Dan Moo Ji

Dan Moo Ji is hands down one of my favorite Korean cafes. I come here often and I’ve tried almost every kind of dish on the menu, but I have yet to try the different flavors/​variations.
The service is great. You are initially welcomed into the café by all the workers and seated ASAP. After taking your order, the waitress will repeat your order and ask for a high-​five if she is indeed correct. The café grew after it’s renovation a few months ago and it can now seat 1 – 8 people.
I shared a kimchi and cheese omurice (kimchi fried rice covered over by an omelet and drizzled with ketchup and cheese), a spicy squid kimbab (Korean steamed rice roll wrapped in seaweed), and 10 piece battered wings with my boyfriend. The proportions are great and both of us had full bellies after our meal. The omurice is a sweet from the ketchup and cheese and spicy from the kimchi. It comes with a side salad drizzled in mayo sauce and cheesey corn which is my ultimate favorite. The spicy squid kimbab varies in spice. Some days they’re spicy and some days they’re not. Overall, it’s delicious. The battered wings are decent and they come with wing sauce which is a slightly spicy. They are bit too battered for me. Fish cake soup and pickled radishes are given with your meals. The fish cake soup is very addictive although it seems to be high in sodium.
Our bill came out to be roughly $ 25 for the 3 items, which is understandable.
Recommend? Yes.

It would be a 5 star before renovations. However after renovating, I feel like the emphasis on food quality has gone down a little. However, for the money this type of korean «street» food can’t be beat in Atlanta.

I used to be a huge fan of this place before it renovated. I’m still a fan but it seems a little bit different now. The fishcake soup used to be free with every purchase but now you have to order it separately. They added more stuff to their menu but I haven’t tried it yet.
My favorite has to be their omurice and their tuna kimbap. I always get those whenever I go. They are packed every hour of every day, so you might have to wait a while to sit down at a table.
Also, they do this weird thing where you high-​five the waitress if she gets the order right. It’s kinda cute I guess?

Our friend recommended this place to us on our brief trip to Atlanta. When I looked through the customer pictures, I thought it would be a Korean fast food joint. We were promptly seated and given 2 adorable cups and a carafe of cold water.
My first impression was it felt like a home. It was warm and friendly and comfortable! There were many families dining with us that day as well. It was funny how the waitress thought we were Korean right off the bat. My fiancée and I were caught off guard… it must have been even more awkward for the poor girl! We decided to order a cup bob, an udon, an omurice, and the fish cake soup. I like how the waitress immediately asked us if we could finish it all because the portions are large. We reassured her that we wanted to taste as much as we can and plan on packing half for dinner that night.
We loved every bit of our meal! The omurice disappointed me a bit because my experience of omurice is different. (Perhaps Japanese vs Korean omurice?) Nothing was overtly seasoned and they did not skimp on ingredients! The prices are extremely fair.
The only complaint I have is… one of the waitresses was really snappy. We figured it has been a long day, so we brushed it off. I will definitely come by again. Thank you and keep up the good work!!!

A small, upbeat restaurant tucked in an aging Korean plaza, Dan Moo Ji serves solid food with a cute twist. Walking in, you are immediately greeted by the staff, and led to a table to be seated. The décor is on point, panels of cartoon/​animé line the back wall, DAN MOO JI in nice, bold lettering on another, along with clean white tables and wood furnishings. The silverware and plates accent the experience as well: each table gets a plastic water pitcher and cute water glasses, ones you would drink from at home.
At first I had a bad impression of the waitress. I asked what she recommended, and in a really caustic tone, informed me that there were too many options on the menu, and that I tell her what kind of food I want. I wasn’t really in the mood for anything, just up for suggestions. She definitely could’ve approached the situation differently, instead of acting annoyed.
The menu is pretty simple and small, they mainly serve omurice, these plates (tonkatsu, chicken, etc), dukbokki, and kimbap. They aren’t really heavy, more for a light meal to catch up with friends. Tonkatsu and grilled chicken were the most popular among the plates; I ended up ordering the grilled chicken plate.
The food came out FAST. My grilled chicken plate came in this oblong plate, looked like a gondola. Presentation was tight, salad and corn on the side, a bed of rice, slices of chicken, and an ice cream scoop of mashed potatoes on top. Starting off, the grilled chicken was cooked perfectly. It was probably thigh meat, the chicken on the outside had a nice char, sort of like blackened chicken. It formed a nice crust, with juicy meat in the center. It was seasoned well, and smothered in this sweet oyster sauce.
On top of that, the mashed potatoes. More like potato salad. This is where I’m confused. The potatoes were served cold, but it’s sitting on hot chicken. So when it arrived, it wasn’t sure whether to be hot or cold. Some parts were lukewarm, while the top remained chill. I really wish it was served room temperature, because it didn’t work. It’s a sweet potato salad, with dried fruit/​raisins mixed in. Not my thing.
The sweet corn with cheese was weird at first (what’s with Koreans and cheese on everything), but I grew into it. The cheese was sort of like cream cheese, which complimented well with the sweetness of the corn. On the other side of the gondola was the salad, basically iceberg lettuce and red cabbage, with a sweet sesame dressing over it. They could’ve done better, but it contrasted with the richness of everything else. Nice combo.
The rice was bomb. I don’t pay attention to restaurant rice normally, but they just had everything down. You could actually taste the rice grains, not some trashy, mushed up paste of rice. The rice was firm yet soft, and had the necessary stickiness to not fall apart when eating with chopsticks. A++ all the way.
The plates also come with complimentary soup (probably everyone gets it), which is served in a measuring cup. At first this whole dinnerware thing seems weird, but it’s really cute. Other Asian restaurants needa pay attention to this place, gotta be more innovative. Food is 3.5÷5, but the dinnerware game was tight as heck. Tacked on a whole .5 for the concept itself.
P. S. Left my sunglasses there, but the same waitress ran out to hand them to me. Waitress is cool now.

I love me some good kimbap and Dan Moo Ji delivers a solid kimbap. After hearing much hype about the kimbap here from my sister, I finally was able to try some. I have heard it takes a bit of time for your roll (s) to come out since it’s made to order and the owners/​workers have suggested calling ahead of time to place your order.
I got the spicy tuna kimbap, which was different from the kimbap I’ve had in NYC in that the actual tuna itself isn’t really spicy at all, but the sauce and the pickled jalapeño are. I love the addition of the pickled pepper — makes it all the more flavorful and spicy. Warning to those who can’t handle straight pepper — this can get quite spicy, especially if the seeds/​white part are still in it. There was a good amount of tuna in the roll and everything was proportioned. The rolls are also huge! I ate one and was satisfied for the rest of my evening (I ate most during my flight back to NYC).
I also tried the spicy squid kimbap, which is better than the one I’ve had in NYC. Big, tender pieces of squid in a nice spicy Korean sauce.
Our two rolls only came with one soup, so I’m not sure what the policy is there. I wasn’t able to try the soup because it spilled all over the floor of the car — boohoo.
Will definitely be back for a light dinner or a heavy snack!

okay, so here’s the thing. I’ve been here a couple of times prior to their renovation and expansion. BUT I was also here recently (which the place has been renovated and expanded for a couple of months now).
our group decided to come here for dinner last week. and man, does this place look so much better! before, DMJ used to look like it was catered to only girls. there were little girly drawings on the wall, school girl outfits as uniforms, and girl k-​pop songs. the color scheme before was very feminine as well. now, DMJ is more modern and minimalistic looking — which I can dig. it definitely looks a lot more spacious, bright, and inviting.
random trivia for ya. «dan moo ji» means «pickled radish» in korean. before the big expansion, pickled radishes came complimentary with anything you ordered. then after the expansion, they stopped giving it. I guess after many complaints or empty seats, they decided to bring it back. oh what a smart decision on their behalf! because I would not order that ish a-​la-​carte.
so the staple dish for DMJ are their ‘kimbaps’ — which is essentially korean sushi, BUT cooked. pickled radishes are also a key ingredient in kimbap. and I can vouch for their kimbaps! I do hate the dollar price increase on these, but they’re still under $ 5 per roll! my favorite kimbap is their squid kimbap. at least half of their rolls have a «original» style and a «spicy style».
oh and did I mention that service here rocks?! all the servers are korean and happen to be female. they are all very sweet and attentive. and best of all, they speak english; YAY! :)

I was running some errands early sunday and was hungry around pleasant hill area. It was before 11am so not many places were open until noon. After reading a few reviews and decided on dan moo ji. I got an udon which was pretty good but it came out in an unusual pouring cup. I got the donkatsu kimbap, and tuna kimbap. Both kimbap were good as well but the tuna was pretty awesome. Now the donkatsu cup bap, it’s kinda like kfc’s bowl but with different ingredient. It has rice on the bottom, some slaw salad, corn and cut up donkatsu on the top. Décor inside in nice and clean modern. First time I came here, we ordered the food up front by the counter and picked up the food at the same spot when the food was ready but the 2^nd time we went, they took the order at the table and brought us the food.
Most of their food I’ve had there is ok but the kimbap though are the bomb :)

Omg… Why is this place rated 4 stars? Maybe it’s because of the Korean serving girls with lots of markups and short skits? I don’t know… Food at this place is just mediocre. They only have one Dduk bbok gi option. Where is ra bbok gi and jjol bbok gi? These are very basic for a place like this. Also, you can’t take ramen to go. All the other snack places that I know will pack the noodles separately so that your noodles is still fresh. They just refused to pack it.
Their service is just below average. First of all, they will start scream at anything when you order and when you are done with order. I will understand if they were really busy. They were still screaming even when one third of restaurant is full. Also, even severs who can speak English will refuse to speak English to customers if there is any one Korean customer among the group. They will not be flexible on any dishes at all. Some Korean/​Asian restaurants are very accommodating if you ask for replacement for certain things. I understand if they cannot make accommodations. She was very rude and she even made a face. I understand a little if they were busy. They were very slow. It’s hard to rate some restaurant if their service is bad.
Please note that if you take it to go, their receipt will not state what you ordered. It will just show the total price. It’s quite annoying as you have no idea if you have a big order. It’s especially worse if you don’t speak English. There are so many options for this type of food in Atlanta. I will probably come back if my friends want to come but that will be definitely once in a while.

Every time I crave kimbap, I immediately want to go to Dan Moo Ji, even though it’s all the way up in Duluth, I’m definitely willing to make the drive every time.
Apparently, the place has changed since a couple years ago, and I’ve heard that some people aren’t too happy with the renovations, and how service has changed. But my current experience has been nothing but fantastic.
When you walk in, you order at the counter. There’s a huge menu, and if you’re not familiar with it, you might want to stand back and peruse it before you go up. They have a HUGE selection of kimbap, ramyun, omurice, fish cakes, rice cakes, etc. My go-​to is always the donkatsu kimbap. Sometimes I try to vary, but I usually always go back to the donkatsu kimbap, and a serving of omurice to share.
The first couple times I came, you would get a buzzer, and seat yourself at a table. Once your buzzer goes off, you’d go up to the counter to pick up your tray. The last time we came here, they seated us, took our order, and brought us our food similar to a full-​service restaurant. I’m not sure if they changed their service since the previous time, or maybe because it was dinner service.
Everything comes out extremely fast, and they always have steaming hot free soup. The serving sizes are enormous. I don’t think most people can finish one serving of kimbap on their own because it comes with ten pieces of generous sizing. The omurice is also enormous, so I would definitely suggest ordering with friends, and splitting everything up.
Price-​wise, you get much more than you pay for. The kimbaps are an average of $ 4.5, and you get 10 huge pieces. Everything else varies by size, such as the rice cakes, but this is definitely an affordable place to come for Korean «street food.»

This place is popular! Luckily we got here early. There were 3 of us we were taken to a table immediately. They have really weird table layouts here (only have tables that fit party of 2 or 6). They were going to have three of us share a two-​person table… Really? It was really uncomfortable (after all, it was meant for two people), so we waited about 10 minutes to be reseated at a larger table.
They have quite a few options on their menu, kimbap, omurice, Duk Bokki, noodles, and more. My friends and I shared a kimchi kimbap, bulgogi kimbap, regular omurice, and a 32 oz duk bokki with cheese. The kimbaps are good and relatively inexpensive (~4 to 5 dollars per roll). I personally enjoyed the omurice. The duk bokki was a bit spicy for me but I loved how chewy the rice cakes were. Definitely carb-​loaded this meal…
The waitresses here are fairly nice and asks you for a high five after you order (don’t think this is their choice but they do it anyway). The total came out around 35 dollars and we had leftovers to take home. What a deal!

I came in with a few other friends during my last visit to Atlanta. For anyone that knows the Greater Atlanta food scene, you know that there is a laundry list of Korean spots to choose from. However, this spot rises to the top of that long list. One of my friends was telling me about how this place was recently renovated and it certainly seemed that way. It appeared really hip with the clean look, bright colors and several TVs playing new K-​pop music videos. I haven’t kept up with the K-​pop scene lately so I’m really not sure, but I digress. The menu has plenty of great Korean classics to choose from… like dukkboki, kimbab and omurice.
This fun experience starts with typical banchan of pickled radishes and a small «bowl» of soup that was served in a measuring cup. That soup was so damn good that I knew that was just a foreshadow of what was to come. Our food came out super quick… it didn’t take longer than 7 minutes for our food to arrive. They certainly don’t shy away from the portion size… so. much. food. So what did we get? Well, since you asked, we got an order of Bulgogi Kimbab and Fried Dumplings for apps then two guys got the Don Katsu (fried pork cutlet) and the other two guys got Chicken Omurice, which is traditionally humble dish of an omelette filled with rice and topped with a couple different sauces (like ketchup). Their version is taken to a whole other level of awesomeness. What I loved about it was that they use dark meat versus commonly used white meat. The chicken was tender, juicy, full of flavor and lots of it. But everything was just fantastic in every way from start to finish.
Overall, the food is awesome and the service is amazing. If I had one of these in DC, I’d be here all the time… and would consequently be 300 lbs. Dan Moo Ji is officially on my favorites list of places to go when I come to Atlanta.

I was here yesterday for a quick bite and it was my first time visiting after their renovation. My husband and I ordered spicy squid kimbab, tuna kimbab, and kimchi raw egg fried rice, which I had eaten previously before the renovation. The fried rice was too sweet and I could not taste kimchi. It used to be really good, what a shame! Kimbab was soggy and not like what I had before. The price had also gone up for which should have gone down. I get it, renovation= increase in price. But the taste should also be equal/​better to that of before the reno. I will try again next time and see if it tastes better and edit the posting.
+unlike what others have said, the restaurant still gives a side of moo’s for free.

If you are seeking to create your own Kimbap buffet, this is your go-​to spot. I read other reviews and in anticipation, came prepared to gorge myself with a variety. They did not disappoint. I tried the Bulgogi kimbap, Tuna kimbap, and Donkatsu kimbap. My favorite (and their most popular) was the Tuna version. The Bulgogi was pretty standard and the Donkatsu was a bit too chewy. Overall, great portions and I was pretty full. On the side, they provide some radish side dishes, as well as warm, flavorful soup that comes in a measuring cup. Interesting presentation. They also provide you with a large pitcher of water, which is so thoughtful. Especially for camels like myself who usually need to constantly hound the waitstaff for refills.
Highlights:
*clean bathroom
*plenty of free parking
*good variety of Kimbap — Tuna is a must!
*very friendly employees who are happy to provide recommendations (e.g. if you don’t like spicy food, they will provide alternate options)
*cute and spacious décor
If/​when I return to Georgia, I will stop by to get my fill of Kimbap!

I typically come here when I’m in a hurry to just eat and clearly want something on their menu: kimpab or a random craving of oodeng. Overall, after their recent renovations, I’d probably suggest you go elsewhere for mediocre food. Before they renovated, they gave the radish on the house, now they will charge you extra for it. The place is called Dan Moo Ji, why all of a sudden charge for it? If not to waste, at least ask and then make it on the house? Another awkward situation is when the girl at the cashier is demanding a high five right after you order. Sorry, but it’s a bit much for my taste. I get you’re trying to make me happy, but I was a bit weirded out with her over enthusiasm.
I had their new Donkatsu Cup Bop and it was okay. Of course there was more rice than anything else, and the donkatsu was tiny and flat, I felt like I was just eating a sliver of meat and mainly panko. Overall, disappointed in their changes. I understand they are trying to make profits, but I think they have the potential of losing more due to all the changes and lower quality of food.

Every time I’m in Georgia, I always make sure I come here! First, this place is so cute. I love the décor and I like how they play K-​Pop on the TV. Makes your experience there fun!
My favorite things to order is kimbap. I love the spicy squid and spicy chicken. I can tolerate spicy usually but the spicy is no joke with the amount of jalapeño they put in. When you order, they also give you radish and soup. Soup comes in a cute little measuring cup!
I also like their wings and ramen. I haven’t gone back in some time and I hear it has been renovated. I am excited to see the changes! But moral of the story, get the kimbap.

I am already trying to plan my next trip back to this place!!!
This place has great kimbaps! My husband and I ordered the squid and bulgogi ones and they were amazing, amazing, and amazing! They were rolled perfectly and tasted so great! One roll is already pretty big. We also got a 12 oz order of the ddukbokki.
A word of advice… Do NOT get everything spicy! Thr ddukbokki is pretty spicy. The squid kimbaps come spicy with peppers (with tons of seeds that make it spicy). Then they asked if we wanted the bulgogi one spicy and we made the mistake of saying ‘sure why not’… Then it was FIRE in our mouths after all three hahaha.
Good thing it comes with unlimited soup that you can fill in the OXO measuring cups. I don’t quite understand the measuring cups as soup cups but it is a cute touch. The little bowls you get are adorable. Ours were little teddy bear bowls.
Another random touch that I think is so cute is that they have highchairs AND bumbo chairs! Kids love bumbo chairs!
Cant wait to go back to try the tuna kimbap!

Well-​priced, tasty, Korean fast food. Dan Moo Ji… saranghae!
INSTRUCTIONS: walk in, peruse menu, go up to the register, and order. They’ll give you a buzzer. Find a table, wait, and then pick up your food at the counter. P. S. they have complimentary soup!
Here’s what I’ve gotten:
1. Tuna Kimbap — There’re a billion varieties of kimbap, but tuna is bomb.
2. Spicy Tuna Kimbap — Delicious like the non-​spicy tuna kimbap… but + heat.
3. Spicy Chicken Kimbap — Like a kick in the face. But a good kick.
4. Kimchi Omurice — Generous proportions + deliciously unhealthy corn/​mayo side
5. Tteokbokki (dukbokki) — I love Korean rice cakes… soft and chewy.
6. Donkatsu Cup Bob — not bad, fried pork was good
7. Pickled radish — I prefer the white over the brown. But they charge for this, which is butt.
8. Fish cake — it was aite.

Tasty cheap Korean food, cooked fast — I’m happy that I was introduced to it by two of my friends.
There are several menu categories. You can order more than ten varieties of tasty kimbap — two orders will easily make a complete lunch. Then there are the noodle soups — which have a good broth. You can also get cups of complimentary soup with any meal from a huge container next to the water dispensers. «Omurice», which is an omelet served on top of rice, is yet another option. In addition, there are the «cup bobs», which consist of fried rice with your choice of meat on top. I’ve eaten the grilled chicken cup bob and the beef bulgogi and kimchi cup bob. The grilled chicken is juicy and tasty. Good sauce and a lot of corn served inside the cup. The bulgogi and kimchi cup bob also has clear noodles served on top.
I’ve gone back to Dan Moo Ji within a week of going there for the first time. Well priced fast casual food. I’ve added it to the list of restaurants that I will frequent.

I was so excited to find out that Dan Moo Ji will be expanding and was anticipating the re-​opening of it. Even though it’s been almost a month of the re-​opening, I finally got a chance to check it out. Yes, it’s double the size.
Walking in, I was greeted in Korean but it was a small walkway and on the right was like an area with some food items, kinda like cafeteria style but no trays there, it was for show??? I don’t know exactly how to explain it because I just walked passed it to the cashier. Now, Dan Moo Ji is fast food style, which made me really really sad because what made me really like it in the beginning is how different it was from other Korea joints. Now with the bigger location, it has a modern look and isn’t as cutesy as it used to be. I don’t get high-five’s from the waitresses. They call your number to pick up your food. Urgh. I’m sad and disappointed.
To add on top of the disappointment, my daughter wanted shrimp omurice because they didn’t have spam. They said it would take like 25 — 30 mins so she opted for the plain omurice. I ordered the chicken cup bob. So I paid and waited for my order, they gave us that buzzer when the food will be ready. Five minutes later, they came to tell me that the chicken isn’t ready for the cup bob and would I want pork instead? Hmmm, no. I ordered chicken so I want chicken. First, shrimp isn’t ready for the omurice, I’m cool with that but if the chicken wasn’t ready for the cup bob, I would’ve like to know that before. Maybe I’ll order something else instead. I’m trying to cut back eating pork so that’s why I didn’t want it and I don’t eat beef.
So I agreed to wait on the chicken cup bob. Oh yeah, it took 25 minutues. I kinda wished I asked for my money back or ordered something else instead. I did order two dishes of kimbap because I wanted to take them home — spicy squid & spicy chicken. They are still on point but because of what has already happened, it dampened my mood.
Oh yeah, add on the disappointment, no more banchans. So the broth and radishes are extra on the menu now. Yes, seriously. No more cute drawings on chalkboard. Everything is modern and replaced. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a cute place and if I have never been to Dan Moo Ji before, I may like it. However, because I have been to Dan Moo Ji before, what set it apart from all the other places is that it’s so cutesy and gives you that Korean feel. The waitresses don’t dress in cute school girl uniforms anymore but they still are cute in their work attire.
When my chicken cup bob finally came out, I was disappointed that the chicken was just laid on top of the cup. So 80% of the cup is rice and the other 10% is chicken and the other 10% is the cheese corn. I ate the chicken and left the rest because I wasn’t digging it.
I will not come back to eat anymore there unless I just do carryout and order kimbap. SIGH. I was really looking forward to the bigger brand new Dan Moo Ji because during that time, it was one of my favorite restaurants.