Rice on previous visits, but it sounded fantastic, so we decided to give it a try. And it turned out as excellent as we had hoped: A searing hot stone pot arrives with Rice and Kimchi sizzling within. The server mixes everything up table-side and recommends we let it sit and sizzle and caramelize for a bit (he comes back to mix it up some more before it’s ready).
It is lovely: Nicely seasoned, some saltiness, some tartness and funkiness from the Kimchi, lightly spicy and with seared Rice from the Stone Pot, fragrance from the Green Onions and simply a delight!
Gamjatang (Pork Neck Stew with Potatoes):
As before, their Gamjatang is wonderful: Slow cooked, tender meaty chunks of Stewed Pork Neck, with a nice slow building heat from the Gochugaru and Gochujang, some Garlic notes and utterly crave worthy with some Rice!
One noteworthy item to mention is that Ham Ji Park raised their prices, but we’re not sure if it’s because of the pandemic (and making rent / lower volume of sales) or if it’s permanent: The Gamjatang is now $29.99 (it was previously an absurdly low $24.99). But even at $29.99 it’s an absolute bargain: We took home leftovers and it fed us for an entire 2nd meal! 
(So basically 4 meals for $29.99.) That’s insane value for the quality! 
Ham Ji Park
3407 W. 6th Street, #101
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Tel: (213) 365-8773
Yangji Gamjatang
Yangji Gamjatang is also a Korean Pork Neck Stew specialist, and it took me completely by surprise that it was in the same plaza as the ever popular Sun Nong Dan and Hangari Kalguksu in K-Town! Surprising because we’ve been to that plaza countless times and never noticed Yangji before.
Word of warning: That plaza’s “outdoor dining” setup is very suspect - To maximize parking spaces & income (valet only), the outdoor dining area is a super compressed “tent” setup. Tables were all only about 3 feet apart from each other, but they were separated by a floor-to-ceiling plastic drape, but one side of your table “tent” was open (for food to be delivered and customers to enter / exit).
Thankfully Yangji’s tent area for its restaurant was a bit more spaced out (but not 6 feet), but Sun Nong Dan’s tent area was horrifying: Numerous tables, all 2 - 3 feet apart, separated only by the plastic drape setup, and every table was packed with people. I was ready to leave after seeing Sun Nong Dan’s area, but when we walked over to Yangji’s tent area (a few stores down), it was completely empty and we were the only customers, so it felt safe enough (although by the time we finished eating there were 2 other tables seated, but the waitstaff seemed wise enough to seat the other diners as far apart from each other and us, as possible).
(Complimentary) Banchan (Side Dishes):
Yangji Gamjatang features more Banchan than Ham Ji Park, a nice arrangement of 8 dishes on this visit. They were all in the respectable category of flavor and execution. Nothing really standout, but nothing bad, either.
Beef Tendon Soup:
One nice standout for Yangji is that they offer a variety of Seolleongtang (or Ox Bone Soup) as well. So you can get a classic Seolleongtang by itself. Or with Beef Brisket, or Beef Tendon, and they also have an Oxtail version as well!
Their Beef Tendon Seolleongtang has a deep, beefy funk to the Soup, tasting of the classic flavor from slowly cooking the bones for hours. As with Seolleongtang specialists, you are given a bowl of Salt and Green Onions and you season it to your liking. The Tendon itself was delicious and gelatinous, and overall this was a good version of Seolleongtang. Maybe not our favorite, but still quite good.
Gamjatang (M) (Pork Neck Bone Casserole - Medium Size):
Yangji offers 2 sizes for their traditional Gamjatang (listed as “Pork Neck Bone Casserole” on their menu), a medium size for $34.95 (which is what we ordered), or a large size ($44.95).
It’s immediately apparent that Yangji’s version has more ingredients, namely with Perilla Leaves, Chives, Fresh Jalapeno Chilies, Sesame Seeds and Glass Noodles. It’s also served with an active burner, so that the Stew remains boiling (and to cook down the freshly added greens).
Taking a sip: Yangji’s Gamjatang Soup is more distinct, herbal and aromatic than Ham Ji Park’s. Fresh Perilla Leaves really make it stand out, but also the Chives and Sesame Seeds and Jalapenos. It is warming and quite tasty.
The actual Stewed Pork Neck meat, though, is tender enough and while enjoyable, it tasted a touch old (like reheated leftovers from the day before). It’s not egregious like many Ramen restaurants’ use of refrigerated / reheated Charsiu, but it didn’t taste as bright or fresh as Ham Ji Park’s Stewed Pork Neck (in all of our numerous visits over the years).
In this impromptu Gamjatang (Korean Pork Neck Stew) battle, both places offer distinct flavor profiles. Yangji’s version of the Pork Neck Stew has more ingredients, more flavor in the Soup itself in an aromatic, herbal way, but their slightly old-tasting Stewed Pork Neck detracted from the overall enjoyment. It was still enjoyable overall on that chilly evening, but when compared with Ham Ji Park’s version, there was no comparison.
Ham Ji Park’s Gamjatang is less nuanced, but the Soup is more in-your-face flavorful and porky, and their Stewed Pork Neck was fresher and more savory. We hope our visit to Yangji was an off-day, but for now, if you’re craving a mouth-watering, warming, delicious Pork Neck Stew at a great price, Ham Ji Park remains our favorite.
Yangji Gamjatang
3470 W. 6th Street, #6
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Tel: (213) 388-1105
and
Ham Ji Park
3407 W. 6th Street, #101
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Tel: (213) 365-8773
(Just thinking aloud. Might be a dish that’s best enjoyed searing in the stone pot at the table?)
